#2536 "Killbear Cirrus Sunrise"

A summer storm was on the way but Tuesday August 24th, 2021 still provided a brilliant sunrise. The cirrus cloud of the leading edge of the warm conveyor belt was certainly approaching from the south. The strands of cirrus were being stretched in the associated deforming circulation. Gravity waves revealed the overall stability of the atmosphere with the warm air aloft. The winds were light at the surface. It would have been a beautiful day on the waters of Georgian Bay. 

This morning's sunrise at the eastern edge of Killbear Jumping Rocks (Harold's Point) looking eastward toward the rising sun just as it crested the deformation zone of the warm conveyor belt. The point was backlit and in strong shadows. The thicker cloud behind the lower level deformation zone was evident on the southern horizon.

The cyclonic companion of the warm conveyor belt shaped the sunrise cirrus. The wisps of cirrus overhead were shaped by the paired anticyclonic swirl that can be found on the opposite side of the deformation zone. The judicious use of the Coriolis right hand facilitates the understanding of these patterns. 

A graphic assists in the explanation but I must admit that the colours and the shapes were more important than the physics to me in this beautiful Thirty Thousand Island Archipelago sunrise. . 

I have painted Harold's Point several times - #2528 "Harold's Point at Killbear" and from the other side in #2002 "Killbear Flagged Pines at Sunset". The light and the weather makes every painting quite unique. I would paint the area again in #2534 "Sunrise on the Killbear Jumping Rocks", #2535 "Sunrise on Killbear Light" and #2536 "Killbear Cirrus Sunrise". Georgian Bay is always inspirational and I never tire of attempting to capture the nuances of the natural beauty of the weather and the geography. In this case, I loved how the reflection of the sun danced across the water. 

This painting is the final of the trilogy from the sunrise of August 24th, 2021. For this and much more art, click on Pixels. Thank you. 

#2535 "Sunrise on Killbear Light"

A summer storm was on the way but Tuesday August 24th, 2021 still provided a brilliant sunrise. The cirrus cloud of the leading edge of the warm conveyor belt was certainly approaching from the south. The strands of cirrus were being stretched in the associated deforming circulation. Gravity waves revealed the overall stability of the atmosphere with the warm air aloft. The winds were light at the surface. It was going to be a beautiful day on the waters of Georgian Bay surrounded by the archipelago of the Thirty Thousand Islands. The Thirty Thousand Islands is the world's largest freshwater archipelago. I grew up on the St Lawrence River surrounded by the Thousand Islands so this is a second home for me. The canoe is the perfect vehicle to explore both regions. 

The rocky islands can be a bit rough on the hull of your canoe. The islands range in size greatly from very small to very large. Counting them requires a consistent definition of what constitutes an island. I have heard it said that to be counted within the 1000 Islands, a piece of land must stay above water throughout the year and support a living tree. This yields a total of 1,864 islands straddling the Canada–US border with Wolfe Island being the largest. I have not tried to count either the Thousand or Thirty Thousand Islands and will accept almost any large number. I have painted quite a few islands in both groups. 

Paul Simon wrote "I Am a Rock" and those simple words hold a lot of meaning and sounds a lot like a Hermit artist. Paul Simon wrote this song in 1965 about a recluse locking himself away from the world. Written by Paul Simon before he hit it big as a musician, the song was offered to the duo Chad and Jeremy, who turned it down. 

"I touch no one and no one touches me

I am a rock I am an island

And an island never cries" 

This morning's sunrise at the western edge of Killbear Provincial Park was looking eastward toward the rising sun just as it crested Killbear Light. The point was backlit and in strong shadows. I have painted from the Killbear Light Point several times including #2000 "Killbear Islands", #2001 "Killbear Sunset Across the Twin Points" and #2310 "Killbear Light". 

I have painted Harold's Point several times - #2528 "Harold's Point at Killbear" and from the other side in #2002 "Killbear Flagged Pines at Sunset". The light and the weather makes every painting quite unique. I would paint the area again in #2534 "Sunrise on the Killbear Jumping Rocks", #2535 "Sunrise on Killbear Light" and #2536 "Killbear Cirrus Sunrise". Georgian Bay is always inspirational and I never tire of attempting to capture the nuances of the natural beauty of the weather and the geography. 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels. Thank you. 

#2534 "Sunrise on the Killbear Jumping Rocks"

A summer storm was on the way but Tuesday August 24th, 2021 still provided a brilliant sunrise. The cirrus cloud of the leading edge of the warm conveyor belt was certainly approaching from the south. The stands of cirrus were being stretched in the associated deforming circulation. Gravity waves revealed the overall stability of the atmosphere with the warm air aloft. The winds were light at the surface. It would have been a beautiful day on the waters of Georgian Bay off the Parry Sound and Killbear shores. 

This morning's sunrise at Killbear Jumping Rocks (Harold's Point) looking eastward toward the rising sun just as it crested the deformation zone of the warm conveyor belt. The point was backlit and in strong shadows. I have painted Harold's Point several times - #2528 "Harold's Point at Killbear" and from the other side in #2002 "Killbear Flagged Pines at Sunset". The light and the weather makes every painting quite unique. I would paint the area again in #2535 "Sunrise on Killbear Light" and #2536 "Killbear Cirrus Sunrise". Georgian Bay is always inspirational and I never tire of attempting to capture the nuances of the natural beauty of the weather and the geography. In this case, I loved how the reflection of the sun danced across the water. 

This painting is the first of the trilogy from the sunrise of August 24th, 2021 thanks to my friend Cam.

For this and much more art, click on Pixels. Thank you. 

#2533 "August Sunset Cumulus Snails"

The sky always tells an interesting story if we take the time to listen. The sun dogs were howling at the thin cirrus that was the veil for the sunset sky. Some lumpy, backlit cumulus in the foreground were starting to fade with the sun. 

The cloud on the western horizon was ominous but we needed the rain. Those convective cells fizzled with the sun as well. The drought would continue for a few more days. The cloudy snail was headed northbound if you have the imagination to find it. 

Hurricane Ida was still in the Gulf Of Mexico and developing into a really intense storm. 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels. Thank you. 

#2532 "Black Eyed Beauties"

I wanted to teach my granddaughters the basics of plein air painting. It was a beautiful summer day. I covered all of the basics in under a couple of hours. 

My choice of title was influenced by my painting companions as much as it was by the name of the flowers. 

There is always something to paint in the garden. I picked the black eyed susans. Olivia selected the flowers of one of the hosta plants and Charlotte went for the sunflower. I need them to paint nearby so that I could help and be a bit of a guide. Charlotte had wanted to paint some other flowers but I encouraged her to come down near the base of the shagbark hickory in the gentle shade of the huge tree and closer to Olivia and I. 

The girls discovered something that had realized since I was very young as well. Art is a creative and wonderful way to live. Plein air art surrounded by nature can be inspirational. And finally that art can be exhausting. I actually have a T-shirt that claims that 'art is work'. It is!

For this and much more art, click on Pixels. Thank you. 

#2531 "Northern Legacy"

Rising to the challenge of the climate crisis should be the greatest adventure of our age for everyone around the globe.. not blocked by divisive politics, wars and the entitled greed of the one percent. A rallying effort of people who want to become better stewards of the planet must work. Otherwise the truth is irrefutable, the planet will experience the Sixth Mass Extinction. 

Ontario Forest Fires June 2021

Human beings have existed for just 200,000 years, yet our impact on the planet is so great that scientists around the world are calling for our period in the Earth's history to be named the 'Anthropocene' – the age of humans. The lifestyle of the naked ape is the root cause and some may be surprised that it started with industrial agriculture. Removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere will require nothing short of a world-wide mobilization similar to one of the great wars - or a miracle of scientific innovation. The political leadership must envision a future well beyond their typical four year mandate to get something accomplished. 

Smoke Plumes July 2021

Heat Dome June 2021

Art is a form of communication. Much of my art is devoted to education trying to reach beyond the beauty of nature. Meteorology and the interactions of nature is the foundation of much of that. This painting has been on my easel since early July… The painting is thick with oils and the background stories of wildfires on the west coast and throughout the Boreal forest. It is a tragic story and very dark for me. 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels. Thank you. 

#2530 "Georgian Bay Pines"

This is a view from west of Palestine Island where Irving Berlin, the famous composer of White Christmas and other well-known musical classics, spent many summers vacationing. 

The image was looking northwest across a rocky shore and some characteristic pines and cedars. This is classic Georgian Bay territory. My friend Cam was a little distance from Irving’s Palestine Island but he thought that he could hear the strains of “Let’s Have Another Cup of Coffee”. 

As for me, I heard Gordon Lightfoot's Seven Island Suite while I painted this memory. My goal was to make these Georgian Bay paintings, make the viewer feel the same way that Lightfoot suggests. I hope that you can hear the wind and see the summer storm on the western horizon. 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels. Thank you. 

#2529 "Sleepy Time Sky Story"

The sunset sky told the bedtime story of the warm conveyor belt. Rain was on the way. The col in the altocumulus deformation zone was directly west of Singleton Lake. The cyclonic companion with more altocumulus cloud and positive, upward vertical velocity was to the north. The anticyclonic companion with more stratus cloud and nil vertical velocity was to the south. The Langmuir streaks of cirrus were higher and neatly spaced. It is not often that this much meteorology can be witnessed in one collection of clouds. 

A pair of jets were headed for Europe. They would be enjoying a bit of a tail wind with the warm conveyor belt and probably arrive a bit early. 

The showers arrived at 4 am the following day. I did not wait up for it to arrive - after all I was sleepy. There was more continuous rain further to the north. The heavier convective cells were mainly to the south and Singleton was on the northern edge of those. 

Tom Thomson disappeared on this day in 1917 - July 8th. The history of his art and premature departure was another story that I used to tell especially on canoe trips. Tom was a weather fan and this sky would have intrigued him greatly. He would most certainly have painted it as well. 

Arthur Lismer with Tom Thomson in Algonquin Park, 1914

I wanted this painting to be full of energy and life while remaining accurate from a meteorological perspective. 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels. Thank you. 

#2528 "Harold's Point at Killbear"

I have painted Harold's Point from the other side in #2002 "Killbear Flagged Pines at Sunset". I really enjoy my time painting around Killbear Provincial Park. The nature and the natural environment are inspirational. The colours and the weather are always in a state of change. This view is looking eastward beside the jumping rocks Harold's Point at Killbear. 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels. Thank you.