Miles Constable Artist

18x36x3 Mixed media on canvas $740

I started on this painting because I wanted to do an animal portrait for an upcoming Guild show, and a buffalo is a powerful figure. I also wanted to continue experimenting with paper on canvas and wanted to do something with heavy watercolour paper that I could fix to the canvas as a second layer that would immediately form depth. The original design came about quickly as I sketched ideas on newsprint. The skull design came from a postcard I picked up at Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump, and the buffalo is done on a heavy watercolour paper that I fixed to the canvas with a lot of acrylic medium. The concept I had was a tribute to the buffalo, and the plains Indian culture that depended on it. But the culture is being lost under the sands of time and the buffalo is barely keeping up. The tears stream down from the lemon yellow sky. The stripes near the bottom are part of the plains Indian habit of dividing objects with primary colours.

24x24x1 Acrylic on canvas $360

With 6 hours in the Studio Gallery it is best to have at least two paintings to work on, so I started this one without any real concept of what I wanted to do. I squeezed a pile of blue paint onto my palette, picked up a medium putty knife and simply smeared it down the middle of the painting. Liking the heavy presence of the blue form I added more, and then scraped some orange across the corner. With some inspection and time I formed a concept and proceeded to add horizontal bits, and then found that I had to fill in the white with green paint, as I hadn't toned the canvas. As it turned out the blue over white comes through brilliant, blue over the green is very dark. I think it evokes a city scape under muted light, with rain and slick roads.

12x12x3, Acrylic on canvas Gifted

This is a continuation of my series of small, thick paintings with a predominant gold theme. I chose waves as a sub-theme that prompted me to put in blue above and the semi-transparent greens below.

36x18x3 Mixed Media on canvas SOLD

I really like the format of these canvases and I wanted to continue working in the funky silk-threaded paper that can be used for such a heavy texture on the canvas. The horizontal nature of this painting immediately suggested a landscape, so I allowed myself to follow that as a theme. I had a concept of a marsh, logs fallen, others standing and live trees. What followed was not necessarily what I had envisioned, however, I have learned to go with the flow and see where the current takes me.

36x18x3 Mixed Media on canvas In the collection of the artist's family.

I am still liking the format of these canvases and I continue to work in the funky silk-threaded paper that can be used for such a heavy texture on the canvas. This started life as a vertical painting while I was at the Whyte Avenue Art Walk, but I decided it worked much better as a horizontal landscape. I decided not to envisage anything until I worked in the paper and filled in some of the gaps. Once I added the blue and let it bleed out I found my "lake" and the rest came together quite nicely. This I have found is a good technique, just have fun, be open to the pattern and see where the current takes me.

16x20x2 Acrylic on canvas SOLD

This painting started life simply with three swooshes of primary red, yellow and blue. I looked at these swooshes for a long time and wondered what the heck to do with them. I put the canvas behind some others and went on with other work. Finally one day I decided to do something, anything, with those darned swooshes. I added gold, and red and black and white and I scratched it and etched it about. Finally it was starting to happen, then I added black around the edges and was appalled at it, so I grabbed a pointy palette knife and dragged the paint into the center. I liked these tooth-like features so I put in more and then filled them in with gold. The title took a while to come to me, but it does remind me of strife.

24x24 Acrylic on canvas $300

This was to be another in my series of two dimensional, minimalist, city-scapes but when I first painted in the streaky blue of the background it just said "water" to me. This halted progress for a bit as I wasn't sure where to go with this painting-to-be, but I eventually added the greens, yellows and red-oranges. Sand, surf and sun; Winter Escape! Sure wish I could!

12x12x3 Acrylic on canvas SOLD

This is another in my series of small, thick canvases with a predominant gold tone, although this time I have turned it into a diamond. Using a brush and not a palette knife enabled me to make finer directional strokes in the paint, so that the alizarin crimson appears to recede into the gold, and the purple vertical grounds in the crimson layer. This painting sold in 2012, never say never! Keep showing your work; you never know when it will sell.

18X24 Acrylic on canvas Gifted to a good friend.

Continuing with a city theme I wanted to do something simple, yet bold, with a black stripe across it. I taped off the rectangular areas and started with the black stripe. From there I added the blue swirling line and the gray-blue one. I like the colour of alizarin crimson but in keeping with a darker tone I added a touch of black and painted the background quickly to give the sketchy look. It is a city, simplified to a few forms.

24X24 Acrylic on canvas In the collection of the artist's family.

Driving to work in the spring I spotted a scene with the sun coming up behind the towers downtown. It stuck in my mind so I developed this roughly textured painting in acrylic.

18X24X2 Oil on canvas $200

Several years ago I was sitting in a car on Toronto's Queensway going nowhere. Not unusual at rush hour. I spotted this underpass painted bright purple with the partial word "SUCKS" on it. That's all I could see. What sucked wasn't apparent, although sitting there certainly did. I had so long that I took out a sketch pad and captured the concept. I finally got around to doing it in thin oils.

12x12x3 Oil on canvas Gifted to a good friend.

In my series of small paintings I seem to have developed a beach/water theme. This just reminded me of little waves on a beach, ergo the name. It's done in thick oils, definitely fun to apply and work, but messy and slow to dry.

12x12x3 Acrylic on canvas SOLD

Another water theme. After completing this one I thought for some time before I realized what it reminded me of. Watching water swirling along side a boat, with a view of the railing and deck. Not that I've ever had the opportunity to see that, but one can dream.

36x36x2 Acrylic on canvas SOLD

I am continuing with an urban theme, in this case a cold-looking city landscape under a threatening sky. Someone said it looked like Regina in a snowstorm. Odd, considering that I grew up in Regina. Perhaps my sub-conscious is dredging up images.