painting classes Archives - INESE'S ART STUDIO

May 31, 2025May 31, 2025

Blue sky over summer meadows

I’ve been working on many things, including painting, sketching, drawing, teaching art classes, but most of all, I had to deal with planting the garden. That left me not much time for posting anything anywhere. “Blue sky over summer meadows” painting was started in class. Therefore, it’s really not my personal choice of subject.

Blue sky over summer meadows studio view

This post is just simple and short update since I already skipped April. April was quite nice, but then May brought bad and extremely cold weather, and I had no motivation to paint a lot. I have finished sketches and watercolor paintings, but they’ll have to wait for another time. “Blue sky over summer meadows” is a fairly acceptable acrylic painting, except I struggled abnormally to get realistic pictures.

Blue sky over summer meadows on the easel

Every art class also takes preparation; the biggest problem is what to paint. Teaching art classes nowadays is extremely difficult. Most people watch tutorials and speed paintings, and that causes one to believe that any painting is done within an hour or less, even if one is a complete beginner. That also makes one believe that there’s no need to know anything about painting, particular medium or brushstroke.

Blue sky over summer meadows acrylic painting

Anyway, I tried my best getting some images, and I must admit none of them is like the actual painting. I mostly can get very yellow or very blue images and resulting green is also either very blue-green or very yellow-green. The device I have always hated most is the iPhone. Unfortunately, that’s the only thing I can currently use, and it is very upsetting and frustrating to never have a good and decent image.

Blue sky over summer meadows, summer landscape painting

Therefore, I like very much the black and white version which shows only values and none of the wrong colors.

Blue sky over summer meadows black and white version

Regardless of how the “Blue sky over summer meadows” painting looks online, it’s a very uplifting and memorable artwork, and it’s available. The size is 20 x 24” or 51 x 61 cm. I just saw some really bad paintings in size 5 x 5” selling on Etsy at $89. Really? Well, my art is priced very moderately at the moment, but I cannot include free shipping, that’s for the huge companies. So, somebody might like it and keep the memories of summer on their wall.

Blue sky over summer meadows framed landscape painting

I intend to completely conclude the green spring and summer paintings, and do instead close-up garden, flower, early fall, fences, mist images and some abstracted landscapes. I don’t have water in my backyard, but I have attractive old trees, even my own house looks very interesting since it has so much character. Painting and sketching plein-air is more rewarding and interesting which is what I am going to do.

Art classes, schedule and registration

Shop original acrylic paintings

Private art lessons

September 15, 2019March 28, 2025

Fruity, simple, attractive

Fruity, simple and attractive is still life with apples. Between years 2013 and 2018, I used to spend either August or September in Latvia. They have numerous fruit trees. Apples were in all tones and colors: red, white, green, purple and scarlet. Their round perfect shape was always attractive to me, so, I rarely could resist sketching or painting some apples whether with leaves or other elements.

This particular painting comes from my bright color period. I think it was 2008 when I painted this still life. It is quite large, 15 x 22 inches or 38 x 56 cm. I used to enjoy extra bright colors and St. Petersburg watercolors definitely facilitate that.

This apple still life was painted in Latvia looking at a tree and balancing paper in my lap. The weather wasn’t really cooperating, but I managed to finalize this painting upon my return to Canada.

Fall still life, shop watercolor paintings

Similarly, this still life with apples and pears was painted at my daughter’s computer desk. The space was too small to lay out paints and paper in a manner that I could paint without worrying that something falls to the floor. However, I love how it came out. I got some leaves in the garden, and they had a few green pears. I love my color combination in this one.

Shop watercolor paintings, apple still life painting

These are clear white apples which grow in my sister’s garden. They are ripe in August or even sooner, but must be consumed swiftly. They are extremely juicy and sweet, but go bad fast. I haven’t actually seen this sort of apples in Canada. I think this still life came out quite nice, too. I had to add final touches upon my return to Canada.

I have many sketches of apples, some unfinished watercolors and also acrylic still life painting with fruit and apples. It is not possible to remember all paintings which feature apples.

My personal point is that anything makes a good painting. Simple things can be painted and drawn as great as very complex subjects. I do always advise starting with such subjects that are around you and are easily found and replaced. That is a wonderful exercise in composition and color. It is also pleasure for eyes. Such paintings look great on any wall.

My art on Fine Art America:

Art collections by Inese Poga

Original watercolor paintings for sale

January 14, 2014October 17, 2024

Uniqueness of emerging painting styles and the seeming simplicity of winter scene

Winter ends in the art studio around half January. That’s just how impatient we are: once Christmas is over, we’ve got to start preparing for Valentine’s Day, Easter and, most importantly, for spring. We use this time period to define our painting styles.

While winter may seem to be long, boring and unpleasant to many people, we are using the best part of it. The picturesque beauty of snow-covered fields makes a good scene for painting, especially when contrasted with frozen or silently running dark streams to which the majestic attraction of trees under the snow is added.

Our vision and perception of any subject are absolutely unique. There are no two persons who can see one thing in exactly the same way. That’s how nature has taken care of our individual features. That’s also how one image becomes a reflection of many personal interpretations and allows to create many distinctive paintings.

Winter creek, acrylic painting, it’s sold. I painted it as a demo for class

Painting as a process is a very individual activity regardless of how much of experience or knowledge we are implementing in this process. The art we are creating from scratch will always carry our own features, as well.

From psychological point of view, it is possible to associate certain types of lines, composition, application of paint, colors, amount of detail or lack of it with particular human features. I find this fantastic because that’s one more way how our uniqueness manifests.

Winter creek paintings by my students

The emerging painting style is like handwriting: once we have perfected it, it’s completely ours. Does it make sense to repeat somebody else’s writing? Probably not, not even in these cases when you are told your writing is hard to read. The most beautiful hand-writings are actually all complicated and hard to read.

November 22, 2011March 20, 2025

This summer in local media

Artist Inese Poga, painting demonstration

Sundays on the Porch with SilverStone gallery

I participated in Sundays on the Porch with SilverStone gallery in Pickering. My husband Don was playing guitar and singing. Mary Cook helped us setting up paintings on the porch, so the look was lovely and welcoming. SilverStone art gallery is a small cozy art gallery close to Pickering beach, therefore, people walk and stop by frequently.

Great experience

That was wonderful experience which allowed me to meet new people and also give some painting demonstrations. I am quite new to Canada, and every connection helps. All of represented art was painted in Canada since I couldn’t take any paintings across the ocean relocating from Latvia, Europe.

The weather was good, and people were stopping by and checking out paintings we had taken with us.

Warm welcome

This August Sunday was pretty windy, we really had to watch watercolor paper and small paintings to prevent them from flying away. Pine Ridge Arts Council always supports local artists and helps artists with exhibitions and shows. The local SNAP and local Rogers TV also had included my art presentations. I can say, it was a warm welcome.