original art Archives - INESE'S ART STUDIO

July 12, 2023October 18, 2024

Summer landscape – fantastic subject

What to paint in the summertime? If you are in the countryside, traveling or live in the suburbs, I believe it’s impossible to avoid painting at least a few landscapes. What do we include in the summer landscape? Everything which speaks to us or says loudly: it’s hot, it’s wonderful, and it’s summer. My summer landscape is based on my surroundings and what I see outdoors. My private park has numerous wildflowers, and it is actually rather wild with huge old trees, various greases and plants.

We can interpret any landscape in numerous ways. Choosing certain color for wildflowers, buildings, sunny or cool color for grasses, adding trees or water, roads or fences – it depends only on artist where you want your viewer to go. I would like my viewer and art collector to feel happy about what nature provides us with, enjoy the views which might not be around forever. In that regard, I am documenting the natural beauty before we kill the Earth completely. Thee is so much beauty in the simplest summer landscape.

In my opinion, taking pictures of art and then posting them as separate images without background, literary destroys the art. I do that still because many places require to do so. Original art breathes and emits plenty of great, uplifting energy. All devices and cameras take away a lot already, and the small image you can see on the phone isn’t really my painting. It’s gone through numerous adjustments and algorithms. Regardless of that, I hope the energy within my summer landscape paintings is still visible.

These particular paintings were created between 2010 and 2021. There are many more, but one post can include only few images. I believe I already added too many pictures, but – when else to allow color to sparkle and imagination to run freely? I intend to initiate Studio 65 sale to celebrate my birthday. That’s pretty much the only celebration I will have. Most of paintings are available as originals and also as prints. Originals are available from my art studio in Ajax, Ontario, Canada. Prints – anywhere.

Bright and happy, we could use more of that, couldn’t we?

Wish me well? Maybe buy a small art print or all kinds of things with my art, including puzzles, from my Fine Art America site:

Art collections by Inese Poga

Interested to learn drawing and painting? Please, click on:

Group art classes

or Private art lessons

Have a great summer!

April 26, 2023October 16, 2024

Creating art collections

Choosing artworks for collections

If you have been painting for a decade or longer as I am, it’s possible to see how all artworks fit into art collections. What are the criteria for creating art collections? There are many, and any large body of artworks can be sorted out by medium, style, certain color or particular subject. The best example is my Fine Art America art collections. I have put together art by medium, by subject, like floral art, still life, landscape and also by color. There will be black and white art collection available soon, as well. See link below or on Menu.

Spring landscape paintings, landscape watercolor

Painting from imagination

The spring as always is arriving slowly in Ontario. We see long periods of grey and earthy colors around us. The more grasses and trees wake up, the more patches of bright green are visible. Therefore, my grey and abstract watercolors were a good match for my surroundings. As I have mentioned many times, I prefer not to use any photos for my art. The spontaneous watercolors are simply watercolor washes at first, and I sort them out as I go and add definition. It is extremely easy to create art collections of abstracted art.

Getting composition right

Classic painting consists of background, middle ground and foreground. Plus, we need something to capture viewer’s attention with. It’s called a focal point in art. Everything including lines and colors of different values is organized in accordance with our composition. I believe that composition is difficult to implement when the artist doesn’t feel visual balance and natural flow of their image. I personally do not use any view finders or similar tools; I just adjust my composition as I feel it. Some of my art collections include highlights of compositional elements.

Simplicity versus complexity

Fragmented art can look better sometimes than very accomplished and compositionally perfect painting. Art collections can include simplicity or complexity of a particular subject, use of color and compositional elements. The blue period art collection displays exactly that – simplicity and strategically placed watercolor washes.

Abstract watercolor painting art collections

Art reflecting the season

Most of my art also goes by season, therefore, I have seasonal art collections, as well. Spring and summer landscapes, fall colors and snow paintings, they are all interesting on their own and placed in art collection. Floral art is a very big part of everything I have ever painted, I think it deserves a separate post. I know people who have painted a few artworks, some five or six paintings, and they try to immediately sell them and even teach painting. Well, it’s better to allow our skills to mature so that we are represented by what we do well, not by our first attempts at painting.

Buy original painting?

Original paintings have never been more affordable than they are now. I looked at my price charts from 2013, and my paintings sold for double the price I have listed now. That’s a horrible thing because everything has become at least 5 times more expensive. That includes watercolor paper, paints and I won’t even mention framing. There are inexpensive options, but I simply have too many paintings to frame each one. Therefore, I’m offering some framed art and some – unframed.

Available watercolor painting originals are posted on this page:

Original watercolor paintings for sale

All available art prints can be purchased here:

Art collections by Inese Poga

Want to learn watercolor painting? Check out this page:

Group art classes

March 31, 2022October 17, 2024

Inese’s Art Studio reopens in Pickering Village

It’s been an excruciating and exhausting stretch of time. These tough 5 weeks also seemed to last forever. I posted the previous article when I had started to pack, that was more than a month ago. My art studio wasn’t doing anything for quite a while. Now, after about 40 days of packing, moving, unpacking and sorting, I can say my art studio has started getting in shape, and I mean by that – in a great shape. Well, not everything has found its place yet, that is certainly a task for a few more months. The positive aspect of all these immense efforts is being able to set up my living and painting space finally.

I didn’t have internet for quite a while and my work station wasn’t set up either. Just yesterday, I got to my most important art supplies. They are lined up now and ready to use. It is painful not to paint for a long time. It really is. I hope picking up my brushes over the weekend already. That brings me to the issue of selling more art, or rather selling any art. I pretty much know where any particular painting is, therefore I will edit the sale pages.

Art classes are about to resume at full pace at my art studio, as well. I would like to keep the ages between 13 and any age adults. The type of instruction I provide with requires some life experience and some knowledge of basic matters. I intend to focus on three main directions in teaching.

The observational and realistic drawing I teach is suitable only for private classes. I’ve written many times how one can learn drawing, and that’s not done by copying or tracing a photo or mimicking a tutorial. Drawing is a very individual skill and it can be developed properly only in individual settings. Private classes can start as soon as April 6.

Private art lessons

Acrylic painting can be taught in groups and individually, but it is always best when the potential student has practiced brushing techniques. That’s the most important thing with any painting, but especially acrylic since it dries fast. Small group acrylic painting classes will start I believe on April 20. Initially all classes will be daytime.

Small group watercolor painting classes will start on April 19. Currently, only daytime also. I intend to stick to large size practice paintings, like 18 x 24 in. Using watercolor is amazing. Every wash creates art on its own, however, size really matters. The larger the watercolor application space, the better results can be achieved painting traditionally: leaving white of paper for white and using practically no masking medium. I personally dislike using it and prefer pure watercolor.

Group art classes

If you ever wanted to purchase a painting of mine or art print, now is the right time. As we all know moving is a costly, and the time spent on moving doesn’t involve any business activities or even website updates. Unfortunately, shipping is what Canada Post charges me. Art on paper and 12 x 12 in paintings are not heavy, therefore, the shipping is mostly for size.

I still have lots to do, numerous adjustments and figuring out the best was of making every aspect of art studio easily accessible. Art studio has specific requirements when it comes to space. Thankfully, natural light is very good here, that’s a huge plus, luxury even. My art studio is overloaded with plants at the moment, but many of them go outdoors for spring, summer and fall, and by the next winter, I will know better where and how I can accommodate my plants.

I am so satisfied; the move is over and the worst is past me. Such a relief.

Original watercolor paintings for sale

Shop original acrylic paintings

Art collections by Inese Poga

I hope seeing some of you in my art classes, and I also hope there might be somebody who purchases at least an art print. I’m sorry, I was absent from blogging, but that is changing now. Thanks for reading! Enjoy pics of my not-yet-completely-set-up art studio. You are seeing just one end of it because it’s the mostly organized. Have a blessed spring!

July 1, 2021October 17, 2024

Summer garden for the soul

Summer makes one a believer in better things ahead of us. The stage is set, nature unfolds all it has to offer. No doubt, we have to enjoy everything from short walks to distant trips, from simple garden chores to breathtaking adventures. My choices are not that many at the moment, but I make my garden a place where everything is as it should be in the real world: healthy, relaxing, soothing and rewarding.

I don’t mind having flowers between vegetables, roses next to zucchinis, green peas and marigolds friendly sharing their spot under the sun: they all make my place look more magic. I have to intentionally find time for painting because it’s always so much to do in the summer if you have a garden. July 1^st is the first day of World watercolor month. I’m very sure I cannot get done a painting a day since my paintings usually take more like a week or two weeks each, but I will try to present more of my most recent watercolor paintings.

Value drawing for watercolor painting — Drawing for garden rose

The garden rose sort of asked to be painted. After rain, every bloom was covered with shiny water pearls and I cut a few small branches and took inside. As I was sitting there and looking at the well-defined and artistic shapes of petals, I started to draw what I saw. For watercolor painting, I actually would need only outlines, but pencil just kept moving and I got a value drawing on my transfer paper.

Drawing and watercolor painting of rose — I placed drawing and painting side by side

Next day, I transferred outline drawing onto watercolor paper which happened to be quite large in size: 24 x 18 inches, or 61 x 46 cm. If you have read my art blog, you probably know that whenever possible, I paint and draw large.

Step 1 watercolor washes — Painting steps of garden rose

Step 2 of rose painting — Painting steps of garden rose

This painting organically developed itself while my model flower stayed fresh and lovely. It changed shape slightly, but for adjustment, I could use my drawing.

Watercolor, rose with water drops — Close-up and detail of pink garden rose

If you could ever see this watercolor painting of garden rose in person, you most likely would find that water drops feel like you can touch them and the size is such that the rose bloom literally takes one’s full attention not only with its colors, but also size and composition.

Watercolor, pink garden rose — My pretty garden rose with rain drops

As soon as get the second dose of vaccine and 2 weeks pass, I could restart the live art classes. However, for materials and demo paintings, I will create more garden paintings. Subjects are right here, and they are all kinds of! Summer days are long, but, nevertheless, they simply disappear. I can say my garden provides me with everything: models for my art, opportunity to recharge, colorful dreams and it also is a rewarding experience for my soul. Small place with everything which my universe consists of.

Watercolor, garden rose — Garden rose with rain drops, full size

For now, please, love, share and enjoy the pink garden rose painting! I wish you a happy and adventurous summer!!

For art prints, please, check out this page:

Art collections by Inese Poga

November 16, 2019October 16, 2024

Floral watercolors: the softness that soothes

Summer petunias, floral watercolor painting for sale

Touch of flowers

Floral watercolors are amazing. It is easy to get carried away by soft colors and gentle shapes of petals. It usually depends on season, weather and what I feel like doing, but I go for the opposites. When it is cold and dark, I love something sunny and full of light. We have been painting soft and lovely floral images also in classroom most often in December and January. These paintings and process of creation provide with the much needed contrast between the upsetting darkness outdoors and the light and brightness of such artworks.

Pink color

Pink color is easy to grade from dark and cold to soft and warm. It doesn’t take much adding some purples or washes of light red and ocher. Mainly, somewhat realistic watercolors are closely associated with quality of drawing. Therefore, I have decided for the remaining classes to offer my drawing templates for use. Sometimes, drawing is more than 50% of watercolor painting. If you do not understand values, you do not know where to apply paint.

2020 sets of art classes

It is hard to say when everything about art classes and painting lessons shifted towards only end result. The most important part is actually the process of creation and the journey of getting to the completed painting. We are recently facing the following: people want everything right away and immediately. That is a very limiting approach for those who start from zero skills and want to learn. That simply cannot happen. Nobody paints like a master in a few hours. Therefore, the next sets of art classes will start with basics of drawing and painting and progress toward more accomplished skills.

Roses on fence, 24 x 18″ or 61 x 46 cm watercolor

Pink floral watercolor, petunias

Watercolor painting of amaryllis

Enjoy the gallery, purchase art

I took new photos recently, and I hope these images will look better and more balanced. I am working on a new reference booklet which will facilitate start-ups in watercolor painting. It will be available for download everywhere. I’d love to invite the art lovers and art collectors from Greater Toronto Area, Pickering, Ajax, Whitby and Oshawa to simply stop by at my November 23 and December 14 art shows. I am selling original art at my studio. Prints are available from Fine Art America site.

Pink roses, watercolor painting, art for sale

Beautiful rose painting, watercolor paintings for sale

We will be painting orchids and roses, large size. Link to floral painting class:

Art lessons and painting classes

Copyright notice: Copyrights of displayed paintings, drawings, images of work in progress and images of finished paintings belong to artist Inese Poga.

Fine Art America, my art prints and artistic products with my painting images:

Art collections by Inese Poga

Tag: original art

Summer landscape – fantastic subject

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Creating art collections

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Inese’s Art Studio reopens in Pickering Village

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Summer garden for the soul

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Floral watercolors: the softness that soothes

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