#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.