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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This ambitious painting project - the largest watercolour I have ever done - took me two months to create. It was pure joy to paint, if a bit intimidating, due to the large scale of the piece.

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.

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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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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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March was a quiet and intense time for me and I was able to finish five new paintings. I continue to express my admiration for northern lakes and forests in my artwork, inspired by past trips to Lake Superior and Lake of the Woods in northwestern Ontario.

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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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 for exclusive early access to new work, studio news updates, travel tales, painting tips, and 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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