This year I have been spending lots of quality time in my art studio, working on a half dozen large paintings.
The four new watercolours pictured here with me are part of this collection and share an interesting coincidence.
When my husband and I were travelling in the Airstream last summer, I was able to make only small paintings at our dinette. About four months into the trip, I started to yearn for my roomy home studio so I could create some larger, more impactful paintings.
In this state of mind, I perused my digital folder of hundreds of finished paintings going back 30+ years and made a list of a few dozen extraordinary images that I felt would be suited to large-scale paintings.
In other words, I planned to employ the original paintings as preliminary studies for big, exciting scenes that still hold a piece of my soul, using skills that (I hope) have been honed to higher levels of excellence.
I am so excited to share with you the re-imagined works I have painted this winter.
We Are All Connected, varnished watercolour on 24 x 24 inch panel, $1800.
This is the third stone circle I have painted and the largest so far.
All my stone circle paintings symbolize unity and the stripes on the stones represent the traits we share that connect us together, even though we are unique as individuals. My hope is that we focus on what unites us, rather than what divides us.
For details on availability of We Are All Connected, click here.
The first two stone circle versions were each 12 x 12 inches, inspired from actual striped pebbles from my own collection, and completed in 2018.
They are Circle of Kindred Spirits and Unbroken. Both titles were suggested by my Facebook followers and both paintings found new homes.
The Unbroken image was licensed in 2019 for an album cover by Canadian gospel singer/songwriter Terry Posthumus, who also acquired the original painting to display in his recording studio. You can read about this fascinating art/music journey here: The Unbroken Story - Why My Painting is on an Album Cover
Winter's Embrace, varnished watercolour on 20 x 16 inch panel, $1500 (shown left).
This painting is a reinterpretation of Snow Flurries (pictured below), an imaginary 12 x 8 inch scene I painted in 2004, that was inspired by many snowmobile adventures in the Ontario wilderness.
Even though this is a winter scene, it feels cozy and inviting to me. The pillowy snow and the warm tones of birch tree, creek, clouds, and shrubs make the viewer feel welcome and sheltered.
For information about availability of Winter's Embrace, click here.
Untouched, varnished watercolour on 12 x 24 inch panel, $1400 (shown above). This painting captures the soft, rosy light of a calm winter morning at the lake. Stately white pines cluster quietly on a rocky island, listening for the faintest whisper of the wind. For details about this painting's availability, click here.
Untouched is a reinterpretation of Enchantment (shown below), a 5 x 14 inch painting I created in 2006.
My initial inspiration was a photo I took back in the 1990's (shown below), on a snowmobile trip in northern Ontario.
This is a photo of my booth at the 2006 Buckhorn Fine Art Festival, where Enchantment was sold to a collector. It is the tiny painting in the middle of the far right wall. In those days, I was framing my watercolours with mats and glass. Now I mount them on art boards and varnish with a UV blocking coating, eliminating the need for glass. You can read about my framing process in this article: Framing Watercolours Without Glass.
Superior Stillness, varnished watercolour on 16 x 20 inch panel, $1500, captures a twilight moment, when majestic trees are silhouetted against a simple sunset and everything is quiet. Water laps gently against the rocky shore as moon and stars look on from above.
The location is Picture Rock Harbour in Pukaskwa National Park, which is on the shore of Lake Superior near Marathon, ON. Places like this make my spirit soar. For information on availability of Superior Stillness, click here.
This is the third time I have painted this scene, and it resonates so powerfully with me, I feel like I could paint it again sometime in the future. This artwork celebrates all I hold dear about northern scenery: vast skies, clear blue water, smooth stones, and hardy pine and spruce trees.
The first two interpretations of the scene were created in 2020. They were titled Be Still (8 x 8 inches, shown left), and And Time Stood Still (12 x 16 inches, pictured below right).
The inspiration for all three paintings was a photo taken by Tania Bortolon Krysa, who I met through Facebook. Tania loves the same kind of wild places that I do and takes excellent photos during her adventures.
She was on a back country camping trip and her party stayed overnight in tents on this beach. She graciously granted me permission to use her stunning sunset photo (shown left) as reference for my artwork.
I hope you have enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look at my recent paintings. There are many ways to interpret the beauty of nature as works of art. I am finding new avenues to express my deepest, heartfelt admiration for this rugged land that speaks to my soul. Stay tuned for more of my re-creations in this new collection.
Which painting is your favourite? If you have comments you wish to share, please do so using the 'Leave a Comment' button at the top of this post.
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]]>Today I am sharing the creation story of another painting inspired by the same trip.
I took some artistic licence and combined two scenes into one that celebrates the beauty and grandeur of the rugged west coast of Newfoundland.
My photo of a tree growing from a rocky cliff was taken on the Port au Port peninsula near Stephenville, and my photo of large boulders was from Gros Morne National Park.
My painting began with a detailed pencil drawing on 300 lb watercolour paper.
I did some colour test swatches and selected four Sennelier paints for this project: Sennelier Red, Sennelier Yellow Deep, Phthalocyanine Blue, and Ultramarine Light. Every colour in the painting was mixed from these pigments.
With clear water, I dampened the watercolour paper where the sky would be, working right through the trees on the cliff and the mountains on the far shore. Then I painted horizontal strokes of greys and blues to simulate clouds with a bit of blue sky peeking through.
Once the sky dried, I mixed a neutral grey and painted the shadows on the cliff while I could see my pencil lines clearly. (Many artists would paint the rock colours first and the shadows second but I do the reverse.) I blurred the paint lines where needed with a second brush loaded with clear water.
I wet each boulder, one at a time, and painted graduated shadows to give the effect of spherical volume.
Using three different green mixtures, I painted the tree foliage, paying attention to placement of the light and dark shapes. This section turned out better than I hoped. I used to find general foliage masses exceedingly difficult, but I kept observing trees and practising painting them... for a few decades... and they gradually began to look more realistic.😁
Then I painted the tree trunks and golden tones of the cliff.
I added more tans and browns to the rock face, sprinkling some table salt on the larger masses to create a mineral effect. I did the same on the boulders. Once the salt dried I brushed it off.
I used a dull navy blue to paint the mountains on the far shore, making sure to keep the horizon (the top of the water) straight and level. Then I added the purple-grey undersides of the waves and let everything dry fully.
I added another layer of colour to deepen the mountains on the far shore. After that dried, I carefully placed the colours of the ocean in horizontal bands of blues and tans, in between the white foam tops of the waves (which were left the colour of the paper).
More details of cracks and shadows were added to the cliff face.
Once the ocean section was dry, I added the brown reflections in the lower right.
To complete the painting, I added more colour and texture to the cliff face, and painted stripes and deeper shadows on the boulders.
I titled the painting Guardians of the Bay (varnished watercolour on 12 x 12 inch panel). It took me six days to paint this scene, and it was acquired by a collector of my work before the paint was dry.
I always will have a soft spot for this artwork, as it captures wonderful memories of the summer we spent in Newfoundland.
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]]>At the beginning of this project, I wrote about My Fabulous Frog Encounter. Click here to see the cute frogs that inspired this series.
Using my reference photos, I created 12 x 12 inch compositions by placing frogs onto appropriate perches, such as lily pads or a log.
I invented titles to describe what I thought the frogs may have been thinking in those moments.
While working on this series, I enjoyed working with bright, happy colours, and painting the fascinating up-close details of Nature.
One of these paintings has found a forever home, but the other two are ready to hop off to their new pad. Click on the images if you would like more information about these paintings.
Which painting is your favourite? If you have comments you wish to share, please do so using the 'Leave a Comment' button at the top of this post.
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My husband and I have had the privilege of spending two summers touring the island of Newfoundland in our travel trailer. We were there for two months in 2007 and three months in 2019.
While exploring the back roads of the Bonavista peninsula on our more recent trip, we came across this rusty gas pump on its concrete pad, smack in the middle of a field of grass, in the tiny settlement known as Red Cliff.
The price on the pump was 75 cents a gallon, so it probably made its last sale in the 1970’s, before the metric system was adopted in Canada. Any surrounding buildings were long gone. On the shore beyond, a row of houses and fishing sheds had succumbed to wind and rain.
I could imagine a story here about the families who lived and worked in this beautiful place. I knew this would make an exciting painting subject and took lots of photos.
Back at home the following winter, I got to work on a watercolour interpretation of this scene, beginning with a pencil drawing on 300 lb cold press watercolour paper.
I used Sennelier watercolour paints which are made in France and I was very impressed with their clarity and strength of colour.
The three pigments I chose (Sennelier Red, Sennelier Yellow Deep, and Phthalocyanine Blue) worked perfectly for mixing every colour needed in this painting.
First I painted blue on the sky and water, working wet in wet and avoiding the row of houses in the background.
The grass was finicky to paint, using many layers of masking fluid and paint to achieve the effect of individual blades of grass. This part of the scene took the longest to paint.
I began by protecting the body of the gas pump with masking tape, and the fence posts and blades of grass in the foreground with masking fluid.
Once that dried, I painted in the first layers of the grass field and the concrete pad, working on wet paper to create soft transitions of colour.
After the first grass layer dried, I masked out more blades of grass over the existing paint, let that dry, added another layer of green paint, and let that dry.
Repeating this process a few times gradually built up grass blades of differing values, and this variety is what makes watercolour grass look real.
After removing the masking, I deepened the blue colour of the ocean, making sure to keep the horizon line absolutely straight and level.
I added colour to the white blades of grass that had been under the first layer of masking fluid, and painted in the shadows of stony details on the concrete pad.
The rusty gas pump was an absolute joy to portray in watercolour and very easy to do, compared to the grassy field.
Having well-focused reference photos of the pump from every angle, and up close, was key to recreating this relic in a realistic manner.
I worked on dry paper using a two-brush technique. One brush was loaded with colour and one held only clear water. I laid down paint in the shape I wanted, and then used the clear brush to subtly blur or soften the edges, to bleed out the colour where needed. This was very effective in portraying streaks of rust.
The same two-brush technique was used on the black rubber hose on the pump, creating the soft grey highlight that produced the look of a cylinder.
I used a magnifying glass and super fine Micron pens with archival ink to do the lettering on the pump.
The final step was to paint the dilapidated houses and fishing sheds on the seashore in the distance.
Again, I had taken excellent reference shots of the buildings when we were there, and used the photos extensively to portray these rustic structures accurately.
I love the atmospheric feeling of this scene. It brings to mind stories of the glory days, when this was a thriving little settlement full of energetic families, with a glorious view of the sea.
In this photo, I am holding the finished painting in my art studio. In front of me, you can see the three tubes of paint I worked with as well as the #12 round sable/synthetic brushes I used to paint this artwork.
I titled the painting, 'Yesterday's Dreams', (varnished watercolour on 14 x 11 inch panel), paying homage to the families who called this place home during the last 250 years. A collector acquired my painting a few months later.
Although the original has found its forever home, art prints of Yesterday's Dreams are available from my publisher FineArtAmerica, a world-renowned print-on-demand company. This image can be enjoyed on canvas, paper, wood, acrylic, or metal prints, or featured on other fine products. Click here to see the 'Yesterday's Dreams' selection on my FineArtAmerica web page.
Newfoundland remains one of my favourite Canadian destinations, featuring the hospitable, fun-loving, hard-working inhabitants, their wondrous musical abilities, and world-famous natural attractions such as Gros Morne National Park and Western Brook Pond.
We also greatly enjoyed the historic Viking settlement re-enactment at l'Anse aux Meadows, numerous iceburg-sightings, a vast array of lovely wild flowers, and learning the history of the cod fishery at Twillingate.
The Skerwink cliff trail and historic architecture at Trinity, magnificent sea views at Bonavista, berry picking on the Avalon, and the vibrant culture and architecture of St. John's all were wonderful experiences.
I believe every Canadian should visit the island of Newfoundland, given the chance. If you need persuading, check out the adventure highlights of our most recent trip in my other posts: 'Icebergs of Newfoundland', 'Top 14 Vistas of Newfoundland', 'A Whale of a Tale in Newfoundland', and 'Seeing Caribou and Moose in Newfoundland'.
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]]>When my husband and I were travelling in the Airstream this summer and fall, I was able to paint ten small watercolours at our dinette. You can read about this mobile studio setup in this post: My Art Studio on the Road.
Working in a confined space meant I was limited to making paintings about a square foot or less in size. Once we were about four months into the trip, I started to yearn for my roomy home studio that would allow me to paint some larger, more impactful paintings.
One day when we were driving in the truck, I perused my digital folder of hundreds of finished paintings going back over thirty years. I made a list of a dozen extraordinary scenes that I felt would be suited to large-scale paintings.
In other words, I would consider these previous paintings to be studies for big, new, and exciting reinterpretations of scenes that still touch my soul.
Once we arrived back home last month, in very short order I got to work sketching out a couple of these paintings.
I am thrilled to be immersed in larger works; the first one I completed was this tall Lake Superior pebble beach scene, Simply Superior (varnished watercolour on 36 x 12 inch panel).
I remembered to stop and take photos of the work as it progressed, so I could share on social media the steps of creating this artwork. I have posted these photos below.
My strategy was to finish a small section of the scene before proceeding with the next section. This provides exciting glimpses of the final artwork and encourages me to continue through the difficult middle phase that all paintings experience.
I used masking fluid to save the white of the paper to represent highlights on the exposed stones. The underwater stones were difficult to create. The water in Lake Superior is so clear that underwater stones have the same colour and clarity as wet stones above the waterline. Several pale blue layers helped to 'submerge' the underwater elements.
After three days of work, the upper half of the painting was completed, except for some minor adjustments that would be made in the final 'polishing up' of the painting.
Next I worked on the warm coloured stones in the lower half of the scene. Each stone required three or four layers of paint, with at least several hours of drying time between each layer. I painted a blue wash over the underwater section to help me get a grasp of its boundaries and to subdue the colours that would follow.
Once again, I completed one limited area of the painting at a time, to help fuel my excitement for the project. With a painting this large, it can be difficult to remain patient enough to work through the relatively unattractive early and intermediate stages, before reaching the satisfying realism of the final stage.
It took me twelve days in total to complete this painting, spread over a month. That averages three painting sessions per week.
Here is a photo of me holding the completed painting in its frame. This was a challenging piece but worth the struggle, as you can tell by my smile of relief.
Click here for more information about Simply Superior.
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]]>This past summer and fall, my husband and I enjoyed a 5-month camping adventure in our Airstream trailer. We began our trip by travelling to the west coast through the USA and back through Canada. I shared highlights of the western portion of our explorations in these posts:
My Summer Travels in the High Desert
Pacific Northwest: Forests and Freshwater
We spent the final two months of our journey discovering the wonders of the American states surrounding Lake Michigan. This exploration began with with a tour of the Upper Peninsula, which lies between Lake Superior and Lake Michigan.
Although there was much to see and do in the 'UP' as the locals call it, the most exciting highlight of our time here was taking a scenic afternoon cruise out of Munising, Michigan to see Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.
This 42-mile stretch of protected lakeshore includes 15 miles of towering multi-coloured sandstone cliffs, as well as beaches, sand dunes, waterfalls, inland lakes, and forests. Pictured Rocks was established in 1966 and is managed by the National Park Service.
The cliffs reach a height of 200 feet and are made entirely of sandstone. The sedimentary rock layers erode at varying rates due to different densities. This produces the sea caves, arches, pillars, and other fantastic sandstone formations we see today.
Colourful vertical streaks are caused by groundwater seeping through the sandstone and depositing dissolved minerals on the cliff face. The orange-red streaks are iron, blue-green are copper, brown-black are manganese, and white are limonite. When afternoon or evening sunshine lights up these cliffs, the glow of rock contrasted with clear turquoise water is breathtaking.
I put together a short video from our scenic cruise, to give you a glimpse of the unique majesty of these natural formations. Click on the image below to enjoy two minutes of relaxing sights and sounds.
Our boating excursion was hosted by Pictured Rocks Cruises and I highly recommend their services.
I expect a few of these remarkable rock formations will find their way into a painting or two of mine down the road. I hope I can do justice to these natural wonders. Stay tuned!
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]]>My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed exploring western USA and Canada in our Airstream trailer this year. It has all the comforts of a small apartment, and I often refer to it as our mobile condo.
During the 20 weeks we were away, we drove just over 20,000 km which made for a comfortable, relaxed pace. Some locales we visited only a day or two, and others had us settling in for a week or more, depending on what there was to see and do in the area.
In previous blog posts I shared my favourite photo highlights from the first half of our trip. If you missed them, here are the links:
My Summer Travels in the High Desert
Pacific Northwest: Forests and Freshwater.
I will be sharing more travel stories and including videos and photo highlights of our trip in coming months, as time permits. I have a lot of painting to do, since the fall and winter seasons are when I produce the majority of my artwork.
However, as we travelled, I made sure to take time for a few hours of painting every week or so.
I have learned that this regular creative time is essential to my well-being. I get cranky if I have a long stretch of time without having fun making art.
My husband would go off to see a car show or for a walk, and I would set up my portable studio at the dinette in our trailer, as pictured here.
My painting setup is very simple: a fistful of brushes, two small travel palettes, a dozen small tubes of paint, pre-cut sheets of watercolour paper, a few foam board supports, and some reference photos. I also employ a folding LED desk lamp, old rags to protect the dinette surfaces, and some repurposed pantry equipment.
I generally had three paintings in progress at any one time, so if I had to stop working on a painting while it dried, I could work on another one in the meantime.
Getting all my equipment set up at the dinette takes about five minutes, so it is no trouble to paint for just two or three hours, and then put everything away.
Cleanup takes about ten minutes, including washing my brushes. Watercolour is especially suitable for a mobile studio like this, as there are no solvents needing disposal.
To avoid the risk of mould or mildew, I have to let my paintings, brushes, and rags dry fully before I pack them away. I also need to let my palettes dry so the paint won't spill during storage. Watercolour paint can be reused another day, by adding water to dissolve the dried paint. This is another factor that makes this medium ideal for travel.
I came up with the idea of using the shower stall in our Airstream bathroom as an overnight drying area. This keeps all the materials out of our way so we can use the living area of the trailer. This photo shows three paintings drying after a painting session.
The shower seat holds the paintings on their supports as well as my palettes. On the floor is a zippered clear plastic bag (the kind that blankets come packaged in) that I use as a storage case. Resting on top of that is a rag and my wet brushes. The shower stall has a small retractable clothesline (not shown in the photo) that I use to hang more rags to dry.
After drying, all my painting supplies fit into the blanket bag, which I then stow into one of our overhead cupboards in the Airstream.
I was very happy to complete these ten new paintings during our travels. That equates to an average of one painting every two weeks.
Back home in my art studio, I mounted the watercolour paintings onto archival wood panels, shown here.
I use various heavy objects at hand (including my awesome pebble collection) to help affix the watercolour paper to the cradled panels.
Once the adhesive was dry, these paintings were trimmed, varnished, and framed. A few of these new paintings have found their forever homes and the rest are being delivered to my retail galleries in Huntsville, Fenelon Falls, and Port Perry, ON. To view details and locations of the remaining pieces, visit the New Paintings page on my web site.
For a complete description of how I mount and varnish my watercolours, see my article Framing Watercolours Without Glass.
We had a wonderful holiday and it feels great to be back home again. I am keen to start on several large scale northern landscape paintings in my roomy studio. Now that cold weather is here, my little gas fireplace will be put to good use.
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]]>When examining the map of the Pacific Northwest region of North America, one might assume that mountains would be the most remarkable feature travelers would encounter.
But when my husband and I explored the Pacific Northwest for five weeks in July and August, I found this not to be the case.
As we camped and hiked throughout northern Idaho, Washington, and southern BC, I was much more intrigued by the pine trees, lakes, and rivers we encountered.
In my view, the mountains became more of an attractive backdrop that gave context to the landscape.
The first group of photographs pictured here were taken as we explored northern Idaho, following our travels in the high desert of Wyoming and southern Idaho in June and July.
Journeying north from Boise, we followed along the Salmon River and were thrilled to see many parties of river rafters floating in the current.
We didn't have a chance to investigate this time, but if we return to this part of the world, we will look into taking a guided rafting trip down the Salmon River.
It looked like a lot of fun, not too challenging, and the scenery was gorgeous.
When we used to travel all over the US and Canada by motorcycle, we attended a Honda Gold Wing rally in Coeur d'Alene and were impressed by the beauty of the area.
As we planned this year's trip, we were sure to include a visit to this scenic lake, pictured here from the Mineral Ridge hiking trail.
We were thrilled to take a site seeing cruise on Lake Coeur d'Alene one warm evening. We got to know some of our fellow passengers and enjoyed excellent live music by a local band, while watching the sun go down over the surrounding hills.
It was a magical experience and the scenery reminded me of Lake Muskoka, with many luxury homes and resorts nestled along the shore.
We journeyed on from northern Idaho across Washington and up to Vancouver to visit family and friends for a week. Then we made our way south to Olympia, Washington.
For two weeks we camped at the Washington Land Yacht Harbor, an Airstream-only RV park and mobile home community.
From there, we explored the area around Tacoma. We asked a local resident about scenic hiking areas and she directed us to a hidden gem near the town of Yelm.
It was Deschutes Falls Park, a 155 acre sanctuary featuring a lovely old growth forest and a small river gorge, and we spent a pleasant afternoon hiking in this shady park.
In this photo I am standing beside one of the venerable trees beside the forest walking path.
The river water dropped 27 feet over rapids and a series of small waterfalls, interspersed with calm clear pools. All we could hear were the soothing sounds of trickling water, a breeze in the treetops, and birdsong.
The moss-covered rocks were a type of conglomerate that looked very different from the Ontario granite and limestone I am used to.
Another day, we took a bus trip to Crystal Mountain (the largest ski resort in the state of Washington) with some fellow Airstreamers. We enjoyed a gondola ride up the mountain and lunch at Summit House restaurant.
As our cable car slowly ascended, more and more of the surrounding mountain ranges came into view.
I loved seeing the progression of blue shades in the mountains, from pale cerulean in the far distance, gradually darkening to a smokey navy blue in the foreground.
You can see two gondolas in the centre of this photo.
At the summit of Crystal Mountain we enjoyed beautiful views of the Cascade Range and Mount Ranier, which we learned is pronounced ‘rah-NEER’ in Washington. (We had been calling it ‘RAY-nee-er’.)
With its snow cap glowing white in the sunshine, contrasting with the clear blue sky, Mount Ranier was an impressive sight. We also could see Mount St. Helens and Mount Baker (which we had glimpsed often when visiting Vancouver.).
Our travels then took us east through Washington, crossing back into Canada at Yahk, BC, where we found a delightful little place to stay for a few days.
River's Edge Ranch RV Park was nestled on the bank of the Moyie River, which was a shallow glacial stream with a gravel bottom.
In this photo of the campground, you can see our Airstream on the right.
The campground was just off the Crowsnest Highway and was part of a horse farm, surrounded by the Kootenay Rockies.
The owner said we could hike beside the pasture area, so we were able to stretch our legs and see the horses up close.
We drove to nearby Creston for groceries (having crossed from the USA with a nearly empty fridge) and were delighted to find many roadside stands selling local produce from vegetable farms and fruit orchards. We loaded up on organic sweet peppers, summer squash, cherries, nectarines, and apples. Delicious!
The next day we walked into the quirky village of Yahk, home of Two Pump Paul's gas station, and enjoyed lunch at a tiny ice cream shop and cafe called Two Scoops Steve's. Next door was an artisan soap shop that had a pen of pet white goats.
Between the two stores was an entrance to a public garden that lead to a charming forest walk, which eventually brought us to this beautiful spot on the Moyie River.
Our stay in this interesting community, surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty, was as delightful as it was unexpected, and allowed us to conclude our visit to the Pacific Northwest on a high note. It was time to head east towards Ontario and more adventures...
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]]>I grew up in northern Ontario near Algonquin Park, and my formative years were spent on the Canadian Shield, a land of rocks and pristine blue lakes and rivers. As an adult, my art now centers on the wild scenery I learned to love in my youth.
When my husband and I spent several weeks exploring high desert regions of the USA earlier this summer, I was surprised to discover the most beautiful places we visited also featured rock and blue water.
Over the course of three weeks, we sampled the scenic delights of Wyoming, northern Utah, Idaho, and eastern Washington. In this post I am sharing my favourite photos of the dramatically beautiful landscape we discovered there.
Our mode of travel is a pickup truck towing our 2021 Airstream Classic 30-foot travel trailer.
I think of our recreational vehicle as a moveable condo, with all the comforts of home including full kitchen, 3-piece bathroom, bedroom, dining area, lounge, art studio, and internet access to support all our entertainment and communication needs.
We began our trip in early June, crossing from Ontario into the USA at Niagara Falls, and headed straight west to Wyoming.
Our main reason for going there was to spend an exciting, informative week at the 2023 Airstream Club International Rally, held at a huge outdoor events complex in Rock Springs.
Ours was one of 1,200 Airstream trailers and motor homes hosted at the site, each provided with full utility connections. In this photo, taken by a drone flown by one of the 2,300 attendees, you can see about a quarter of the Airstreams camped there.
At the rally, we met tons of friendly, interesting people, got to see inside vintage trailers, and attended a variety of camping-related seminars.
For example, I went to two Instant Pot cooking demonstration sessions and my husband learned about optimizing solar power on trailers, and tire maintenance.
One day, we went on a sight-seeing bus trip to tour around the 91-mile long Flaming Gorge reservoir, pictured here and at the top of this article.
We both enjoyed the rally trade show offering travel accessories and equipment for sale, and I volunteered at a fund-raising art show to benefit a local charity.
In the evenings, there were themed dances and concerts, and star gazing with telescopes.
One of the aspects I loved about the high desert was the dramatic and huge skies we saw there.
With no large trees to block the view, one could appreciate the vastness of the weather patterns in all directions.
I took this photo of an approaching rain storm from our trailer at the rally one evening.
Elsewhere in Wyoming, we hiked on Indian Bathtubs Trail to see some interesting granite rock formations, shown here. The rocks have unusual depressions caused by natural erosion.
According to legend, when the Great Spirit decided to give rain, Native Americans played in these 'tubs'.
As we journeyed on through southern Idaho, we were very keen to visit Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve to see the lava fields there.
The most interesting feature was the lava tubes. These are natural conduits formed by lava flowing from volcanic vents.
The surface lava cools and hardens, forming tubes that later become empty underground caves after the hot lava drains away.
Over millions of years, the roof of the caves collapses here and there, creating access openings to the underground tunnels.
In this photo, my husband is pictured inside one of the huge caves. The rock debris in front of him is from a collapsed roof.
Elsewhere in Idaho, we learned the Snake River aquifer is an important resource, providing sustainable irrigation for farming a wide variety of crops in the desert, including the famed Idaho potato.
When we approached the city of Twin Falls, suddenly this huge Snake River gorge appeared below us. As we stopped to take photos, we were thrilled to see base jumpers leaping off the bridge to parachute into the river.
On the other side of town, we stopped by another section of the Snake River to view Shoshone Falls, which is often called 'Niagara of the West'.
It is 212 feet (65 meters) in height, 45 feet (14 meters) higher than Niagara Falls. Shoshone Falls flows over a rim nearly 1,000 feet (300 meters) wide. It was a wondrous sight to behold.
The Snake River originates in Wyoming, crosses southern Idaho, and flows west into Washington where it empties into the Columbia River, which is pictured here.
Having spent several weeks in the high desert, I understand how important these large river systems are to the region.
It is uniquely awe-inspiring to drive through an arid desert landscape, full of dusty brown and grey rock, and suddenly come upon a vast ribbon of deep blue life-giving water.
Stay tuned for an upcoming post, where I will share photos from the next leg of our summer journey, as we explored the Pacific Northwest.
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]]>This spring and summer, I have continued to paint mythical, peaceful scenes of the north, based on memories formed over the course of my life.
I grew up near Algonquin Park in Ontario, and as an adult have explored the Canadian Shield landscape throughout northern, central, and eastern Canada on foot, in a kayak, on a snowmobile, on a motorcycle, and in our travel trailer.
In this post, I am introducing five of my recent fanciful scenes that portray morning or evening skies and feature the colour pink.
Rhapsody in Hues, varnished watercolour on 9 x 12 inch panel
I began this painting by masking out the stars and creating the background swirls. I built up layers of pale yellow, red, blue, purple and black, letting each layer of colour dry for several hours before adding the next. The masking was removed and trees were added onto dry paper at the end of the process.
This painting was inspired by a previous work Awakening, which had the three-tree cluster on the right side. For Rhapsody in Hues, I added the majestic tree on the right side for balance.
For more information about Rhapsody in Hues, click here.
Still Standing, varnished watercolour on 8 x 8 inch panel
This scene was inspired by many small, rocky islands I have seen on Lake Superior and Lake of the Woods and was painted with a similar strategy to Rhapsody in Hues.
When I see trees growing on these seemingly barren hunks of rock with very little soil, I am amazed that they can find enough of a foothold to remain standing.
For more information about Still Standing, click here.
Not a Care in the World, varnished watercolour on 10 x 10 inch panel
There is something about calm northern lakes that touches the soul and brings peace, whether we are quietly fishing, kayaking, canoeing, floating, or just gazing from shore. We need to pause and appreciate these beautiful moments whenever they happen.
This painting is a re-imagining of a scene I painted a few years ago titled Old Friends. I changed the colour scheme and added a foreground tree silhouette to make the viewer feel more immersed in nature.
For more information about Not a Care in the World, click here.
Little Bit of Heaven, varnished watercolour on 8 x 8 inch panel
This scene is inspired by many rocky islands I have seen in the 30,000 Islands region of Georgian Bay.
There is something special about the vintage cabins I see, perched on these weathered rocks. The humble, sturdy dwellings make we wonder about the lucky folk who own these little bits of heaven and what their lives are like.
For more information about Little Bit of Heaven, click here.
The Promise, varnished watercolour on 10 x 8 inch panel
This sunset scene was composed of a collection of vintage white pines I photographed in the Temagami region of northern Ontario.They tower above the surrounding forest, making for an impressive sight I admire every time we drive through that region.
The title refers to the saying 'Red sky at night, Sailor's delight', which promises good weather the day following a rosy sunset.
For more information about The Promise, click here.
I hope you have enjoyed this tour of my latest paintings of fanciful northern scenery.
Which painting is your favourite? If you have comments you wish to share, please do so using the 'Leave a Comment' button at the top of this post.
Subscribe to Karen's Newsletter if you wish to see more of her painting stories, travel tales, studio news updates, or notices of upcoming exhibitions.
]]>Summer has arrived in full force and brought with it a bounty of sunny tidings on the artistic front.
The first piece of happy news is so remarkable, I hardly can believe my good fortune. About a week ago, I learned that not just one, but three of my paintings had won awards in the 4th annual Women in Watercolor International Juried Competition.
The congratulatory letter went on to say, "This year's competition had over 1800 submissions from over 60 countries from the best of the best women watercolor artists, so you should be very proud!". My winning paintings are shown below.
Superior Jewels (varnished watercolour on 20 x 16 inch panel, private collection)
Won Third Place in the Landscape & Water Category
Where Garden Meets Rock (varnished watercolour on 40 x 28 inch panel, private collection)
Won Finalist in the Still Life & Floral Category
Superior Lady (varnished watercolour on 14 x 11 inch panel, private collection)
Won Honorable Mention in the Animal & Wildlife Category
I am grateful to the Women in Watercolor organization, which was formed in 2020 to "help encourage, support, and promote the outstanding women that are working in this medium on an international level, through online competitions, and in-person events". I also send heartfelt appreciation to the nine international judges who bestowed awards upon my artwork.
If you take a tour of all the inspiring prize winning paintings at https://womeninwatercolor.com/2023-award-winners/ you will understand how incredibly blessed I feel to have received these honours, given the level of technical and creative excellence among the winning artists.
The second piece of happy news arrived in the mail a few weeks ago, in the latest issue of Airstream Life magazine. This subscriber-based quarterly publication serves 10,000 enthusiasts of the iconic brand of recreational vehicles and related active outdoor lifestyle.
I had been interviewed last winter by one of the magazine's writers, for a series called Collecting Experiences, focusing on various creative pursuits that Airstream owners enjoy.
When the June 2023 issue came out, I was thrilled to learn that it contained a seven page feature article, illustrated with a dozen colour images of my watercolour paintings, telling the story of my artistic life and how my paintings are inspired by our adventures traveling in our Airstream trailer. (I wish I could share a copy of the article here, but it is only available to magazine subscribers.)
After many decades spent navigating through this topsy turvy artist's life of mine, I still feel as thrilled as a little kid when good things like this happen. I feel incredibly fortunate and often think to myself "Pinch me, somebody!".
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I experimented with new composition strategies and colour combinations, and feel that this sustained burst of creative intensity has allowed my paintings to reach a new level of clarity and emotional resonance.
Pictured with me here are five special artworks I selected for the Miskwaa Open Air Art Show & Sale 2023, which runs daily in July and August.
In this post, I am very excited to share a show preview with you, and hope this brief overview inspires you to see these artworks in person. (Click here for show details.)
Living the Dream, varnished watercolour on 12 x 12 inch panel
The concept of an ideal life may look different for others, but mine includes quiet moments spent at northern lakes, drinking in the splendour of the seasons. Peaceful places like this, where I slow down and connect with nature, replenish my soul.
The colourful autumn forest with its slightly blurred reflection was technically difficult to paint in watercolour, and until I was about 90% done, I was certain this painting was a failure. Having invested hours and hours of time in this piece already, I pressed on and was incredibly relieved when it transformed into a believable scene. Tenacity wins the day!
Living the Dream is available at the Miskwaa show, valued at $1,070. including tax.
Quality Time, varnished watercolour on 9 x 12 inch panel
Going on an excursion with our loved ones, quietly exploring a northern lake, and basking in the beauty of unspoiled nature, provides respite from busy lives. How lucky are we who get to spend quality time like this.
I tried a new colour combination for the sky and water in this piece and am happy with the peaceful feeling it adds to the scene. The setting was inspired by Lake Muskoka, and I saw these canoeists with their dog in Pukaskwa National Park on Lake Superior.
Quality Time is available at the Miskwaa show, valued at $730. including tax.
Daybreak, varnished watercolour on 10 x 10 inch panel
In this winter scene, stars begin to fade as a blaze of sunlight heralds the beginning of a glorious new day. The golden hues of dawn bring welcome warmth after a cold winter night.
Although this is an imaginary landscape, the trees are inspired by my vast photo reference library from many years spent exploring the forests of northern Ontario.
Daybreak is available at the Miskwaa show, valued at $680. including tax.
Dancing in the Dark, varnished watercolour on 12 x 12 inch panel
Northern lights ripple across the night sky, reaching down to touch the horizon. A tiny island, cloaked in evergreens and nestled in mist, beholds the spectacle. It is as if the aurora are asking the trees to dance.
This is another imaginary scene, inspired by an island I photographed at Lake of the Woods.
Dancing in the Dark is available at the Miskwaa show, valued at $890. including tax.
Steadfast and True, varnished watercolour on 16 x 12 inch panel
Rocky shores of northern lakes are subject to relentless natural forces, such as wind, waves, heat, cold, and ice. And yet, these robust stone beaches survive the test of time. I admire their strength and beauty.
I began this piece by painting, from my imagination, a graded blue wash for the sky and water, then adding the orange of a sunset where the horizon would fall. The foreground stones of this scene were inspired by a pebble beach at Lake Superior and the island was one I admired at Lake of the Woods.
Steadfast and True is available at the Miskwaa show, valued at $1,300. including tax.
I hope you have enjoyed this personal private tour of my Miskwaa Collection for 2023.
If you have comments you wish to share, please do so using the 'Leave a Comment' button at the top of this post.
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In my last post, Secrets to Painting Glowing Skies, I revealed three principles that helped me improve my skills in painting complex cloudy sky scenes.
In a nutshell, these strategies included colour testing prior to starting the painting, building up vivid colour gradually in many layers over many days, and adding colour quickly on wet watercolour paper for each layer.
Over the last year, I employed these principles to help 'up my game' in portraying the aurora borealis, and my latest creations are pictured in this post. (If you want more details about an individual painting, click on the image.)
In addition to this new painting strategy, a big breakthrough in painting northern lights resulted from my introduction to Holbein watercolour paints. They were awarded to me last year, as a prize in the Women in Watercolor International Juried Competition.
My first experience using these paints was in the creation of my largest watercolour ever, a 40 by 28 inch close up of dwarf yellow iris and river stone. I shared the whole story, including a time lapse video, in a recent post The Making of 'Where Garden Meets Rock'.
I am thrilled to have been introduced to Holbein paints, which are made in Japan. They have a lovely creamy consistency that makes them easy to re-hydrate and mix together, and the resulting colour combinations are clear and vivid without being garish. It was very difficult to make a dull, muddy mixture, even when combining warm and cool pigments. If you have worked with watercolour paints to any extent, you know how remarkable this attribute is.
Shown here are the colour tests I did on watercolour paper swatches, using Holbein yellows, blues and greens, in combination with some past favourite hues in the MaimeriBlu, Sennelier, Schmincke, Winsor & Newton, and Daniel Smith brands. Although all the mixtures I tried looked luscious and fabulous when wet, they became dull and unattractive after drying.
It wasn't until the fifth test (shown on the right of the swatch photo) that I found a combination that stayed vivid even after drying. These brilliant greens and blues formed when I combined several layers of Holbein Permanent Yellow Light, Permanent Green, and Viridian, with Winsor Blue (Green Shade), and Daniel Smith Indanthrone Blue.
Another big step forward in my aurora borealis journey, and in all my northern landscape paintings for that matter, is that I feel I have reached the point where I can invent imaginary scenes that contain believable lakes, rocks, and pine trees.
This was not always the case. In the early years of my art practice, I would rely on a single, perfectly-composed photo to inspire the details of shape, value, and colour in a realistic painting. Forays into imaginative work usually ended in disappointment.
Now, I often imagine the basic layout of a landscape painting, and then search through my photo archives to come up with, for instance, a few perfect pine trees for the focal area, interesting sky colours, a few lake reflection concepts, and ideas for a rocky shoreline.
I can whittle down these choices into a single scene, or create a series of paintings using the same colours but a variety of landscape elements. I might decide a painting should be a night scene with stars, or a sunny autumn morning, or I might add a soft blanket of snow.
Since I like to create the feeling of 'being there' for viewers of my landscape paintings, I also rely on my soul-deep memories from years of exploring the Canadian wilderness by kayak, ATV, snowmobile, truck, and on foot.
This imaginative way of planning and executing paintings has opened up a whole new world of artistic possibilities for me, and I can hardly wait to find out what new excitement the future brings.
If you have comments you wish to share, please do so using the 'Leave a Comment' button at the top of this post.
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]]>You might be surprised to read this, given the hundreds of landscape paintings I have created, but in the past when painting a cloudy sky, I never felt confident that the scene would turn out well. The effort always seemed like a huge, scary gamble, and my attempts didn't always bear fruit. I think my fear stemmed from the loss of control intrinsic to the fast-and-loose technique that such skies require.
I decided to spend a few months this winter and spring focusing on painting cloudy sunset scenes, to try to determine where I had been going wrong in the past, and figure out what strategies might work better.
As I experimented with new painting processes, I was able to confirm, at least for me, that there are three secrets to creating glowing skies. This realization resulted in several ground-breaking paintings, and I learned a lot in the process of painting them.
First, I did some research at the 'University of YouTube', watching instructional videos by a couple of professional watercolour painters I admire greatly. When I reviewed painting approaches used by Birgit O'Connor in her Atmospheric Landscapes online course, and Steven Kozar in his free tutorials on high realism, I realized where I was going wrong. It was mostly about the pace of painting.
As I experimented with new strategies in my paintings, I was able to confirm, at least for me, that there are three secrets to creating glowing skies:
As a result of employing these painting principles, I was able to create the following successful paintings from complex reference photos:
Solstice Sunset, varnished watercolour on 8 x 10 inch panel, captures sunset during the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. The warmth of the sun slowly fades, heralding the beginning of a long dark night.
The contrast of golden radiance and soft purple clouds behind the dramatic silhouettes of old growth trees captures a captivating moment in time and the promise of spring.
The painting was inspired by this photograph I took of the view from my bedroom window last December. The trees grow in the hedgerow between farm fields behind our house, and every morning I look out my window to absorb the beauty of nature.
Click here for more details about Solstice Sunset.
The Wonder of It All, varnished watercolour on 6 x 12 inch panel depicts a glowing sunset over a northern lake. Sometimes I look at a splendid sky and just have to marvel at the artistry of nature. She creates the most marvellous paintings, just using light and water vapour. I am awed by the wonder of it all.
The painting was inspired by this photo of Six Mile Lake in Muskoka, taken by Sharon Hopkirk and used with her gracious permission.
Originally my painting was to depict the entire scene including the puddle on the lake and the bushes in the foreground, but I ran into technical difficulties when the masking film I used damaged the lower half of the paper. I discovered the problem after the sky was completed and realized I would have to crop the painting. I thought the sky was beautiful enough to be the star of the show and invented a simple treeline to give context to the scene.
Click here for more information about The Wonder of It All.
I was still entranced by Sharon's gorgeous photo, and started a second attempt at painting the full scene. I took a photo at the end of each day so I could show you the layering process.
Here on Day 1, a strip of masking tape forms a lower boundary for the sky and the first layer of colour is on.
Day 2 The second layer of colour has been applied, using the first layer as a placement guide.
I start by wetting the watercolour paper with clear water, giving it a minute to soak in, then painting on various colours, and letting them mingle before the paper dries. Paint application has to be done in the space of a minute or so, depending on how much water is used.
Day 3 The third layer of colour is on.
The wet-in-wet process produces lovely soft-edged shapes, but it can be difficult to get the right shapes in the right places, because the paint spreads out beyond where it is initially laid. It takes skill and practice to apply just the right amount of paint to control the spread.
Day 4 The fourth layer is on and the colours are intensifying.
This might seem like an inefficient use of my studio time, to work on a sky painting only a few minutes a day, but I always have several paintings on the go and while one dries I can work on others.
Over the next three days, I added more golden tones to the sky and puddle, working on wet paper. After that dried several hours, I added more scarlet to individual clouds, working on dry paper and feathering out the edges with a clean wet brush.
Once I was happy with these areas and they were fully dry, I masked out the inner edges of the puddle and painted the blue snow in three layers, drying several hours in between. I stopped when it was dull and dark enough to look like twilight and contrast dramatically with the sky hues. Once dry, I removed the masking.
Day 8 and done! I added the treeline and hills on the far shore, and the twigs in front to complete this painting.
The finished artwork is Crimson Twilight, varnished watercolour on 11 x 14 inch panel. I love the vivid warm orange hues in the sky and reflection, contrasted with the cool dark blue of the snow.
Click here for more information about Crimson Twilight.
Having completed these three sunset scenes successfully, I feel a new confidence in how to approach complex sky subjects. I have added another skill to my repertoire. That is what I love about watercolour: there is always something new to learn, explore, and discover.
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]]>Reunited (varnished watercolour on 24 x 24 inch panel), pictured here, was the first artwork I painted this year, but it marked the second time I painted this peaceful, imaginary place.
The first rendition was last August, when I created a small watercolour study while we were exploring northern Ontario in our travel trailer. I framed the 10 x 10 inch painting when I got home and sent it off to one of my galleries in a shipment of new work. The eventual fate of this painting was revealed several months later, thanks to Facebook.
In the meantime, my husband and I did some fall camping. We towed our trailer to Fergus, ON, to join a small gathering of Airstream trailers belonging to the Ontario Unit of the Airstream International Club.
While there, we met many friendly, interesting folk, including a couple who had gutted and rebuilt a vintage Airstream for themselves and their kids. We enjoyed a tour of their awesome trailer and after conversing a while, felt like we had known this guy and gal for a long time. She was very interested in paintings of northern scenery, bought a selection of my Art Cards, and said she would peruse my web site with a mind to possibly choose a painting.
Back at the studio two weeks later, I learned from the gallery that two of the new paintings, including Reunion, had sold to an unspecified buyer.
The next month, I thought of following up with the lady we met at Fergus, but didn't want to appear pushy. I figured we probably would run into the same couple at a future Airstream rally and could see where things might lead from there.
At the end of the year, I posted this collage of my Top Nine favourite paintings of 2022 on Facebook, with a thank you to all my fans and followers.
Of the many posted comments that followed, one woman wrote "Amazing! J**** surprised me for my birthday with two pieces from this collection. I was thrilled!!!! And so lucky. Beautiful!!!!"
As it turned out, her partner had contacted the gallery two weeks after we met in Fergus and bought Reunion as well as the painting in the centre of my Top Nine. I was really happy to learn this, and glad I had not followed up with her in October or I might have spoiled the surprise her partner had in store for her.
I kept thinking about the islands and canoes of Reunion the following month. Apparently the scene wasn't done with me yet, as if it had more to teach me about glowing light, luminous colours, and the quiet power of Nature. I decided to paint a larger version of the scene, and in doing so, spend peaceful hours under the spell of this mystical northern lake. 'Reunited' was the result.
I paused and took a photo now and then throughout the painting process, so I could share with you the visual creation story. Click on the photo below to view the two-minute video.
Working on this piece gave me a chance to practice on my oversized watercolour paper, and I look forward to creating more larger scale pieces. Stay tuned for further painting and travel adventures!
For further details about Reunited, click here.
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]]>Under normal circumstances, I could have produced eight of my average-sized paintings in this time frame, so it took some bravery on my part to commit two full months to just one painting.
I grew up near Algonquin Park and never tire of painting the rocks of the Canadian Shield, but when each stone is bigger than my head, the logistics of painting on a large scale come into play. I had to use big brushes and work quickly, because the drying rate is the same for painting a large area as a small one.
The painting is titled 'Where Garden Meets Rock', and is mounted on a 40 x 28 inch panel. The subject is my own perennial garden and river stone border beside our driveway.
I took this photo of my garden over a year ago and knew I wanted to paint from it one day. I was excited about the artistic contrast of bright spiky flowers and leaves against the subdued hues of the round river stones.
Even better, the gardener in me understood there was a turf war going on - a slow, silent struggle for territory between living plants and solid rock.
If you have grown these dwarf iris, you know how quickly they spread and how firmly rooted they become. Left alone, the iris will win the battle and start to envelop these stones in just a couple of growing seasons.
Over the last year, I had gathered the materials to make oversized paintings and decided this garden composition was complex enough to justify a large scale artwork.
I was eager to test drive a new brand of watercolour paints, having been awarded a lovely set of Holbein artist-quality paints last summer from the Women in Watercolour International Juried Competition. In the poster below, you can see my 'Bathing Beauties' did Canada proud by winning the Holbein Merchandise Award in the Landscape & Water category. (You can read the creation story for 'Bathing Beauties' here. This painting now graces a home in Pakistan.)
The 300 lb cold pressed watercolour paper I used was made at the Arches paper mill in France. This world-renowned company has been making fine papers since 1492. I could not find a Canadian source for the large format sheets and had to have them shipped to me from the USA.
The cradled birch wood panel, on which the finished painting would be mounted, was custom ordered through an Ontario art supply store and produced by Apollon Gotrick in Quebec. The wood floater frame to match was custom ordered through the same art store and milled from Canadian lumber by a framing supply company in Ontario.
I bought a selection of watercolour wash brushes in the 2-inch and 4-inch sizes, to allow me to apply and blend paint mixtures over large areas quickly.
With all these exciting new materials at hand, I began the iris project in early November, finished the painting by Christmas Eve, and did the mounting, varnishing and framing by New Year's Eve.
I made a 2-minute video showing the steps of this ground-breaking art project. Click on the image below to view the video.
I am very happy I took the time to create a painting that comes from my heart and soul. It embodies two of my favourite pastimes: gardening and studying stones. I learned so much along the way about how water, paint, and paper behave at this scale, and have gained enough confidence to try other large subjects.
My husband has built me a massive paper-stretching board so I can attempt some large-format peaceful lake scenes, the scariest of watercolour subjects. Stay tuned for more of my painting adventures!
'Where Garden Meets Rock' went on display at Eclipse Art Gallery in the prestigious Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville, ON right after the varnish dried, and was acquired by a Muskoka art collector a few weeks later.
If you have suggestions or comments you wish to share, please do so using the 'Leave a Comment' button at the top of this post.
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]]>Throughout this past spring, summer, and fall, my husband and I enjoyed seven camping excursions in Ontario in our Airstream. We were out for a total of eighty days.
I wrote about the major trips in previous posts, One Magic Island is Enough (June in Muskoka), My Fabulous Frog Encounter (June in Point Pelee), and Visiting Northern Vistas (August in Manitoulin, Lake Superior, and Lake of the Woods).
I was able to paint and gather extensive inspiration for new artwork, while enjoying hiking and boating in these beautiful regions.
We concluded the camping season with a ten-day stay just west of Algonquin Park. Our timing was perfect, and we witnessed some of the loveliest fall foliage we have seen in years.
The weather was sunny and mild for most of our stay, and we hiked almost every day as the fall colours came to full glory around us. It was a truly magical time and now I have enough fall foliage photos for decades of paintings!
It was impossible to whittle down my best shots to just a handful for this post, so I made a video slideshow instead.
Click on the image below to view a glorious autumn in Muskoka, seen through an artist's eye (3-minute video). Enjoy!
Thank you to my friend Roger who took the photo of me beside the Oxtongue River, shown on the title page of the slideshow.
Where is your favourite place to see fall colours? If you have comments you wish to share, please do so using the 'Leave a Comment' button at the top of this post.
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I had to keep this piece of happy news secret for several months, but now that the City of Kawartha Lakes has announced the official winners of this year's That's a Wrap Art Competition, I can share the story.
It began last June with a Call for Entry from the City regarding a temporary (3-year) public art initiative to wrap select traffic control boxes along the Kawartha Lakes road network with artist-created imagery.
The theme of the competition was Nature & Outdoors, and applicants had to be residents of Kawartha Lakes.
This project was a partnership between the City and Kawartha Arts Network, intended to enliven the urban landscape, help reduce graffiti, and visually connect the communities of Kawartha Lakes for area residents and visitors.
As an extension of the program, chosen artwork also is featured in the 2023 Municipal Calendar.
I submitted eight of my painted images in July and was delighted to learn in August that my painting 'Nightfall', was one of nine images chosen for installation this fall.
Everyone was asked to keep quiet about winning the competition until the City could make a formal announcement after the wraps were installed.
The City worked with Auto Trim & Signs in Lindsay to design and create vinyl wraps to fit the control boxes, based on the artists' digital images of their paintings, and installation was completed by early November.
My artwork image 'Nightfall' was installed on a traffic control box in front of the Bobcaygeon Municipal Service Centre, at the corner of County Rd. 36 and King St.
WOW it looks amazing, far surpassing my expectations! Auto Trim & Signs did a wonderful job of the wrap design and installation.
Here is a list of the location and artist for each art wrap image in the 2022 program:
Bobcaygeon (2):
Canal St and Bolton- Karen Szostak
Highway 36 and King St- Karen Richardson
Fenelon Falls (2):
Victoria st and Lindsay- Lindsay Edmam
Lindsay st and Colborne - Donna Bisschop
Lindsay (5):
Mary St and Lindsay- Wren Kellar
Victoria St and Colborne- Joy Mccallister
Kent St and Albert- Christine Woods
Mary St and Angeline- Megan Lowry-Smith
Kent St and St Joseph’s- Rhonda Larson
To view all the art images chosen for That's a Wrap, and see a map of their locations, visit That's a Wrap - City of Kawartha Lakes.
I am grateful to the City of Kawartha Lakes and Kawartha Arts Network for the opportunity to participate in phase one of this wonderful public art project. Next year, the City plans to run another competition and wrap more traffic control boxes in Kawartha Lakes.
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]]>Our longest camping trip this summer was a four-week exploration of northwestern Ontario: Manitoulin Island, the North Channel, Lake Superior, and Lake of the Woods. During this trip I amassed many wonderful reference photos to inspire future paintings.
As I was reviewing the best of the best photographs to share with you, it struck me that my final selections, the ones that truly captured the sense of place, were stretched panoramas. The lakes and skies up north are so vast and wide, it's hard to take in all the beauty on display.
We spent the first week camping on Manitoulin Island, which is a very laid back place with a rural vibe and lots of historic barns. These Sandhill Cranes crossed a country road just as we approached in our truck. We see cranes like these every summer we travel in the north.
My husband and I (back) were accompanied by our long-time friends Carolyn and Roger (front), pictured here at a lookout on the famous Cup and Saucer Trail. We had no trouble finding daily excursions like this to keep active and search out beautiful scenery.
Shown above is a view of the North Channel near our Manitoulin Island campground, with the Ontario mainland in the distance. I love the patterns the wind and currents make on the intensely blue water.
Hoping for more photographic opportunities, we took a day cruise from Little Current harbour to the village of Killarney and back. Shown above is one of many 'paint-able' rocky points we cruised by. This type of rock reminds me of Georgian Bay, which is not surprising since the North Channel leads into Georgian Bay.
At Killarney, we saw many lovely summer homes on the rocky shore, but this humble cottage embodies that old-time Georgian Bay nostalgia.
As we cruised back to Little Current that afternoon, the sun came out and sprinkled diamonds on the waters of the North Channel, while a thunder cloud poured rain on Manitoulin.
After a very relaxing week on the Island, we journeyed north-westward to Lake Superior, camping at Wawa and then stopping at Terrace Bay to show our friends Aguasabon Falls and Gorge. There is a generous parking area, large enough to turn around and park our travel trailers, and a very short boardwalk hike that took us to this stunning view.
In the words of the town, "With a beautiful ferocity in the spring and a serene grace in the summer and fall, this spectacular 100 foot waterfall cascades into the Aguasabon Gorge—flowing along a 2.6 billion year old rock face." If your travels take you through Terrace Bay, watch for the signs to the Gorge and take a look at this natural wonder.
We camped for several days at Nipigon to attend the Live from the Rock Folk Festival, an annual music and arts festival held on the shore of Lake Superior in Red Rock. While there, we hiked up to the lookout over Nipigon Bay to view the islands of the Lake Superior Archipelago. The hilly shapes remind me of paintings by the Group of Seven. I love the grace and power of this place.
While our friends departed to spend time with family, my husband and I headed for Lake of the Woods, pictured above. We spent a glorious week there, visiting family and enjoying lakeside living. The weather was favourable and we spent an entire afternoon boating through a tiny section of the lake, which is an enormous body of water - 137 km long and 91 km wide at its widest point.
Lake of the Woods has a shoreline of just over 100,000 km if you count the shoreline of its many islands as well as the mainland. That's more than Lake Superior! There are 14,522 islands in Lake of the Woods.
And gosh, do I love painting those islands and points with their iconic twisted pines! Our visits to this lake have inspired dozens of paintings.
As we journeyed homeward, we made a point to camp a few nights at Marathon so I could visit my favourite Pebble Beach.
As is often the case, the weather was cool and foggy while we were there. I have only seen this beach once on a calm sunny day, and the rest of the time conditions have been misty or raining. But the mist adds a sense of hushed solitude that makes for very compelling paintings, and also makes the beach stones look more colourful than they do when dry. I like this shot above of my husband bending for a closer look. I had to lay flat on the stones to get the shooting angle I wanted.
While in town, we heard about a flat rock beach and searched it out. We were amazed at the great slabs of rock we found there along the Lake Superior shore. It felt very other-worldly.
Now that we know where this place is, I'll have TWO beaches to stop at every time we travel by Marathon. Thank goodness for a patient husband! I would love to see this landscape in sunshine, when the lake looks sapphire blue.
By the time we reached our home base in Lindsay, my husband and I had travelled 5,000 km on this month-long adventure. We came back with happy memories of fun times, a renewed appreciation of this remarkable province, and so much painting inspiration, I hardly knew where to begin!
Did you enjoy these highlights of Karen's camping trip? If you have comments you wish to share, please do so using the 'Leave a Comment' button at the top of this post.
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]]>Usually when we travel in the Airstream I fit in a painting day once a week or so, just for the joy of it.
The rest of my time is spent living the simple life with my husband: hiking, kayaking, making healthy meals, and slowly exploring the region in which we find ourselves.
This past summer, with steady sales of my artwork continuing in the galleries back home, I was keen to paint more frequently.
I found the dinette in our trailer (pictured above) to be the perfect spot to set up a simple painting space for a few hours at a time.
By the time we got home and I returned to the art studio, I was able to mount and frame a half dozen new works (pictured here).
In these paintings, I have continued to focus on misty northern lakes, bringing more imaginary places to life, venturing into a moonlit night scene, and branching off (pun intended) into a pile of colourful maple leaves.
This pair of blue lake scenes began as simple blue graded washes for the sky and a few horizontal streaks of blue for the water ripples. It took 3 or 4 layers of paint to build up the colour density I was after. I left large blank white areas in the middle to add some islands and reflections later.
Listen to the Silence, varnished watercolour on 14 x 11 inch panel.
I invented the overlapping blue hills for the background, wetting the bottom edges with clear water to simulate mist.
When that was dry, I painted an imaginary island, again with mist cloaking the shoreline, and a canoe seen coming towards the viewer.
I added a soft reflection under the island so it would not draw the viewer's eye away from the canoe.
Click here for more information about Listen to the Silence.
The Answer Will Come, varnished watercolour on 14 x 11 inch panel.
I knew I wanted an interesting island centred in this piece so I looked through my treasure trove of Lake of the Woods photos. (We visit family there most summers.)
This is the reference I chose, adding some hefty rocks to the front of 'my' island. Again, I added water when painting the bottom of the island, to simulate a foggy shoreline.
The water ripples in the foreground needed more visual interest, so I imagined some smooth underwater stones and painted the shadowy spaces in between them. Then I added a few above-water rocks to lead the viewer's eye between the foreground and the big island. Lastly, I painted in a hazy reverse image for the island reflection.
Click here for more details about The Answer Will Come.
Reunion, varnished watercolour on 10 x 10 inch panel.
One of my painting buddies goes on an annual canoe trip with a group of women friends, and she was kind enough to supply me with several dozen photos of canoes taken at various places during her trips.
These are a great resource whenever I want to add a canoe into an imaginary scene.
For this painting, I used her reference photo (shown here) for the foreground and invented a couple of islands to make a more interesting scene. I changed the canoe colours and decided to make the season autumn, so the trees would complement the canoes.
Click here for more information about Reunion.
Misty Beginnings, varnished watercolour on 10 x 10 inch panel.
This painting was inspired by a quick photo I took out of our truck window one summer as we were driving along Hwy 17 north of Lake Superior.
I thought this little point of land on the edge of an island looked interesting.
I imagined a new scene roughly based on the photo, adding more mist, a canoe, more prominent rocks, and individual trees on the point.
Click here for more information about Misty Beginnings.
Some Enchanted Evening, varnished watercolour on 16 x 12 inch panel.
This was an experimental piece, meaning I had no idea if it would be successful or not. I knew I wanted a night scene with lots of deep blues and black, with a yellow full moon and its reflection across the water.
I imagined a slight breeze rippling the water and how the resulting reflections would behave. I figured the rocks would have some warm tones, coming from moonlight.
I breathed a big sigh of relief when this painting turned out so well.
Click here for more information about Some Enchanted Evening.
Maple Flooring, varnished watercolour on 11 x 14 inch panel.
I took this reference photo decades ago while walking in the woods and have painted from it twice.
It is a simple scene, but that red maple leaf is so wonderfully symbolic of Canada, and it was fun to work with bright colours.
Click here for more information about Maple Flooring.
As cooler weather arrives, I feel my inner energy rising. It's time to get the garden trimmed back and close out the growing season. I look forward to having lots of studio time this fall and winter to create more new paintings, and then share with you the stories behind them.
Which painting is your favourite? If you have comments you wish to share, please do so using the 'Leave a Comment' button at the top of this post.
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My husband and I had the chance to visit Point Pelee National Park on the shores of Lake Erie this summer.
While there, I was thrilled to meet some very photogenic frogs in a small pond near the visitors' centre.
Why this excitement over frogs, you ask?
It's because I have a collection of lovely photos of pink water lilies I would like to paint, and lily pads are the perfect setting for frogs.
I chanced upon the gorgeous blooms pictured here near Timmins, ON three years ago.
We were in town to see the 'Stars and Thunder' outdoor music festival, and the resort we camped at had an ornamental pond with koi and water lilies.
These photos could translate into great paintings, but if I have some well-focused close-up shots of frogs to add a bit of animation or 'story' to the scenes, I have the possibility of creating some really exciting, large-scale watercolour pieces.
That is why I was so pleased to have these wee frogs pose for me at Point Pelee. Imagine the fun I could have coming up with painting titles...
'I've Got Your Back'
'Private Spa'
'Who Let the Frog Out'
'Sit Quietly and Listen'
'The Thinker'
'All That You Dream'
'Best Friends'
'Just Chillin'
'The Sunbathers'
With this variety of poses, I may have all the angles covered for some upcoming frog-and-water-lily compositions. Stay tuned!
Which frog is your favourite? Do you have a great painting title in mind? If you have comments you wish to share, please do so using the 'Leave a Comment' button at the top of this post.
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My husband and I love to go camping spring, summer, and fall. Most of my inspiration for paintings of northern scenery and pristine lakes comes from these trips.
Earlier this summer, we camped for a week at Sand Lake near Kearney, in the Muskoka region of Ontario. While there, I got to study this magical island just off shore. It's just one wee island, but I know it will inspire a multitude of paintings.
We discovered this pretty little lake in March when we stayed at Edgewater Park Lodge to do some snowmobiling, and decided we should return to see it in the summertime. You can read about our winter adventure here.
The Lodge had a half dozen serviced camping sites adjacent to their cabins, so we reserved a spot for a week in June and brought our travel trailer.
This is the view of the little island from the shoreline of Edgewater Park.
The island looks small and unassuming from this angle, but I suspected from seeing it last winter that the island might be more impressive from other viewpoints.
These Canada geese swam by as I was taking photos from the shore.
They might be just the thing a future painting could use in the foreground.
Luckily, we had our kayaks with us, and on the first calm day of our visit, we went for a paddle along the shore and over to the island.
I had my IPhone on board in a waterproof case so I could take pictures.
My husband, paddling in his kayak ahead of me, made for a good model in some of my photos, helping to show the scale of the landscape. The island looks quite wide from this angle.
As we circumnavigated the island, it was amazing to see how its appearance changed when viewed from different directions, and depending on whether the sun was shining or hidden by a cloud.
The lake water changed its appearance also. Sometimes it was a pale blue, sometimes a deeper blue, and other times the water was so clear we could see the sandy bottom.
There were quite a few different types of evergreens on the island and they made ever-changing groupings as we paddled by.
I particularly like the dynamic cloud and tree reflections in this scene. They would be challenging to paint but worth it. I think a large scale painting would do this scene justice.
Here are more intriguing cloud and tree reflections. The slanting lines of the waves really catch my eye in this photo.
Parts of the shoreline were rock, which is one of my favourite subjects. The warm tones of the stone contrast nicely with the cooler hues of lake, sky, and trees.
Here are some lovely slabs of rock counterbalanced with a few interesting trees and rustic sheds. I am certain these rocky shorelines and their reflections will make their way into some northern lake paintings one day.
These are just a sampling of the many photos I took of this little island. Each of them is a seed with potential to grow into beautiful artwork one day. Nature is all around us, ready to inspire dozens of paintings. But sometimes, one magic island is enough.
Which scene is your favourite? If you have comments you wish to share, please do so using the 'Leave a Comment' button at the top of this post.
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]]>Usually my realistic landscapes begin with a full sized pencil drawing of the entire scene, based on one or more reference photos, before I apply paint to paper.
The five northern lake scenes pictured here were created this spring with a different strategy that pushed me out of my comfort zone of colour and composition.
I began all of the paintings at the same time, using combinations of purple and gold paint mixtures.
Each artwork would have serendipitous focal areas of glowing light. The location of the glow would determine the placement of the scene's horizon.
After taping my watercolour paper to rigid supports, I brushed on clear water and applied a layer of rich colour on each piece of paper, allowing the colours to blend on the wet surface. This photo shows the first layer complete. I let the paintings dry overnight, then re-wet the surface and added more colour.
I continued to add one layer per day, building up more intense colour over the course of a week.
Working on wet paper is very unpredictable and risky, since paint moves freely on the moist surface and I never know how successful my attempts will be until all the layers have dried.
When luck is on my side, this process can result in beautiful glowing skies and lake reflections. If not, I can turn over the paper and try again on the other side. (Been there, done that, many times!)
Once the backgrounds were done, I continued work on the paintings one at a time over a six-week period, completing each artwork before proceeding to the next.
The largest piece became Nature's Gift, varnished watercolour on 14 x 11 inch panel.
The inspiration for the sky was a photo by a Facebook friend, Noreen Ebel Luce, of a sunset on Lake of the Woods. She gave me permission to use her photo (shown here) as a painting idea.
Once I was happy with my many-layered watercolour sky and lake, I invented a pine tree for the foreground (work in progress pictured below left).
I saw that the composition was too heavy on the left side. I needed to either make the tree extend to the right, or add a second tree to the right of the first one. Since watercolour is a transparent medium, I knew I only had one shot at fixing this painting.
To help me decide which option would look better, I took a photo of the artwork in progress and printed out two copies on photocopy paper. Then I used coloured markers to 'test drive' my two ideas (pictured above right).
I liked the single large tree better, so I went with that option to complete the watercolour painting.
For more details about Nature's Gift, click here.
I decided to use the two-tree concept in my next painting, Sunset Duet, varnished watercolour on 10 x 10 inch panel.
This pair of windblown pines pays tribute to the many beautifully sculpted trees I have seen in the Georgian Bay region. These steadfast conifers have spent a lifetime together, adorning this rocky shore. Hand in hand, they sing a quiet farewell to the setting sun.
I gathered several reference photos I had taken at Georgian Bay and sketched out an imaginary lake scene (shown here). With a few modifications, these morphed into a finished sunset painting.
Click here for more information about Sunset Duet.
Something about islands in a calm northern lake just draws me in. I want to hop in a canoe and get a closer look at the rocks and trees that have found a home there.
This idea resulted in the third painting of the series, Heaven on Earth, varnished watercolour on 10 x 10 inch panel.
Searching through my reference archives, I found these three lake photos taken throughout northern Ontario.
Using them as reference, I sketched a composite scene onto my watercolour background, inserting foreground rocks and canoe. Then I painted all the elements in subdued colours to give a feeling of dusky light to the scene.
Click here for more details about Heaven on Earth.
Dawn of a New Day, varnished watercolour on 8 x 8 inch panel, the fourth painting, was taken from my imagination.
Onto my watercolour background I sketched a simple, rocky island and a few trees, with their feet cloaked in a gentle mist.
I made the leafless tree sturdy enough to support a bald eagle, surveying his watery kingdom from a lofty perch. Soft reflections completed the painting.
Click here for more details about Dawn of a New Day.
One Last Look, varnished watercolour on 8 x 8 inch panel was the final painting in the series and the most technically difficult piece.
This scene is Pukaskwa National Park on Lake Superior near Marathon, ON. My husband and I spent a glorious week camping there last summer. Kayaking in Hattie Cove was a special memory of this trip. The surrounding rocky cliffs were so massive and impressive. I didn't want the day to end, and this painting commemorates this special place.
I used these reference photos from our visit, but I took them on a breezy day and my painting had calmer water.
This meant I had to create a whole new set of reflections, based on the physics of how light behaves. I studied a bunch of other reference photos of reflections on waves to understand the concept before completing my painting. I breathed a big sigh of relief when it was done successfully.
For more information about One Last Look, click here.
I hope you have enjoyed this look 'behind the scenes' of what goes on in my art studio. Determining layout concepts and painting approaches are key steps in creating meaningful, beautiful artwork that conveys authentic emotion.
If you have comments you wish to share, please do so using the 'Leave a Comment' button at the top of this post.
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Sometimes it takes a while for painting ideas to digest and mature, rather like fine wine. In the case of these first two paintings, the journey from inspiration to finished artwork took six years.
The story began in 2016, when I spotted this pine tree with its top lopped off by a wind storm.
At the time, we were travelling between Sioux Narrows and Kenora, near Lake of the Woods. Traffic had stopped on the highway, conveniently within view of this distinctive tree.
The white pine reminded me of a bonsai, carefully groomed into an artful shape. I knew its quirky branches would make a marvellous painting subject, so I took this quick snapshot from our truck.
That same month, we saw bald eagles quite often during our boat cruises on Lake of the Woods. The eagles would perch on tall trees, looking for their next meal. I managed to photograph this one way up in a dead pine tree.
Two years later, I used my reference photos to sketch the bonsai pine and bald eagle together. It made an exciting composition.
The tree has a wonderfully asymmetrical structure with flowing limbs, and the exposed branch at the top forms a perfect perch for the eagle.
Then life got in the way and four years passed. Finally, this year I created this small painting from my pencil concept.
The painting is titled The Warriors, (varnished watercolour on 8 x 8 inch panel).
The simple gradation in the sky from vivid to misty blue forms a suitable backdrop for the dark colours of the subject, while giving a sense of energy to the painting.
I was happy with the look of this watercolour study, so I decided to frame it as a finished artwork. Click here for more information about The Warriors.
Then I proceeded to create a larger interpretation of the same subject (four times the size of the first painting). I made the sky slightly more complex with some cloudy streaks running through it. I also added a few distant treetops to show how the white pine towers over the surrounding forest.
Thunderstruck, varnished watercolour on 16 x 16 inch panel, may have taken six years to come to fruition, but I still feel the same thrill looking at it as I did the first time I saw the battle-scarred white pine at Lake of the Woods. Click here for more information about Thunderstruck.
Early One Morning, varnished watercolour on 6 x 12 inch panel, was inspired by the old growth forest towering above the campground at Pukaskwa National Park on Lake Superior.
I wanted a gentle, warm mood so I created soft mixtures of peach and bronze using primary colours (Sennelier Red, Magenta, Sennelier Yellow Deep, and Phthalo Blue).
I used these two reference photos of tree tops I had taken in the Park one evening, and assembled them into an imaginary dawn scene. I love the romantic peace of this time and place. Click here for more information about Early One Morning.
The marvellous Pebble Beach in the town of Marathon on Lake Superior has inspired yet another painting.
This one is Superior Sunbathers, varnished watercolour on 20 x 16 inch panel.
This beach is composed of smooth round stones the size of citrus fruits - from limes to grapefruits. The colours are rich and varied, especially when the stones are wet, and many have interesting stripes or other markings.
The scene never looks the same twice, with wind and sunlight affecting the behaviour of the waves and the colours of water and rock.
A few years ago, we were lucky to visit the beach on a calm, sunny morning, and I took dozens of photos from many angles.
Sometimes I had to put my camera almost in the water, viewfinder out of sight, hoping to capture the low point of view I was after. The photo pictured here is one of those lucky shots.
Stones are one of my favourite painting subjects and it was pure pleasure to depict the beautiful details of this extraordinary place. Stay tuned for more paintings of Pebble Beach.
Click here for more information about Superior Sunbathers.
On the subject of multiple interpretations of a given scene, here is my third painting of this northern lake with dock and red canoe.
This piece is Spirit of the North, varnished watercolour on 18 x 24 inch panel. The first two versions were painted earlier this winter and you can read their story here.
Thank you to Pamela Weston for permission to use her reference photo (shown here) in the creation of my artwork.
I love to paint scenes that convey an unfolding story, immerse us in the beauty of nature, create a sense of joyful anticipation, hint at a mystery, or capture a precious memory. This scene checks all those boxes.
Click here for more information about Spirit of the North.
Currently, I have five new paintings of northern lake sunsets in progress in my studio and look forward to introducing them to you next month. I call them my 'purple and gold' series...
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This photo shows my husband John and me on the left, beside our longtime friends Nancy and Rick, enjoying a bit of snow shoeing at Elk Lake Wilderness Resort in February.
The four of us stayed in one of the resort's heated cabins overlooking Elk Lake, near Earlton in northern Ontario. With gas fireplace in the living room, full bathroom and kitchen, and two bedrooms, the cabin was a cosy home base for our 4-day holiday.
Our friend Nancy took this photo of the rest of us on our sleds, in front of the resort's heated ice fishing hut.
The resort staff made a different home cooked dinner each evening and brought it to our cabin. One memorable meal was roast chicken, potatoes, salad, and blueberry pie. We cooked our own hot breakfasts, using the food in the fully-stocked fridge.
We toured the local region on beautifully groomed snowmobile trails for about 6 hours one day, swooping through scenic forests and farm fields. We plan our trips so they fall during the middle of the week to avoid busy weekend traffic, and we mostly had the trails to ourselves.
Thanks to the efforts of many volunteers in the local snowmobile clubs, the trails were well signed and extensive. John tells me there are more kilometres of groomed snowmobile trails in Ontario than there are paved highways. The winter infrastructure in the frozen north really is amazing.
Our machine has a GPS navigation system, two gas tanks, and supportive heated seats. I ride on the back and my hand grips, face shield and under-jacket, are also heated electrically. Combine that with snowmobile suits, boots, and helmets that are put together like space suits, and we can be outdoors in a blizzard all day and still be comfortable in our own little bubbles.
Another day, we explored the shoreline of Elk Lake by snow shoe, tried our hand at ice fishing, and relaxed and chatted in the cabin. In the evenings we had fun playing board games and putting together jigsaw puzzles on the kitchen table. We were so appreciative of this quality time with our friends, after many months of isolation.
In early March, we went on our second snowmobile adventure, based at Edgewater Park Lodge on Sand Lake, near Kearney (north of Huntsville, Ontario).
Pictured here is the 2-bedroom cabin we rented, with our truck, trailer, and snow machine parked outside. Our friends Nancy and Rick joined us on this 4-day trip as well.
Here is the view from the Lodge property looking onto Sand Lake. The tracks reveal how this lake serves as a link to many of the local snowmobile trails. The people way out there are John and our friends getting set up for ice fishing.
John used a battery powered drill to auger a hole in the ice which was three feet thick. That is me in the camp chair holding a fishing rod over the hole. (No fish were harmed, or even seen, during this escapade!)
Good fortune shone upon us and the weather was clear, sunny, and mild every day. The snowmobiling was superb; as good as it gets. We spent a day and half touring the region's excellent trail system through one of the loveliest mixed forests I have visited.
We drove by huge white pines and maples, gorgeous yellow birch, and lots of beech saplings with their dried leaves adding pops of golden pink colour to the winter scenery.
There had been recent snowfall, as branches were loaded with fresh 'icing' and the trails were very smooth with good traction.
One of the excellent side benefits of these winter adventures is that I have access to gorgeous wilderness scenery, to take photos I can use for painting ideas.
Here are a few shots that I think would make great paintings.
Our snowmobile adventures this year were easy and fun, and we very much enjoyed the camaraderie of our friends. We feel lucky to live where we easily can access world-class snowmobile trails for winter getaways.
Here are John and I standing on a scenic section of trail, surrounded by the beauty and tranquility of the forest. Life doesn't get much better than this.
We hope you have had a good winter and managed to spend some time out in nature.
I put together this 1-minute video to give you a glimpse of how lovely our northern snow trails can be. I took the footage using my iPhone, holding it above John's head as we drove along. (Please forgive the sound quality.) Click on the picture below to view the video.
What do you do to enjoy the outdoors in winter? If you have comments you wish to share, please do so using the 'Leave a Comment' button at the top of this post.
Subscribe to Karen's Newsletter if you wish to see more painting stories, travel tales, studio news updates, or notices of upcoming painting classes and exhibitions.
]]>After spending most of 2021 focusing on my starlight series, I have returned to painting rocks and northern lakes again.
I enjoy working in thematic series, and it's energizing to switch things up now and then, but I feel like I am in a very happy place these days. The winter is flying by.
The pair of canoe paintings pictured at the top of this post were inspired by this stunning photo taken at sunrise by Pamela Weston, from her property near Perth, Ontario. She granted permission for me to use the photo as reference for my paintings. (Check out Pamela's wonderful photography here).
Take Me There, varnished watercolour on 11 x 14 inch panel
When I created my painting, I decided to brighten the colours slightly, to emphasize the contrast of blue water and red canoe.
I used Winsor & Newton paints Cobalt, French Ultramarine, New Gamboge, and Permanent Alizarin Crimson to mix all the colours of this scene.
It took many layers of paint (using a wet-in-wet technique) over the course of a week to achieve the smooth blue gradation on the lake water from almost white to almost black. I used 2-brush technique to create the treeline and mist. The canoe and dock were simple to paint on dry paper.
Click here for more details about Take Me There.
Take Me There Again, varnished watercolour on 11 x 14 inch panel
I so enjoyed the challenges of this subject that I decided to paint a second version with a different colour palette.
I mixed all the colours I needed from Sennelier paints Phthalocyanine Blue, Sennelier Yellow Deep, and Rose Madder Lake.
This time I found it easier to create the smooth gradation in the water, but the trees and mist were less cooperative. Again, the canoe and dock were easy.
I love to paint scenes that convey an unfolding story, immerse us in the beauty of nature, create a sense of joyful anticipation, hint at a mystery, or capture a precious memory. Every now and then an exceptional painting emerges from my very heart and embodies all these elements. This is just such a painting.
Click here to see more information on Take Me There Again.
Born to Rock, varnished watercolour on 10 x 10 inch panel
This scene was inspired by rocks and trees near Georgian Bay and Lake Superior.
I placed the crack in the bedrock to lead the viewer's eye towards the erratic boulder, and then the distant white pine gestures invitingly, to come explore the lake shore.
The Great Lakes region has such wonderful rock formations, born millions of years ago and since then, eroded by wind, water, and ice into the smooth shapes we enjoy today.
These are the reference photos I used for this painting. They were taken in the Great Lakes region on three different excursions.
I used the same trio of paints for this artwork as I did for Take Me There Again.
Click here for more details about Born to Rock.
As the days lengthen towards spring, I continue to work on new paintings of water and stone in my studio. Stay tuned!
If you have comments you wish to share, please do so using the 'Leave a Comment' button at the top of this post.
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]]>Several times each year, my husband and I enjoy driving and sightseeing on Hwy 17 in northwestern Ontario, along the northern shore of the largest lake in the world.
Some of the world's oldest rocks, formed about 2.7 billion years ago, can be found along this shore. The lake itself is about 10,000 years old and contains ten percent of all the fresh water on planet earth.
Of course I am referring to Lake Superior, the cleanest and clearest of the Great Lakes, and the inspiration for many of my paintings. One of my favourite spots at which we stop during our journeys is Pebble Beach in the town of Marathon, to take photos of the shore, such as the one shown below.
Marathon's Pebble Beach is composed of smooth round stones the size of citrus fruits - from limes to grapefruits. The colours are rich and varied, especially when the stones are wet, and many have interesting stripes or other markings.
The scene never looks the same twice, with wind and sunlight affecting the behaviour of the waves and the colours of water and rock.
A few years ago, we were lucky to visit the beach on a calm, sunny morning, and I took dozens of photos from many angles.
Sometimes I had to put my camera almost in the water, viewfinder out of sight, hoping to capture the low point of view I was after. The photo pictured here is one of those lucky shots.
Back in the studio, as I worked on the 20 x 16 inch painting shown here, I substituted prettier colours and patterns on some of the foreground stones to make the painting interesting and dramatic. I have seen gorgeous stones like these elsewhere on this shore.
While I was working away, I stopped frequently to take photos of my work in progress, so I could show you the steps involved in creating this large artwork.
At some point in this painting journey, the title 'Bathing Beauties' came to mind.
I assembled the photos into a one minute video. Click on the image shown below to see how this painting came together.
This painting has been acquired by a collector, but custom print reproductions of 'Bathing Beauties' are available through my print-on-demand publisher FineArtAmerica. Click here for details.
I have many more dramatic photos of this beach and am looking forward to creating more paintings of this remarkable place. If you are a 'rockaholic' like me, you will understand my compulsion.
Do you have favourite spots on Lake Superior I should visit? If you have suggestions or comments you wish to share, please do so using the 'Leave a Comment' button at the top of this post.
Subscribe to Karen's Newsletter if you wish to see more of her painting stories, travel tales, studio news updates, or notices of upcoming exhibitions.
]]>After a year spent focusing on my starlight series, making paintings featuring moonlight, northern lights, and sunsets, I felt the urge to paint rocks again.
So, last month I created 'Stories in Stone' (shown here) from a reference photo I took last summer while we camped at Rainbow Falls Provincial Park on the shore of Lake Superior. This is a gorgeous park near Rossport, ON, with a pebble beach and huge boulders and bedrock along the shore.
As I created the painting, I posted one photo daily of it on Facebook so fans of my artwork could follow the progress.
About 20 minutes after the final photo was posted, on the morning of Christmas Eve, I got a message from an old friend and good client of mine who lives in Pakistan, that she wanted to acquire the painting.
She was in Ontario visiting with family for Christmas and asked if I could have the painting ready for her to pick up within 7 days.
I said 'Sure!' and fast-tracked the finishing process, doing the mounting on Christmas Day, the varnishing 3 days later, and framing 2 days after that. My friend picked up her painting as planned and it flew back to Pakistan with her last weekend. The first thing she did when she got home was hang the painting and send me a photo of it in situ (shown here).
This is the fourth major work my friend has selected from me and I couldn't be happier to see this special piece go to such an appreciative and gracious home.
Whenever possible, I keep track of where my paintings go, and the tally so far is twenty countries. Other interesting locales where my paintings bring joy to homes and workplaces include Hawaii, Russia, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, India, Italy, Denmark, and Barbados.
Recently I made a short time-lapse video of the creation process of 'Stories in Stone'. If you are a student of watercolour, or just interested in how my paintings come together, I know you will find the story interesting and informative.
Click here to see the video and story.
If you have comments you wish to share, please do so using the 'Leave a Comment' button at the top of this post.
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]]>After a year spent focusing on my starlight series, making paintings featuring moonlight, northern lights, and sunsets, I felt the urge to paint rocks again.
If you don't already know, rocks and I go way back... All my life, I have felt the magnetic pull of stone, from mountains to boulders to pebbles to grains of sand. I find all these forms of rock to be utterly fascinating and beautiful.
Perhaps it was my childhood spent near Algonquin Park, surrounded by the terrain of the Canadian Shield, that makes me instinctively drawn to rock-filled wilderness scenery.
So, last month I pulled out some reference photos I took last summer on Lake Superior while we camped at Rainbow Falls Provincial Park near Rossport, ON. This is a gorgeous park with a pebble beach and huge boulders and bedrock along the shore.
I love to explore these rocks and ponder how Nature carved these shapes with water, wind, and ice. Imagine the stories this stone has witnessed over millions of years.
I had dozens of inspiring photos to choose from and settled on this gem featuring a huge rock slab shoreline. When I took the photo, I made sure a tree was reflected in the large puddle. I made a vertical shot so the cracks in the foreground rocks lead the eye into the scene. The photo had been taken on a partly cloudy day but I was able to lighten and brighten it before printing, to simulate a sunnier scene.
I decided on a half sheet painting (22 by 14 inches) that fit a custom art panel and float frame I had on hand, and sketched the scene onto 300 lb watercolour paper.
After making colour tests to make sure I could mix the colours I would need when painting this subject, I selected Sennelier primary paint colours (Sennelier Red, Sennelier Yellow Deep, and Phthalocyanine Blue) and Neutral Tint made by Maimeri.
Only these four colours would be used to paint this scene. Both Sennelier and Maimeri make fantastic artist quality paints and I have been delighted to work with them on several occasions.
In my paintings of rocky subjects, I paint the dark shadows and cracks first and then add the stone colours afterwards. This sequencing took me several years to develop and is the reverse of traditional watercolour methods (which often begin with large pale washes and darks are added at the end).
My method lets me paint shadows and dark details while I can see my pencil lines clearly. I have learned it is best to use a staining mixture for the black colour, so subsequent colour layers don't blur the black lines too much.
As I painted this scene, I kept pausing to take photos of my work in progress, so I could show you the steps involved in creating this painting.
Here is a one-minute time lapse video that summarizes the steps involved and shows you the flow of this painting from start to finish.
Click on the picture below to view the video.
This painting has been acquired by a collector in Pakistan (read that story here), but custom print reproductions of this image are available through my print-on-demand publisher FineArtAmerica. Click here for details.
I have many more dramatic photos of this beach and am looking forward to creating more paintings of this remarkable place. If you are a 'rockaholic' like me, you will understand my compulsion.
Here is a photo I took of my husband looking out into the lake that really inspires me. I love the scale of the rocks and their lichen-covered surfaces. I will attempt a painting of it one day soon.
Do you have favourite spots on Lake Superior I should visit? If you have suggestions or comments you wish to share, please do so using the 'Leave a Comment' button at the top of this post.
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]]>The series of 'after dark' paintings I began a year ago continues to intrigue me. It has been exciting to experiment with new pigment combinations and create these magically dusky skies. My latest batch of paintings includes scenes of twilight and northern lights.
The photo above shows the middle stage of my latest northern lights scenes, with the skies completed.
Painting skies was the most difficult part of the process, as layer after layer of colour was brushed on (with a day to dry in between) to build up saturated hues and gradual colour transitions. The darkest sky sections were achieved in the final few coats of paint. I would say each sky required five to eight layers to complete.
The foreground landscapes and trees were added once the paper was fully dry, to complete the paintings shown below.
Whispers in the Dark, varnished watercolour on 8 x 8 inch panel.
Sometimes northern lights are powerful and vast, and other times they are barely a whisper of light. In this night sky, the aurora provide just enough illumination to silhouette a few treetops.
Click here for more information about this piece.
Into the Night, varnished watercolour on 8 x 8 inch panel.
Standing silently under a canopy of starlight, these venerable pines in a northern forest look up into the night. They witness the vastness of the universe, bathed in the glow of northern lights.
I love the colour gradation from bright green to navy blue in this painting.
Click here for more information about this piece.
Dancing in the Dark, varnished watercolour on 12 x 12 inch panel.
Northern lights ripple across the night sky, reaching down to touch the horizon. A tiny island, cloaked in evergreens and nestled in mist, beholds the spectacle. It is as if the aurora are asking the trees to dance.
Click here for more information about this piece.
Night Magic, varnished watercolour on 9 x 12 inch panel.
The slim elegance of these trees hides an indomitable strength that allows them to withstand decades or even centuries of frigid northern winters. Their perseverance is rewarded on this spring night by a performance of northern lights.
The reference photo for this painting was taken by my Facebook friend Randy Whitbread of Flin Flon, Manitoba, and used with his gracious permission.
Click here for more information about this piece.
Aurora Fantasy, varnished watercolour on 9 x 12 inch panel.
In this dreamlike scene, northern lights illuminate the horizon with multi-hued rays, like nebulous curtains billowing across the universe. Ancient forests and a frozen river stand in awe of the glorious performance.
I had great difficulty with this painting. The icy river looked too dark initially and the aurora resembled a weird green sunset. I kept darkening the foreground until the river ice started to 'pop' and cropped off the upper sky so the aurora dominated. I love the result.
Click here for more information about this piece.
Starlight Lake, varnished watercolour on 8 x 8 inch panel.
In this simple northern lake scene, stars twinkle above rocks and trees, while the surface of the water seems lit from within by the faint glow of northern lights.
Click here for more information about this piece.
Starlight Magic, varnished watercolour on 6 x 12 inch panel.
This simple lakeside scene complete with Muskoka chairs for viewing sunsets was inspired by a photo taken by Lee Warner of Port Perry, ON, and used with her permission.
Click here for more information about this piece.
I look forward to lots of quiet painting days this holiday season and sharing the results with you. I have enjoyed delving into my northern lights series but feel like moving on to new subject matter. I wonder what that will be... Stay tuned!
If you have comments you wish to share, please do so using the 'Leave a Comment' button at the top of this post.
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