A look Inside the Studio

May 2023, In the Louvre with a favourite Raphael

In the Louvre with a favourite Raphael. A friend and I spent most of May in Paris having a delightful time.

May 2022, Endless details

Down in the near endless details of this big and complex painting.

November 2021, Putting things in perspective

Tightening up the perspective on Uptown. The ruler is attached to a string, the other end of the string is attached to the vanishing point.

October 2021, Instagram

I finally bit the bullet. I’m on Instagram, @richardthomasdavisartist 😀

May 2021, from my easy chair

Reflection turned sideways on the easel. A very complex painting, I’ve spent most of the past few months working mostly on this one piece. But the start of a nude self-portrait can be seen in the back, left, as well as a portrait of an artist friend, John Hall, back right.

September 2020, getting another off the ground

Just starting a new commission, Reflection. A winter image of maple trees reflected upside-down in a pool filled with its leaves.

July 2020, La Luna bites the dust

Here, unhappy with the way the painting was headed, I’ve sanded down La Luna, the first step of a complete re-working of the painting.

June 2020, Toronto Cityscape

Working on my big, new cityscape of the Bloor and Yonge area of Toronto.

December 2019, Figurativas 2019 awards ceremony

Accepting my Honourable Mention at the Figurativas 2019 awards ceremony at the MEAM, Barcelona, Spain.

December 2019, talking with Tony Luciano

Talking with Tony Luciano, a fellow Canadian and co-winner of Figurativas 2019, at the awards event, MEAM, Barcelona, Spain.

July 2019, Figurativas 2019 jury viewing

This is a photo from the MEAM in Spain, of the Figurativas 2019 Jury viewing my painting, Kindling and Mirrors. That’s Antonio Lopez-Garcia third hand from the left (gray and white striped shirt).

July 2019, another photo from Spain

Another photo from Spain. This one shows Odd Nerdrum, front. A couple more photos can be seen on the Figurativas Facebook Page. Note that there is a early photo in my Journal, October 2009, of me working on this painting in my studio.

June 2019, two more paintings

As if there wasn’t enough to do, at the end of March I started two more small paintings. These are sketchier than my usual work, studies for new large paintings I may do.

March 2019, work in progress

The work continues to go well. I’ll often hang a painting upside down, or sideways in order to see it in a new and fresh way.

January 2019, glaze on Linen and Silk

Here I’m applying a dark, transparent glaze on Linen and Silk. I don’t often make such a major change mid-way in a work, but I felt more drama was needed.

August 2018, work wall

Most of the work for the November, 2019 show in Halifax can be seen here in early stages, all neatly lined up along one wall of the studio.

February 2018, Jill underpainting

The two large figure works are seen here in a brown underpainting layer. The work on Jill, on the easel, is just getting started. La Luna, the dark, moon-lit seascape, is on the back wall.

January 2018, getting started

Very early stages for the work in the upcoming show. One assembled stretcher, one partly gessoed canvas, one finished gessoed canvas, two gessoed panels, and five works underway.

July 2017 waiting, Peggy’s Cove

My shadow is cast on the rocks near Peggy’s Cove while I wait for the sun to set, and the moon to rise. Soon I’ll take the first photographs for a new work, La Luna.

May 2017, applying color glazes on Storm’s End

I use primarily transparent pigments for my glazes. In this case, I’m giving a hint of warm green to the riled water with thalo green and quinacridone gold.

May 2017, isolating varnish

Applying an alkyd isolating varnish to Storm’s End. Note the new composition of Gastown Tenement against the back wall.

March 2017, changing the composition of Gastown Tenement

Unhappy with the existing composition, I’m painting out the bottom half before simplifying the arrangement of windows and doors.

February 2017, "Studio Tour" filming

Being filmed by Matthew Brown for a segment on TV1, New Brunswick. That video can now be found on Vimeo, here is a link.

December 2016, working on Going Home

You can just make out the circular pattern of chalk-mark guides on the sky as I work to get the subtle values even.

January 2016, applying a glaze to Storm’s End

Applying a thin glaze of earth color to dull and darken the entire painting. The glaze looks rather heavy, but most gets wiped off as I spread it around with a soft cloth. I usually make my glazes with transparent pigments in linseed oil and/or Liquin and a bit of thinner.

January 2016, the Tom Conway portrait.

Nearing completion of the portrait. Note the small photo, just behind my shoulder, of Rembrandt’s portrait of Joris de Caullery. I borrowed the lighting effect from this painting. The Rembrandt self-portrait against the back wall is a copy I’ve been working on for years.

September 2015, the Beaverbrook show

My paintings, Vancouver Looking East, 1974, Granville Bridge, and ’65 Volvo, in the Writing Topography show at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery, Fredericton, New Brunswick.

July 2015, packing day

Packing paintings for their trip to the Beaverbrook Art Gallery.

July 2015, varnishing day

Applying the final varnish to Vancouver, Looking East, shortly before framing and packing.

February 2015, working on Granville Bridge

September 2014, work in progress

Working on Vancouver, Looking East, with Granville Bridge against the back wall.

August 2014, The final work on Shelter

February 2014, gessoing

Applying the first layer of gesso with a spatula to the Vancouver, Looking East canvas, on the easel, and two large panels.

February 2014, stretching canvas

Stretching the 60" by 90" canvas for Vancouver, Looking East.

July 2013, a visitor

Laurie Pawlitze in the studio with the nearly finished portrait.

January 2013, glazing

I’m giving the woodwork in the Pawlitza portrait more intense color by applying glazes of brilliant, transparant quinacridone red and gold, plus burnt and raw umber over the dark areas. The glaze color is applied quickly with a brush then carefully wiped with a rag to smooth it out. Applying glazes is enjoyable because it’s a relatively quick and easy way to alter overall color effect.

August 2012, gessoing

Gessoing the panel for the Pawlitza portrait. The unfinished ‘65 Volvo on the easel, and the finished Basement Self Portrait on the far wall.

August 2011, packing for Wagner show

I’ve cleared the center of the studio in order to pack paintings (leaning against the back wall to the right) for my show at Odon Wagner Gallery in Toronto later that year.

August 2011, grinding oil paint

Getting ready to start new work by grinding yellow ochre oil paint.

March 2011, Susan and Nigel

Nigel, the model for Aladdin, and Susan visit the studio when the painting is finished and framed.

February 2010, the underpainting

Laying in the first wash of color on 4:30 and Storm Doors (in the background). I first use a very lean oil paint of mostly Indian red, and a bit of ivory black and yellow ochre to draw the composition on the panel. Once that’s dry, I use a wide brush to apply the same oil paint, well thinned, to cover the panel and give a general effect of the values.

January 2010, gessoing

I’m applying my emulsion gesso, a combination of chalk, rabbit skin glue, linseed oil, and titanium white, to the panels. The bowl of gesso is sitting in a pot of hot water to keep the glue melted and the gesso at a working consistency. I’ll use these panels for oil emulsion paintings.

October 2009, painting from life

Doing some of the final work on Kindling and Mirrors. I like to work from life whenever I can, so for a painting like this I’ll set up as many of the elements as possible in the studio.

August 2007, the new studio going up

June 2007, the old studio coming down