tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932477008338253220Tue, 09 Jun 2026 06:41:48 +0000oil paintinganimalsstill lifesbirdsportraits animalportraitsfloralspaintingsExhibition. Art Openingsketchbooklife drawingswildlifelandscapesdogsstudiesworks on paperShannon Reynolds Artcatspet portraitsAt the Feet of the Master(ed)Royal Winter Faircommissionscontestfruithand planesPortrait Gallery of CanadaStar PortraitsWhodunit? OCADgouacheDWDürerIllustration FridayJane SiberryMcMichael Autumn Art SaleMcMichael galleryinteriorlilacsmasksmelancholypaper macherantsculptureseascapeswatercolourworks in progresshttp://smallcanvases.parlour.ca/noreply@blogger.com (Shannon Reynolds)Blogger152125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932477008338253220.post-8365776269137644224Sat, 21 Apr 2018 17:21:00 +00002018-04-21T13:21:26.714-04:00animalsbirdsExhibition. Art Openingoil paintingpaintingspet portraitsportraits animalShannon Reynolds Artwildlife It's a sunny warm day at last in southern Ontario.  The snow may finally give way.  This is very late notice, but if you're up for a country drive this weekend, maybe a curvy turn along the Credit Valley and on to Orangeville's scenic little downtown, you could take in my solo storefront window exhibition at Dragonfly Arts on Broadway,  where I'm one of many Canadian artists http://smallcanvases.parlour.ca/2018/04/final-days-in-window-dragonfly-arts-on.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shannon Reynolds)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932477008338253220.post-3325508596238654797Thu, 12 Oct 2017 00:06:00 +00002017-10-11T20:06:13.675-04:00animalsbirdsExhibition. Art OpeningMcMichael Autumn Art SaleMcMichael galleryoil paintingpaintingsShannon Reynolds ArtOnce again I am delighted to be participating in the Autumn Art Sale Fundraiser presented by the Volunteer Committee of the beautiful McMichael Collection in Kleinburg Ontario.  From the volunteer committee: With accomplished artists from across Canada applying for 50 coveted positions, the Autumn Art Sale is recognized as one of the most prestigious events displaying original works of http://smallcanvases.parlour.ca/2017/10/the-mcmichael-volunteer-committee.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shannon Reynolds)010368 Islington Ave, Kleinburg, Vaughan, ON L0J, Canada43.8385021 -79.62354069999997843.8155961 -79.663881199999977 43.8614081 -79.583200199999979tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932477008338253220.post-363236611220984201Thu, 26 Jan 2017 01:45:00 +00002017-01-25T20:47:29.844-05:00animalsbirdsoil paintingpaintingspet portraitsportraits animalRoyal Winter FairShannon Reynolds Art French Black Copper Maran Rooster (sporting a glorious coxcomb), oil on canvas panel, 8" x 8" A rooster is often characterized by his coxcomb: the fleshy crest found on the heads of many gallinaceous (you know, the order consisting largely of domestic fowl) birds.  A variant meaning of coxcomb especially in Shakespeare and earlier literature is a loud, vain, and self-important man. Myhttp://smallcanvases.parlour.ca/2017/01/the-year-of-roosteror-coxcomb.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shannon Reynolds)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932477008338253220.post-1028457392090540346Fri, 25 Nov 2016 17:13:00 +00002016-11-25T12:13:16.199-05:00birdsExhibition. Art Openingoil paintingportraits animalShannon Reynolds Artwildlife Globe Studios Art Show and Sale Friday November 25th and Saturday November 26th Well, not entirely.  But I admit I've been painting many birds lately.  I've always been a birder, albeit a non-competitive, opportunistic one.  Birds are a living example of a prehistoric past, astonishing in their variety, and possessors of the perpetually amazing ability to fly.  Given their http://smallcanvases.parlour.ca/2016/11/portraitist-goes-to-birds.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shannon Reynolds)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932477008338253220.post-3769605430215172262Fri, 21 Oct 2016 02:58:00 +00002016-10-20T22:58:05.332-04:00birdsExhibition. Art Openingoil paintingShannon Reynolds Artwildlife   At the McMichael Gallery in Kleinburg Ontario   Opening Night Gala Friday October 21 from 6 to 10 pm Complimentary Hors d'Oeuvres, Free Parking and Admission, Cash Bar Sale continues Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 5pm, $5 parking includes free admission to the fundraiser. Regular admission rates apply to the McMichael Art Collection and exhibitions. From the McMichael http://smallcanvases.parlour.ca/2016/10/mcmichael-volunteer-committee-autumn.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shannon Reynolds)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932477008338253220.post-4241613793645584688Tue, 20 Sep 2016 00:39:00 +00002016-09-19T20:39:48.423-04:00animalsbirdsoil paintingpaintingswildlifeOur neighbour's porch and carport is supported by flat topped pillars that provide a perfectly sheltered platform for birds.  Right now, even in late September, a mourning dove is sitting on her nest (such as it is) for what must be the fifth time this season.  The doves are amazingly prolific, but their nest building skills are nothing compared to the woven mud and grass architectural http://smallcanvases.parlour.ca/2016/09/under-eaves.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shannon Reynolds)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932477008338253220.post-6946823234194884512Wed, 14 Sep 2016 01:49:00 +00002016-09-13T21:49:49.042-04:00animalsbirdsoil paintingwildlifeI seldom see two chickadees on the feeder at one time.  They typically swoop in and out individually, in an established order.   Lately,  I've spotted two birds seemingly surprised to encounter each other.  Maybe they're still working out the social hierarchy. A delicate Balance, two black-capped chickadees, oil on panel, 6" x 12" http://smallcanvases.parlour.ca/2016/09/a-delicate-balance.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shannon Reynolds)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932477008338253220.post-4075843957818749339Tue, 23 Aug 2016 01:20:00 +00002016-08-22T21:48:03.986-04:00birdsoil paintingpaintingswildlife Two Young Blue Jays "How do I open this thing?" oil on panel 8" x 10" ©ShannonReynolds Though often denigrated by birders for their loud and thuggish ways, I find blue jays to be smart, handsome, and engaging. They are known to imitate the cries of red tailed hawks to scare off other birds, and their natural curiosity and sociability leads them to strike some very entertaining poses.  At http://smallcanvases.parlour.ca/2016/08/whats-black-white-and-blue-and-sounds.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shannon Reynolds)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932477008338253220.post-4263496452982937815Tue, 16 Aug 2016 02:26:00 +00002016-08-15T22:26:00.339-04:00animalsoil paintingpet portraitsportraitsOkay, so it's not called a pack, nor a herd, apparently, but a fold, a fold of Highland Cows.  She, in all of her shaggy black beauty, was its undisputed leader.  I observed her, not entirely unseen, for the two and half days that I had the pleasure of staying at her hotel (why don't all hotels have folds of cows and flocks of sheep and chickens and rows of piglets?) .  Hotel Le http://smallcanvases.parlour.ca/2016/08/leader-of-pack.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shannon Reynolds)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932477008338253220.post-5520511073723741020Sun, 14 Aug 2016 00:04:00 +00002016-08-13T20:04:03.880-04:00animalsoil paintingpaintingspet portraitsportraits animalsketchbook Black and Tan, Highland Cows, oil on panel, 11" x 14" © Shannon Reynolds 2016 I was thrilled to find a beautiful small fold (rather than herd, apparently) of Highland cattle at our hotel in Baie St. Paul in the Charlevoix region of Quebec when we stopped there for a couple of days en route to Nova Scotia.  Bred for the harsh climate, rugged landscape, and wily predators of the Scottish http://smallcanvases.parlour.ca/2016/08/my-hearts-in-highlands-wherever-i-go.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shannon Reynolds)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932477008338253220.post-8440591328016809411Wed, 03 Aug 2016 02:28:00 +00002016-08-02T22:28:03.233-04:00landscapesoil paintingseascapesEvery time I return from a trip to the ocean I find that my landlocked house, which I usually love, is missing a crucial dimension and I long for the sea. Owl's Head at high tide, oil on panel, 5" x 7" We kayak around this rock formation called owl's head every year, but only this time did we really see the owl--or what we think is the owl.  It's really only obvious from a kayak's http://smallcanvases.parlour.ca/2016/08/farewell-to-nova-scotia-sea-bound-coast.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shannon Reynolds)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932477008338253220.post-4038873388904651933Mon, 11 Jul 2016 00:18:00 +00002016-07-10T20:18:43.971-04:00animalscommissionsoil paintingpet portraitsportraits animalI said goodbye this week to two paintings commissioned by a family to pay homage to some of the dogs they have generously rescued over the years.  Dogs who have the good fortune to be adopted by this remarkable family will spend the rest of their days in a bucolic setting in the company of other dogs, ponies, and cats with mown meadow paths and snowy fields to meander and warm beds to sleep http://smallcanvases.parlour.ca/2016/07/snow-dogs-in-july.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shannon Reynolds)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932477008338253220.post-6140220351045481038Sat, 02 Jul 2016 04:18:00 +00002016-07-02T00:18:29.077-04:00oil paintingpaintingsstill lifesIn honour of the big birthday party, I decided to paint a composition in red and white with the last of the season's strawberries.  These were painted from life in the studio in a single session today (technically yesterday).  It was a struggle not to eat my berry models while I painted. Last of the Summer Strawberries, oil on panel, 8" x 8" Strawberry still life on the easel in http://smallcanvases.parlour.ca/2016/07/happy-canada-day-or-how-to-paint-your.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shannon Reynolds)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932477008338253220.post-7641833398772915354Wed, 29 Jun 2016 02:43:00 +00002016-06-28T22:43:26.274-04:00animalscatscommissionsoil paintingportraits animalSmall she was in voice only.  But she bore her ironic name with a quiet dignity.  For years she had to share her home with a tiny agile and dominant feline with a prior claim to the digs and the owner and sporting the name of a great American author.   Life can be unfair.  Except that Small outlived her rival companion and for a few years became the only cat in the room. http://smallcanvases.parlour.ca/2016/06/whats-in-name-portrait-of-small.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shannon Reynolds)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932477008338253220.post-8821679198102197162Thu, 16 Jun 2016 15:06:00 +00002016-06-16T11:06:21.994-04:00animalscommissionsdogsoil paintingportraits animalCould there be a better antidote to black dog angst than a tiny, smiling, slightly unkempt, adorable Norfolk Terrier?   This is a portrait of 12 year old Abbey, still puppy-like and much loved by her owners.  I painted this portrait as a commissioned piece from a good assortment of supplied photos and enjoyed every moment with this imperturbably happy creature. Abbey, Norfolk http://smallcanvases.parlour.ca/2016/06/norfolk-terrier-portrait.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shannon Reynolds)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932477008338253220.post-4745954277080172756Tue, 07 Jun 2016 00:56:00 +00002016-06-06T20:56:43.393-04:00animalsdogsoil painting Black dog, leashed, (detail) oil on panel 12" x 12" Black dogs get a bad rap. Winston Churchill famously referred to his depression as a black dog.  But in Ian McEwan's postwar novel Black Dogs, which I read a few years ago, the black dogs symbolize a greater malignity, something not specified directly, but glimpsed peripherally as a looming menace over Europe. And then there's the http://smallcanvases.parlour.ca/2016/06/black-dog-leashed.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shannon Reynolds)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932477008338253220.post-7107098364427907703Tue, 17 May 2016 22:27:00 +00002016-05-17T18:27:37.568-04:00animalsoil paintingpaintingswildlife Garden Nemesis (aka Easter Cottontail Rabbit), oil on panel, 12" x 12" Every Fall, in an ritualistic bid to ensure the return of Spring, I plant tulip bulbs--gorgeous extravagant bulbs: parrots, fringed, sword tipped, black as night, streaked with sherbet colours, bulbs that would've required a second mortgage in the 17th century--bulbs that take a backyard rabbit about 30 seconds to eat fromhttp://smallcanvases.parlour.ca/2016/05/garden-nemesis-aka-eastern-cottontail.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shannon Reynolds)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932477008338253220.post-5524416502993394802Tue, 26 Jan 2016 15:52:00 +00002016-01-26T10:52:47.819-05:00animalscontestdogsoil paintingportraits animal Jake, oil on canvas board, 8" x 8" I’ve never had a pet dog, but after painting this smiling retriever I’m beginning to understand the appeal of a constant sunny disposition in a companion.  My friends who have goldens truly adore them and Emma, my pet portrait winner, is no exception.  Even with a menagerie of pets at home, she chose her family’s aging golden retriever Jake to havehttp://smallcanvases.parlour.ca/2016/01/old-gold-for-new-year.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shannon Reynolds)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932477008338253220.post-2633905824758372734Tue, 15 Dec 2015 22:36:00 +00002015-12-15T17:49:30.139-05:00contestportraits animal Thank you to everyone who joined my mailing list and by joining entered my pet portrait contest.   The winner is Emma Storey, who has very graciously accepted her prize. Congratulations, Emma. Emma has and has had many pets and will have to decide which will be the portrait subject.  I'm looking forward to seeing her choice.  I will post the painting here once it's http://smallcanvases.parlour.ca/2015/12/and-winner-is.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shannon Reynolds)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932477008338253220.post-6153830055109535804Sat, 05 Dec 2015 18:31:00 +00002015-12-05T13:31:46.775-05:00animalsoil paintingpaintingswildlifeA caribou is a reindeer by another name.  Both belong to the species Rangifer tarandus, although their long separation across continents--caribou in North America and reindeer in Eurasia--means some differences have crept in over thousands of years.  As far as I know, for example, Canadian caribou don't fly. Woodland Caribou, oil on panel 8" x 10" Even so, I painted this Woodland http://smallcanvases.parlour.ca/2015/12/a-caribou-is-reindeer-but-not-elk.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shannon Reynolds)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932477008338253220.post-274084303270341798Tue, 01 Dec 2015 20:18:00 +00002015-12-01T16:23:42.265-05:00life drawingsoil paintingportraitsstudiesThere's really no substitute. I love to set up my portable paintbox and tripod and paint with a limited colour palette in one burst of intense concentration.  There was a great turn out last Wednesday night for the sustained pose at the Cambridge Centre.  Here is my oil painting of our lovely model, Irena. Irena, portrait study from life, oil on gessoed board (detail) Irena, http://smallcanvases.parlour.ca/2015/12/painting-from-live-model.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shannon Reynolds)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932477008338253220.post-2751060163618210351Sun, 15 Nov 2015 18:43:00 +00002015-11-15T13:43:55.209-05:00animalscontestdogsoil paintingportraits animalUntil December 13th, when you sign up to my mailing list (see form to the right) I'll enter your name in a draw to win an original portrait of your pet painted in oils on a 6" x 6" canvas from your own photo.  Just like this one: Tasha, Golden Retriever, oil on panel 6" x 6" When a friend of mine wanted a surprise portrait of her parents' dog last year, I decided to bend my rule about http://smallcanvases.parlour.ca/2015/11/win-portrait-of-your-pet.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shannon Reynolds)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932477008338253220.post-1636558951398575454Sat, 07 Nov 2015 20:32:00 +00002015-11-07T15:32:58.559-05:00animalsbirdsExhibition. Art Openingoil painting...of the Red Brick Cafe in Guelph, where they can be seen daily for the next few weeks, while my exhibition is hanging. Angry Birds (detail), oil on birch panel, 30" x 40" Angry Birds seen through the front window My show at the Red Brick in Guelph is in its second week.  It runs through December 13th, so you still have plenty of time to stop in for a look.  Get in touch ifhttp://smallcanvases.parlour.ca/2015/11/angry-birds-through-front-window.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shannon Reynolds)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932477008338253220.post-5056821981757885493Wed, 28 Oct 2015 15:05:00 +00002015-10-28T11:57:01.961-04:00animalsdogsExhibition. Art Openingoil paintingpaintingsportraitswildlife Shannon Reynolds at the Red Brick Café 8 Douglas St. Guelph, Ontario, Monday- Saturday 8am-11pm, Sunday 11am-5pm October 26 through December 13 My paintings will be hanging at the Red Brick Café in downtown Guelph until December 13th. The exhibition features a few large paintings and many smaller landscapes and animal studies as well as some oldies but goodies from earlier series, notably my http://smallcanvases.parlour.ca/2015/10/solo-exhibition-of-paintings-at-red.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shannon Reynolds)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-932477008338253220.post-7403832883494990221Mon, 19 Oct 2015 03:12:00 +00002015-10-18T23:12:30.099-04:00animalsoil paintingportraits animalwildlifea female deer.  Elegant creature. Tick vector. Driving hazard. Muncher of gardens.  We spotted this one and several others in the long grass near a popular surfing beach on Nova Scotia's south shore. Young Female White-tailed Deer, oil on panel, 12" x 12" http://smallcanvases.parlour.ca/2015/10/doe-deer.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Shannon Reynolds)0