Irene Duma - Landscape Painter

fine artist and educator

Life as an artist

Finally, an update! Spring 2021 edition

By

My poor neglected blog … I’m a bad late blooming artist.

In my defense, I have been very busy over on Irene Duma Teaches Art — that’s my new online art school and website for people who want to learn painting. I’ve been working on an Intro to Oil Painting Course for beginners.

But eek, I didn’t realize I was gone that long. I am actually embarrassed to see that my last post here is from 2019. How did that happen? (It’s true what they say about time flying. Double eek.)

So, because I am busy and time is flying, and I know you are busy, here are a few quick bullet points so you can see what I’ve been up to.

It has been a busy coupla years! Lots of really good things have happened including:

  • Showing my work at the Red Ochre Gallery (St. John’s, NL) 
  • The Baccalieu Gallery (Heart’s Content, NL),
  • The new Earth and Sky Gallery in Twillingate, and
  • Storeloft Supply Limited – Bay de Verde, NL.
  • My work was picked for the cover of the Grenfell College’s Arts Journal, Paper Mill Press
  • I was featured with an artist profile in the Newfoundland Quarterly, Winter 2019 edition, as well as on the Newfoundland Quarterly website here and here.
  • Amazing artist Jenn Thornhill Verma talked about my work at a lecture at Memorial University, and featured my work on her page Cultural Landscapes along with some really super artists.
  • My #miniduma triptych of the St. John’s Harbour was exhibited at the Rooms museum, Arts and Letters Awards, 2019
  • I participated in the Soloman’s Path Art Collective, and met a bunch of wonderful artists. What a great community.
  • I participated in fairs and shows including the Art Expo NL group show (Dec 7, 8, 9), and a show at the Marina.
  • My original artwork continues to sell and be shipped across the world and there are two little pieces on a yacht traveling around the world (And yes, I am a bit jealous). 

Not too shabby. This late bloomer is thrilled!

Coming up:

  • you will be able to find my work in Gander at the Newfoundland Tea Company
  • I will be launching my online painting course with
  • a FREE 5-day itty bitty challenge to help stalled, stifled, busy and/or beginner artists get more art in their life.

That’s it. Busy busy. So follow me on Instagram or Facebook. I am able to post there more regularly than here on this blog.

And don’t forget my newsletter. It gets a little more love than the blog, but I am hoping to write more frequently.

That is all. If you have questions, reach out to me. But I might take longer to answer: Summer is coming and my mantra for the season is hike, paint, repeat. That’s me last year stuck in level 2 of a video game. (Or, a hike near Pouch Cove, Newfoundland)

St. John’s working harbour

By

mini painting of St. John's working harbour

Painted from a photo taken during my walk a few days ago. The busy harbour hums and beeps in the morning, with lots of activity.

That pinkish pile in the foreground is the city’s winter’s salt supply. We go through a lot of salt to keep our hilly roads safe.

Day 23, complete. I have painted every day this month – wowsers! This is a mini painting. Also called ATC or ACEO.

Good Morning, working harbour
Oil on gessoed paper
2.5 x 3.5 inches.

Good morning Cape Spear

By

tiny oil painting of view from Signal Hill

Here is a tiny oil painting of the view from Signal Hill looking towards Cape Spear.

Confession: I just realized that I forgot to paint the lighthouse. I will do that tomorrow when I get some natural light so that I can see where to  place the tiny dot. I mean lighthouse. And also because I am too mad after having camera import problems for the last 2 hours. Tech problems. Waaahh.

#30paintingsin30days challenge, day 22.

Good morning Cape Spear
2.5×3.5
oil on gessoed paper

Good morning sunshine seroes

Now experimenting with mini ACEO-sized oils

By

mini painting of Fort Amherst

Good morning sunshine #1, Fort Amherst.
oil on gessoed paper
2.5 x 3.5

New this week, I’ve decided to try painting mini-sized oils. This is a great way to simplify your paintings by not getting into too much detail. And since I like big, gestural bold brushstrokes, this is a great exercise for me.

This small oil is on 2.5 x 3.5 watercolour paper that was primed with gesso. You need to prime the paper as the oil in the paint may react with the paper over time.

Paintings on paper this size are called ACEOs (Art Card Originals and Editions) or ATCs (artist trading cards) and they are a collectible item.

I am going to be holding an art show soon and think these would make great affordable gifts. Next on my list is to find things to mount these onto. Copper? Wood? Bark? Greeting card? I dunno. I will try it all.

Nothing beats living with original art in your home. I have nothing but originals in mine. Many are kitschy vintage works I picked up from garage sales for a dime, but they are real and I love them.

Oh, and I’m starting a series. This one is called Good Morning Sunshine, and it’s paintings of the mornings here in St. John’s, Newfoundland. With our own special timezone, we are the first to greet the morning in all of North America. I’m not a morning person, but it’s making me want to be one. Kind of.

This painting is from a snap I took of Fort Amherst and its lighthouse on my walk 2 days ago at 9 am. I think that’s the earliest I’ve ever been out on Signal Hill.

Day 21 of #30paintingsin30days

Let’s hippety hop on the path

By

Soft pastel art of wooden path on hiking trail

One of the pleasures of hiking the East Coast Trail is that it’s well maintained. If you reach a boggy part, there will usually be a raised wooden path to cross on. Often it’s covered in chicken wire so that you won’t slip.

I never liked hiking in Ontario – hot, humid, too many bugs. I’d rather be in the water. But hiking in Newfoundland is another thing completely. Crazy views. Crazy good workout. And no bugs. Did you hear that? NO BUGS!!!

Painted for day 21 of the 30paintingsin30days art challenge from a photo I took in April. For this one I experimented with an underpainting made by using hard pastels, then dipping a paintbrush in rubbing alcohol and painting over the pastel to blend it. Then I used some high intensity pastel on top when it dried. Pretty fun stuff.

Let’s hippety hop on the path
soft pastel on watercolour paper and gesso
5×7

Find me here!

Customer Service

FAQs
Shopping Cart
Contact

Canadian Landscape Painter + Teacher

Free QuickStart Guide to Oil Painting
Learn fine art painting in a fast and fun way - with mini paintings. Come join me at my online art school.