#1996 "Saugeen Sailors"

This is the sixth demonstration piece for the Southampton Art School's Wind Waves and Weather 2017. We had a full and eager list of participants.

I asked the participants of Wind Waves and Weather what they wanted as a demonstration painting. I do not wish to infringe on their painting time but sometimes relaxing and watching me paint can be helpful. I try to describe what I am doing and why but often it is experience beyond any language. I roll my brush in my fingers and never really think of it. Sometimes I scrape paint on to the heel and sometimes the ferrule of the brush and then simply lay it where it belongs. These are natural reflexes developed over fifty years. I also leave varying amounts of the complementary tint of the canvas to peek through the brush strokes. The Canadian flags were three strokes apiece.

I have painted this row of sail boats before so I knew them well. I placed them high on the canvas and concentrated on the reflections and the water. The encouragement I received from the group was gratifying and still makes me smile. I covered things like how to do the sail boat masts and how to drive the brush where you want it to go... like driving a car... you look where you are going and not the front bumper. I forgot to take in progress pictures of this painting as I was so engrossed in the moment. The participants were so inspiring that I quite forgot. These pictures are courtesy of the participants.