#2747 "February Dock Chairs at Jim Day Rapids"

#2747 "February Dock Chairs at Jim Day Rapids"
8x10 inches oils on canvas

After the showers tapered off, I headed outside hoping to see some interesting cloud formations. The sky was virtually clear with the next band of cloud barely on the horizon. I decided to paint the Muskoka chairs as Plan B under the bluebird skies. 

These chairs are really very comfortable. I have made several similar similar chairs out of cedar but these will never give you any splinters and are quite indestructible. These are genetically crossed between the Muskoka and Adirondack chair designs. The Adirondack chair has a flat yoke slatted back. The Muskoka has a slightly curved yoke as do these.  Adirondack chairs are built about two inches taller than the Muskoka and have wider armrests like these we enjoy at Singleton.

We keep these very heavy, recycled plastic chairs on our floating dock all year round. The melting snow told the story of some science and the shapes were interesting. My field easel blew over three times until I got out my boat anchor. If the easel blew over a fourth time, I would have much larger problems than painting. The next band of cloud arrived quicker than I had anticipated and changed the lighting of the entire scene. Such are the joys of plein air painting. I typically stick with my first colour scheme and composition. Chasing the light can be an exercise of frustration. Nothing travels faster than light unless it is very warped... 

Painting outside empowers the artist. There is no need to compete with nature or the camera - simply embrace what you see and feel. I try to use the biggest brush I can for the subject matter. I do not wear my reading glasses outside as I do not wish to see any details - they are unnecessary. 

I had enjoyed some successes en plein air in February and I was hoping for a repeat performance. The wind was a challenge. I tried to focus on the simple shapes and colours while making the scene come alive. My goal was to invoke some wonderful memories of time spent at a lake... 

The cold frontal rain arrived an hour after I finished. Plein air artistry benefits from a knowledge of the weather and knowing how to read the sky - even if you are bound to make miscalculations otherwise referred to as mistakes. 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels.

Warmest regards and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick