05 November, 2019 2 comments Leave a comment

It is remarkable how many memories can be captured in a simple lake scene. I grew up in the Canadian Shield region of Ontario, just east of Algonquin Park, so landscapes filled with clear water, sturdy rocks and wind-sculpted pine trees are ingrained in my soul.

October was a very productive month in my studio, ushering in seven small paintings as I continued working on my Northern Lakes series and my Pebble Beach series. You can click on the pictures to see more details about them.

Shown above is 'Discovery Awaits', watercolour on panel (no glass) 10 x 10". This was inspired by a photo taken by my long time friend Tim Thorington at Rock Lake in Algonquin Park. His photo reminds me of my childhood and is pictured below.

I inserted different foreground trees and a canoe into the scene. I feel many elements of this painting turned out exactly right: the curving line of the beach that beckons the viewer into the scene, the glow of light on the water, the unusual cloud patterns that lead the eye to the sculpted pine trees, the warm and inviting colour scheme and, above all, the sense of place.

Click here for more information about Discovery Awaits.

Shown above is 'The Edge of Time', watercolour on panel (no glass) 8 x 8".  This painting was inspired by the photo below that I took at Lake of the Woods in 2012.

My husband and I visit this beautiful part of northwestern Ontario every chance we get. The lake's colour, pine trees, and rocky islands are particularly beautiful to me, as they remind me of the Ottawa Valley where I spent my childhood.

In the painting, I invented a golden misty background to give the impression of a dawn or near-sunset scene. The title refers to the cusp of day and night.

Click here for more details of The Edge of Time.

Shown above is 'In This Moment', watercolour on panel (no glass) 11 x 14". I used the photo below as reference for this island lake scene. I took the photo decades ago while canoeing on a northern Ontario lake.

This is the second time I have painted this scene. The first watercolour, titled 'At Rest' was smaller (8 x 10"), painted a year ago, and shown below.

I am so captivated by this wee island mirrored in a serene lake that I can see more paintings like this in my future. Perhaps an autumn version...

Click here for more details about 'In This Moment'.

Shown above is the first of October's pebble beach paintings. This one is titled 'Perfect Fit', watercolour on panel (no glass) 8 x 8" and it depicts a cluster of beautiful specimen stones nestled in crevices between smooth boulders. Each pebble is uniquely lovely and comfortable in its surroundings, just like a gathering of old, dear friends. This piece is entirely from my imagination, loosely inspired by blue pebbles I have seen in British Columbia.

Click here for more details about 'Perfect Fit'.

Pictured above is a companion painting to 'Perfect Fit'. This one is titled 'Settled In', watercolour on panel (no glass) 8 x 8" and depicts another blue-themed collection of stunning stones, both large and small, created from my imagination.

Click here for more details about 'Settled In'.

Pictured above is an 8 x 8" watercolour I painted a few years ago titled 'Land of the Blue Jay'. I loved this wee piece and I have a small collection of blue jay feathers which have been gifted to me by friends or by happenstance over the years, so I decided to paint a few more pebble beach backdrops for these iconic blue feathers.

Shown above is 'Featherstone Finery', watercolour on panel (no glass) 8 x 10". The pebbles are imaginary but loosely inspired by the gloriously warm-toned pebble beaches of Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland. Featherstone was the name of the very first pebble and feather painting I ever made, almost 20 years ago.

Click here to see more details about 'Featherstone Finery'.

This final piece from the October collection, shown above, is 'Light as a Feather', watercolour on panel (no glass) 6 x 12". It also is inspired by Gros Morne beaches in Newfoundland. I love the contrast of the orange and blue colour scheme.

Click here for more details about 'Light as a Feather'.

It feels great to be back in the swing of painting this fall. Stay tuned for November's creations.

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