#2876 "Dumoine Cumulus Congestus with Virga"

#2876 "Dumoine Cumulus Congestus with Virga"
Oils on canvas panel 5 X 7 (inches).
Started 11:30 am Wednesday, July 31st, 2024
from very near N46.459331 W77.767969. 

After completing #2875 "Dumoine Towering Cumulus with Virga", I waded over and retrieved another canvas from the canoe. I wished to stay within the artistic zone. 

The weather continued to change rapidly in the unstable air mass. The cumulus congestus had continued to grow and each demanded its increasing volume within the skyscape. There was even some blue sky separating them. Open cellular convection such as this requires some subsidence between the cells. That explains the clear skies between the towering cumulus. The shafts of virga and rain showers were clearly identifiable. Some of those raindrops were certainly reaching the ground although nothing rained on my parade. 

The image to the left was about the stage when I locked in the composition. It is important not to race the clouds as they continue to morph into different shapes. I quite enjoy doing a series of weather observations on small canvases. 

Paintings 2872 to 2876 were all completed in the same location looking northwesterly.

The canoes were still in front of John's Cabin (located at 2869 in the above graphic). I included them in order to give a sense of location. 

This is number thirteen of thirty-five paintings I completed en plein air at CPAWS DRAW 2024. 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 CPAW and keep the 'wild' in the wilderness. 

I was still painting from my water-based position in order to frustrate the ankle-biting flies.

For this and much more art, click on Pixels or go straight to the Collections. Here is the new Wet Paint 2024 Collection. Here is the link to the CPAWS DRAW Collection

Warmest regards and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick 

#2875 "Dumoine Towering Cumulus with Virga"

#2875 "Dumoine Towering Cumulus with Virga"
Oils on canvasboard 5 X 7 inches).
Started 10:30 am Wednesday, July 31st, 2024
from very near N46.459331 W77.767969 - 
standing in the water...

After completing #2874 "Lone Dumoine Canoeist Under Dark Virga", I quickly grabbed another canvas and stayed in the artistic zone. The weather continued to change rapidly. I barely missed a brushstroke as I continued to record another weather observation. 

The clouds were in turmoil with convection! The sky to the north was filled by the flanks of towering cumulus. Dark shafts of virga and rain appeared sporadically as the cumulus congestus jostled about in the unstable air mass. It was impossible to chase the clouds so I simply picked a moment in time and stayed with those shapes and colours. It never rained on me but the clouds on the northern horizon certainly put on a show. 

This is number twelve of thirty-five paintings I completed en plein air at CPAWS DRAW 2024. 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 CPAW and keep the 'wild' in the wilderness. 

I was still painting from my water-based position in order to frustrate the ankle-biting flies.

For this and much more art, click on Pixels or go straight to the Collections. Here is the new Wet Paint 2024 Collection. Here is the link to the CPAWS DRAW Collection

Warmest regards and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick 

#2874 "Lone Dumoine Canoeist Under Dark Virga"

#2874 "Lone Dumoine Canoeist Under Dark Virga"
Oils on burnt sienna oil-tinted commercial canvas panel
 - 5 (height) X 7 (width) and 1/4 profile (inches).
Started 10:00 am Wednesday, July 31st, 2024
from very near N46.459331 W77.767969. 

After completing #2873 "Dumoine Trippers under a Cumulus Sky", I simply grabbed another canvas and stayed in the artistic zone. I barely missed a brushstroke as I continued to record weather observations. 

The clouds were becoming much more convective. The surface temperature had already reached its maximum. Moist air parcels warmed by the ground were rising like hot air balloons. The contents of this rising air current were condensing into clouds at the Lifted Condensation Level (The base of the clouds commonly referred to as the Deck). The turbulent atmosphere twisted the descending, dark tendrils of virga that extended toward the ground from the dark base of a towering cumulus. 

A shred of cumulus SCUD (Scattered Cumulus Under Deck) formed rapidly perhaps spurred on by the rush of air provided by the collision of the downdraft with the virga and the ground. The SCUD only lasted a few minutes. The small cloud droplets formed in the turbulent updraft caught the sun for a few seconds and were lit up into a brilliant white. 

I am not certain who the lone canoeist was in the red canoe but they appeared to be following in the wake of the Dumoine Trippers. I employed the same toothpick of power to include the canoe and occupant as they came into view. The canoes on the beach in front of John's Cabin had not moved. 

This is number eleven of thirty-five paintings I completed en plein air at CPAWS DRAW 2024. It was a wonderful experience with a terrific group of people. A portion of sales from this endeavour will go to support CPAW and keep the 'wild' in the wilderness. 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels or go straight to the Collections. Here is the new Wet Paint 2024 Collection. Here is the link to the CPAWS DRAW Collection. 

I was still painting from my water-based position in order to frustrate the ankle-biting flies.

Warmest regards and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick 

#2873 "Dumoine Trippers under a Cumulus Sky"

#2873 "Dumoine Trippers under a Cumulus Sky"
Oils on burnt sienna oil tinted commercial canvas panel -
 5 (height) X 7 (width) and 1/4 profile (inches).
Started 10:00 am Wednesday, July 31st, 2024
from very near N46.459331 W77.767969. 

The clouds were morphing into convective cumulus as the sun and temperatures continued to rise. The gray stratus still occupied the cloud bases but the cloud tops were increasingly lumpy. 

A group of Dumoine trippers came into view paddling downstream as I painted. I think there were six canoes in total. I employed my toothpick typically reserved for scratching my signature in the wet oils. The toothpick was loaded with cadmium red and six strokes later, the canoes were on the panel. Another dozen stabs with various shades of white and brown filled those canoes with paddlers. The aluminum colours on the beach in front of John's Cabin were the canoes of the CPAWS DRAW participants. 

This is number ten of thirty-five paintings I completed en plein air at CPAWS DRAW 2024. 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 CPAW and keep the 'wild' in the wilderness. 

I was still painting from my water-based position in order to frustrate the ankle-biting flies.

For this and much more art, click on Pixels or go straight to the Collections. Here is the new Wet Paint 2024 Collection. Here is the link to the CPAWS DRAW Collection. 

Warmest regards and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick 

#2872 "Morning Stratus on the Upper Dumoine"

 I needed to find another painting location... Luckily, my canoe would take me wherever I wished to paddle. 

#2872 "Morning Stratus on the Upper Dumoine"
Oils on burnt sienna oil-tinted commercial canvas panel
5 X 7 (inches).
Started 9:30 am Wednesday, July 31st, 2024
from very near N46.459331 W77.767969. 

I followed the Dumoine current south of John's Cabin. I wanted to let the flow guide me further but the strong tug on the canoe advised otherwise. I was at CPAWS DRAW to paint! If I had followed the strong current over the ledge, it could have been a couple of hours of effort and paddling to get back. I spun the canoe around in mid-current and paddled hard to push it upstream and past the brink. The Coriolis Force must have deflected me to the right. Just kidding as there were really no other options. I found a great spot to paint the weather for the rest of the day (the yellow pin in the map below).

The fog and mist in the morning sky were transforming into scary looking stratus. There was nothing to fear but the clouds were calling for me to put them on a canvas. There was a lot of wind in the atmosphere that tormented and twisted the cloud shapes. The air mass remained moist and unstable as well. It was going to be an interesting day of weather. 

I set my easel in the shallows on a muddy point of land. It was warm so I decided to plant myself in the water as well for a very good reason. I would spend much of the day painting from that location. 

The biting flies that are typical of August canoe trips prefer the tender flesh found around the ankles. One way to alleviate that is to stand in the water. The flies do not nip on the flesh of the upper legs nearly as much. Perhaps the reason can be found in the more abundant hair to be found there but I do not really know. The water was a refreshing place to paint and it was much easier to get into the artistic zone without the bugs tormenting my submerged feet. 

The small panel was the perfect size to make a weather observation. The clouds were changing rapidly but I had a good supply of these canvases in my canoe pack. 

My friends Katherine and Eric came paddling along as I painted. I seldom get pictures of me in the artistic zone but they recorded what they witnessed when they rounded the bend. The wardrobe choices could have been better but this is my "summer" look even at Singleton. The long-sleeved whitish shirt and standing in the water were both motivated by the bugs. 

This is number nine of thirty-five paintings I completed en plein air at CPAWS DRAW 2024. 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 CPAW and keep the 'wild' in the wilderness. 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels or go straight to the Collections. Here is the new Wet Paint 2024 Collection. Here is the link to the CPAWS DRAW Collection. 

Warmest regards and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick 

#2871 "Early Morning Mist on the Dumoine"

#2871 "Early Morning Mist on the Dumoine" 
Oils on stretched canvas 10 X 12 (inches).
Started 8:00 am Wednesday, July 31st, 2024 from
very near N46.466369 W77.766256. 

The morning fog was still lifting but the visibility across the wide portion of the Dumoine River was excellent. I again included Pincushion Island although it barely showed in the foggy light. John had started to paint his red cabin a shade of brown the previous day. I did not have what I needed on the palette so I left it as a red cabin for another day. Someone was paddling along the shore in a red canoe. 

It felt as though the world was still in a fog and slow to wake up. I hope that feeling comes across in the pigments and brush strokes. 

I was standing in the water at the shoreline where I had launched the canoe a couple of days before.

This is number eight of thirty-five paintings I completed en plein air at CPAWS DRAW 2024. 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 CPAW and keep the 'wild' in the wilderness.  

For this and much more art, click on Pixels or go straight to the Collections. Here is the new Wet Paint 2024 Collection. Here is the link to the CPAWS DRAW Collection. 

Warmest regards and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick 

#2870 "Dumoine Gravity Waves and Weather"

#2870 "Dumoine Gravity Waves and Weather"
8 (height) X 10 (width) and 3/4 profile (inches) oils on canvas.
Started 10:15 am Tuesday, July 30th, 2024
from very near N46.466711 W77.768236. 

After a brief visit with John and crew over a cup of coffee, I headed out to paint again. This time I employed my canoe easel so that I could get an authentic water-level perspective. 

I paddled to the narrow section of the Dumoine River near the Tripper Campsite that I had painted at sunrise in #2866 "Foggy July Dumoine Sunrise at the Trippers Camp". The campers had packed up and left by the time I stroked my canoe back to near where they had had a blazing campfire the evening before. I had observed that inferno from a distance across the river and privately speculated about the safety of the Dumoine forest... I would paint that fire pit later in the week as #2895 "Dumoine Campsite Deluxe Firepit". The burn pit appeared to be reasonably safe given the size of the cleared area.

I jammed my canoe into the brush along the shoreline and counted on the steady current to keep the canoe pinned against the bank. It was an acceptable plan. Sometimes the current flicked the canoe back into the river and I had to recover my angle of view with the paddle. 

The bluebird sky had been replaced by gravity waves and Langmuir streaks approaching from the southwest. The sky told of the weather ahead. 

It is important to be able to read the clouds. Every atmospheric line and shape has a story to tell. The meteorological textbooks do not delve beyond superficial explanations of these moisture connections if at all. I had spent a lifetime investigating deeper to learn more about the linkages between the cloud clues and the physics of the meteorological forces at work. Some of this can be found in my blogs within "The Art and Science of Phil the Forecaster".

My view was toward the southwest and John's Cabin. The subject was the sky although it occupies only a third of the canvas. I wished to include the cloud signatures that revealed the weather that was fast approaching. The Dumoine was in the warm sector of the system as revealed by the morning fog but a cold frontal system was on its way. 

I was very tired after completing this painting and decided to spend the rest of the day visiting with the new arrivals and swimming. More importantly, I decided to relocate my tent to a safer area with better drainage. Knowing the weather can be advantageous. The weather is my friend. 

The effort of tent relocation encouraged the adoption of the Mexican "heat of the day siesta". Climate change encourages that beneficial midday nap at more northern latitudes! Medical studies continue to affirm the benefits of even a 30-minute snooze. Heart, lungs, and brain function all respond positively without any pills or medication. A short power nap can significantly boost alertness, concentration, and productivity, making nappers more efficient and effective in their daily tasks. Anyway, that's my story and I am sticking to it.

Strong thunderstorms would arrive during the supper hour. About twenty artists had arrived during the afternoon and they were enjoying their first dinner at camp. The meal was delicious but the clouds racing overhead confirmed the story that had been written in the sky earlier in the day. Then I started to hear the thunder - a tone I can still hear even though high-pitched sounds are now lost on my ears. I was surprised that others around the campfire pit did not seem to react or even notice the low rumbles. 

I quietly got up and walked to the end of the canoe dock. The characteristic shelf cloud was on the southwest horizon. I figured we had 30 minutes before the "monsoon" arrived. 

I was part of the dishwashing team that evening. I was drenched to the skin with rain pouring off the metal roof that evening... all of the dishes were thoroughly rinsed. Many gallons of rain-distilled water gushed off the roof. It was quite an experience. The other campers crammed into the cabin while the team washed up after supper.

This is the seventh of thirty-five paintings I completed en plein air at CPAWS DRAW 2024. 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 CPAW and keep the 'wild' in the wilderness.  

For this and much more art, click on Pixels or go straight to the Collections. Here is the new Wet Paint 2024 Collection. Here is the link to the CPAWS DRAW Collection. 

Warmest regards and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick 

#2869 "Dumoine Rapids and Morning Light"

#2869 "Dumoine Rapids and Morning Light" 
8 (height) X 10 (width) and 3/4 profile (inches).
Started 8:00 am Tuesday, July 30th, 2024 
from very near N46.463036 W77.771436 

The fog had lifted by 7:30 am so I paddled back across a mirrored lake and set up my easel on the beach in front of John's Cabin. It was going to be a hot day! I decided to capture every moment before the heat forced me to retreat into the shade. 

A view of my Canoe Easel in the Nova Craft Kevlar Canoe - aligned with my paddle at 
the bow seat. The symmetric Prospector is paddled backwards when I solo canoe.

This is the view looking northeasterly toward the rapids south of the DuMoine Rod and Gun Club. I had set up my pochade box on the sandy beach.  A faint band of cirrostratus was evident on the eastern horizon. That deformation zone and system would continue exiting to the east opening the door for the next bit of weather approaching from the west. The heat and humidity were destined to fuel some late-day thunderstorms. 

I moved the compositional elements around as is typical with plein air works. The subject matter was so far away! Distance can be good in that one can't see or include any distracting details. Pincushion Island was moved into the front-right foreground resulting in an elevated perspective to the rapids. These decisions are all made instantaneously on the fly. Robert Genn (1936-2014), a fine Canadian artist who I corresponded with now and again, once estimated that a plein air artist must make a couple of hundred thousand snap decisions while completing a work. The number might be low. The impacts of those choices can be seen in the brush strokes - for better or worse. 

For me, art has evolved into a way of life - just trying to get better. I hope that the next effort will be a masterpiece but if it isn't, there is always another canvas. Plus, I get to paddle my own canoe... A message I tried to convey with every class I ever taught: "One can't go anywhere new by following someone else". 

This is the sixth of thirty-five paintings I completed en plein air at CPAWS DRAW 2024. 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 CPAW and keep the 'wild' in the wilderness.  

For this and much more art, click on Pixels or go straight to the Collections. Here is the new Wet Paint 2024 Collection. Here is the link to the CPAWS DRAW Collection. 

Warmest regards and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick