Legend of Kate Rice

Legend of Kate Rice Oil 30 x 40 in

Its been awhile since I've posted on the site so I have an addition to share.  I call this piece Legend of Kate Rice.  Its speaks of a famous woman prospector who lived near my hometown of The Pas Manitoba in the early 1900's.  She was responsible for discovering many valuable mines in the north. Kate Rice largely lived on her own in the forest and apparently thrived on the experiences all year long.  I don't think it is something many people could do these days.  She trapped and fished, wrote and drew. They say she was quite a beauty but she chased off all advances by men, sometimes with an axe!  She died alone in a care home in Minnedosa, Mb.

Mary Oliver

Pisew Falls, Northern Manitoba  Oil  24 x 36

I recently came across a quote from Mary Oliver who is my all time favorite poet.  It goes, "I did not think of language as the means to self description.  I thought of it as the door - a thousand opening doors -! past myself.  I thought of it as the means to notice, to contemplate, to praise, and, thus, to come to power."
It occurred to me that I could easily substitute the phrase "I did not think of language for "I did not think of painting" and the paragraph would easily apply to my life as an artist who paints with oil rather than words.  Mary Oliver, whom I usually read every morning before I do anything else, is a gift to a world badly in need of healing.  I am grateful for her existence and her compassion for the natural world and urge you to read her work, it really is so wonderful.

Pine trees on Neso Lake

Pines on Neso Lake  Oil on Canvas 36 x 36

Its been awhile since I've last posted, I've been busy working at my real job as a carpenter to support my passion for painting.  I've just recently returned from my annual Art retreat to Shellmouth, Mb. Had a great time and completed three large painting, the above painting being one.  This scene is one I frequented when I lived in northern Manitoba, a wonderful place of precambrian shield rock, water and trees.  Gotta get back there soon!

Barby Lake

Barby Lake, Mb.

I found myself reminiscing about one of my all time favourite fishing spots in Manitoba. Although it could be frustrating trying to catch those prize winning Rainbow Trout, many times I went home empty handed, when you were successful it was exhilarating to reel in those beauties. I got 2 Master Angler sized Trout out of this lake. The lake itself is beautiful, I have been here winter, summer, spring and fall and all seasons have their special charm and beauty. In this oil I've tried to capture the serenity of the place and also the fickleness of those Rainbows by depicting the one that got away!!

Looking for the Extraordinary in the Ordinary

There is so much beauty right at our doorstep, we just have to take the time to look, hence the title Looking for the Extraordinary in the Ordinary  I painted this oil over another painting that I wasn't quite happy with, although it portrays the same lake that I spent many wonderful times at with family and friends.  I have spoken before of how it is one of the two "True Blue Lakes" left in the world today.  Rumour has it that Bill Gates dropped down in his Lear jet at the airport beside Clearwater Lake and hired a guide to spend the afternoon out on the water, reading a book will some of the biggest lake trout around swam around beneath the boat! A number of years ago I watched a CBC documentary by Pamela Wallin where she interviewed Bill Gates about his Foundation and interest in providing a computer in every public library in North America.  I convinced the local librarian to contact the Foundation and lo and behold they were given a brand new computer!  Thanks Bill.  He truly is quite a philanthropist.  A number of years ago I painted a much smaller version of this 30 x 36 in. piece.  After watching the National Geographic show "The Big Melt" I am concerned that scenes such as this may soon be a thing of the past, at least for a few thousand years!

Black and Yellow make Green

Amisk Lake

I recently read of an artist who regularly re-cycles paintings that didn't work out by simply painting directly over them, no underpainting or toning of the canvas.  Because I happen to have a few of those laying around I decided to try it myself and the painting above is the result.  If you look very close you might still see signs of the previous painting underneath.  I simply did a rough charcoal sketch of the scene and then went directly into it, what a fun experience! Oh, by the way, black and yellow make a nice green.

Morning on Schist Lake

I've been spending quite a bit of time lately working on paintings of Schist Lake, Mb, where I had the pleasure of being this past summer.  A fellow painter, Ron Watt, took us on a boat trip around the lake one glorious morning and I am eternally grateful for that!  My only regret is that we didn't get on the lake a little sooner in the morning so that we could have caught the mist on the water.  This painting portrays the last vestiges of that pristine morning (I hope). I'm going to give this one a rest for awhile as I find I am fiddling with it which could mean it is telling me that it is finished or just needs a break from me for awhile.

Clearwater Lake Revisited

Clearwater Lake, Mb

I was rummaging around in my studio today and came across an unfinished canvas of Clearwater Lake, Mb.  I remember wanting to capture a certain weather effect I had witnessed back there, a windy day with the sun at a low angle lighting up the distant shoreline, but I couldn't quite get my head around it until today.  I think I was into reminiscing about the good times that were had back there with family and friends so it came quite easily to me this time around.  Any one out there remember scenes such as this?

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