#1372 "Singleton on Ice"

#1372 "Singleton on Ice"
9x12 oils in canvas

The eastern Ontario weather was amazingly mild for early December with temperatures reaching 10 Celsius under overcast skies with blustery southwesterly winds. The ice on Singleton responded and drifted around with the winds. The air was full of the sound of ice edges crunching together. There was not much open water. The mergansers and the few small flocks of blacks and mallards stayed in the small patch of open water in the middle of the lake. Generally, the lake was covered with jostling sheets of ice of different ages, thickness and colours. My homemade canvas had a lot of "tooth" which really grabbed the brush and the oils. I really enjoyed the feel of that canvas. 

I experimented with another camera set setup focused on taking pictures as the painting developed. This is nothing new, even in 2013 except that it was a first for me. The act of simply "clicking" the shutter took me out of the artistic zone and I found that a bit (a lot) frustrating. I did some things and took some shortcuts that I wouldn't have normally done. I was acutely aware that the camera battery was dying and the rain showers along the approaching cold front were getting closer as well. I persisted though as I wanted to see how the experiment would turn out. This painting is more about the experiment than the art. I need to automate this entire process somehow. I did automate the painting video making with a foot-activated switch. Even that minor activity took me out of the zone so I decided it was better to just paint. 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels.

Warmest regards and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick