New Works: The Bon Echo Collection Begins

23 November, 2025 0 comments Leave a comment

In last month's post, The Magic of Mazinaw, I shared with you my most inspiring photos and videos from our recent ten-day camping trip to Bon Echo Provincial Park in eastern Ontario.

This park is one of those magical places that makes us pause, breathe, and rediscover the rejuvenating power of Nature. It is no wonder that people have felt a reverence for this place for thousands of years.

Now that my husband and I are settled back in at home after the camping season ended, I have been happily working on new paintings in my studio.

As well as three commissioned custom artworks for clients, I have been painting my Bon Echo Collection. I am so excited to share the first small pieces in this series with you now. 

Mazinaw Memoir by Karen Richardson

Pictured above is Mazinaw Memoir (varnished watercolour on 6 x 12 inch panel). This is the panoramic view that greeted me during the first sunset I witnessed in this park.

The last rays of sunshine painted the granite cliff orange, while dramatic purple shadows crept up its face. Tranquil water reflected the entire wondrous display, with a few ripples guiding our eyes through the scene.

Shown here is the photo I took that evening, which I used as one of several references for the painting.

I made a few changes to the near shore to improve the balance of the composition.

Click here for more information about Mazinaw Memoir.

Mazinaw Magic by Karen Richardson

Pictured here is Mazinaw Magic, (varnished watercolour on 8 x 8 inch panel), the next piece in my Bon Echo Collection.

This painting captures a special moment, when afternoon sun lights up the cliff face, and its warmth is reflected in the breaking waves along a pebble beach. We almost can hear the waves as they are guided gently onto the shore by a soft breeze.

Shown here is the photo I took that afternoon and used as a general reference for the painting.

I took some artistic licence with the beach gravel and I used warmer colours in the entire scene.

Click here for more information about Mazinaw Magic.

The Bon Echo Collection is inspired by the quiet power of lake and rock and the freshness of autumn air in the pines. I hope these paintings serve as reminders of the power of art to bring peace and presence back into our lives.

More Bon Echo paintings will continue into next year. It’s a body of work that deserves time to breathe, and I can’t wait to reveal the collection as it evolves.

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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