#2813 "Dumoine Bonanza Before the Rain"

#2813 "Dumoine Bonanza Before the Rain"
10 (height) X 10 (width) and 7/8 profile

I decided to head back to the camp of the CPAWS DRAW at Kilometre Four and Bonanza. My fellow campers were up, fed and busy painting so I decided to join them. The Dumoine Valley was dark under the overcast skies with nimbostratus and rain on the way. 

This hotel was originally built "in the Swisha" by Joe Madore. In the early 40's it was simply called "Joe Madore's Inn".  John Daly bought the hotel in the 50's. John renamed it "Bonanza". It was frequented by snowmobilers, and at one point had a rope tow for skiers. It was also owned by Father Harrington and Ken Gonneau. 

Apparently, Stompin' Tom Connors played at the hotel as did Mac Beattie. Tom wrote a song about "My Swisha Miss".

There is much more history I am sure but that is all I have at the moment. All traces of the hotel were long gone when I painted there in 2023. The building with a bright orange roof occupied the prime location on Dumoine Road at Kilometre Four. 

The Subaru Forester Paint-mobile in        
 the background as we painted.

A new friend and a fine watercolour artist wanted to try her hand at oils. She was a fine artist already… I just offered some thoughts and she did the rest. I painted standing beside her so that we could carry on a conversation. I painted the somewhat beat-up log barn that stood in the shadow of the Dumoine forest and a rather high cliff. 

CPAWS-Ottawa Valley has hosted DRAW Retreat for Artists since 2017. DRAW is a clever acronym for Dumoine River Art for Wilderness. I have attended every year except during COVID. There is no better cause. The goals are admirable and ones that I deeply share. The goal is ultimately to make a lasting difference like A.Y. Jackson and the Ontario Society of Artists did in the case of Killarney Provincial Park. The impacts of climate change are already being felt. There is no time for dithering. 

Done like dinner...

This is number twenty-one of twenty-eight paintings I completed en plein air at CPAWS DRAW 2023. It was a wonderful experience with a terrific group of people. https://cpaws-ov-vo.org/draw-retreat-artists/ A portion of sales from this endeavour will go to support CPWAS and keep the wild in the wilderness. 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels. To go to the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society Collection on Fine Art America, click here. 

Warmest regards and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick