#3002 "Trail into a Red Horse Sunset"

#3002 "Trail into a Red Horse Sunset"
36 X 12 inches, oils on canvas

Ten minutes after observing the inspiration for #3001 "Red Horse Snowy Trails", I encountered another series of tracks leading westward and up toward the edge of a high cliff. These tracks were also very old. Tracks lose their shape and actually spread outward with age. I suspect these were deer and turkey tracks as well. 

The afternoon sun was attempting to shine through the layer of altostratus cloud. Another winter weather system was on the way. That meant more snow and more tracks to observe. 

The cliff was actually where residents used to throw their garbage away - an "Out of Sight and Out of Mind Garbage Dump Site". 

Apparently, the Red Horse Lake Road Site is a historical landfill located in the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands that was closed in 2023 following an inspection by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks (MECP). I do not ever recall it being open, but I had heard tales of people launching appliances and trash from the top of the cliff. 

In 2024–2025, the Township undertook studies regarding the potential reclamation or further capping/maintenance of the Red Horse Lake Road Waste Disposal Site (WDS). The cost to reclaim and cap the dump was $135K! MECP has placed orders on the Municipality to comply with the Environmental Compliance Approvals (ECA). As a result, staff intend to include the required funds in the proposed 2026 Capital Budget to proceed with the required reclamation. See "Feasibility Study For Landfill Reclamation at the Historical Big Hill Road and Red Horse Lake Road Waste Disposal Sites.pdf" on the Web.

Even more important, I attempt to fix everything which is way better than recycling. As well, may I suggest a 2024 book, "Power Metal" by Canadian Vince Beiser. 

It describes the "race for resources" that will shape the future. It is an important read in the current consumerist, throw-away society, which is the polar opposite of a sustainable future. I quite enjoyed this eye-opening book that describes the challenges facing life on earth and how it relates to the climate crisis. 

"Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" are the three essential components of an environmentally responsible and sustainable future. Natural resources are conserved while minimizing waste sent to "landfills" where stuff is essentially thrown over the cliff and forgotten. This classic mantra of my youth originated with the first Earth Day held on April 22, 1970 in the United States. Earth Day in Canada did not arrive until 1990.

Reducing consumption is the most important step! Reusing and passing functional items along to others is also "green". Recycling can be very challenging, as exposed in "Power Metal". 

The environmental movement also addresses the climate crisis, but faces hypocritical opposition from powerful corporate and political leaders. The economy is based on consumption, the extraction of natural resources and a "throw-away" society, the polar opposites of "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle".

"Greenwashing" has become a deceitful big business complete with shallow, glad-handing politicians and smiling CEOs. Examples abound around the world. "Power Metal" explains the problem in Chapter 10 entitled "New Lives for Old Things". Check out "ifixit" which offers solutions. This initiative has thrived in the face of strong opposition. 

The "Alto | Shaping Canada's Future With a High-Speed Train" project is a timely Canadian example of a very flawed idea promoted as something "green" for the environment. I touched on this potential ecological disaster in early March 2026 with the "High-Speed Rail" blog. A thorough investigation into the extreme corporate and political corruption revealed in this project will require books and the efforts of a team of diligent investigative journalists. Follow the money! The perpetrators need to go to jail. There is nothing environmentally sound about this destructive, unwarranted, unwanted and unneeded project. I wanted to repeat that fact in time for Earth Day 2026 on April 22nd. 

The above Google Earth image reveals my location on Red Horse Lake Road as well as the deep valley just west of the cliff. At one time, people threw their "garbage" over the cliff at the tip of the "View" arrow. I have been told that some residents have since "mined" that trash for metals, recyclables and other historic and vaulable itmes. 

#3002 "Trail into a Red Horse Sunset" nearing completion on a cold winter day.

Art can be more than oils on a canvas... there can be much deeper meanings. Sometimes those truths need to be explained. 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels or go straight to the Collections. Here is the new Wet Paint Collection. Thank you for reading, and stay well!

Warmest regards, and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick  

#3001 "Red Horse Snowy Trails"

#3001 "Red Horse Snowy Trails" 36 X 12 (inches). Started at 9:30 am Monday, February 23rd, 2026.

It was a beautiful, sunny winter afternoon, and I decided to go for a long stroll along Long Reach Lane and Red Horse Lake Road. 

The spoor was days old, just north of Roddick Lane. Several snowfalls and the effects of the sun and the wind had eroded the defining marks which would have uniquely identified the travellers. I was pretty sure that deer and turkeys had used this same path. "Spoor" is a seldom-used word, which is why I employed it to mean "the track or scent of an animal." Unique titles are needed for the paintings, even though the chronological number is as individual as it gets. 

The shadows of trees snaked eastward across the undulating slope that led upward to the crest of the granite ridge that overlooks Red Horse Lake to the east. 

Red Horse Lake spans 746-acres in Leeds and the Thousand Islands Township. The two basins are deep, up to 122 feet. Red Horse is renowned for its lake trout, although bass and pike are common as well. Such lakes are rare in southern Ontario. 

The lake trout is a freshwater char living mainly in lakes in northern North America. Lake trout are the largest of the freshwater char. They have been reported to live up to 70 years in some Canadian lakes. Lake trout are also a slow-growing, late-maturing species with generally low reproductive potential. Though potentially long-lived, both males and females, on average, do not reach sexual maturity until six to eight years of age.

Red Horse Lake is actually stocked with lake trout, which is why the fishing season for them is open all year round. Happily, the trout have also been determined to be naturally spawning and reproducing, something they do in autumn each year. 

After winter, trout move to warmer, shallower areas where sunlight increases insect activity. Baitfish follow the insects, and both are enjoyed as a lake trout "smorgasbord". We sometimes see large trout swim upstream through Jim Day Rapids in the spring. The turbulence in the strong current even helps to oxygenate the water. Some trout make it as far as the dam at Lyndhurst (Furnace Falls), but there they are stopped. On occasion, these trout will get stuck in the pools just downstream from Furnace Falls when the spring floods subside. Those trout end up on someone's dinner table. 

As cold-blooded creatures, the lake trout return to the deeper water of Red Horse in the summer, where they can still find their preferred temperature range of 13°C to 16°C (about 58°F). Large schools of trout are often seen on the fish finder, enjoying that layer of temperatures in the deep water of Red Horse Lake. 

#3001 "Red Horse Snowy Trails" nearing completion on a very cold winter day...

I thought of this information as I painted. It is included to help explain why I believe this area is so very unique and special. Why the Frontenac Arch Biosphere was recognized as a UNESCO Biosphere in 2002. 

It seems that everywhere we have lived has been threatened by "development" - simply turning the environment into cash. As if the land is not perfect to start with... Land is viewed as a commodity and something to manipulate. Actually, the exploitation of nature is happening everywhere, ever faster around the globe. By 2030, our current consumption patterns will demand the resources of approximately two Earths to sustain global demand. Clearly, the plundering of nature is not sustainable and urgent action is long overdue. 

Immediate action includes:

• Transition to Renewable Energy: Shifting away from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and hydro power is crucial for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate change.
• Promote Sustainable Agriculture: Adopting sustainable farming practices that minimize soil erosion, reduce water consumption, and avoid the use of harmful pesticides is essential for preserving food security.
• Improve Resource Efficiency: Reducing waste in production and consumption, promoting recycling and reuse, and designing products for durability and repair can significantly lower our resource footprint.
• Encourage Sustainable Consumption: Promoting responsible consumption patterns, such as reducing meat consumption, buying local products, and minimizing waste, can help lower our individual ecological footprints.
• Invest in Education and Awareness: Raising awareness about the importance of sustainability and empowering individuals to make informed choices is critical for driving change.

ALTO, also known as the Toronto–Quebec City High-Speed Rail Network, threatens most of the above under the misguided guise of reducing carbon emissions. The estimated cost of up to $120 billion (about $3k for every citizen of Canada) is certainly underestimated to build the high-speed rail system that would effectively slice and block the essential north-south Algonquin-to-Adirondack (A2A) Nature corridor. That cost does not even include the trains or maintenance. Maintaining existing infrastructure is something that has been sorely overlooked. 

The goal of many of those who oppose ALTO is to simply fund and maintain the rails we already have, transforming that system into an affordable High Performance Train system. Transport 2000 had the answers for rail travel back in the 1970s. Rail can indeed be sustainable. There is no need for high speed, especially given the impacts on vital nature corridors (See The A2A Collaborative). The rail system should be twinned, with fares kept economically affordable. There is an urgent need to reduce the number of transports on the highways. We much prefer to travel by train and just relax, enjoying the ride. 

 

The high-speed rail is not expected to be finished until at least 2043, by which time the climate might be 3 degrees Celsius or more warmer than pre-industrial levels. Global warming is accelerating, with the planet heating at a rate of approximately 0.35°C per decade over the past 10 years, nearly double the 0.2°C per decade rate observed between 1970 and 2015. The impacts of those temperatures are beyond human comprehension, as they have never been experienced in this epoch. Please see my blog on the ALTO Project. 

The unsustainable and hypocritical nature of humans cannot be overstated. Humans are simply a naked ape and just another mammal. Not the owner and arrogant bully of all of Earth. The current Sixth mass extinction will effectively end the Holocene Epoch. 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels or go straight to the Collections. Here is the new Wet Paint Collection. Thank you for reading, and stay well!

Warmest regards, and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick  

#3000 "Barred Owl Forest"

#3000 "Barred Owl Forest" 
16 X 24 (inches).
Started 10:30 am Monday, February 16th, 2026

This is another image taken by my friend, John Verburg, a naturalist and terrific photographer. John provides a tremendous source of inspiration that encourages me to paint within the Singleton Studio when conditions outside are not conducive to plein air. 

Barred owls are favourite companions within the Singleton Sanctuary. I hear them communicate almost every time I head into the woods. This particular composition caught my eye with the interwoven tree branches of the forest and the calm expression displayed by the owl's eyes. John knew this particular owl well. Apparently, the owl also knew John. 

I typically start these portraits with the eyes and the beak. This time, I started with the background. My palette had gotten rather messy with a hodgepodge of oils. Those colours were just what I needed for the tangle of tree branches and the blur of the distant forest. I did tackle the eyes after those colours had been suitably used up and I had scraped my palette clean. 

The eyes of the very calm barred owl simply flowed. They were literally done in minutes, and I never touched them again. The owl stared very patiently back at me as I spent the next couple of weeks putting feathers on it and completing the tangle of branches. 

Owls have more feathers per square inch than most other birds for insulation. I did not count those strokes, but apparently, a Barred Owl has approximately 9,600 feathers. Those feathers provide dense, insulating plumage required for their non-migratory lifestyle and nocturnal hunting. Almost half of those feathers are concentrated on the head and neck. There are no feathers on the underside of their feet.

Done like dinner... time to step away from the easel and leave the owl alone. 

I have painted Barred Owls before and probably will again. Here are some earlier efforts. #2837 "January Barred Owl", #2920 "Barred Owl Friend" #2965 "Barred Owl Forest Canopy".

The lichen on the tree is a symbiotic blend of fungus and algae. It is a natural part of the forest and grows very slowly. 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels or go straight to the Collections. Here is the new Wet Paint Collection. Thank you for reading, and stay well!

Warmest regards, and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick  

#2999 "Singleton Sunrise with an Alberta Clipper on the Horizon"

#2999 "Singleton Sunrise with an Alberta Clipper on the Horizon" 
11 X 14 (inches).
Started at 9:00 am, Monday, February 9th, 2026.

Monday, February 9th, 2026, was very chilly. It was the last day of a cold Arctic outbreak. The cold was very much appreciated to combat some of the less tolerant invasive species. The spongy moth succumbs to temperatures below minus 29 Celsius. Sadly, ticks survive winter by entering a dormant state (diapause) and hiding in sheltered spots like leaf litter, soil, and brush, which insulates them from the extreme cold. Predictably, I will have tick encounters of the third-kind after the snow melts, but I am cautious and always hoping for a human vaccine to be developed. Until then we encourage the turkeys to forage nearby all year long. They eat ticks. There is no possum population at Singleton Lake yet, but they are on their way with climate change. 

Monday sunrise was at 7:16 am, exactly the time I took the inspirational picture. It was much too cold to paint outside, so I took a few photos in anticipation that I would make some time to paint. The sun had not yet reached the tips of the trees on the western shore of Singleton Lake. I was painting in the Studio before 9 am, working on the sunrise pictures that I had taken just a couple of hours before.   

The line of clouds on the western horizon at sunrise foretold milder weather. That band of altocumulus cloud was a deformation zone stretching perpendicular to the direction that the Alberta Clipper-type storm was moving. The surface winds were still light northerly as the ridge of high pressure had not yet reached Singleton. The smoke from Dale's chimney confirmed that wind direction. Thankfully, the smoke just flowed from the paintbrush with maybe two or three strokes.  

Interesting Nature can always be found... 

The Alberta Clipper is a fast-moving system and typically does not result in "warning criteria"  snow accumulations (15 cm within 12 hours), but the impacts on driving are comparable. Those impacts linger for the following day, especially where snowsqualls in the colder northwest flow behind the system blow onshore. The Great Lakes were partially frozen, so snowsqualls were not as serious as earlier in the winter. 

The water vapour image (above, lower left) was a classic example of a multi-layered deformation zone leading the warm conveyor belt and producing the cloud that I painted. 

I promoted the "Alberta Schooner" type system, which is slower than a clipper and quite likely to deliver more significant, warning-criteria snowfalls. That conceptual model, like others, did not catch on within the meteorological community. 

Appropriately, a Special weather statement was issued at 4:38 pm on Monday afternoon for "Period of snow expected Tuesday."

• What: Snowfall amounts of 5 to 10 cm; Reduced visibility at times in heavy snow.
• When: Beginning Tuesday morning and lasting through the afternoon. Possibly lasting into the evening for regions farther east.
• Additional information: An area of moderate to heavy snow will pass through portions of northeastern and southern Ontario on Tuesday.
• Response: Prepare for quickly changing and deteriorating travel conditions. Allow extra time for travel.

Apparently, the thinking was that this weather system was not a slower Alberta Schooner.

Tuesday was a snow day, and I was able to finish the Monday sunrise in the Studio. There was 20 centimetres of fresh snow on the ground. School buses were cancelled locally. Meteorology may not be as precise a science as nuclear physics... 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels or go straight to the Collections. Here is the new Wet Paint Collection. Thank you for reading, and stay well!

Warmest regards, and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick  

#0629 "Summer Fence"

#0629 "Summer Fence" 
16 x 20 inches
Started Wednesday, July 16th, 2003.

This is another look at the fence line to the south of Watershed Farm on the very crest of the Oak Ridges Moraine. The steep slope of the land was more effective than the rickety posts at keeping the cattle on the south side of the Coulter fence. 

The family Chesapeake and I headed out around 10 am, looking for something to catch my eye. I have always liked the swoop of the terrain along this portion of the fence. It was an overcast day with turbulent stratocumulus streets aligned with the northerly winds. The biting bugs weren't too bad, which was a treat.

A lot of old fences have granite rocks placed on top as caps. The granite rock on this post was rather small. 

There are at least a couple of reasons to put rocks on the top of fence posts. One reason is to remove the rock from the land so you won't hit it with the tractor or mower. Another might be to protect the wood from the elements and perhaps rot. Sometimes farmers use a scrap piece of metal. The third would be to perhaps frighten away any creature rubbing up against the post. The rock would be knocked off and startle the animal. The horses we look after were death to fence posts as they scratched their backsides. The rock could even be used at a later date to help straighten a leaning post. In Boy Scouts, they teach how to make a trail marker like that. A rock placed a certain way carries a special meaning. The final reason would be to encourage curious people like me to wonder why someone might place a rock on a fence post to start with. It is important to remember that a rock on a fence is not the same as a post turtle.

The "old farmer" explains the "post turtle" concept, typically to describe someone in authority.

 'You know he didn't get up there by himself, he doesn't belong up there, and he doesn't know what to do while he's up there, and you just wonder what kind of dumb ass put him up there to begin with'.

The term is most frequently applied to politicians and the Dunning-Kruger Effect, which briefly states why incompetence breeds confidence. 

Blue birds used to like nesting in the rotted top of cedar posts. I have replaced those nesting sites with hundreds of Peterson Blue Bird Houses, which are much better for nesting. The blue birds love them. If you see a Peterson Blue Bird House anywhere around the 12th Concession of King Township, it probably came from my workshop. I even painted on a few of them. 

This is a special place on the crest of the Oak Ridges Moraine. It is land that is worth preserving. "The Connecting with Nature, Oak Ridges Moraine" art book received the 2009 Moraine Hero Award for demonstrating remarkable efforts in protecting the Oak Ridges Moraine. Money was raised in an attempt to preserve the environment for all to enjoy. Several other King artists were involved in this wonderful book that Herbert Pryke initiated and designed. 

I use art to connect with both the past and the present. "Her" and "Hist" story provide the roots that link us all to the land and nature… otherwise we are dust blowing in the wind. Life in the slow lane might be sustainable.

For this and much more art, click on Pixels or go straight to the Collections. Here is the new Wet Paint Collection. Thank you for reading, and stay well!

Warmest regards, and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick 

#2998 "Singleton Split Cedar Fence"

#2998 "Singleton Split Cedar Fence" 
11 X 14 (inches).
Started at 9:30 am Friday, February 6th, 2026

I was in a pioneer mood after completing #2997 "Singleton Pioneer Cedar Rail Coral". There are many sides to this story, just as there are many potential paintings. 

I strolled into the paddock where the livestock had been safely kept. It was not very large, but they probably only had a couple of horses and maybe a cow or two. Trees were used as handy posts for the corners of the paddock. Modern steel "T-Rail" fencing supplemented the original structure. 

The following shows the main features in both paintings of the pioneer coral seen from opposite directions. Perspective and lighting really influence the art.

There were a lot of critter tracks in the snow, which made the scene even more interesting. Rabbits, squirrels, coyotes and deer were the makers of those tracks. Of course, I made a few footprints as well, but that is all I left behind. 

The following collage gives a current look at the remains of the pioneer structures. The satellite view (above right) has north at the top, allowing the viewing directions mentioned, to make sense of the images below.

There are 19 UNESCO Biosphere Regions across Canada helping communities thrive in harmony with nature. These unique and important regions are spread from coast to coast to coast. See the names on the map!

The First Nations lived in close communication with nature and the land. 21st-century humans have lost their way and are squandering the environment in a headlong lust for profit. Just my opinion, of course, but the laws of physics will prevail over those of man. The Climate Crisis is upon us. 

The Frontenac Arch is one of those select few recognized as a globally significant and unique treasure with one of Canada’s largest diversities of plant and animal communities. As a sustainable travel destination, the Frontenac Arch Biosphere, FAB is dedicated to sharing travel options that benefit the social, economic, natural and cultural environments of the biosphere and surrounding area. By choosing sustainable travel options when you visit, you help to protect the biodiversity of this beautiful region while supporting local economies and businesses striving to be more environmentally sustainable. The proposed ALTO High Speed Rail Project would bisect the FAB and is in no way sustainable. 

Singleton Lake is right in the middle of the Frontenac Arch Biosphere (the area within the green outline below), as revealed by the following map. All of the unique and special species find a safe haven here. We work hard to keep making it better every year. It is a labour of love, and that keeps us so busy that there is no time or desire to leave the sanctuary. 

I chronicle this special place with my art in the same way that Tom Thomson recorded Algonquin Park - not that I am Tom, but we certainly share many things, even being separated by 70 years in time. As the "Group of One", I do not feel any need to venture to the south of France to paint. Everything can be found within the FAB. 

The grey rat snakes go so far as to even call our home their home. They are quite harmless, and we love to have them around, keeping the mice at bay. The snakes like to sun themselves on the front door mat. I watch my step across the threshold every time I open any of the doors. 

Nature is another reason to just stay home and paint. This place is quite unique and worth caring for. The British engineers, as described in #2997 "Singleton Pioneer Cedar Rail Coral", were absolutely wrong when they surveyed the FAB two hundred years ago… totally missing what is really valuable.

Henry David Thoreau was right… a prominent transcendentalist, deeply valued nature as a spiritual "tonic" and essential for human existence, famously stating, "in wildness is the preservation of the world". 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels or go straight to the Collections. Here is the new Wet Paint Collection. Thank you for reading, and stay well!

Warmest regards, and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick 

PS: Money may talk, but as humans will discover, nature and physics carry a much bigger stick. Humans will be a big part of the Sixth Mass Extinction brought on by the insatiable greed for fossil fuels and the climate catastrophe. Humans failed to discover how important it is to be empathetic and to live in harmony with others and nature. Respect is the single word that sums up the issue. Respect for nature, the environment and each other is desperately needed. 

PSS: The proposed High-Speed Rail system is exactly the wrong thing to do. Many have written about this ridiculous proposal in an attempt to educate the politicians. The proposal would effectively destroy much of what FAB has to offer. Simple greed and corruption ... Thoreau also said: "Our duty is to use the land well, and sometimes not to use it at all."

#0624 "April Melt"

0624 "April Melt"
16 x 20 inches
Started Friday, April 11th, 2003, Collection of a Toronto patron

The family pets and I headed out again to paint. We didn't go very far. The Maine Coon cat was less adventurous than her friend, the Chesapeake. 

I liked the colours in the last of the melting snow and ice pellets. Shafts of light poked through the tangle of branches in the forest, laying down an interesting interplay between the shadows and the light snaking across the tumbled snow surface. 

The honey bees were flying once again with the temperatures peaking around 15 degrees Celsius. The temperature was the reason for the strong and dramatic melt as well as the title. 

Jo, the cat, hung out around the easel while Jazz the Chesapeake chased mice and squirrels in the forest. Chauncy the horse and her companions just nosed around in the mix of straw, hay and manure behind the barn. 

Sometimes, plein air painting can be a family affair accompanied by a large cast of characters. The story completes the brushwork and vice versa. I loved these creatures, although in truth, I was never overly fond of the horses. They were entitled with sweet grain and very hard on the fencing. 

Wonderful memories of the family at Watershed Farm. 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels or go straight to the Collections. Here is the new Wet Paint Collection. Thank you for reading, and stay well!

Warmest regards, and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick 

#2997 "Singleton Pioneer Cedar Rail Coral"

#2997 "Singleton Pioneer Cedar Rail Coral" 
12 X 16 (inches).
Started 10:00 am Tuesday, February 3rd, 2026

I needed to loosen up my brushes after completing some very intricate work where accuracy really mattered. A short stroll along memory lane (aka Long Reach Lane) provided just what I needed. 

History places the current time and experiences within context. Both are very important. The Singleton Sanctuary is mostly unchanged since the 1800s, except for the two acres of our home. Solar PV and hot water panels are relatively new inventions. The forest was never commercially logged, as it was pretty much inaccessible compared to other forests. The environment might even be better now for nature, considering all of the bird houses and shelters installed since 2006. 

In 1783, Captain Justus Sherwood was sent by Frederick Haldimand, the governor of Quebec, to scout out potential locations for settling Loyalist refugees fleeing the 1776 American Revolution. Sherwood dismissed the forty-mile stretch of terrain north of the Thousand Islands between Elizabethtown (Brockville) and Kingston as "exceedingly bad, being a constant succession of stoney ledges and sunken swamps, altogether unfit for cultivation....". Sherwood was describing the UNESCO Frontenac Arch Biosphere (FAB) and our home. Designated in 2002, it is one of Canada’s 19 Biosphere Regions and is recognized for its significant biodiversity, acting as a natural bridge connecting the Algonquin Arch to the Adirondack Mountains. It is one of four such reserves located in Ontario. 

Sherwood's fellow officer, Lieutenant Gershom French, led by Native guides, travelled up the Ottawa River that same summer, explored the Rideau River to its headwaters, and then portaged to scout the possibilities for settlement along the Gananoque River. Lieutenant French paddled in front of our home through Jim Day Rapids. His conclusion was equally bleak: "From our entrance in the River Gananoncoui to its fall into the St. Lawrence, I did not discover as much good land conveniently situated as would serve one Farmer." 

Such were the 1783 descriptions of where we call home. A 1795 survey crew was attempting to locate a path for a canal designed to avoid the threat of an American invasion across the relatively narrow St Lawrence River. From their journal descriptions, the crew possibly camped under our shagbark hickory tree on the eastern shore of Singleton Lake. They produced map Number 4 for the Gananoque Canal Plan, referring to the waterway as "Jem Dey's Rapids". That Gananoque River alternative to the Rideau Canal never got built. Somehow, the name of the fast current morphed into "Jim Day Rapids". No one seems to know how or why. The shoreline still looks the very same more than 200 years later, except for where a boating channel was blasted in 1923, as noted in white on the following map.  

These log structures and cedar rail fences probably date from the early 1800s. No one knows for certain. Lyndhurst, initially named Furnace Falls, was the site of the first iron smelter in Canada west of Quebec. The iron works were built in remote wilderness conditions in 1801 by Wallis Sunderlin, a loyalist ironmaster from Vermont. By 1803, there were two mills, and a hotel - complete with a 10-gallon liquor still. Furnace Falls fell apart in 1811 when the ironworks were destroyed by fire, Sunderlin died, and his family returned to the United States smeared with rumours that the ironworks had been used to make armaments for Yankee sympathizers - an unpopular action for the Loyalists. 

The village was reborn in 1828 when Charles and Jonas Jones built new mills at the waterfall. The farm on the eastern shore of Singleton was only 5 kilometres downstream. 

Life was certainly a struggle during the pioneering days. The agricultural and waterway potential for the area was panned by the military surveyors as being "exceedingly bad". The beauty of the natural environment was thus spared, just waiting to be rediscovered in 2006 for what it really was... We are so very lucky to be able to call it home. 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels or go straight to the Collections. Here is the new Wet Paint Collection. Thank you for reading, and stay well!

Warmest regards, and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick 

#0618 "One More Drift"

#0618 "One More Drift" 
Masonite Panel 11 x 14 inches.
Started Tuesday, March 25th, 2003.

This was one of the last times of the winter season of 2003 that I headed south to the neighbour's fence line to catch the last pockets of deep snow. This view was looking eastward across some of the fencing that had already been included in previous works. The colours of the basswood trees in the sunlight, as well as the colours in the grass and the distant cedars, caught my eye. Retreating stratocumulus hung low over the Toronto horizon. The city had not yet swallowed up Hammertown, but it was coming... 

Once again, my honey bees were flying and landing on my palette and my clothing. It was nice to hear them buzzing around me. I'm certain that it would have made some people very nervous, but these were my employees and friends. 

The family Chesapeake was with me and proceeded to tear the lower, dead branches off the pine trees and chew them down to size so that I could throw them. She spent a lot of time roaming in Jimmy Coulter's fields across the fence line. She did not disturb the cattle and was simply curious. 

This is a special place on the crest of the Oak Ridges Moraine. It is land that is worth preserving. The devious efforts of the current Conservative Provincial Government to profit from the dismantling of the "Greenbelt" are really quite criminal. The authorities have yet to put anyone in jail. 

I loved my honey bees, but could not keep them alive due to the proliferation of chemicals and diseases. There were six healthy colonies at the peak, around 2001, producing more than a thousand pounds of unbelievable honey. I used to sit quietly in the grass watching the bees come and go. Sometimes I had my film camera with me, which provided the above memories.

My friend Paul Chantree was a professional apiarist and generously guided my efforts. I learned much from Paul. He was also a knowledgeable weather enthusiast interested in preserving the safety of the community. We were very active in CANWARN. His family continues his legacy.

I compared commercial Billy Bee Honey to preparing a fine meal, but first taking that delicious spread from thousands of bee colonies and passing it through a blender before the flavours reached your palate. What a mistake that would be... so Philly Bee refused to do that to his bees. I spun out each frame separately into mason jars so that the bees' effort and specific flavours were preserved for all to enjoy.

There are many other paintings from this part of the fence line. Here is a collage of just a few of those. 

The smooth and slippery surface of  "One More Drift" was fun. A lot of oil was used. The brush strokes got a little wild. Lay it in and leave it alone was my plein air motto. 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels or go straight to the Collections. Here is the new Wet Paint Collection. Thank you for reading, and stay well!

Warmest regards, and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick