My husband and I love camping in our travel trailer whenever we can during Canada's warmer seasons. Some years, our adventures add up to several months on the road as we explore different regions of this beautiful country.
This spring, I completed four small paintings in my traveling studio, also known as the dinette in our travel trailer, while exploring northeastern Quebec and Labrador on a guided Airstream caravan.
Pictured above is Summer Magic, varnished watercolour on 5 x 5 inch panel. While cruising on Lake of the Woods in northwestern Ontario several years ago, I noticed these interesting trees silhouetted against a puffy cloud. In my imagination, the two tall trees are reaching out to each other like friends being reunited.
Evening Magic, varnished watercolour on 5 x 5 inch panel, captures an island seemingly suspended in time as the sky blushes with the final colours of sunset. This tiny painting is a tribute to those fleeting moments when nature offers its most peaceful embrace.
This new collection of little gems was perfectly suited to being created in such a tiny space.
I sketched all four compositions onto watercolour paper before leaving home and brought along the reference photos I needed. With the prep work done, I could easily start painting whenever a morning or afternoon opened up during our travels.
The four-barrel swimming raft depicted in Lake Magic, varnished watercolour on 5 x 5 inch panel, is wrapped in a veil of mist.
In this tranquil scene, the solitary raft becomes a place of anticipation, where calm waters and quiet skies invite the imagination to wander.
The painting honours the timeless beauty of Canada's cottage lakes.
Quiet Majesty, varnished watercolour on 6 inch diameter panel, captures the gentle glow of evening as weathered granite, still water and a venerable white pine create a scene of quiet strength. It celebrates the restorative calm found in Canada's rugged landscapes.
These four new lake paintings are included in my Artist Feature collection at Meta4 Contemporary Craft Gallery in Port Perry, Ontario. Throughout August, visitors can enjoy 10% savings on all of my paintings currently on display at 200 Queen Street, near the shores of Lake Scugog. View the entire feature collection in my previous post August Feature Artist at Port Perry Gallery.
I look forward to creating more new paintings during our camping adventures this summer and sharing the results with you. I wonder what the next one will look like... Stay tuned!
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Over many decades, my husband and I have toured every province and territory of Canada, and the island of Newfoundland remains one of our favourite destinations. An unexpected encounter there would later inspire three very meaningful paintings.
Discovered in 1960, and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978, this archaeological gem is the first and only known site established by Vikings in North America and the earliest evidence of European settlement in the New World.
It was the largest specimen I ever had seen, with brilliant blue dots and dashes along its body. This exquisite creature stayed obligingly still while I took several close-up photos. I knew they would make excellent painting references one day.
She said yes, so I created a new version of the scene, and she acquired it in celebration of her milestone birthday. The second painting was titled Rocky Repose (varnished watercolour on 10 x 10 inch panel).

If you are familiar with my work, you will know I’m often drawn to the ancient rocks and pristine blue lakes of the Canadian Shield.
The subject was a place I hold close to my heart: the quiet, timeless shores of Georgian Bay.
It was my first time seeing up close the ancient striped rocks of this region, and I was truly captivated. With my very first digital camera in hand, I captured over 200 epic photos, some of which are pictured in this post.
Out on the water in a kayak, I came face to face with that landscape in a way I never had before.






The day was foggy but I took many photos and they have inspired several paintings since then.
This is one of the wonderful photos I took during our ten-day stay in the park, and this snapshot taken after sunset served as inspiration for Mazinaw Midnight.


Working with these vivid, glowing colours was an absolute joy, but I do admit, the early stages of northern lights scenes are decidedly unattractive and discouraging. It takes patience and a profound belief in my process to pursue the painting journey to completion.
This vibrant artwork is titled Rhythms of the Night, varnished watercolour on 12 x 12 inch panel.
I saw the rocky shoreline during our Tundra Buggy tour outside of Churchill.

The fourth painting of the series is my first watercolour featuring northern lights and a polar bear.
I prepared for this painting, along with three others, by making these 2 x 2 inch concept drawings of snowy scenes with aurora skies, in my sketchbook.
DAY 2: AURORA LAYER 2
DAY 3: AURORA LAYER 3
DAY 4: FINAL AURORA LAYER
DAY 5: SNOW AND TREES

In the case of Tamarack Territory, my clients saw the two reference photos pictured here in an article I wrote in 2024,
The second photo I took from the train between Thompson and Churchill. The tamaracks were in their full autumn glory the week we were there. They are a deciduous conifer whose soft needles turn golden in the fall, drop from the tree and regrow each spring.
Once it was displayed in the clients' home, they sent me this photo and remarked "We have hung our treasure beside the fireplace where we can admire it every day. It catches the morning light beautifully."










