Scottsdale Farm

I attended my first outing with the Ontario Plein Air Society on January 2nd. We went to the Scottsdale Farm on a VERY cold day. I had so many layers on, I looked like a snowman myself. I never thought anyone could paint on a day like that but surprised myself by completing this small study. I had started another larger painting, but the lighting conditions changed drastically, from bright and sunny to cloudy and I had to put it aside.

A Light Snow Cover
oil on canvas
6×8

Orillia

Don, Steve and I went to paint in Orillia on Sunday. The country landscape out there is just beautiful and we had ideal weather.

Abandoned Farmhouse
Orillia, Ontario
oil on board
9×12

Another painting from Martintown

This is the first sketch I had painted on my excursion to Martintown in August. I finally took the time to adjust a few things, mostly lengthening the barn. That might seem like an odd thing to adjust, but the barn had this feeling of being really short, or sunken into the ground. I originally painted it as it was but realized afterward that due to the lack of scale in my painting, the barn didn’t look right. I had to adjust its height to get the right feel for it. Does it now work? I’m not sure!

Overgrown Barn
Martintown, Ontario
oil on canvas
8×10

Painting in Martintown

Here is a small painting of an overgrown field near Martintown, Ontario.

REVISED:

I adjusted it since first uploading it here. I deepened some shadows and added a few accents. Here is the final painting.

Martintown Field
oil on canvas
6×8

Painting on Toronto Islands

This is a view of the canal between Snake Island and Centre Island as seen from Algonquin Island, all part of the Toronto Island Park.

Snake Island Canal
Toronto Island Park
oil on board
8×10

Two landscapes

Here are two landscapes I touched up recently. The first one is in a field near NavCan in Cornwall, ON, overlooking the St Lawrence River. Environment Canada predicted rain but I took my chances because the sky was so spectacular. The poplars blowing in the wind attracted my attention, more so because rays of sunshine occasionally illuminated the field. I did get rained out, after completing the sky and trees. The grass was done at home.

Poplars in the Wind
oil on board
9×12

This one is from an outing with Don to Colonel Danforth Park. I completed the water on location and touched up the rocks and grass at home.

Rapids after the Rainfalls
oil on board
9×12

Mount Pleasant Cemetary

Here is a little tree study (8×6) I completed in Mount Pleasant Cemetery yesterday. This cemetery doubles as an arboretum and has beautifully landscaped grounds. It’s a great place to practice painting trees! This one is some kind of nut tree, but without a label I can’t identify it. I’ll keep my eyes open next time I’m walking there to see if I can find a labeled one.

A Brush with the Highlands

This weekend, I attended the plein-air painting festival held in the Haliburton Highlands. In spite of stormy weather predictions, we had beautiful sun and no rain interrupted my painting.

First, I want to talk about my new Alla Prima pochade box, The Bitterroot Lite, built and designed by Ben Haggett (http://www.allaprimapochade.com). I’m in love with it! It’s very portable and with a good tripod, can be set up anywhere. Here I am on two different rocks along rapids — where I could never have set up my old clunky heavy metal easel.

Being so close to Algonquin Park, I decided I would paint along the High Falls trail in the southern section of the park.

I tackled rapidly moving water which I thought would give me a good challenge. Did it ever! The first painting was started on Saturday where I focused on the rocks and the gesture and flow of the water. I ran out of time and completed this one in the studio using a photo.

On the High Falls Trail
Algonquin Park
oil on board
12×9

I completed this one on Sunday:

Rapids at High Falls
Algonquin Park
oil on board
8×10

On Monday which was the final day of the festival, I was awarded the third prize for my painting Dark Fall Day, one of my first plein-air paintings completed two years ago!

I had a wonderful time. Rob came with me and became a turtle for the weekend, lying on sunny rocks and swimming in the rapids. It wasn’t all play for him though, he did work on the orchestration of his thesis symphony which is due in September.

Rob, helping me find the best view of the rapids

The White Pine

Don, John, Elaine and I painted in Colonel Danforth Park last Sunday. Here is what I painted. The White Pine, 9×12

Painting at the Brickworks

I went landscape painting at the Don Valley Brickworks today. It was a beautiful and surprisingly quiet day. I saw a heron, an eagle, a snapping turtle and many small birds and insects.

The Old Brickworks
oil on board
8×10