Earthbound Artist

New Works: Everything is Rosy

17 August, 2023 1 comment Leave a comment

Earlier this year, in the post New Works: Magical Northern Lights, I explained the genesis of a new series. These imaginary scenes depicted rocks, trees, water, skies, lakes, and northern lights, and were created using my new Holbein watercolour paints and vast photo library.

This spring and summer, I have continued to paint mythical, peaceful scenes of the north, based on memories formed over the course of my life.

I grew up near Algonquin Park in Ontario, and as an adult have explored the Canadian Shield landscape throughout northern, central, and eastern Canada on foot, in a kayak, on a snowmobile, on a motorcycle, and in our travel trailer.

In this post, I am introducing five of my recent fanciful scenes that portray morning or evening skies and feature the colour pink.

Rhapsody in Hues, varnished watercolour on 9 x 12 inch panel 

I began this painting by masking out the stars and creating the background swirls. I built up layers of pale yellow, red, blue, purple and black, letting each layer of colour dry for several hours before adding the next. The masking was removed and trees were added onto dry paper at the end of the process.

This painting was inspired by a previous work Awakening, which had the three-tree cluster on the right side. For Rhapsody in Hues, I added the majestic tree on the right side for balance.

For more information about Rhapsody in Hues, click here.

Still Standing, varnished watercolour on 8 x 8 inch panel

This scene was inspired by many small, rocky islands I have seen on Lake Superior and Lake of the Woods and was painted with a similar strategy to Rhapsody in Hues.

When I see trees growing on these seemingly barren hunks of rock with very little soil, I am amazed that they can find enough of a foothold to remain standing.

For more information about Still Standing, click here.

Not a Care in the World, by Karen Richardson

Not a Care in the World, varnished watercolour on 10 x 10 inch panel

There is something about calm northern lakes that touches the soul and brings peace, whether we are quietly fishing, kayaking, canoeing, floating, or just gazing from shore. We need to pause and appreciate these beautiful moments whenever they happen.

This painting is a re-imagining of a scene I painted a few years ago titled Old Friends. I changed the colour scheme and added a foreground tree silhouette to make the viewer feel more immersed in nature.

For more information about Not a Care in the World, click here.

Little Bit of Heaven, varnished watercolour on 8 x 8 inch panel

This scene is inspired by many rocky islands I have seen in the 30,000 Islands region of Georgian Bay.

There is something special about the vintage cabins I see, perched on these weathered rocks. The humble, sturdy dwellings make we wonder about the lucky folk who own these little bits of heaven and what their lives are like.

For more information about Little Bit of Heaven, click here.

The Promise, varnished watercolour on 10 x 8 inch panel

This sunset scene was composed of a collection of vintage white pines I photographed in the Temagami region of northern Ontario.They tower above the surrounding forest, making for an impressive sight I admire every time we drive through that region.

The title refers to the saying 'Red sky at night, Sailor's delight', which promises good weather the day following a rosy sunset.

For more information about The Promise, click here.

I hope you have enjoyed this tour of my latest paintings of fanciful northern scenery.

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.

Subscribe to Karen's Newsletter if you wish to see more of her painting stories, travel tales, studio news updates, or notices of upcoming exhibitions.

It's a Winning Summer

25 July, 2023 0 comments Leave a comment

Three Karen Richardson paintings win awards

Summer has arrived in full force and brought with it a bounty of sunny tidings on the artistic front.

The first piece of happy news is so remarkable, I hardly can believe my good fortune. About a week ago, I learned that not just one, but three of my paintings had won awards in the 4th annual Women in Watercolor International Juried Competition.

The congratulatory letter went on to say, "This year's competition had over 1800 submissions from over 60 countries from the best of the best women watercolor artists, so you should be very proud!". My winning paintings are shown below.

Superior Jewels, watercolour by Karen Richardson

Superior Jewels (varnished watercolour on 20 x 16 inch panel, private collection)

Won Third Place in the Landscape & Water Category

 

Where Garden Meets Rock (varnished watercolour on 40 x 28 inch panel, private collection)

Won Finalist in the Still Life & Floral Category

 

Superior Lady, watercolour by Karen Richardson 

Superior Lady (varnished watercolour on 14 x 11 inch panel, private collection)

Won Honorable Mention in the Animal & Wildlife Category

 

I am grateful to the Women in Watercolor organization, which was formed in 2020 to "help encourage, support, and promote the outstanding women that are working in this medium on an international level, through online competitions, and in-person events". I also send heartfelt appreciation to the nine international judges who bestowed awards upon my artwork.

If you take a tour of all the inspiring prize winning paintings at https://womeninwatercolor.com/2023-award-winners/ you will understand how incredibly blessed I feel to have received these honours, given the level of technical and creative excellence among the winning artists.

 

Airstream Life Magazine
 

The second piece of happy news arrived in the mail a few weeks ago, in the latest issue of Airstream Life magazine. This subscriber-based quarterly publication serves 10,000 enthusiasts of the iconic brand of recreational vehicles and related active outdoor lifestyle.

I had been interviewed last winter by one of the magazine's writers, for a series called Collecting Experiences, focusing on various creative pursuits that Airstream owners enjoy.

When the June 2023 issue came out, I was thrilled to learn that it contained a seven page feature article, illustrated with a dozen colour images of my watercolour paintings, telling the story of my artistic life and how my paintings are inspired by our adventures traveling in our Airstream trailer. (I wish I could share a copy of the article here, but it is only available to magazine subscribers.)

After many decades spent navigating through this topsy turvy artist's life of mine, I still feel as thrilled as a little kid when good things like this happen. I feel incredibly fortunate and often think to myself "Pinch me, somebody!".

If you have 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 if you wish to see more of her painting stories, travel tales, studio news updates, or notices of upcoming exhibitions.

 

 

The Miskwaa 2023 Collection

14 June, 2023 2 comments Leave a comment

Karen Richardson at Miskwaa Outdoor Art GalleryOver the past winter and spring, I have devoted myself to building a fresh collection of landscape paintings, destined for display and sale at my retail gallery partners.

I experimented with new composition strategies and colour combinations, and feel that this sustained burst of creative intensity has allowed my paintings to reach a new level of clarity and emotional resonance.

Pictured with me here are five special artworks I selected for the Miskwaa Open Air Art Show & Sale 2023, which runs daily in July and August.

In this post, I am very excited to share a show preview with you, and hope this brief overview inspires you to see these artworks in person. (Click here for show details.)

Living the Dream, varnished watercolour on 12 x 12 inch panel

The concept of an ideal life may look different for others, but mine includes quiet moments spent at northern lakes, drinking in the splendour of the seasons. Peaceful places like this, where I slow down and connect with nature, replenish my soul.

The colourful autumn forest with its slightly blurred reflection was technically difficult to paint in watercolour, and until I was about 90% done, I was certain this painting was a failure. Having invested hours and hours of time in this piece already, I pressed on and was incredibly relieved when it transformed into a believable scene. Tenacity wins the day!

Living the Dream is available at the Miskwaa show, valued at $1,070. including tax.

Quality Time, varnished watercolour on 9 x 12 inch panel

Going on an excursion with our loved ones, quietly exploring a northern lake, and basking in the beauty of unspoiled nature, provides respite from busy lives. How lucky are we who get to spend quality time like this.

I tried a new colour combination for the sky and water in this piece and am happy with the peaceful feeling it adds to the scene. The setting was inspired by Lake Muskoka, and I saw these canoeists with their dog in Pukaskwa National Park on Lake Superior.

Quality Time is available at the Miskwaa show, valued at $730. including tax.

Daybreak, varnished watercolour on 10 x 10 inch panel

In this winter scene, stars begin to fade as a blaze of sunlight heralds the beginning of a glorious new day. The golden hues of dawn bring welcome warmth after a cold winter night.

Although this is an imaginary landscape, the trees are inspired by my vast photo reference library from many years spent exploring the forests of northern Ontario.

Daybreak is available at the Miskwaa show, valued at $680. including tax.

Dancing in the Dark, watercolour by Karen RichardsonDancing in the Dark, varnished watercolour on 12 x 12 inch panel 

Northern lights ripple across the night sky, reaching down to touch the horizon. A tiny island, cloaked in evergreens and nestled in mist, beholds the spectacle. It is as if the aurora are asking the trees to dance.

This is another imaginary scene, inspired by an island I photographed at Lake of the Woods.

Dancing in the Dark is available at the Miskwaa show, valued at $890. including tax.

Steadfast and True, watercolour by Karen RichardsonSteadfast and True, varnished watercolour on 16 x 12 inch panel 

Rocky shores of northern lakes are subject to relentless natural forces, such as wind, waves, heat, cold, and ice. And yet, these robust stone beaches survive the test of time. I admire their strength and beauty.

I began this piece by painting, from my imagination, a graded blue wash for the sky and water, then adding the orange of a sunset where the horizon would fall. The foreground stones of this scene were inspired by a pebble beach at Lake Superior and the island was one I admired at Lake of the Woods.

Steadfast and True is available at the Miskwaa show, valued at $1,300. including tax.

I hope you have enjoyed this personal private tour of my Miskwaa Collection for 2023.

If you have 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 if you wish to see more of her painting stories, travel tales, studio news updates, or notices of upcoming exhibitions.

 

New Works: Magical Northern Lights

30 May, 2023 2 comments Leave a comment

In my last post, Secrets to Painting Glowing Skies, I revealed three principles that helped me improve my skills in painting complex cloudy sky scenes.

In a nutshell, these strategies included colour testing prior to starting the painting, building up vivid colour gradually in many layers over many days, and adding colour quickly on wet watercolour paper for each layer.

Over the last year, I employed these principles to help 'up my game' in portraying the aurora borealis, and my latest creations are pictured in this post. (If you want more details about an individual painting, click on the image.)

   

In addition to this new painting strategy, a big breakthrough in painting northern lights resulted from my introduction to Holbein watercolour paints. They were awarded to me last year, as a prize in the Women in Watercolor International Juried Competition.

My first experience using these paints was in the creation of my largest watercolour ever, a 40 by 28 inch close up of dwarf yellow iris and river stone. I shared the whole story, including a time lapse video, in a recent post The Making of 'Where Garden Meets Rock'.

I am thrilled to have been introduced to Holbein paints, which are made in Japan. They have a lovely creamy consistency that makes them easy to re-hydrate and mix together, and the resulting colour combinations are clear and vivid without being garish. It was very difficult to make a dull, muddy mixture, even when combining warm and cool pigments. If you have worked with watercolour paints to any extent, you know how remarkable this attribute is.

Colour tests by Karen Richardson

Shown here are the colour tests I did on watercolour paper swatches, using Holbein yellows, blues and greens, in combination with some past favourite hues in the MaimeriBlu, Sennelier, Schmincke, Winsor & Newton, and Daniel Smith brands.  Although all the mixtures I tried looked luscious and fabulous when wet, they became dull and unattractive after drying.

It wasn't until the fifth test (shown on the right of the swatch photo) that I found a combination that stayed vivid even after drying. These brilliant greens and blues formed when I combined several layers of Holbein Permanent Yellow Light, Permanent Green, and Viridian, with Winsor Blue (Green Shade), and Daniel Smith Indanthrone Blue.

Another big step forward in my aurora borealis journey, and in all my northern landscape paintings for that matter, is that I feel I have reached the point where I can invent  imaginary scenes that contain believable lakes, rocks, and pine trees.

This was not always the case. In the early years of my art practice, I would rely on a single, perfectly-composed photo to inspire the details of shape, value, and colour in a realistic painting. Forays into imaginative work usually ended in disappointment.

Now, I often imagine the basic layout of a landscape painting, and then search through my photo archives to come up with, for instance, a few perfect pine trees for the focal area, interesting sky colours, a few lake reflection concepts, and ideas for a rocky shoreline.

I can whittle down these choices into a single scene, or create a series of paintings using the same colours but a variety of landscape elements. I might decide a painting should be a night scene with stars, or a sunny autumn morning, or I might add a soft blanket of snow.

Since I like to create the feeling of 'being there' for viewers of my landscape paintings, I also rely on my soul-deep memories from years of exploring the Canadian wilderness by kayak, ATV, snowmobile, truck, and on foot.

This imaginative way of planning and executing paintings has opened up a whole new world of artistic possibilities for me, and I can hardly wait to find out what new excitement the future brings.

If you have 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 if you wish to see more of her painting stories, travel tales, studio news updates, or notices of upcoming exhibitions.

Secrets to Painting Glowing Skies

29 April, 2023 4 comments Leave a comment

You might be surprised to read this, given the hundreds of landscape paintings I have created, but in the past when painting a cloudy sky, I never felt confident that the scene would turn out well. The effort always seemed like a huge, scary gamble, and my attempts didn't always bear fruit. I think my fear stemmed from the loss of control intrinsic to the fast-and-loose technique that such skies require.

I decided to spend a few months this winter and spring focusing on painting cloudy sunset scenes, to try to determine where I had been going wrong in the past, and figure out what strategies might work better.

As I experimented with new painting processes, I was able to confirm, at least for me, that there are three secrets to creating glowing skies. This realization resulted in several ground-breaking paintings, and I learned a lot in the process of painting them.

First, I did some research at the 'University of YouTube', watching instructional videos by a couple of professional watercolour painters I admire greatly. When I reviewed painting approaches used by Birgit O'Connor in her Atmospheric Landscapes online course, and Steven Kozar in his free tutorials on high realism, I realized where I was going wrong. It was mostly about the pace of painting.

As I experimented with new strategies in my paintings, I was able to confirm, at least for me, that there are three secrets to creating glowing skies:

  • Do colour tests to make sure the selected paint colours work well together to produce clear, vibrant pigment mixtures when dry.
  • Be patient and don't add rich colour to the painting too quickly. Instead, build up colour in gradual layers over many days.
  • Add each single layer of colour to wet paper very quickly and step away from the painting well before the paper starts to dry. Resist the urge to fiddle, in other words.

As a result of employing these painting principles, I was able to create the following successful paintings from complex reference photos:

Solstice Sunset, varnished watercolour on 8 x 10 inch panel, captures sunset during the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. The warmth of the sun slowly fades, heralding the beginning of a long dark night.

The contrast of golden radiance and soft purple clouds behind the dramatic silhouettes of old growth trees captures a captivating moment in time and the promise of spring.

Photo by Karen RichardsonThe painting was inspired by this photograph I took of the view from my bedroom window last December. The trees grow in the hedgerow between farm fields behind our house, and every morning I look out my window to absorb the beauty of nature.

Click here for more details about Solstice Sunset.

The Wonder of It All, varnished watercolour on 6 x 12 inch panel depicts a glowing sunset over a northern lake. Sometimes I look at a splendid sky and just have to marvel at the artistry of nature. She creates the most marvellous paintings, just using light and water vapour. I am awed by the wonder of it all.

Photo by Sharon HopkirkThe painting was inspired by this photo of Six Mile Lake in Muskoka, taken by Sharon Hopkirk and used with her gracious permission.

Originally my painting was to depict the entire scene including the puddle on the lake and the bushes in the foreground, but I ran into technical difficulties when the masking film I used damaged the lower half of the paper. I discovered the problem after the sky was completed and realized I would have to crop the painting. I thought the sky was beautiful enough to be the star of the show and invented a simple treeline to give context to the scene.

Click here for more information about The Wonder of It All.

Crimson Twilight, watercolour in progress by Karen RichardsonI was still entranced by Sharon's gorgeous photo, and started a second attempt at painting the full scene. I took a photo at the end of each day so I could show you the layering process.

Here on Day 1, a strip of masking tape forms a lower boundary for the sky and the first layer of colour is on.

Crimson Twilight, watercolour in progress by Karen Richardson

Day 2 The second layer of colour has been applied, using the first layer as a placement guide.

I start by wetting the watercolour paper with clear water, giving it a minute to soak in, then painting on various colours, and letting them mingle before the paper dries. Paint application has to be done in the space of a minute or so, depending on how much water is used.

Crimson Twilight, watercolour in progress by Karen Richardson

Day 3 The third layer of colour is on.

The wet-in-wet process produces lovely soft-edged shapes, but it can be difficult to get the right shapes in the right places, because the paint spreads out beyond where it is initially laid. It takes skill and practice to apply just the right amount of paint to control the spread.

Crimson Twilight, watercolour in progress by Karen Richardson

Day 4 The fourth layer is on and the colours are intensifying.

This might seem like an inefficient use of my studio time, to work on a sky painting only a few minutes a day, but I always have several paintings on the go and while one dries I can work on others. 

Crimson Twilight, watercolour in progress by Karen Richardson

Over the next three days, I added more golden tones to the sky and puddle, working on wet paper. After that dried several hours, I added more scarlet to individual clouds, working on dry paper and feathering out the edges with a clean wet brush.

Once I was happy with these areas and they were fully dry, I masked out the inner edges of the puddle and painted the blue snow in three layers, drying several hours in between. I stopped when it was dull and dark enough to look like twilight and contrast dramatically with the sky hues. Once dry, I removed the masking.

Day 8 and done! I added the treeline and hills on the far shore, and the twigs in front to complete this painting.

The finished artwork is Crimson Twilight, varnished watercolour on 11 x 14 inch panel. I love the vivid warm orange hues in the sky and reflection, contrasted with the cool dark blue of the snow.

Click here for more information about Crimson Twilight.

Having completed these three sunset scenes successfully, I feel a new confidence in how to approach complex sky subjects. I have added another skill to my repertoire. That is what I love about watercolour: there is always something new to learn, explore, and discover.

If you have 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 if you wish to see more of her painting stories, travel tales, studio news updates, or notices of upcoming exhibitions.

The Making of 'Reunited'

25 March, 2023 2 comments Leave a comment

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.

Top 9 Paintings of 2022 by Karen Richardson

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.

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 if you wish to see more of her painting stories, travel tales, studio news updates, or notices of upcoming exhibitions.

The Making of 'Where Garden Meets Rock'

29 January, 2023 4 comments Leave a comment

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.

Garden photo by Karen Richardson

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.)

Women in Watercolour prize winners 2022

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.

Karen Richardson working on Where Garden Meets Rock

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.

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 if you wish to see more of her painting stories, travel tales, studio news updates, or notices of upcoming exhibitions.

Autumn Adventures in Muskoka

28 December, 2022 2 comments Leave a comment

Karen Richardson's Airstream

Throughout this past spring, summer, and fall, my husband and I enjoyed seven camping excursions in Ontario in our Airstream. We were out for a total of eighty days. 

I wrote about the major trips in previous posts, One Magic Island is Enough (June in Muskoka), My Fabulous Frog Encounter (June in Point Pelee), and Visiting Northern Vistas (August in Manitoulin, Lake Superior, and Lake of the Woods).

North Channel, Lake Huron, photo by Karen Richardson

I was able to paint and gather extensive inspiration for new artwork, while enjoying hiking and boating in these beautiful regions.

We concluded the camping season with a ten-day stay just west of Algonquin Park. Our timing was perfect, and we witnessed some of the loveliest fall foliage we have seen in years.

The weather was sunny and mild for most of our stay, and we hiked almost every day as the fall colours came to full glory around us. It was a truly magical time and now I have enough fall foliage photos for decades of paintings!

Buck Lake, photo by Karen Richardson

It was impossible to whittle down my best shots to just a handful for this post, so I made a video slideshow instead.

Click on the image below to view a glorious autumn in Muskoka, seen through an artist's eye (3-minute video). Enjoy!

 

Thank you to my friend Roger who took the photo of me beside the Oxtongue River, shown on the title page of the slideshow.

Where is your favourite place to see fall colours? If you have 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 if you wish to see more painting stories, travel tales, studio news updates, or notices of upcoming painting classes and exhibitions.

 

'Nightfall' Selected for Kawartha Lakes Public Art Program

08 November, 2022 5 comments Leave a comment

Karen Richardson beside her public art installation

I had to keep this piece of happy news secret for several months, but now that the City of Kawartha Lakes has announced the official winners of this year's That's a Wrap Art Competition, I can share the story.

Nightfall image by Karen Richardson, on traffic control box

It began last June with a Call for Entry from the City regarding a temporary (3-year) public art initiative to wrap select traffic control boxes along the Kawartha Lakes road network with artist-created imagery.

The theme of the competition was Nature & Outdoors, and applicants had to be residents of Kawartha Lakes.

This project was a partnership between the City and Kawartha Arts Network, intended to enliven the urban landscape, help reduce graffiti, and visually connect the communities of Kawartha Lakes for area residents and visitors.

As an extension of the program, chosen artwork also is featured in the 2023 Municipal Calendar.

I submitted eight of my painted images in July and was delighted to learn in August that my painting 'Nightfall', was one of nine images chosen for installation this fall.

Nightfall by Karen Richardson, wrapped on a traffic control box in Bobcaygeon.

Everyone was asked to keep quiet about winning the competition until the City could make a formal announcement after the wraps were installed.

The City worked with Auto Trim & Signs in Lindsay to design and create vinyl wraps to fit the control boxes, based on the artists' digital images of their paintings, and installation was completed by early November.

My artwork image 'Nightfall' was installed on a traffic control box in front of the Bobcaygeon Municipal Service Centre, at the corner of County Rd. 36 and King St.

Nightfall image by Karen Richardson, on traffic control box

WOW it looks amazing, far surpassing my expectations! Auto Trim & Signs did a wonderful job of the wrap design and installation.

Here is a list of the location and artist for each art wrap image in the 2022 program:

Bobcaygeon (2):
Canal St and Bolton- Karen Szostak
Highway 36 and King St- Karen Richardson

Fenelon Falls (2):
Victoria st and Lindsay- Lindsay Edmam
Lindsay st and Colborne - Donna Bisschop

Lindsay (5):
Mary St and Lindsay- Wren Kellar
Victoria St and Colborne- Joy Mccallister
Kent St and Albert- Christine Woods
Mary St and Angeline- Megan Lowry-Smith
Kent St and St Joseph’s- Rhonda Larson

To view all the art images chosen for That's a Wrap, and see a map of their locations, visit That's a Wrap - City of Kawartha Lakes.

I am grateful to the City of Kawartha Lakes and Kawartha Arts Network for the opportunity to participate in phase one of this wonderful public art project. Next year, the City plans to run another competition and wrap more traffic control boxes in Kawartha Lakes.

Subscribe to Karen's Newsletter if you wish to see more life-of-the-artist stories, travel tales, studio news updates, or notices of upcoming exhibitions. 

Visiting Northern Vistas

23 October, 2022 3 comments Leave a comment

Near Killarney, photo by Karen Richardson

Our longest camping trip this summer was a four-week exploration of northwestern Ontario: Manitoulin Island, the North Channel, Lake Superior, and Lake of the Woods. During this trip I amassed many wonderful reference photos to inspire future paintings.

As I was reviewing the best of the best photographs to share with you, it struck me that my final selections, the ones that truly captured the sense of place, were stretched panoramas. The lakes and skies up north are so vast and wide, it's hard to take in all the beauty on display.

Sandhill Cranes on Manitoulin Island, photo by Karen Richardson

We spent the first week camping on Manitoulin Island, which is a very laid back place with a rural vibe and lots of historic barns. These Sandhill Cranes crossed a country road just as we approached in our truck. We see cranes like these every summer we travel in the north.

Karen Richardson and friends

My husband and I (back) were accompanied by our long-time friends Carolyn and Roger (front), pictured here at a lookout on the famous Cup and Saucer Trail. We had no trouble finding daily excursions like this to keep active and search out beautiful scenery.

North Channel, photo by Karen Richardson

Shown above is a view of the North Channel near our Manitoulin Island campground, with the Ontario mainland in the distance. I love the patterns the wind and currents make on the intensely blue water.

North Channel point, photo by Karen Richardson

Hoping for more photographic opportunities, we took a day cruise from Little Current harbour to the village of Killarney and back. Shown above is one of many 'paint-able' rocky points we cruised by. This type of rock reminds me of Georgian Bay, which is not surprising since the North Channel leads into Georgian Bay.

Killarney cottage, photo by Karen Richardson

At Killarney, we saw many lovely summer homes on the rocky shore, but this humble cottage embodies that old-time Georgian Bay nostalgia.

North Channel sunshine, photo by Karen Richardson

As we cruised back to Little Current that afternoon, the sun came out and sprinkled diamonds on the waters of the North Channel, while a thunder cloud poured rain on Manitoulin.

Aguasabon Falls and Gorge, photo by Karen Richardson

After a very relaxing week on the Island, we journeyed north-westward to Lake Superior, camping at Wawa and then stopping at Terrace Bay to show our friends Aguasabon Falls and Gorge. There is a generous parking area, large enough to turn around and park our travel trailers, and a very short boardwalk hike that took us to this stunning view.

In the words of the town, "With a beautiful ferocity in the spring and a serene grace in the summer and fall, this spectacular 100 foot waterfall cascades into the Aguasabon Gorge—flowing along a 2.6 billion year old rock face." If your travels take you through Terrace Bay, watch for the signs to the Gorge and take a look at this natural wonder.

Lake Superior Archipelago at Red Rock, photo by Karen Richardson

We camped for several days at Nipigon to attend the Live from the Rock Folk Festival, an annual music and arts festival held on the shore of Lake Superior in Red Rock. While there, we hiked up to the lookout over Nipigon Bay to view the islands of the Lake Superior Archipelago. The hilly shapes remind me of paintings by the Group of Seven. I love the grace and power of this place.

Lake of the Woods, photo by Karen Richardson

While our friends departed to spend time with family, my husband and I headed for Lake of the Woods, pictured above. We spent a glorious week there, visiting family and enjoying lakeside living. The weather was favourable and we spent an entire afternoon boating through a tiny section of the lake, which is an enormous body of water - 137 km long and 91 km wide at its widest point.

Lake of the Woods, photo by Karen Richardson

Lake of the Woods has a shoreline of just over 100,000 km if you count the shoreline of its many islands as well as the mainland. That's more than Lake Superior! There are 14,522 islands in Lake of the Woods.

And gosh, do I love painting those islands and points with their iconic twisted pines! Our visits to this lake have inspired dozens of paintings.

As we journeyed homeward, we made a point to camp a few nights at Marathon so I could visit my favourite Pebble Beach.

Pebble Beach Marathon, photo by Karen Richardson


As is often the case, the weather was cool and foggy while we were there. I have only seen this beach once on a calm sunny day, and the rest of the time conditions have been misty or raining. But the mist adds a sense of hushed solitude that makes for very compelling paintings, and also makes the beach stones look more colourful than they do when dry. I like this shot above of my husband bending for a closer look. I had to lay flat on the stones to get the shooting angle I wanted.

Flat Rock Beach Marathon, photo by Karen Richardson

While in town, we heard about a flat rock beach and searched it out. We were amazed at the great slabs of rock we found there along the Lake Superior shore. It felt very other-worldly.

Flat Rock Beach, Marathon, photo by Karen Richardson

Now that we know where this place is, I'll have TWO beaches to stop at every time we travel by Marathon. Thank goodness for a patient husband! I would love to see this landscape in sunshine, when the lake looks sapphire blue.

By the time we reached our home base in Lindsay, my husband and I had travelled 5,000 km on this month-long adventure. We came back with happy memories of fun times, a renewed appreciation of this remarkable province, and so much painting inspiration, I hardly knew where to begin!

Did you enjoy these highlights of Karen's camping trip? 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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