As my husband and I explored the island of Newfoundland earlier this spring and summer, often I felt compelled to use the 'panorama' function on my camera to record beautiful vistas. I found that standard 'landscape' format would not capture  the scope of many impressive views. This happened so often that I decided to present my best panoramic photos in this post to try to convey the vast beauty of ‘The Rock’.

The scene above is Western Brook Pond, the jewel of Gros Morne National Park on Newfoundland's west coast. The Long Range Mountains, the most northern section of the Appalachian Mountains, flank this freshwater fjord, which has 650 metre cliffs and is up to 165 metres deep. The Park covers 1805 square km and its natural beauty and unique geology earned Gros Morne UNESCO World Heritage status in 1987.

Below is Arches Provincial Park, just up the coast from Gros Morne. Three large holes have been eroded into the long rock formation by ocean waves. The beach, which stretches off in both directions, is composed of smooth round pebbles with fascinating markings. The people in this scene give a sense of scale to the rock formation.

The view from King's Point RV Park in the Baie Verte Peninsula (below) shows charming fishing stages in the harbour as well as the visiting iceberg. Our visit happened to coincide with capelin spawning season, so humpback whales were feeding on schools of tiny fish in the bay while we were there. We could hear the whales blow and occasionally see them surface throughout the day and evening.

We enjoyed hiking in the sunshine along the coastal trail at Sleepy Cove, near Twillingate on the north central coast of Newfoundland. In the scene below the bay on the right is part of Sea Breeze park, the site of a former copper mine, where you can camp for free and watch the sunset. I included the speedboat on the left to give life and scale to the vista.

While in the Twillingate area, we drove to Hillgrade to have dinner and enjoy musical entertainment at a seafood restaurant on the wharf. I took several photos of the gorgeous sunset that evening (shown below).

Near Embree on the north central coast, a light rain shower was approaching in the distance and created a misty perspective in the islands shown below. The scene reminds me of a watercolour painting.

When we explored Dungeon Provincial Park at Bonavista on the north east coast, the sun broke through the clouds to illuminate the rocky peninsula pictured  below. The shadowed background enhanced the dramatic lighting in this scene. The terrain of Newfoundland is predominantly rock, sometimes with a thin layer of stony soil on top that can support only stunted trees and shrubs. But some fantastic wild berries grow in Newfoundland and Labrador.

While most of the beaches we saw in Newfoundland were made of pebbles, gravel, or rock, there were some sandy shores. The one pictured below is Windmill Bight Beach in Lumsden on the northeast coast. Our weather was cool and windy so we didn't see any swimmers that day. 

Acting on a tip from the locals, we drove to see an outport on the Bonavista Peninsula near Clarenville. Southport, shown below, is a scenic hamlet and active fishing harbour in Trinity Bay. There were lots of paintable subjects there so I took many photos. The late afternoon light was lovely. We also saw beluga whales that day.

We spent a week exploring the Burin Peninsula on the south coast of Newfoundland. This is a beautiful region that has vast flat plains as well as hilly coastlines. The photo below shows one of the historic homes remaining in what once was a busy port when the fishing industry was booming.  

On the Avalon Peninsula on Newfoundland's southeast coast, we found many impressive coastal scenes. The one shown below is Bay de Verde, right out at the northern tip of the Bay Roberts peninsula. 

On the west side of the same peninsula, near the town of Whiteway, I took this photo below of Shag Rock. I love the serenity of this simple scene; I think it would make a great painting.

In photography, as in paintings, the way the light catches focal points in the landscape can make or break a scene. One day we were hiking the coastal trail at Cupids near Bay Roberts on the Avalon Peninsula and the sun shone through a gap in the clouds to illuminate this point on an island (below). This is the same kind of dramatic lighting I enjoy creating in my paintings. 

While touring the backroads of the Avalon Peninsula south of St. John's, we drove over a hill and way off in the distance I saw a series of headlands in the ocean. We stopped and I took a quick photo through the windshield of our truck. Afterwards I cropped the photo to emphasize the contrast between the sharply focused foreground trees and the misty background (below).

Many people have asked me which parts of Newfoundland were highlights for me. If I were to plot the locations of these panoramic vistas on a map, you would see that they represent most of the island. That is one remarkable feature of Newfoundland: its beauty is everywhere.

If you have comments to share, please do so using the 'Leave a Comment' button at the top of this post.

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While touring Newfoundland this spring and summer, my husband and I were fortunate to see icebergs from shore in various regions of the province. We are pictured above with an iceberg in Conception Bay at Freshwater, near Bay Roberts on the Avalon Peninsula. 

Icebergs are edges of glaciers that have broken off and slipped into the ocean. About 90% of icebergs seen off Newfoundland and Labrador come from the glaciers of western Greenland, with the rest coming from glaciers in Canada's Arctic. 

Below is another photo of the Conception Bay iceberg with a boat nearby. I figure the height of this berg to be perhaps 50 feet above sea level.

The close-up photo below shows more detail. Over 90% of an iceberg is under water. Often they run aground in shallow coastal waters and stay in the same spot for weeks or even months before melting and disintegrating.

Below is a large iceberg we saw from Petty Harbour, near St. John's on the Avalon Peninsula. We also could see numerous chunks that had fallen off the main iceberg. Based on the size of nearby tour boats, I estimate the height of this berg to be at least 100 feet above the water line and 300 feet wide.

Iceberg Alley stretches from the coast of Labrador to the southeast coast of the island of Newfoundland. On a sunny spring day, 10,000-year-old glacial giants such as this one are visible from many points along the coast. They come in every shape and size, with colours from snow-white to deepest aquamarine. Late May to early June is the optimal viewing season, although we saw icebergs this year throughout July.

Pictured below is a smaller iceberg fragment seen in Trinity Bay from Heart's Delight on the Bay Roberts peninsula.

Several gulls were perched on the little floating island (shown below) which was about 6 feet in height above the waterline.

We were delighted to find an iceberg within sight of our trailer when we camped at King's Point on the Baie Verte peninsula in north central Newfoundland. Below is a photo taken from within our trailer showing the iceberg in the bay below the campground.

Shown below is a close up of the same iceberg. One of the locals who was camped next to us had used his boat and fishing net to collect some small bits of ice that were floating in the bay. These are called 'Bergie Bits' and are prized for their pure taste and high density. He gave us some to keep in our freezer to use in our drinks. You can hear the 10,000 year old air fizz out of them in your glass! Newfoundland companies also use the water from melted icebergs to make bottled water, rum, gin, vodka, beer, and candy.

We drove to the other side of the bay to get the photos below. The boat gives scale to the scene. I figure the larger iceberg on the right was about 40 feet high above sea level and the smaller one on the far left was about half that height.

We heard that the original iceberg was much larger when it first arrived in the bay several weeks before. As the iceberg periodically 'calved' (had chunks break off), the centre of gravity changed, sometimes causing the iceberg to roll over. I heard this one had turned over 6 times during its time in the bay. Here is a close up photo below.

During our stay in Newfoundland, I spoke to several tourists who had gone on iceberg viewing cruises. One person told me their tour operator said if they were close to the iceberg and heard a big cracking sound (meaning calving was imminent), passengers were to sit down in the boat immediately because the boat would have to speed away from the berg. Calving of a large segment causes a tidal wave that could endanger a small boat. If a large iceberg were to roll over with a boat nearby, the danger is even greater. And if the boat was too close, falling ice could crush it.

Even though we saw many fine specimens this year, our previous trip to Newfoundland in 2007 offered more numerous and close up views of icebergs. Apparently that was a stellar year for iceberg sightings, even on the west coast of Newfoundland. Shown below are photos I took in 2007 of icebergs in the Strait of Belle Isle between Newfoundland and Labrador.

Newfoundland never ceases to amaze us. The coastal scenery is dramatic and beautiful every day, and is even more exciting when an iceberg comes for a visit (like 'icing on the cake' - pun intended).

I am grateful to NewfoundlandandLabrador.com for some of the interesting berg facts mentioned in this article.

Did you enjoy this iceberg tour? If you have comments to share, please do so using the 'Leave a Comment' button at the top of this post. 

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If you have been following my posts and new paintings this year, you will have heard of my new Northern Lakes series, which focuses on rock-filled shorelines studded with sculpted pine trees, and calm blue water.

Pictured above is Daoust Lake, which is beside a private campground south of Sudbury, Ontario. Places like this restore my energy and connect me with my roots. I grew up in a rural village near Algonquin Park in northeastern Ontario and my high school campus overlooked the Ottawa River. The scenery of the Canadian shield has become the epicenter of my artistic inspiration for the past year.

With this theme in mind, it should come as no surprise that my first major RV camping trip this spring was a 4,000-km journey across the north shore of Lake Superior (shown above, at Gros Cap) to Lake of the Woods and back. This post includes some of my best scenery shots from our trip.

As we made our way along the Trans-Canada highway, I took the photo above of Chippewa Falls. Spring runoff had water roaring through here to Batchawana Bay on Lake Superior. Water levels were higher than normal in most places we visited, due to wet spring weather this year.

My husband and I often visit Lake of the Woods because his sister lives there. Shown above is one of the beautiful views from her home. Although this scene is in northwestern Ontario near the Manitoba border, the landscape reminds me of the Kawarthas (in central Ontario where we live now) and the upper Ottawa Valley (where I grew up).

On our return journey, we stopped to explore the town of Nipigon, which has a new campground at the marina and a new 5-stories-tall viewing platform near the Trans-Canada highway. The photo above shows my husband John taking in the panoramic views from the top of the platform. Shown below is the view of Nipigon Bay near the mouth of the Nipigon River, which is Lake Superior's largest tributary.

The view in the opposite direction shows the beautiful new bridge over the Nipigon River (below). This is the one place in Canada where there is only one highway connecting eastern and western Canada.

Once again, we stopped at Marathon so I could take more photographs at Pebble Beach. This is a magical place that can look very different from day to day, depending on the weather. The water is perfectly clear, even on windy days, and the rocks are smooth and colourful. The photo below shows some grapefruit-sized underwater stones on a calm weather day.

Our two-week spring trip was over all too soon. Some day I will visit Lake Superior in the fall, when the landscape is adorned in autumn splendour (and no black flies!).

Do you have favourite spots to recommend on Lake Superior? If you have suggestions or comments to share, please do so using the 'Leave a Comment' button at the top of this post. 

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This year for our Valentine's anniversary, my husband and I and two other couples enjoyed a 4-day 800-km snowmobile tour through the Algoma region. This part of northern Ontario lies north of Georgian Bay and Lake Huron, between Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie. In the photo above, he and I are standing closest to the trail sign.

The 3 couples all towed snow machines from home and gathered in Espanola where we stayed overnight and parked our trucks and trailers for the duration of our snow adventure.

Below is a photo of our machine, which has a GPS navigation system, two gas tanks, and room for both of us plus 3 pieces of waterproof luggage. I ride on the very comfortable back seat which, along with my hand grips, helmet visor and vest, is heated electrically. Yes I'm spoiled.

Our first day on the trails we rode from Espanola to Blind River. The morning trails were icy but the afternoon brought a welcome snowfall. However, with a foot of fresh powder and reduced visibility due to strong winds, we occasionally lost sight of the groomed trail and bogged down in 3 or 4 feet of soft snow (shown below). You can see our friend is up to her thighs in snow and the back end of her machine is buried deeply.

We got to practice digging out our machines several times that week, whenever we mistakenly got off of the groomed trail. We developed a routine - clear snow away from underneath the front of the buried machine, then pull hard on the skis while another person presses the throttle. It takes at least 3 people about 10 to 20 minutes of hard work to retrieve a buried machine and get it back on the trail. You can see the process underway in the photo below. Many hands make light work...

The second day we snowmobiled from Blind River to Bruce Mines. The fresh snow made for excellent riding conditions. One of the local old-timers we met at a restaurant mentioned that he had not seen this much snow in decades and that the previous winter there was not enough snow for snowmobiling. We were glad to hear we picked a good year to visit Algoma for some winter fun. Below is a photo of my husband and me on our snowmobile.

Occasionally our group stopped on the trail to stretch our legs, bask in the winter wonderland scenery, and enjoy cups of hot chocolate from our thermoses. We  carried trail food for snacks (such as trail mix, chocolate bars, cheese, water) and equipment for emergencies (saws, tow ropes, first aid kit, space blankets, cell phones, tools, etc). Snowmobile trips are more like safaris than road trips. My husband and I are on the left in the photo below.

On the third day we rode from Bruce Mines to Elliott Lake. I took the photo below from our machine, which was at the back of our group of 5 snowmobiles.

We were stopped on the trail because we came upon a herd of deer (shown in a close up below). Fortunately they were curious about us and stayed still long enough for us to take several photos.

Groomed snowmobile trails provide easy travel routes for lots of wildlife. We saw tracks of deer, moose, rabbit, fox, and wolf during our adventure.

The Algoma snowmobile trail system was mostly well-mapped and marked with trail directional signs and periodic billboard maps, as shown below. We also had printed trail maps and digital maps on our GPS. Sometimes we had to call on all our resources to determine our way when the route was unclear. That is just part of the adventure of multi-day snowmobile trips in unfamiliar territory. We got to exercise our problem-solving skills as well as our muscles.

The trail system had a series of tiny warm-up huts with outhouses like those shown below, which we found useful from time to time. Note the snow load on the roof.

On the fourth day we journeyed from Elliott Lake back to Espanola, again with excellent snow conditions.

It took a while to clear the snow off of our trucks and trailers (shown below) before we could load our machines back into their trailers.

We spent the night in Espanola and drove home the next day. Our snowmobile adventure was challenging and fun, and we very much enjoyed the camaraderie of our longtime friends. We feel lucky to live where we easily can access world-class snowmobile trails for winter getaways.

One of the excellent side benefits of these extended trips is that I have access to gorgeous wilderness scenery, to take photos I can use for painting ideas. Shown below are a few of the paintings that resulted from years of snowmobile adventures. Click on the photos for more details about theses pieces.

Snow and Stone, watercolour 16 x 12"

Winter on Lake Kashwakamak, watercolour 11 x 14"

February Flow, watercolour 18 x 24"

Cabin in the Snow, watercolour 9 x 12"

Wild Wonders - Lynx, watercolour 22 x 15"

February Farm, watercolour 5 x 15"

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. 

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In the summer of 2007, my husband and I (pictured above) toured the island of Newfoundland for two months with our travel trailer, slowly exploring this large province from the western ferry terminal at Port aux Basques to the eastern ferry terminal on the Avalon Peninsula. Pictured in this post are some of the many paintings inspired by our summer in Newfoundland.

The highlights of our trip were many; the hospitable, fun-loving, hard-working people of Newfoundland, their incredible musical talents, world-famous Gros Morne National Park and Western Brook Pond were the top attractions for us.

We greatly enjoyed the historic Viking settlement re-enactment at l'Anse aux Meadows, numerous iceburg-sightings, a vast array of beautiful wildflowers, 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 of St. John's all were wonderful experiences.

We spent 18 days hiking in Gros Morne National Park, which is on the mountainous west coast of the island. A few photos I took of the colourful stone beaches there have inspired dozens of pebble paintings since our visit.

Recently, I made this 90-second video of the creation of a large Newfoundland pebble painting, to show the layering process I frequently use to create the look of realistic stones. This is of interest to students of watercolour and allows non-artistic folk to get an idea of the planning that goes into my paintings. Click on the image below to view the video.

For more information about 'Beach Rocks Bigtime' click here.

Over many decades, we have toured every province and territory of Canada. Although each place was lovely and interesting to see, the island of Newfoundland remains in my top three favourite Canadian destinations (the others being Yukon Territory and Lake Superior). We look forward to another leisurely journey on The Rock one day soon.

Do you have a favourite spot in Newfoundland I should visit? Or a remarkable Newfoundland memory you would like to share? If you have suggestions or comments, please click on the 'Leave a Comment' button at the top of this post. 

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The north shore of Lake Superior has become my favourite painting subject. In the last two years, I have been fortunate to visit this scenic region of Ontario six different times, in all four seasons, on photography excursions. The resulting photos, hundreds of them, continue to provide a wealth of painting inspiration.

Here are the Lake-Superior-themed watercolours I have created so far. With two-thirds of the collection already sold, I know that I am not the only person captivated by the beauty and majesty of this region. Click on the images to see more details (including step-by-step creation videos in some cases):

Holding On, 18 x 24" (sold)

Superior Gems, 12 x 12" (sold)

Superior Strength, 12 x 24" (sold)

Listen to the Lake, 16 x 12" (sold)

Come to Rest, 9 x 12" $400.

Where Giants Meet, 12 x 16" (sold)

A Foot in Cold Water, 18 x 24" $1750.

Superior Monarch, 12 x 12" (sold)

Crystal Clear, 12 x 16" $770.

Time to Head South, 16 x 20" (sold)

Clarity, 28 x 11" (sold)

Superior Road Trip, 11 x 14" $620.

Moongazer, 16 x 12" (sold)

Autumn on Lake Superior, 12 x 10" (sold)

I made this 2-minute video showing highlights of our visits to Lake Superior in 2018. I grew up on the Canadian Shield, so the topography reminds me of my childhood. If you have not seen the north shore in person, these images will give you an idea of why I find the scenery of Lake Superior profoundly inspiring:

I have so many beautiful photos put aside in my 'must paint' file, that I hardly know where to start. I look forward to sharing more of my Lake Superior paintings with you as I create them. I can see 2019 will be another 'superior' year for me. I hope it is a good one for you too!

Do you have favourite spots on Lake Superior? 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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My husband John and I had another amazing adventure for Valentine's Day, which is also our wedding anniversary. We got to hand feed a herd of elk!

How did this come about, you ask? Well, we drove about 8 hours north of where we live, to stay at Cedar Meadows Resort and Spa in Timmins, Ontario for 3 nights. Here is a photo of John with our truck, trailer, and snowmobile, with the resort in the background.

Our resort package included breakfasts and dinners in the dining room and use of the  Nordic Baths in the Spa. The resort has an excellent chef, so the food was beautifully prepared and presented. I had a tour of the Spa, which was very high end. The Nordic Baths were two outdoor pools - one hot and one cool, in the Finnish tradition. I never imagined I would be swimming outdoors in a Canadian winter, but enjoyed the pools, as well as the steam room and sauna. Very rejuvenating.

On Valentine's Day, we went for a morning snowmobile ride on the local trails, which were well groomed, wide and flat. Then at 3 pm, we joined the daily wagon tour through Cedar Meadows Wildlife Park, which is adjacent to the resort.

We had an amazing time, hand feeding the elk herd. We also met Brutus, their 2,500-lb bison, and heard about Felix, their resident bull moose, but Felix was taking the day off in the back of the property and we didn't get to meet him.

I made this 3-minute video of the highlights of our elk-feeding experience:

We enjoyed a four-course Valentine's dinner that evening, and the next day traveled by snowmobile to Iroquois Falls and back. The terrain is surprisingly flat in that region and the weather was cloudy and dull, so I didn't get many interesting scenery photos. But I did get this quick shot of the Frederick House River as we traversed the bridge.

On the fourth day of our trip, we headed back home to Lindsay under sunny skies. We passed through the beautiful Temagami region during our drive, and I took some decent photos of the white pines along the highway. These majestic trees find their way into many of my northern landscape paintings.

If you would like more information about the resort, here is their website https://cedarmeadows.com/

Did you do something memorable to celebrate Valentine's Day? Please share your comments by clicking on the 'Leave a Comment' button at the top of this post.

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Usually, if there is enough snow cover at this time of year, my husband and I make time for snowmobiling. But this month, with severe cold warnings for two solid weeks, it was just too darn cold to hit the snowmobile trails. Instead, we took a day trip with friends to visit frozen Niagara Falls, to have lunch and do some photography.

It was -27 degrees Celcius when we left home in the morning, and -16 when we arrived in 'The Falls' at lunch time. With the damp atmosphere near the falls, the temperature felt as cold as it had been at home. We were glad we had dressed in layers, including thermal long underwear, flannel-lined pants, and our parkas. Below is a photo of my husband and me, taken at The Falls by our friend Carolyn.

Being so cold, it was difficult to take photos and keep my hands warm, and intermittent clouds blocked the sun most of the time. But I managed to get a few really good shots and a couple of quick videos of the Falls in action.

I compiled the best views of the afternoon into this two-minute video, which also conveys some interesting facts about this natural wonder. Turn on your speakers and enjoy!

Have you been able to brave the cold and have some outdoor fun? I'd love to hear about it in the comments (click on 'Leave a Comment' at the top of this post). Have a great winter, everyone.

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 previous post, I told the story of our camping trip to Lake Superior this summer. Although I am in the midst of teaching watercolour techniques to over 50 students this fall, I have carved out some private painting time in my studio, inspired by my Lake Superior trip photos.

The painting above, Clarity (watercolour, 28 x 11"), was the first major work inspired by this trip. I used several experimental techniques and am excited with the result. The scene depicts a view from the coastal trail near Rossport, on the north shore of Lake Superior. The water is so clear, it becomes almost impossible to tell if rocks are above or below the surface. I'll let you decide.

I made a short time lapse video, showing how this painting grew from start to finish. Click on the arrow below to view:

Click here to see more information about Clarity.

For my second Lake Superior painting, Time to Head South (watercolour 16 x 20") shown below, I was able to combine the activities of teaching and producing a major piece of artwork. I began by drawing the two Monarch butterflies and the autumn leaf in pencil on my watercolour paper. Then I drew in the stone shapes as a background.

During three of my one-day Pebbles 1-2-3 beginner workshops, I used this composition as my demonstration painting. I shaded and coloured the stones, working around the butterfly and leaf shapes. I used my Lake Superior trip photos as inspiration for the specific stone markings.

As with all of my paintings, every colour in the painting was mixed from primary red, blue, and yellow paints. Once the background was finished, after the third workshop, I painted the Monarchs and leaf.

The title, Time to Head South, refers to the annual fall migration of Monarchs, to their winter habitat in the mountains of Mexico. I hope we see lots of their descendants here in Ontario next summer.

Click here to see more information about Time to Head South.

These paintings are just the beginning of my Superior collection. I look forward to sharing more of them with you.

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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