Work in Progress

Being that the world is largely gray (at least in these parts lately), I decided to do a painting based on a gray scale initially. Once it is dry I will go back into it and refine it with colour, where needed. I quite like what has happened so far, although the photo I have taken does not do it justice. I will post additional photos to show the progress. I call the picture "Radiance in the Forest"

Vision

Thank God for my sight. Maybe we all take our vision for granted to some degree, don't you think? I just recently returned from a visit with a dear friend who has lost the use of one eye and only has 40 percent use of the other, due to diabetes. What a frightening prospect for him, an avid outdoorsman and superlative businessman. With so much focus being put on the Winter Olympics, which to a great degree is about health and fitness, it would be very good if the greater population would start to look after themselves like our great athletes do. I believe that if people would take better care of themselves we would see much less incidences of those heart wrenching sights of people losing their sight, legs and arms and ultimately, their lives to diseases like diabetes. Seems so easy yet people find it so hard to do. This pastel was painted from life, it is the view from my studio window on a lovely frosty morning, just around dawn. Enjoy, and be healthy!

Being Present

I have been giving some attention to the concept of "being present" with respect to being an artist. I know that when I am truly "into" a painting concepts such as time and even sound fall way back into the distance while awareness of the present is intensified. This acute awareness also happens when I am out of doors enjoying a particular place. One simply quietens all internal dialogue, become aware of the breath and contemplate what is before you. I have had a life long interest in eastern thought and religion and now I find that in my own way I have found a path to a spirituality through the practice of Art. The Lord works in mysterious ways indeed! The pastel above is my response to a wonderous dawn I witnessed the other morning. Hope you enjoy it.

Painting what you know

I have the good fortune to have my studio back. ( I've been without it for over a year now because of the move from The Pas, Mb. to Manitou Beach, SK.) What a wonderful place to be again! I was a bit nervous about getting back to work in there but I decided to do a pastel or two to get back into the swing of things. I chose to paint what I am familiar with, Mistik Creek, which has beautiful water, rocks and trees which are subjects that I know. That being said, there is much more to explore and learn from these subjects and I look forward to that with relish.

Little Manitou Sketches

I had some fun the other day with my watercolours. It was a lovely Saturday morning and I felt like doing some painting whilst sitting in our sitting room that overlooks Manitou Lake. So out came my little kit and I went at it. No sooner had I done one when all of a sudden some fog rolled in and pretty much obliterated much of the detail. I decided to try capturing that effect and had some success. What fun I had! I suppose that is one of the great features of watercolours, you can set up right away and begin painting right off. I have posted three images, one an ink drawing from this summer. I did it while I was waiting for my concrete slab to set up enough to begin power trowelling. The light was failing and there was a wonderful misty effect happening, absolutely magical. To make the day even better I went for a walk with my two dogs to Wellington park and discovered a dozen robins flying about! Bear in mind that this is wintertime in Saskatchewan with the temperature hovering around minus 14 Celcius and at times dropping to minus 50 with the wind chill. Poor little things, but they must have their reasons for sticking around. I love Robins and am thrilled to have them here for the winter but I do find it odd that they stayed here for the winter.

Home

Well, it has finally happened, we have moved into our new home. Feels great to have some living space after living in the cramped apartment for a year. Now I can finish off my studio and get back to painting. Heck, I think I won't wait for the drywall to be finished, I will get right at it over the Xmas holidays! I have posted a photo of a place dear to my heart since I haven't had a chance to paint lately. There are some out there who will recognize the creek, Mistik that is. Best wishes to you over this wonderful season and good tidings for the New Year!

Special People

This letter is for Barb Bauche, her devoted husband Dean and their children. Barb is having issues with her throat (she is a throat cancer survivor) and is in need of prayers from all who wish to think of her in Lovingkindness. She absolutely loves her times down in Eastend, Sk. where they have the good fortune to stay for many weeks of the year. The Bauches have invited many of my friends and myself for an annual Artists Retreat and we all have grown to love it as much as she does. This painting was painted on the deck of the ranch house where we stay. The deck is my favourite place to paint, people are constantly tripping over my gear! Barb, get well please.

Inspired by the Land

I recently attended the closing reception to a wonderful Art show entitled "Inspired by the Land". The show was at the Chapel Gallery in North Battleford, Saskatchewan and the curator was my dear friend Dean Bauche. Dean gathered together a diverse group of painters, photographers, writers, crafters, scientists and musicians who all together sent a message that we are all part of this creation, that we are diverse but we have a common message. The land, and all that is in it, inspires us, in whatever medium we work in. The contributors, Richard Baschak, Courtney Milne, Allan Sapp, Jean Sonmor, Judy-Kisikaw a Bear, Wes Fine Day, Sharon Butala, Trevor Herriot, Charles Fox, Angela Edmunds, Glen Sutter, Ovid Mercredi, Electric Skychurch, Angela Merasty, Lyndon Tootoosis, Darwin Atcheynum, Noelle Lucas, Maria Chickness, Margerat Naytowhow, Annie Roberts and Audrey Fine Day put together extraordinary work that as a whole made a tremendous impact on the audiences. There is talk that the show may travel to far away places and well that is should as it sends an urgent message. We must all live in harmony with our environment and its inhabitants. I am extremely grateful that I was a witness to the positive energy and goodwill present at that time. Thank you!!

Thanksgiving

It occurred to me the other day that I have a lot to give thanks for. Where do you begin? Firstly to my Creator of course, my parents for having that thought that they should have a baby, my siblings, my friends, my work, my Art, the birds in the air, the leaves on the trees and the list goes on and on and on. When one puts themselves in this frame of mind it opens up so many avenues for the creative self. So thanks to everyone out there who has taken the time to visit my blog site and my website. I am appreciative of that! This oil painting represents the same place as the previous post, Mistik Creek in winter. I have included it on this post because we have had snow in these parts recently and one is reminded that winter is on its way, a bit to early for me.

Rocks and things

This oil painting was done in August. The place is Mistik Creek, Manitoba, and as some of you may know is one of my favorite places to paint. I suppose it is a power spot for me, the geography is a magnetic draw and I never tire of exploring and painting the place. My thanks to Karen Clark for purchasing it, I know it is going to a good home

Late Summer Storm

The other day we had a fast weather system go through, a very dramatic storm with lightning and thunder right overhead. I reminded me of a similar storm back in early August, which I was so impressed with that I decided to paint a landscape to remember it. I called the painting, "Wisdom, be Attentive", because I felt it was important to pay attention to events happening around us, every waking moment of our lives. The storm portrayed here was over Manitou Lake, SK. I keep telling my friends that this is the view from our guest bedroom when they come to visit us.

Late Summer

For a little over a week now we have been experiencing the summer that never happened when it normally does. In celebration of that I am posting a painting I created a few weeks ago. It is an attempt to portray fields of flax on a bright summer morning. Hope you enjoy it!

Shellmouth Artists Retreat

Well, another Shellmouth Artists Retreat has come and gone and I am, like all the other participants, suffering withdrawal. It happens every year, you spend a glorious 6 days painting and communing with the other artists and before you know it the fun is done. I completed a half a dozen paintings and worked out of doors quite a bit, something I enjoy very much. The painting above was the first one I completed. Hope you all enjoy it!