#2299 "Sunny Snowy Long Reach Afternoon"

Sometimes the first painting after a long absence is the best. You might have some thick oils to use as well as some pent up energy. I was very hopeful as I headed out looking for inspiration. The afternoon sun felt good on my back. The sounds of the forest birds were music to my ears. The nuthatches seem to make the most chuckling sounds. Two trumpeter swans were in the front yard so I painted on the other side of the home so as not to bother them. The swans were used to us but I still give them their privacy.

I have painted the white pine tree tunnel portion of Long Reach several times before but every day is a new challenge. The three tall white pines guard the hill that the lane must climb in order to get to Long Reach. I painted fast many loose. There were about six inches of snow down on the field. Grasses and brush poked through that blanket of snow in a random fashion. It was fun! There was not much sun in December and more cloud was pushing northeastward across Lake Ontario with a warm conveyor belt. I finished up just as it clouded over. I went inside to attend to my Honey Do list. Washing the floors to get ready for Christmas was next on my list and it was a workout!

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#2298 "November Warm Sector Sunset"

It is vitally important to enjoy every sunset. The time is well spent or well wasted at the very least. It was 5 pm on Tuesday November 26th, 2019. A huge winter storm was churning eastward across Iowa destined to track north of Singleton Lake.

The col in the deformation zone was also to the north as would be expected. Patches of sunset altocumulus were backlit by the twilight. The cloud was patchy in the anticyclonic portion of the deformation zone also as one would expect due to the subsidence. Gravity waves in the cloud indicated that the system relative winds were northwesterly as they should be. Clouds and their shapes are formed in the atmosphere frame of reference even though we are tied to the ground. Every cloud has a story to tell and I am all ears. That is how you learn.

I used the last number on my roll of blue masking tape. I had a new green roll of numbered masking tape ready to go. It was raining outside when I started this painting the next day in the Singleton Studio. It was a cold rain with an equally cold easterly conveyor belt producing a chilly easterly surface breeze. It was a very good day to be warm in front of the wood fire with the tunes on.

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#0524 "Hall's Lake"

The southeasterly end of Hall's Lake as it appeared during the morning of Thursday February 22nd, 2001. The hill beyond the lake is Mackenzie Mountain which is reputed to be one of the spots where the recruits for the rebellion of 1837 trained and hid out. It was selected since even in that time, they could see anyone coming from any direction for some distance. There was a depression dug in the top of the hill apparently for troops to lie and watch.

The Upper Canada Rebellion was an insurrection against the oligarchic government of the British colony of Upper Canada (present day Ontario) in December 1837. Public grievances against the Family Compact and the associated political corruption had existed for years. William Lyon Mackenzie had launched a newspaper in July 1836 called the "Constitution". He used the paper in a manner similar to Benjamin Franklin in the United States during the years leading to their own revolution. Mackenzie would complain and satire about the manner in which members of the Family Compact utilized their official political positions for monetary gain and graft. The Upper Canada Rebellion was largely defeated at the Battle of Montgomery's Tavern in December 1837. I remembered this history as I walked and painted around the hills of the Oak Ridges Moraine and Mackenzie Mountain. Sadly it seemed to me that power and greed never really changed as I hummed the song by "The Who" saying we "Won't Get Fooled Again". I was happy trying to lead a life like Henry David Thoreau.

It was very cold with a brisk southwest wind. The wind chill forced me to work a fair bit with gloves on although I still painted the details with the gloves off. There is a delicate balance to be achieved when handling the art brushes in cold weather. One needs to feel the ferrule sometimes to work the oils but when you one to be painterly, you work your grip down to the tip of the handle for greater expression and less control. As your bare fingers get colder, it is more of a challenge to feel the brush until your hands freeze altogether. At that chilly extreme it is best to wear gloves but then one cannot feel the brush either.

My farmer friend worked this land that was owned by a former Minister of Finance for the Federal government. Brad is one 'helluva' nice guy, the kind who makes the country the neighbourly place to live. His tractor was much bigger than my 1969 Massey Ferguson. He could pick my tractor up with his after I got it stuck in a snow bank...

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Paint The Town Kingston - Part of the Annual Great W O R L D W I D E Artist Paint Out by IPAP

The International Plein Air Painters Artists Organization also known as IPAP has conducted the Great  W O R L D W I D E  Artist Paint Out since 2003. I have participated every year. It is fun and creative and outside. What could be better? Nothing...

In recent years (since 2014), I have participated in the Kingston School of Art (KSOA) sponsored portion of the Worldwide Paint Out. I would rather participate and paint than organize the event as I did for several years in Rockport. The Kingston Organizers have the hosting of this event down to a very fine art - so to speak. It is fun - there is lots of camaraderie and the terrific painting material is just around every corner.

I am writing this to let the secret out. If you are a plein air painter and want to have fun with new friends or even old ones, I would plan on participating in the 18th  Great W O R L D W I D E Paint Out September 11 - 12 - 13, 2020. Enrollment is easy and free. They even have sponsored beverages and snacks - juices, coffee and Tim Horton Donuts... and door prizes.

Come paint with us... have some fun!

#0578 "The Schomberg River"

I was looking for something to paint and was on my way home from getting supplies from my friends at the Schomberg Cashway. The building of Watershed Farm was mainly done but there was always something left to do to make it better. Cashway was my "go to" store for almost everything. I noticed the well used path headed north along the hydro line off the 19th Sideroad just west of the hamlet of Lloydtown. I drove north about 300 metres until it got too rough for the Toyota Corolla. I explored down to the Schomberg River. It did not take long to find a painting.

This view is facing east-southeast along a shallow section of the river. The sounds of the babbling stream filled the air along with all of the birds inhabiting the lush river valley. The black flies were enjoying the midday hours as well. In 2002 there were plans to extend Highway 427 north through this rich valley right through this painting site. Oh my...

A friend told me a story about a farmer who had once owned the land around MacKenzie Mountain between the 12th Concession of King and Mount Wolfe Road. A large kettle lake was the feature of his land. A dam made this lake much bigger and deeper. In those early days the pioneers did not even think of the impacts of water diversion. One day the dam gave way. I do not know it was intentional or accidental. The flood water roared along the valley of the Schomberg River that roughly paralleled the 19th Sideroad. The man jumped on his horse to try to warn the residents of Schomberg but the water got there first. The Schomberg Mill was damaged for sure but again, I do not know how much. That mill pond was dry when we lived in the village although suckers and other fish did come up the Schomberg River to spawn in the late 1980's.

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#0795 "My Lawn"

I was out standing beside the honey bee colonies on the front hill of Watershed Farm by 9 am. The water from the front hill trickled to Kinnifick Lake and eventually to Lake Simcoe via the Schomberg River and the Holland Marsh. The 12th Concession of King is a straight-as-an-arrow road except where if diverts around Kinnifick. Apparently the kettle lake is so deep that it was next to impossible to fill it in to allow the road to go straight through. At one time the road was indeed straight and crossed over the ice - until at least one horse and carriage broke through and sunk way out of sight. Meanwhile the water on the back hill drained through the Humber River system to Lake Ontario. That explains the name of the 25 acres of paradise that we discovered at the very crest of the Oak Ridges Moraine. Watershed Farm was in this suburb of Hammertown that Toronto had yet to discover.

My wife had wanted more flower paintings so I decided to paint "my lawn". The dandelions were opening up under the bright May sun. The bees were busy working the fresh blossoms of my pretty flowers.

One bee got trapped in my shirt and she started to get angry. I stripped off in a hurry and didn't get stung and I believe I saved the bee as well. The wind picked up and clouds of pollen were blown out of the spruce trees that I was standing beside. This is why I enjoy painting en plein air. It is as much for the experience as it is for the art. I write these stories down so that I do not forget even though they are also recorded in the strokes of the brush.

I have a lot of dandelions in the lawn. These spring flowers have an undeserved reputation as being a weed. Dandelions are flowers lacking in good public relations. They are a good first food for the bees. Pesticides and herbicides are misguided.

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#0739 "Boom"

This is trying to catch the convection looking westward from behind the farmhouse of Watershed Farm. Things were happening pretty rapidly so I concentrated on getting the colours right. The shapes.... could follow. The title is after the thunder that was nearly constant and occurring to both my south and to my north.

There was a cirrus anvil directly over the home with new convection forming on what had to be an outflow boundary. I did not realize it at the time but an Air France Skybus got involved with the wind shear associated with the first cell. The Skybus skidded off the runway and burned exactly when I started to apply paint to canvas (4:02 PM EDT). There was miraculously no loss of life. You do not want to mess with severe convection. Wind shear is the worst when you get enhanced inflow lift as you fly into it. The pilot reacts by cutting the thrust and then the downdraft hits. In the downdraft the pilot needs all the power the engines can generate just to stay in the air. At this point the plane lands very "hot" on a very wet runway. I don't know if that is what really happened but it all occurred as I was painting.

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#0740 "Hot Water"

This is looking northwestward from just north of the Watershed Farmhouse at the very crest of the Oak Ridges Moraine and one kilometer north of Hammertown.

It was extremely hot and I had worked all day. I needed a digression so I reverted to my favourite pond. The water was hot and I am sure that all of nature was sweating it out like I was. By early August we have already had 30 days of 30 degree Celsius plus temperatures. It was 4.30 in the afternoon and I knew my hard-working wife would work late so I decided to paint so I wouldn't notice the passage of time and get annoyed... I just painted. My wife was like me and stayed to work overtime to get the job done even though it would be unrecognized and certainly unpaid. There were a few small black flies which were having a meals on me. My skin was medium rare in the heat.

The title is after a Jimmy Buffett song and album...

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#0791 "Cumulus and Altocumulus"

Around 5 pm I had finished my chores and simply wanted to paint. The family Maine Coon cat and I stood on the front lawn of Watershed Farm. It was a pleasant spring day and it was nice to be outside. We looked northerly and painted just what we saw.

The gusty northwest wind was blowing the cumulus around and tearing at the edges of the late day cloud while a deck of altocumulus spread in aloft. The altocumulus foretold of "large scale dynamic lift" and the approach of lower pressure. The altocumulus was part of the warm conveyor belt. Rain and snow did arrive with strong northwesterly winds.

The family Maine Coon cat relaxed at my feet and under the easel as I painted. She was more dog than cat having grown up with the family Chesapeake Bay Retriever.

The cat went for walks and helped me paint. She also encouraged afternoon naps. Our pal the Chesapeake had passed away in December 2004. That lovable creature was more cat than dog under the influence of the Maine Coon cat. She would wash herself fastidiously like a cat.

The dog also painted with me a lot although she was more interested in playing catch with the green tennis ball. They are still together at the crest of the Oak Ridges Moraine. They only ever knew complete freedom at Watershed Farm.

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#0790 "Spring Marsh"

By 9 am on Monday morning I was back at the pond and looking into the marsh. This is looking northwestward from the back hill of Watershed Farm into the dark pool beyond the pond. The swamp was coming to life again with the onset of spring. All of the creatures had been awake for hours. The Canada geese were nesting. Frogs and turtles were getting busy. I had some days off from my real career to worship in the cathedral of the great outdoors. All of nature attended the service which is held every day of the week.

The water was as high as it has ever been even though the beavers have evidently been removed from the environment. A local landowner objected to the beaver dams and the shoreline cutting of the smaller trees. I choose to work with nature. Everything needs a place to live and thrive. The beavers do a tremendous amount of work for no charge and create a very healthy and diverse wetland.

Working with beavers can evolve into a tremendous win-win experience. Beavers construct and maintain the precious wetlands that sponge up floodwaters, alleviate droughts, reduce erosion and raise the water table. These wetlands operate as the "earth's kidneys" to purify water. Several feet of silt collect upstream of beaver dams and the trapped toxins are broken down by microbes in the beaver created wetlands. Water downstream of dams is cleaner although probably refrain from drinking it. You will know what I mean if you have ever experienced beaver fever.

The colours of the dark water and the reflections caught my eye. This painting is all about matching the colours of the environment to those on the canvas. Of course I also wanted to have some fun...

This was the same pond painted in #0745 "The Pool" the previous August.

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#0745 "The Pool"

This is looking northwestward from the back hill of Watershed Farm into the dark pool beyond the pond. It was fairly early on Sunday morning and the flights of geese were straggling out of the wetland as the sun continued to rise. A couple of flocks swung around and landed in the pond to keep me company. I was most interested in getting the subtle shades of green right. The goldenrod was in full colour and became more pronounced as the morning wore on.

It was surprisingly warm and muggy for late August. This was my morning Sunday sermon in the cathedral of the great outdoors. All of nature attended the service.

I painted this pool many times. A very similar composition inspired me the following spring in #0790 "Spring Marsh".

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#0824 "Making Hay on the 12th Concession"

During the mid afternoon hours of a hot August day I headed south on the 12th Concession because I had noticed some round bales in the field on the northeast corner of the 17th Sideroad and the 12th Concession. This corner was the main intersection of Hammertown. In fact it was the only intersection. The ringing anvil of the busy blacksmith gave the village its name. The blacksmith shop of Thomas Elmer was on the southeast corner of the intersection. Scottish families settled the area starting in 1842. The Hammertown post office opened in 1912 on the northwest corner of the intersection and stayed operational until 1947. Hammertown even had two churches - a Baptist and a Methodist Church. Hammertown was a busy spot with a meat market and thriving shops. Watershed Farm at the crest of the Oak Ridges Moraine was one kilometer to the north of the main intersection of Hammertown. It was a wonderful place to live.

The sun would be coming from over my right shoulder and there were some interesting cumulus clouds developing. The wind was a hot blustery breeze from the west... and my back. As a result the down wind rounded edges of the cumulus was what I was viewing. One cannot tell the wind direction by looking at the shape of these cumulus clouds.

The round bales on the top of the hill looked like they could go for a roll if they were given the slightest nudge. I have heard it happen that a round bale was released from the machine only to roll down the hill and through the hay wagon and a couple of fences. Large round bales typically weigh 300 to 400 kilograms (660–880 lb). When they get rolling down a hill, the potential energy of height is easily converted into a lot of kinetic energy. This happened to a farmer friend of mine who could only watch it happen.

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