#2910 "October Sunset on Fire"

#2910 "October Sunset on Fire"  14x11 inches
Oils on canvas started Monday January 6th, 2025.

Christmas was just put away so I decided that it was time to paint. The experience was an epiphany so to speak. Indeed, the 6th of January when I picked up my brushes is known as epiphany. January 6 is observed as a church festival commemorating the coming of the Magi as the first manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles or in the Eastern Church in commemoration of the baptism of Christ. 

I prefer to use the word "epiphany" as "an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure", "a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something" or "an intuitive grasp of reality through something (such as an event) usually simple and striking". The world needs more epiphany moments... a lot more! I am an eternal student so am always on the hunt for the next epiphany.

This sunset was from Tuesday, October 8th, 2024 at 6:30 pm. The sky caught our eye and I had decided that the moment needed to be interpreted in oils. It was minus 16 Celsius outside so the decision was easy given that I have already frozen my hands too many times. I had the fire on in the wood stove. The tunes were also playing on my vintage Radio Shack amplifier from 1976. Life is good! 

As always it was the structure of the clouds that caught my eye. The filtered sunset light was striking the undersides of the more distant cloud. The bases of the closer clouds were already in the Earth's shadow. There was no hint of winter on the horizon! 

I record a lot of warm conveyor belts. They display the most interesting cloud types and structures. Thunderstorms may be interesting but do not display the meteorology of a conveyor belt. My view was looking southwesterly into the anticyclonic flow of the approaching system. Shreds of alotcumulus rippled in the gravity waves of the warm frontal surface, evident in the thinner cloud to the north of the strong upper flow. 

The sky was overcast in thin cirrostratus. The solid deck of altostratus was opaque. Langmuir streaks were evident in the cloud revealing the southwesterly winds above the warm frontal surface. The surface winds were easterly. The cold conveyor belt drawn into the approaching low revealed that the system was stronger than average. The forested Singleton shoreline sheltered the eastern bay of Singleton from those winds. Waves gradually built with the fetch across the lake causing the surface to be much more rippled on the far shore. Those waves reflected the blue of the overhead altostratus. The nearby calm waters glancingly reflected the bright light of the setting sun low on the horizon. That sun below the horizon could only illuminate the undersides of the more distant cloud.  

For this and much more art, click on Pixels or go straight to the Collections. Here is the new Wet Paint 2024 Collection. Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2025. 

Warmest regards and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick 

#2909 "Christmas Holiday Sunset Contrails"

 

#2909 "Christmas Holiday Sunset Contrails"
14x11 inches oils on canvas

Water Vapour Image

It was almost the shortest day of the year. The afternoon sky told the story of the next weather system. It was 3:45 pm on the afternoon of Thursday, December 19th, 2024. Contrails stretched across the Singleton sky. Jets were carrying people to and fro all around the globe for the holiday season. The upper-level air mass was moist due to the warm conveyor belt of the approaching storm. Such contrails can be very persistent as they drift with the upper winds. These contrails were sliding southward under the anticyclonic companion of the warm conveyor belt. 

The energetics of the atmosphere would also result in the rapid development of a storm in the Gulf of Maine. The classic storm would threaten the plans of holiday travellers. Our family from Nova Scotia caught an early Friday morning flight out of Halifax and avoided all indecision and turmoil. They were supposed to arrive late on Saturday evening. That flight eventually took off about 5 hours late arriving in Ottawa early on Sunday morning. Happily, everyone had happily already arrived at Singleton before noon on Friday. 

This painting is all about lines. Multiple contrails mixed in with the cirrostratus. The dominant contrail on the left ascending from Pearson International was below the cirrus deck. A secondary contrail was headed into CYYZ and was not catching the last rays of daylight. That line in the sky was much less obvious. 

The deformation zone leading the warm conveyor belt was the biggest line in the sky. The cirrostratus leading edge had already passed to the east of Singleton. Swells within the atmospheric ocean explained the banding displayed by the thicker swaths of cirrus. 

Other lines in the sky were either Langmuir streaks aligned with the upper winds or more gravity waves. I just painted what I saw. There is really no need to explain further. There was a winter storm on the way and it was time to hunker down at home in front of the wood fire.

Another line across the ice was a mystery. My first guess was that the pack of coyotes had crossed the ice. The answer appeared with the family of otters frolicking, slipping and sliding along that icy path. They were on their way for another meal of Singleton fishes. That trail was a well-used highway. The otters are the welcomed comedians of Singleton. 

The painting was also a study of subtle colour changes in both the cirrus and the surface of Singleton. If the colours are not right, the landscape can not ring true.  

For this and much more art, click on Pixels or go straight to the Collections. Here is the new Wet Paint 2024 Collection. Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2025. 

Warmest regards and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick 

#2906 Black Eyed Susan Friends

#2906 Black Eyed Susan Friends
16x20 inches on gallery mount canvas

The world needs more "joy" to quote Fred Eaglesmith. We recently enjoyed a "Concert of Small Halls". Fred Eaglesmith and his band played in nearby Athens and it was a night of music to remember. Fred had almost died from an undisclosed illness that he mentioned during the concert. Tif Ginn, his wife (2014) and lead guitarist being the one and the same, nursed him back to health. His message that night was to embrace what you have and the simple things in life. He summed it up in one word "joy". I could easily be a "Fredhead". 

Fred Eaglesmith is the stage name of Frederick John Elgersmar. Fred is known for writing songs about trains, rural life, down-and-out characters, lost love and quirky rural folk. He has produced 20 studio albums over his 30-year career with more on the way. We plan to go again to another show!

There is much that needs fixing in the world. Climate change, broken political processes, disease, and a host of other environmental threats are issues that those in power choose to either ignore or simply do not understand. There are no easy solutions although scientists and humourists have tried to educate for the last couple of centuries - a mere microsecond in the 4.5 billion-year history of the universe. "Preaching to the choir" does not change the world controlled by a few oligarchs and a web of wealth and deceit... 

 I do not fully understand quantum mechanics but have come to grips with the multiverse. I even appreciate qubits and quantum computing. Classical physics and quantum mechanics are compatible but there are still many questions and much to learn. 

A simpler approach to life can be found nearby. The joy of nature surrounds us every day. One can never have enough flowers either. Important answers can be discovered by simply slowing down and appreciating the nature that survives despite humans.  

A winter storm with snow dominated the weather pattern.  I decided to stay in the Singleton Studio on a blustery day. The outside work and play in the forest could wait. The photo of a group of black-eyed Susans had been on my list of inspiration for almost a decade. The day had arrived to be inspired. And the world needs more flowers anyway.

Black-eyed Susans are officially named rudbeckia hirta. The flowering plant is in the Asteraceae family, native to Eastern and Central North America. It has spread to the west and even somehow lept the Pacific Ocean into China. It has now been found in all 10 Canadian Provinces and all 48 of the states in the contiguous United States. Rudbeckia hirta is the state flower of Maryland.

Sometimes the story behind the painting can be important. This is more than just another flower painting. During my 35-year career with the Atmospheric Environment Service and Environment Canada, one of my favourite expressions was "you gotta laugh" in response to some of the inexplicable decisions being made. It was impossible to fix the bureaucracy so I decided to chuckle and focus on joy and nature while trying to make a difference with my art. 

A co-worker recently graciously reminded me of my  "you gotta laugh"  mantra as he witnessed what was happening in the world - a narcissistic period of human behaviour controlled by oligarchs in a quest for ever more power and wealth in the Century of Fire. Leave it to the artists to tell the truth whether they be musicians or cartoonists. 

This particular canvas had been in the Studio for years and its time had also come. I am not fond of gallery wrap canvases as it encourages one to focus too much on the sides when really, only the front matters. 

My Studio "office chair" was also starting to fail. I was happily painting away and suddenly noticed that I was below chin height at the bottom of the canvas. I tried a couple of quick fixes but then decided to just stand. The details of the flowers were less important than the freedom and joy they can impart so I let the oils really fly! 

This painting was on and off the easel for more than a month. The final touches of the brush were applied in January 2025... We will see what the future brings but I plan to bathe in the forest and the lake and protect the natural beauty of Singleton for as long as I can...

Thank you for reading these thoughts if you made it this far. I strive to remain positive...

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

Warmest regards and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick 

#2908 "December Sunrise Cold Fropa"

#2908 "December Sunrise Cold Fropa"
11x14 inches 8 am on Tuesday, December 17th, 2024 
from very near N44.522754 W76.105050

The December cold front was right on schedule and arrived just as I was pouring the first cup of coffee. The surface of Singleton Lake looked calm in spite of the gusty winds in the frontal wind shift. Heavy rain had fallen overnight and the ice was free of snow. Only the open water in Jim Day Rapids had waves. The wind was unable to generate gravity waves in the sheet of ice. The ice was very reflective in contrast to the rippled water. I had to record this event in oils. 

The cumulus fractus clouds were riding the wedge of Arctic air and being shredded by the northwesterly wind shear. The Arctic air was clear above. The streets of stratocumulus would become organized a couple of hours later clouding over the landscape. These conditions recorded in oils do not last long behind a frontal passage. The meteorological abbreviation for the event, "FROPA" was used in the title in an effort to keep the name of each painting unique. That goal becomes more challenging to achieve with each new skyscape. 

The smoke from Dale's wood stove on the western shore of Singleton Lake revealed that the northwesterly winds had arrived. The wisps of smoke were included in the oils but are quite subtle. 

We were still enjoying the view, the weather and the fire in the woodstove while sipping on our second cup of coffee. The minutes of daylight were still getting fewer in number for just a few more days. 

Another cold front crossed Singleton on Thursday morning when I made time to paint so I did not need to rely on my memory. 

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

Warmest regards and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick 

#2907 "November Sunset Edge of Snowsqualls"

#2907  "November Sunset Edge of Snowsqualls"
11 X 14 (inches). Started 9:00 am Saturday, November 30th, 2024 based
on the previous afternoon at 4:30 pm. I was beside the red Muskoka chairs
overlooking the lake to our west from N44.522754 W76.105050.
The clouds were really talking.

We were enjoying a spectacular Singleton sunset. The typical Great Lakes snowsqualls were raging in the onshore flows. But not at Singleton, for some very good meteorological reasons. Weather and geography are just some of the reasons why the Singleton Sanctuary is so special. 

The low-level winds had a northerly component being drawn into the westerly snowsquall setting up on the Tug Hills of northern New York State. About five feet of fresh snow would accumulate on the Tug Hills and the adjacent Interstate 81 over the course of the next five days. Highways all around the Great Lakes would be treacherous and many would get closed at least temporarily. 

The cirrus was part of the circulation around the upper low which was driving the northwesterly flow of cold Arctic air. The weather pattern was stagnant with the dominant low stalled over western Quebec and northeastern Ontario. Fresh Arctic air was being pumped over the unusually warm Great Lakes. The lake temperatures were well above normal values. 

The meteorology of snowsqualls is actually fairly simple. Cold air is delivered by moderate winds over warm water. The Arctic winds need to be well aligned over a deep layer in the lower atmosphere. Snowsqualls require at least 13 Celsius degrees of difference between the lake and the atmospheric temperature around 5000 feet above the lake (850 mb). The intensity of the snowsquall convection increases with this temperature difference. Thunderstorms are likely if the temperature difference exceeds 20 degrees. 

The Singleton Sanctuary is located at the yellow star
on the map in the upper right of the above graphic. 

Snowsqualls are essentially a form of severe convection. They only lack the towering heights of summer supercells. The snowsqualls are also more intense with winds that are really well aligned. The impact of snowsqualls can far exceed those of a dramatic summer thunderstorm. 

Snowfall accumulations can reach extreme limits with the duration of these events and the time the winds point at particular onshore locations. The geography of the Great Lakes favours some onshore locations more than others but we will leave that meteorology for another day. 

I love snow but towering snow banks can make everyday life come to a halt. Singleton only gets really significant snow accumulations from slow-moving winter storms or the rare 230-degree snow squalls off Lake Ontario. 

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

Warmest regards and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick 

#2905 "Sunrise on Sand Lake"

#2905 "Sunrise on Sand Lake"
14 X 11 inches oils on canvas.
Elliot Bay of Sand Lake looking toward the northeast
at sunrise from very near N44.556058° W76.289842°

The sun was only about ten minutes above the northeastern horizon on the opening day of bass season. The streets of stratocumulus were backlit and thus darker in their middle. Only the dark sides of the more distant clouds were visible while the undersides of the overhead stratocumulus were still catching the sun's rays. Those cloud bottoms were white due to Mie scattering of the radiation in a forward direction from the large cloud droplets. 

The sky's deep blue was a product of Rayleigh scattering from atmospheric molecules. Short wavelengths of blue light are preferentially cast in all directions. 

The shorelines became increasingly pale with distance as the scattering of light from dust in the lowest levels of the atmospheric ocean added white to the mix of colours that the eyes witnessed. 

The overhead patch of cirrocumulus in the upper left corner was illuminated from the bottom. That patch of cloud was essential to complete the weather story. 

Given the fetch and the geography of Sand Lake, the light breeze had to be associated with the easterly flow of a cold conveyor belt. The thin patch of cirrocumulus was the only indication that a low-pressure system was generating gentle lift in the upper atmosphere. The next weather system was approaching from the southwest. That system was still a long way off, so there were no immediate concerns although the dark stratocumulus can look ominous! 

The following graphic explains how the speed of the system approach can match the wind in the cold conveyor belt resulting in a "calm before the storm" experience with nil wind at the surface.

If the system speed is a bit slower or the cold conveyor belt stronger associated with a 
more vigorous weather development, the observed wind at the surface would be easterly as
witnessed on June 15, 2024, at 5:44am in Elliot Bay, Sand Lake. Weather was on the way! 

Note that the surface winds are backed by about 30 degrees from the orientation of the stratocumulus streets because of friction at the surface (see "Meteorology Meets Oceanography" for the story of the Ekman Spiral)

The viewing location for #2905 "Sunrise on Sand Lake" is in the centre of the above map. 
Most of my work has been located using GPS technology.

The cirrocumulus was associated with the leading edge of the warm conveyor belt (WCB in the above graphic). 

Together the clouds told the story of a departing high-pressure area and the approach of a low. All of the clues in the sky are consistent with the puzzle pieces of the conceptual model That is weather as it should be and it keeps life interesting. The conveyor belt conceptual model of disturbances within the atmospheric ocean is a great place to start exploring the sky and reading the clues in the clouds.

The white pines stretched into the sky. The sun glinted off the rippled lake creating a golden path to follow in search of the elusive 6-pound bass. Light reflection prevails at those glancing angles otherwise water refracts 

more energy than it scatters. 

The only hints of cottages were the sparkles of light reflected from the shoreline docks. That is Fahey Island to the right of the sun. 

The day would be a beauty surrounded by nature, regardless of whether one caught any fish. Of course, none of the science described is required to enjoy a day on the water. I enjoy reading the sky stories and becoming closer to the weather. Sharing this science and those details just helps to make the story behind a painting more complete. 

There is a familiar saying:

"When the wind is in the east, then the fishes bite the least; When the wind is in the west, then the fishes bite the best."

The truth behind this ditty can be found in science. The higher atmospheric pressure of the departing high can influence the air in a fish's swim bladder, making it feel less interested in taking any bait that might be offered. Those east winds also bring cooler temperatures, which affect the hatch of aquatic insects, which in turn determines fish activity. Finally, fish generally avoid bright sunshine and tend to stay in the depths rather than rise to a surface lure. 

The fishing was likely to be unproductive on the morning of opening day. The bass would be more likely to bite later in the day with the arrival of lower atmospheric pressure, milder temperatures and the cloud cover of the warm conveyor belt. 

This was a painting for a dear friend. I picked up the brushes again after a very unusual autumn. I had not painted since the International Plein Air Painters (IPAP) WORLDWIDE Paint Out in early September. I really missed it!  The tunes and wood stove were making some very merry music inside the Singleton Studio. I do not know if my friend caught any fish...

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

Warmest regards and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick 

#2904 "Cottage at the Tip of Long Point on Red Horse Lake"

#2904 ""Cottage at the Tip of Long Point on Red Horse Lake"
4  X 6  and 1/4 profile (inches).
Started 11:30 am Friday, September 13th, 2024
from very near N44.540953° W76.074176°

This was the sixth and final work of the three-day International Plein Air Painters (IPAP) WORLDWIDE Paint Out. There was not much of an "internet" in the autumn of 2001 to facilitate the forming of the International Plein Air Painters Organization. This plein air painting group was simply started within "Yahoo Groups". Small gatherings of artists responded to the horrific tragedy that was 911 throughout the United States, Canada, Brazil, Italy and some islands in the Caribbean. In 2024 International Plein Air Painters celebrates its 23rd Anniversary. I am a Charter and Honours Signature member of IPAP joining immediately in October 2001 when approached by the founder and my friend Jacq Baldini. 

This is the cottage on the south side of the bottleneck separating the large east and west basins of Red Horse Lake. As the name indicates, this piece of paradise is at the very tip of Long Point which divides the basins of Red Horse Lake. 

Long Point like all ridges in the Frontenac Arch are aligned from the northeast to the southwest. These ridges are the remains of the ancient Laurentian Mountains. 

The Laurentians Mountains are one of the oldest mountain ranges on earth. The range formed around one billion years ago during the Grenville orogeny, in which the Grenville Province formed, a subdivision of the Canadian Shield. During that time, Laurentia, the geologic core of the Canadian Shield, collided with other continents and formed Precambrian rocks which extend across the range.

The ice sheet was up to 2 kilometers thick over Red Horse Lake during the last ice age 24,500 years ago. Ice-free land appeared in southern Ontario as the glacier started to melt about 18,000 years ago. That was the beginning of the end of the last great ice age that covered Ontario. The meltwater would have spilled across the landscape finding low spots on the Laurentian Mountain range and spilling into the next valley. The beautiful lakes and ridges are the remaining tokens of that age. 

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

Life got very busy and I was not able to pick my my brushes again until late November. 

Warmest regards and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick 

#2903 "Summer Paradise at Hedgehog Island on Red Horse Lake"

#2903 "Summer Paradise at Hedgehog Island on Red Horse Lake"
4  X 6  and 1/4 profile (inches).
Started 11:00 am Friday, September 13th, 2024
from very near N44.541769° W76.076237° 

This was the fifth work of the three-day International Plein Air Painters (IPAP) WORLDWIDE Paint Out. There was not much of an "internet" in the autumn of 2001 to facilitate the forming of the International Plein Air Painters Organization. This plein air painting group was simply started within "Yahoo Groups". Small gatherings of artists responded to the horrific tragedy that was 911 throughout the United States, Canada, Brazil, Italy and some islands in the Caribbean. In 2024 International Plein Air Painters celebrates its 23rd Anniversary. I am a Charter and Honours Signature member of IPAP joining immediately in October 2001 when approached by the founder and my friend Jacq Baldini. 

I also painted this windswept point in #2685 "End of the Line on Webster Road". The cottage on the north side of the bottleneck separating the east and west basins of Red Horse Lake has always caught my eye. Apparently, this cottage is on Hedgehog Island according to the maps I could find. The flagged pines on the exposed tip of Hedgehog Island never cease to inspire my brush. 

Occasionally I see vehicles parked at this pretty cottage. Webster Road must be passable but I have never driven it. Once in a spring flood (I think it was 2014), I actually paddled to Webster Road via Lyndhurst Creek and Mud Lake. Webster Road was washed out at that point. The actual roadbed was 10 to 15 feet above the flood waters but the torrent had burst through a significant chunk of the road making it impassable by anything except my canoe. It was a fun paddle. Mud Lake is not very deep!

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

Warmest regards and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick 

#2902 "Shore Lunch Isle on Red Horse Lake"

#2902 "Shore Lunch Isle on Red Horse Lake"
4  X 6  and 1/4 profile (inches).
Started 10:30 am Friday, September 13th, 2024
from very near N 44.536882° W76.081923° 
 

This was the fourth work of the three-day International Plein Air Painters (IPAP) WORLDWIDE Paint Out. There was not much of an "internet" in the autumn of 2001 to facilitate the forming of the International Plein Air Painters Organization. This plein air painting group was simply started within "Yahoo Groups". Small gatherings of artists responded to the horrific tragedy that was 911 throughout the United States, Canada, Brazil, Italy and some islands in the Caribbean. In 2024 International Plein Air Painters celebrates its 23rd Anniversary. I am a Charter and Honours Signature member of IPAP joining immediately in October 2001 when approached by the founder and my friend Jacq Baldini. 

The only people that I have ever seen on this small island were fishing guides and their clients. There is a nice fire pit and a convenient place to relax in the midday heat. I have yet to discover a proper name for this particular island although the one just to the north is clearly labelled as Indian Island on maps. That island also sports a "No Trespassing" sign so I have never actually beached my canoe on its shore. 

I do not know the actual name of this island if there is one - yet. I just imagined that "Shore Lunch Isle" was most appropriate. 

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

Warmest regards and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick