#2411 "Peggy's Cove Fishing Village"

Peggy's Cove has changed so much over the years despite the best efforts to keep the area the same as it remains in the memories of the old timers. This image is from June 1978 BC (BC stands for Before Children in this usage) and Peggy's Cove still looked like a quaint and authentic fishing village. The Cove was an unhurried Sunday drive along the Prospect Road which was also known as Peggys Cove Road or Highway 333. Many of the buildings that Linda and I saw in June 1978 have transformed to meet the demands of the burgeoning tourist trade. We would go to the Sou'Wester for a lunch and then continue along the south shore of Nova Scotia. There was always something to see and to inspire. 

Shearwater was my first meteorological posting. If you wish to learn about the weather, go east young man. The weather was always changing and the art of a careful analysis of the science and the observations were still key to understanding the meteorology and the concern of the day. I wish I had a few of those early analyses on hand plotted maps with coloured terrain. The weather of the eastern seaboard taught me a lot. I am still learning and hopefully will never stop remaining the eternal student. 

The original lighthouse at Peggy's was built in 1868. Exactly 100 years later, in 1968 the Campbell family opened the Sou'Wester Restaurant. The Sou'Wester had been in business for ten years when we visited on this particular day in June. The Sou'Wester celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2018 and is still going strong. We always return to Peggy's Cove when we get back to Nova Scotia. 

This image was from when one could still go into the DeGarthe Studio and stand on the balcony at the rear. I vaguely recall that William was not there that day and I missed speaking with him. I was not aware that he was really ill at the time. He suffered a heart attack shortly after this image in 1979 and was diagnosed with cancer in 1982. He died in a Toronto hospital on February 13, 1983 - William E. deGarthe William deGarthe (1907–1983) . I once watched deGarthe at work on his granite sculpture that was a tribute to the fishermen of the South Shore. I did not take his picture while he was working out of respect for the artist. deGarthe.htm 

There were herring gulls waiting on almost every perch. The herring gull population declined sharply during 19th century when they were hunted for eggs and feathers. The herring gulls have increased greatly during 20th century and expanded their breeding range far to the south along the Atlantic Coast. These gulls were waiting to clean up after the catch was processed by the fishermen. 

I was focussed on the boats and the buildings and the reflections in the water. I wanted to keep the brush strokes loose and heavy with paint. This canvas spent three months on the Singleton Studio easel - on and off. 

Oils on untinted stretched canvas - 36 X 48 (inches) by 7/8 (0.875) inches in depth. 

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#2421 "Sunflowers Turned to the Sun"

Choose to be happy...

I decided to keep the sun on my back and paint looking up into the head of the giant sunflower plant that towered above the Singleton Garden. It was only 10 am and an earlier start to painting than the past couple of days. The sunflowers were still tracking the early morning sun. Sunflowers turn their faces toward the sun as they follow it across the sky. This ability is known as heliotropism or solar tracking. Special motor cells at the bases of the flower buds shrink or enlarge as they absorb water, which moves their faces toward the sun. This is the same way that many other flowers track the sun. 

I read another explanation for this solar tracking that sounded a bit different. This explanation is based on unequal growth during the day. The side of the stem facing away from the Sun grows more than it does on its side facing the Sun. This uneven growth causes the stem to bend toward its shorter side, the side facing the Sun. They benefit by receiving more solar energy to perform photosynthesis. Sunflowers that turned toward the sun will grow faster and produce more offspring than those that do not.

The folklore of many cultures regarding sunflowers is interesting and magical. Sunflowers are often associated with truth, honesty, and loyalty. The story is also told that if you're having doubts about something, all you have to do is grab a sunflower from the field right at sunset and place it under your pillow. When you wake up in the morning, everything you have to do will be clear. 

Life takes many turns, just like sunflowers turn themselves to follow the light of the sun, fulfilling their natural magic. Sadly it is clear that we don't have a natural instinct towards such positivity written in our DNA. We need to be more like the sunflowers that naturally gravitate towards new opportunities, changes that helps them grow, initiatives that will make the sunflowers improve and cewrtainly look happier. 

The particular features and character of the rustic sunflower that Van Gogh to paint it. "It's the vibrant color that he liked, but it's also the form," Nienke Bakker, curator of a new exhibition at the Van Gogh Museum said. "The sunflower is a very strong and sturdy plant. It's not elegant and refined. The rustic sunflower has the roughness and unpolishedness of the real countryside and that is what Vincent felt strongly about." The sunflower, which Van Gogh once saw as decorative, became something almost sacred to him. The sunflower was a symbol that represented light itself, an ideal of an honest life lived in nature. His paintings, he wrote to his sister in 1890, were "almost a cry of anguish while symbolizing gratitude in the rustic sunflower." The sunflower brought Vincent comfort and familiarity and a certain glow and form that could raise his spirits in troubled times. As a result, Vincent took the sunflower as his own personal artistic signature, telling his brother Theo in another letter in 1889 that "the sunflower is mine." 

"The sunflower is mine, in a way." Vincent Van Gogh 

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#2419 "September Sunflower"

Wendy Banks is a proud, 6th generation farmer from Lyndhurst. Wendy's Country Market can be found at ​408 Fortune Line Road in the Rideau Lakes Township. To quote Wendy and to summarize how I feel, we are " In the middle of nowhere, and the centre of everything!" 

Wendy mailed out small packets of sunflower seeds in the COVID spring of 2020. We planted the three seeds that we received. Chipmunks got two of them but the survivor turned into a giant almost worthy of Jack and the Bean Stalk. A tape measure had it at ten feet tall and it still grew a few inches after that. I put a support tie on it to prevent it from being blown over by the Singleton winds. 

My friend, the red shouldered hawk scolded me while I painted. The blue jays were squawking telling me that fall was in the air. They were waiting for the sunflower seeds to ripen and be ready to eat. Hickory nuts were falling naturally as well as being launched from the upper limbs by the hungry squirrels. Life is never dull en plein air. 

Vincent would have loved to paint those flowers. I know I did. I used a small canvas and broad, rough brush strokes. I used a lot of paint too. I plan to do a series at different stages of growth and even decay. Life is good. 

"The sunflower is mine, in a way" said Vincent Van Gogh. I know that he would share though. I almost share my birthday with Vincent except that his was 100 years earlier than mine. 

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#2418 "In the Shade of the Spire"

This was the second day of the 2020 International Plein Air Painters (IPAP) Worldwide Paint Out. The International Plein Air Painters is a blanket organization created for the sole purpose of advancing the execution and enjoyment of plein air painting without the restrictions and limitations of borders or regions. 

I am a Charter and a Signature member dating from the fall of 2001. The horrific events of September 11th, 2001 prompted the creation of IPAP. Art is a universal language and we all benefit. The world needed the strong and positive response of art created outside and surrounded by nature. 

The midday sun was starting to get warm so I headed into the shade behind the Spire after checking into the Paint the Town Office. I liked the shadows in the narrow lane behind the church. The minister rode his bike into the parking lot and asked if he could park his bike without messing up my composition. Of course it was all right but I was struck by his display of thoughyfulness and consideration. 

I discovered that the Spire was "A BEACON REIMAGINED" when I searched for historical information regarding my subject matter. Churches have had to reinvent themselves to reflect the changes in society. The Spire was built in the 1850 as a Methodist Church. The building has always been open to serve everyone. The Spire is a vibrant community hub for the arts and non-profit groups, as well as serving as one of Kingston’s best performance venues. For more than 160 years, the magnificent historic building at 82 Sydenham Street has been a notable Kingston landmark. Open its doors on any particular day and The Spire is a bustle of activity and a seedbed for organizations both entrepreneurial and social. People of all ages, backgrounds, and convictions gather to celebrate the arts, to sing, to act, to dance, to find safe harbour and to learn together. Today, it is home to more than 20 not-for-profit groups, including the congregation of Sydenham Street United Church. 

The Spire continues to transform and open its doors to ever-broadening uses and people; it has a renewed life as a welcoming place to gather within our community and an even stronger beacon of hope, inspiration, and joy. An open and accepting downtown hub, The Spire serves 1,200 Kingstonians weekly. From office space leasing to performance hall rentals, The Spire has something for everyone.

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#2417 "Frontenac County Court House"

This was the second day of the 2020 International Plein Air Painters (IPAP) Worldwide Paint Out. The International Plein Air Painters is a blanket organization created for the sole purpose of advancing the execution and enjoyment of plein air painting without the restrictions and limitations of borders or regions. I am a Charter and a Signature member with Honours dating from the fall of 2001. The horrific events of September 11th, 2001 prompted the creation of IPAP. Art is a universal language and we all benefit. The world needed the strong and positive response of art created outside and surrounded by nature. 

The Frontenac County Court House in Kingston is the Courthouse for Frontenac County, Ontario. The Neoclassical building was designed by Edward Horsey and constructed by builders Scobell and Tossell. Alternation after 1874 fire added the dome tower. It overlooks City Park to its south, and Lake Ontario beyond. The front of the structure features the Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom. The building is made from limestone. The building was originally designed to house the Parliament of Canada when Kingston was considered as a permanent capital for Canada. It opened in 1858. Its domed roof tower designed by John Power was added in 1874 after a fire. The three-tiered fountain was added in 1903. In 1980 it was designated a National Historic Site of Canada. 

The City Park east of Queens was a very quiet place to paint as compared to Battery Park. I never took the time to visit this area while I was at Queens in 1972 through 1976. Nuclear physics kept me more than busy and I spent my life in Stirling and Jeffery Halls. There were a few people walking or playing frisbee with their dogs but otherwise the park was quiet. The few people that were around gave the strange, masked artist a wide birth. I thought it was a good time to record another Kingston landmark. Those fingers of cirrus in the sky told of the anticyclonic companion of the approaching warm conveyor belt and autumn rain. 

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#2416 "Battery Park Sunrise"

There were only a very few early morning joggers out at 7 am for the second day of the 2020 International Plein Air Painters (IPAP) Worldwide Paint Out. The International Plein Air Painters is a blanket organization created for the sole purpose of advancing the execution and enjoyment of plein air painting without the restrictions and limitations of borders or regions. I am a Charter and a Signature member dating from the fall of 2001. The horrific events of September 11th, 2001 prompted the creation of IPAP. Art is a universal language and we all benefit. The world needed the strong and positive response of art created outside and surrounded by nature. 

The nocturnal fog that had formed over Lake Ontario was already lifting due to the September sun. Southerly surface winds were shedding the fog which would soon be gone due to turbulent mixing and daytime heating. It was going to be a gorgeous late summer day. People were already increasing in numbers at Battery Park. 

The gravity waves in the cirrocumulus told the story of the next storm. A southerly warm conveyor belt would bring more high cloudiness across Kingston during the day. Sunday would be overcast with rain. It was best to paint while the sun shone so that is what I did. Kingston was still under the anticyclonic companion of the warm conveyor belt so there was still plenty of time to paint. 

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#2415 "Wolfe Island from Battery Park"

This was the first day of the 2020 International Plein Air Painters (IPAP) Worldwide Paint Out. The International Plein Air Painters is a blanket organization created for the sole purpose of advancing the execution and enjoyment of plein air painting without the restrictions and limitations of borders or regions. I am a Charter and a Signature member dating from the fall of 2001. The horrific events of September 11th, 2001 prompted the creation of IPAP. Art is a universal language and we all benefit. The world needed the strong and positive response of art created outside and surrounded by nature. 

The September sun was starting to wane. The daytime heating required to fuel the cumulus clouds in the large high pressure area was also diminishing. The cumulus gradually became flatter as I painted and then they were gone. The tops of the clouds had sunk through the cloud bases. Poof. 

This is the view from Battery Park looking toward Wolfe Island and the array of wind power generators. Another tour boat crossed my line of sight while I painted so I brushed it in. It was a beautiful day for a cruise. 

The waterfront was busy with people and many were not wearing masks or practising social distancing. I was wearing my mask. The line-ups of people waiting to get tested for the COVID virus were getting longer and wrapping around the K-Rock Centre. 

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#2414 "Royal Military College from Battery Park"

This was the first day of the 2020 International Plein Air Painters (IPAP) Worldwide Paint Out. The International Plein Air Painters is a blanket organization created for the sole purpose of advancing the execution and enjoyment of plein air painting without the restrictions and limitations of borders or regions. I am a Charter and a Signature member dating from the fall of 2001. The horrific events of September 11th, 2001 prompted the creation of IPAP. Art is a universal language and we all benefit. The world needed the strong and positive response of art created outside and surrounded by nature. 

This is a view of the Royal Military College (RMC) of Canada looking eastward from Battery Park. I set up my easel on the edge of the breakwater. Battery Park was really busy with joggers and walker of all ages. Some people had on masks like myself but most did not. I overheard comments about the artist and how unusual that was. My parents wanted me to attend RMC when I graduated from BCIVS in the spring of 1972. I was accepted at both Queens and RMC but it think the Lillian Taylor Scholarship tipped the scales to Queens. I would have enjoyed taking both paths but you can only ride one horse at a time. This is really a skyscape disguised as a city scape. I take the weather with me wherever I go or perhaps the clouds just come along for the ride. 

The tour boat crossed my line of sight while I painted so I brushed it in. 

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#2413 "126 Wellington"

This was the first day of the 2020 International Plein Air Painters (IPAP) Worldwide Paint Out. The International Plein Air Painters is a blanket organization created for the sole purpose of advancing the execution and enjoyment of plein air painting without the restrictions and limitations of borders or regions. I am a Charter and a Signature member with Honours dating from the fall of 2001. The horrific events of September 11th, 2001 prompted the creation of IPAP. Art is a universal language and we all benefit from sharing and communication. The world needed the strong and positive response of art created outside and surrounded by nature. 

After finishing #2412 "Saint George's Cathedral" I simply turned to look straight across Johnson Street. I had my easel on the edge of the parking lot of the beatiful new Kingston Library. There was considerable car and foot traffic but everyone was moving too fast to be in the painting. I wanted to capture the bold Gothic architecture and the colours without getting tied up with the details. I wore my face mask while I painted and it felt odd. I enjoyed the strong colours of the old stone Gothic structure dating from 1865. There are a million ways to make a shade of grey.  

The building is located on the north-west corner of Wellington Street at Johnson Street in the Old Sydenham Ward Heritage Area in the City of Kingston. The property was designated under the Ontario Heritage Act by the City of Kingston on March 1, 1984 in By-Law No. 84-65. The building is regarded as one of the finest Gothic structures in Canada. The heritage value associated with the property is three-fold; its extraordinary Gothic design value, its contextual location at the prominent corner of Wellington at Johnson Streets across from St. George's Hall, and its association with renowned Kingston architects John Power and Joseph Power. 

126 Wellington on a sunny day

The property, formerly occupied by a small Wesleyan Methodist church from 1822 until 1850, was sold to the Congregationalists for the construction of their new house of worship. The First Congregationalist Church, designed by John Power in 1864, was erected by 1865, housing the First Chapter and First Preceptory in Ontario. In 1883, Joseph Power, John Power's son, added as schoolroom, transforming the original rectangular plan into a Latin cross. Following a 1891 fire that damaged the interior of the church, the building was restored and enlarged based on plans designed by architect J.B. Reid, including transepts. Kingston's 1892 Fire Insurance Plans indicate that the building height reached 20 feet to the eaves and 40 feet to the ridges. Tthe building was sold to the Masons in 1923 when the Congregationalists became affiliated with Chalmers Church. Currently, the building is occupied by the Wellington Street Theatre, with a two playing spaces; the main theatre and a gallery space.

Today the building is occupied by " Kids And Company" which is a preschool for infants and toddlers who are not quite ready for Kindergarten.

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#2412 "Saint George's Cathedral"

This was the first day of the 2020 International Plein Air Painters (IPAP) Worldwide Paint Out. The International Plein Air Painters is a blanket organization of artists created for the sole purpose of advancing the execution and enjoyment of plein air painting without the restrictions and limitations of borders or politics. I am a Charter and a Signature member with Honours dating from the fall of 2001. The horrific events of September 11th, 2001 prompted the creation of IPAP. Art is a universal language and we all benefit. The world needed the strong and positive response of art created outside and surrounded by nature. We are part of the environment and nature and everyone benefits when both at protected and respected. 

St. George's Cathedral in Kingston, Ontario is the cathedral church of the Anglican Diocese of Ontario. The Cathedral Church of St George is the centre of a community where God's love and the reconciling Gospel of Jesus Christ are lived out through the people of the parish in the joy of sacrament, hospitality, worship and music. I thought it would make a wonderful and interesting subject in the morning light filtered by the remains of mist and Arctic sea smoke. The waters of the lake were still warm and the long and chilly nights encourage those nocturnal fogs to form. The sun was just a dull grey glow in the morning sky above Wolfe Island. The fog lifted into fair weather cumulus as I painted. 

I set up my easel on the edge of the parking lot of the beautiful new Kingston Library and looked southeastward down Johnson Street toward the mouth of the Cataraqui River. There was considerable car and foot traffic but everyone was moving too fast to be in the painting. I focussed on the colours and the architecture without getting too fiddly with details. I painted the traffic lights green to symbolize that we were all moving forward in spite of COVID19 obstacles. I wore my face mask while I painted and it felt odd. 

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#2410 "Archipelago Safe Harbour"

This interesting point of land is part of just one of the 30,000 islands that make up the Parry Sound Archipelago. A sailboat had found a protected shore to drop anchor. A weather phenomenon often referred to as a "Sting Jet" happens maybe once a year in late summer or early fall off Georgian Bay. A developing low pressure area and the unstable conditions over the warm waters of Georgian Bay can suddenly generate 100 kmh winds. 

The sailors on the boat had good cause to seek a safe place out of harm's way. The rock was photographed at 10 am Tuesday August 18th, 2020 looking eastward from very near N45.264368 W80.209199. I had been in front of that rock face the previous September. There would have been no way to set up my plein air easel without being way over my head. 

This is another of those rock, lake and trees painting that are characteristic of Canada. I abbreviate this genre of art as Ro-Lak-Tree which reminds me of the rock, paper and scissors game called Ro-sham-bo. The rocks, lakes and trees is a slight of hand game played with a brush loaded with oil paint. Everybody wins as long as nature is appreciated and protected. Ro-Lak-Tree (a name I made up) is a nature stewardship game that the Group of Seven invented while they were searching for the Canadian identity around the time of the 1918 Flu Pandemic. History does repeat itself. People have not really changed in the past hundred years which saw the inventions of the computer, the world-wide-web and space travel.... 

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#2409 "Granite Cliff"

This interesting piece of granite is from just northeast of Windsor Island in the Parry Sound Archipelago. The rock was photographed at 2 pm on Thursday July 23rd, 2020 looking southwest from very near N45.382488 W80.344342. I had been in front of that rock face the previous September. There would be no way to set up an easel in the depths of this rocky channel - although I would be tempted. 

This is another of those rock, lake and trees painting that are characterisitic of Canada. I abbreviate this genre of art as Ro-Lak-Tree because it reminds me of the rock, paper and scissors game called Ro-Sham-Bo. The rocks, lakes and trees is a slight of hand game played using a brush loaded with oil paint. Everybody wins as long as nature is appreciated and protected. Ro-Lak-Tree (a name I made up) is a nature stewardship game that the Group of Seven invented while they were searching for the Canadian identity around the time of the 1918 Flu Pandemic. Sadly, history does repeat itself. People have not really changed in the past hundred years which saw the inventions of the computer, the world-wide-web and space travel.... 

Oils on burnt sienna acrylic foundation on a smooth panel with two or three coats of white primer, a thick coat of Golden Artists Colors-GAC-100 followed by one or two coats of gesso. The number, title and story are typically written on the back in pencil and then sealed with a coat of Kamar artist varnish - 8 X 10 (inches) by ¼ inch thick.

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