The Joy of Collaboration

Extraordinary in the Ordinary

Every once in awhile I have the joy (I could use many words to express this) of collaborating with good friends at our various Retreats.  The painting above was painted by Dean Bauche, Jan Layh and myself at our Retreat in Denare Beach, SK this past summer.  Rocks were the theme of many participating artists as this location is well known for the Precambrian outcroppings abounding about there (some are loaded with precious minerals like zinc, copper and gold).  I was entrusted to take this painting home and finish it, the only demand was that I didn't break the first rule.  People in the know will understand what that means!  I only had to sharpen up some lines and do a bit of glazing.  Seems like its done.

The Magpie

I have a love/hate relationship with magpies.  On the one hand I find them annoying when it comes to attempting to attract songbirds to the yard because they tend to scare them all off.  A case in point is my determination to build a purple martin palace for my yard this past summer.  Well the magpie was not pleased and he pretty much told me so one summer morning when I came across him sitting on my wood pile.  We had a staring match for a good minute, which I found amazing because they are usually very shy of humans.  Looking at him I had a sense that he was telling me that he didn't appreciate being dive bombed by the purple martins who had taken over the yard.  Magpies are a very striking bird and I particularly enjoy seeing them in the winter, when their plumage really stands out. Had a hard time photographing this oil painting, I think the pearlescent paint was messing with my camera lense.

To A Certain Cantatrice

 Found myself thinking about the countless people of the occupy Wall Street movement when I came across this Walt Whitman poem. Do you see the relevance?


Here, take this gift,
I was reserving it for some hero, speaker, or general,
One who should serve the good old cause,
the great idea, the progress and freedom of the race,
Some brave confronter of despots, some daring rebel;
But I see that what I was reserving belongs
to you just as much as to any.

- Walt Whitman

Schist Lake, Manitoba

Bright Morning on Schist Lake

It's snowing out like crazy and I am in my studio working away like a beaver on numerous pieces.  This oil was painted last weekend at a get together we hosted here at Manitou Beach and depicts an island on Schist Lake, where Karen Clark (one of the painters who attended) lives. 

Warm October Afternoon

I painted this pastel on one of the last days of Autumn.  The dogs and I came across the deer on the hiking trail south west of Wellington Park, what a great day it was.