#2695 "The Opinicon Pumphouse"

#2695 "The Opinicon Pumphouse"
9x12 oils on canvas

The weather was perfect for the first day of the Annual International Plein Air Painters Worldwide Paint Out 2022. I was painting before 9 am as I had hoped. The sun was just starting to clear the trees of the Opinicon. The small building adjacent to the parking area for Chaffey's Locks was painted in the colours of the Opinicon. It is used as the pumphouse to supply Indian Lake water to the trees and flower beds of the Opinicon. The sun strafed the roof and siding of the buildings with shafts of sunlight. 

Marshall the Cat came to visit me while I painted. I also visited with some travellers from distant places who had come to view the natural beauty of The Rideau. I met Alec who was paddling from Kingston to Ottawa on a blow-up paddle board. I never would have thought that such a venture was possible or practical. His first two days on the Rideau were marked by a strong and chilly headwind. He would have benefited from a meteorologist paddling with him. 

The Annual International Plein Air Painters Worldwide Paint Out is held the second weekend of September to honour those lost on 911. It was designed to be something positive in the wake of 911 and was started on October 19th, 2001. The 2022 IPAP Great Worldwide Paint Out was the 20th Anniversary of that first event back in 2002. I have not missed a year of participating since then.

Tanya Hammond, Freelance Writer & Agricultural Advocate visited with me most of the morning and wrote a very complementary article. I even made the front page of the "Review Mirror" thanks to Tanya!

The Opinicon of Chaffey's Locks

The Opinicon is a historical landmark of Chaffey's Locks that I have enjoyed since I was a kid starting in the early 1960s. As I post this on Thanksgiving Weekend, The Opinicon was celebrating. The ice cream shop was buzzing, the restaurant and pub were full of chatter, and the locks were filled with people strolling along enjoying the beautiful trees in all their Fall colours. It was a fantastic summer full of music, laughter and connection. The Opinicon was so happy to see all the smiling faces. They wished to thank everyone who found the way to their door during the summer and helped us fill The Opinicon with vibrant life. To celebrate the 2022 season they finished with their favourite tradition: 🍦the end of season Scoop Out🍦 ! The Opinicon scooped free ice cream until the buckets were empty. 

 For this and much more art, click on Pixels.

Warmest regards and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick