Blog Archives - JEAN KIEGERL - ARTIST

JEAN KIEGERL - ARTIST

More daisies!

30/10/2025

Well, that was so much fun, why not try it again? This time I painted it in shades of grey without a coloured tone on the canvas first. I started with the darkest shades and worked towards white, since the opposite direction was too much of a challenge. I could not tell where the whites were painted on the white canvas (duh!) When I finished the flower, I had to put in a background just to see where the whites ended. This is a learn-as-I-go project, I guess. The next layer should be fun :)

How to make a coffee break last 3 hours

27/10/2025

It is important to have the coffee actually in hand first. Then just squeeze out black and white paint and mix a few grays. By the time the whole canvas is covered with wet paint, the mug is still full but the coffee is stone cold.

Onward and upward

26/10/2025

Moons seem to be a theme this week, so I am trying out different media and techniques. This time, a set of three 6x6" moons using oil on oil paper, to be mounted on 6x6" panels. One more moon to go - silver moon in a winter landscape to go in a silver frame I just found. I love painting on a black background now.

One mistake to correct or burn - I used actual varnish instead of retouch varnish on the two earlier 6x6" moon panels. They are not looking good as the oil paint was not dry enough for varnish. I will wait and see what happens...

The new "Nicola Storm" is looking ok so far, I am just waiting for it to dry before the next layer.

Next - "Tracey's Daisies" in oil on a 12x12" cradled panel. This time I will follow the rules: grisaille in shades of grey, and let it DRY. Then glaze a transparent light yellow over all +and patch in the additional colours with minimal blending.

Rowboats, finished but needs a more interesting title

15/10/2025

Done and signed. "Rowboats," 20x24" oil on canvas.
I also touched a few other paintings with corrections, varnish, etc.
A nice day of painting today, though it cost half of my painting time to get to it. Blame it on the hot water tank that quit on the same day as my plumber. All good now - fixed and the dishes and laundry are done :)

Shoot the Moon

13/10/2025

I had so much fun with Moonshot, I decided to try it again. And again. Thank you, Jim, for your excellent photos - that must be quite the camera.
Technique: Cover 6 x 6" panels with black acrylic gesso, then paint the moon with oil. Scratch the trees into the moon paint and use it to sketch the hillside trees. The hardest part is keeping the circle edge intact with shaky fingers. Practise, practise.

Wednesday is Painting Day :)

8/10/2025

In spite of trying to correct Telus billing errors (again!), I managed to get quite a lot of painting done today. The rowboats are looking more finished now, but I will let them rest for a few days. I might want to put some clouds back in the sky.
My other painting was prepping 6x6" surfaces with black oil paint or black gesso for experimenting with other ways to paint "Moonshot." These are mini painting so I might be able to find and use that mysterious "spare time" that I have heard people mention.

Get stuff ready and inspiration will come...

6/10/2025

I know that line paraphrases the one about baseball, but it fits.
I had a 12" square gessoed in black and a moon photo sitting next to it. Somehow they melded into this oil painting this afternoon.
Who knew it was that simple?

Keeping the winning streak going (like the Blue Jays) - I tried mounting the Mariposa Lily (oil on Arches oil paper) and that worked just fine. It is unsigned on the cradled panel for the next NVCAC art show called "Who Done It?" So don't tell anyone this one is mine - it's a secret!

Rowboats, second chance

5/10/2025

I really liked the tumble of rowboats near Granville Island back in 2004. I painted an 8x10" study in 2013, and I am finally getting around to doing the larger version. This canvas is the 20x24" where I first tried to lay the boats over a sunset. I am planning to use palette knives and acrylic again, hoping the cool wet weather will help make that successful this time.
I used black gesso to give me a fresh start. I sketched with a blue watercolour pencil, so I can make lots of corrections on those boat shapes. I see some already, e.g. the missing boat on the right side.

Continuing on October 1:
The low placement of the row of boats left a large black space above, so I added a water horizon and moon with reflections. I used white PanPastel to try out the hightlights as it is easy to modify with a moldable grey eraser. Good so far...
I took the painting outside to spray the pastel with workable fixative spray. Oops - the can needs a lot of shaking to prevent drips. Then I knocked the sprayer end off the can had a toxic air issue in the studio. How much other damage can I possibly do in one day?
Well, I could try knife painting on precise shapes instead of as an abstract form or background. Then switch to soft brushes to fix the issues caused by the knife. Then I might decide that I really prefer oils and do the next layer in a grey scale instead.
OK, oil wins. :)