#2779 "Sunday Afternoon at Wendy's Country Market"

#2779 "Sunday Afternoon at Wendy's Country Market"
8x10 by 3/4 inch profile oils on canvas

We have been shopping at Wendy's Country Market for years. Wendy was doing a brisk business with spring plants on the Sunday afternoon of the Rural Community Expo Event in June 2023. We also enjoy the fresh produce and home baking. I saw a yam that her Dad had grown that weighed in at more than four pounds! Growing a crop takes much more than simply putting the seed in the ground.  You can find Wendy's Country Market at 408 Fortune Line Road, Lyndhurst, ON K0E 1N0, Phone: (613) 561-2177. 

   The bright sun glinted off the wet oils.              

I wanted to stay conspicuous for the visitors to the Rural Community Expo. I thought that standing in front of Wendy's would be a good place to stand and paint. There were still no clouds in the sky so I focussed on the architecture. A large and nearly stationary ridge of high pressure had been dominating the weather all weekend. Omega block patterns in the atmosphere have become much more common with the weakening jet stream but that is another story.

I kept the sun on my back and constructed a composition by looking northerly across the ramp leading into the front door of Wendy's Country Market. Lots of people came by including a gentleman I thought was a friend named "Jim". It turned out that I had not met the man before but he was extremely surprised that I did know his name! What are the odds? 

The Rural Community Expo Event of 2023 was excellent and promoted the area in a positive and productive manner. It was a wonderful day in the country enjoyed by many. 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels.

Warmest regards and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick

#2778 "Old Briar Hill Road"

#2778 "Old Briar Hill Road"
8x10 by 3/4 inch profile oils on canvas

This is the second painting completed with the Rural Community Expo Event of June 2023. I decided to remain in an obvious location right on the Old Briar Hill Road in front of the "504" mailbox. 

The sun was overhead and to my right with nary a cloud in the sky. I simply turned around after completing #2777 "Furnace Falls Farm" and looked the other way, eastward along the Old Briar Hill Road. I did not include any of the cars driving in to attend the Rural Community Expo Event. Each passing car raised a cloud of dust and some of that certainly got into the oils. 

The tree tunnel in the Old Briar Hill Road at the brow of the hill is what really caught my eye. At one time the Old Briar Hill Road connected to Summers Road that passed across some rough terrain simply called "The Bush" on some maps, north to Elgin. 

The Leeds & 1000 Islands Historical Society publication #28 Fall/Winter 2007 has some interesting information about the area. The Leeds gang, otherwise known as the Chase or Briar Hill Gang plundered the hard-working farmers of the area from 1865 to 1868. They were a gang of horse thieves based along Briar Hill northwest of Lyndhurst - right where I was painting. The Briar Hill Gang also had links to criminals on the American side of the border south from Rockport. 

The thieves raided homesteads at night, taking in addition to horses an estimated $3,000 worth of property including grain, harnesses, buffalo robes, firkins of butter, sheep and poultry. Gertrude E. Wheeler wrote of three separate robberies in "Briar Hill Mob Terror Of The St. Lawrence Valley". Apparently, some very influential people including politicians were behind the workings of the Leeds County gang and never faced jail time. Another mob referred to as the Clutes were prominent in the late 1880's.

Times were certainly different a century or more ago in many ways but in others, things have not changed that much. People are still people. 

My sincere thank you to the historians who record the facts before they are lost to time. This information and much more not included would have been forgotten without the dedication of the Leeds & 1000 Islands Historical Society. Without a sense of history, we do not know where we were. Without that, we do not really know where we are or where we might go. Rewriting history to fit the now is always a mistake with no honest landmark to refer to and anchor reality. If you truly wish to become better you must start with an honest understanding of the past or risk repeating it.

The Rural Community Expo Event of 2023 was excellent and promoted the area in a positive and productive manner - quite in contrast to the Briar Hill and Clutes Gangs. It was a wonderful day in the country enjoyed by many. 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels.

Warmest regards and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick

#2777 "Furnace Falls Farm"

#2777 "Furnace Falls Farm"
9x12 by 3/4 inch profile oils on canvas

My friend Tanya (Write Time) asked me to attend the Rural Community Expo Event at the family farm on Old Briar Hill Road. I thought that it would be a great opportunity to paint somewhere other than Singleton. COVID has greatly restricted my movements. I did not know what might inspire me at the farm and I went to have some fun. 

The Rural Community Expo Event was very well organized and attended by those who cared about the community. I arrived early and wandered around a bit to get a feel for the place. I saw many people and businesses that I knew well. Furnace Falls Farm is really quite beautiful. 

I decided to set up in an obvious location right on Old Briar Hill Road in front of the "504" mailbox. The sun was largely on my back and there was not a cloud in the sky. Some people did come by to chat. It was a beauty of a day and the organizers could not ask for better weather.

There was lots of inspiration. I tried to stay loose with the brush and composition as well. The large maple provided terrific shade to the front porch of the farmhouse. I can imagine there was a lot of "front porch sitting time" spent there. There would have been many tales told solving the problems of the day. If only the porch could talk and share those memories. The world needs the common sense and practicality of farmers more than ever in 2023.

The mailbox was anchored on a post planted in an old milk can. The flap on the mailbox was open and a European starling flew in and out a few times that I noticed. There might have been a nest in there along with the mail. I did not even try to paint the white letters of "504" on the blue sign above the mailbox. My brush strokes were rough but they told the story. 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels.

Warmest regards and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick

#2776 "First Daisies of June"

#2778 "First Daisies of June"
7x5 inches oils on canvas panel

These were indeed the first daisies to come out in flower. Daisies can be found everywhere throughout the Singleton Sanctuary. The white flowers put on a show all summer long. We encourage them although most think of them solely as an invasive weed. 

The reference books tell me that Leucanthemum vulgare, the ox-eye daisy or oxeye daisy is a widespread flowering plant native to Europe and the temperate regions of Asia and an introduced plant to North America, Australia and New Zealand. It is one of a number of family Asteraceae plants to be called a "daisy", and has the additional vernacular names common daisy, dog daisy and moon daisy. 

I try to paint a daisy every year. They are happy flowers. I do not count the petals. I was having fun. A nostalgic song was going through my mind as I painted: "Where have all the Daisies Gone? Long time passing." Wars just never stop coming..

The anticyclonic wind out of the high-pressure area blew my easel over… twice… It was a challenge to control my brush. The sun was on my back and it was a beautiful day.

Turtles were crawling apparently aimlessly all around me. Three turtle nests were protected but if you take your eyes off them for a minute, they vanish like Ninja Turtles. Any unsheltered nests are predated during the night mainly by raccoons. I managed to protect ten turtle nests in 2023 which is my average. The predators got the rest. 

A raccoon supper foiled... 

I probably meet all of these turtles every year. They are my friends. I even briefly saw a Blandings. "Where have all the turtles gone… long time passing." All eight of the species of turtles in Ontario and indeed Canada, have been designated as "Species at Risk". Habitat destruction has played a major role in the decline of turtles. We see wetlands destroyed and lost forever every day as developers and ploticians lust for more. 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels.

Warmest regards and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick

#2775 "Canada Geese in the Shade"

 

#2775 "Canada Geese in the Shade"
5x7 inches canvas panel oils

I decided to try one more oil sketch before calling it a day. 

About a hundred Canada geese call Singleton Lake home. They arrive back in late February each year and wait patiently for the ice to melt. They squabble over nesting territories and provide a big part of the spring soundtrack. The goslings hatch out in early May. The number of Canada geese explodes overnight. That is when I put out the car dealership flag fence. 

We tried different techniques to keep the geese from polluting the marble ridge. Any excrement on the rock gets washed into the waterway. We have a long list of methods that do not work including coyote and owl decoys. The geese are smart and can be educated. I prefer to work with nature.

We erect a low flag fence along the rocky waterfront. A second flag fence extends from the shore to the corner of our home. The geese are encouraged to graze and poop on a few acres of clover and grass - much of which we kept mowed just the way they like it. If the geese families cross to the rocky side of the flag fence, they are shooed back. The grandkids are helpful in policing the barrier. After a year or so of the flag approach, the returning geese were familiar with the rules. The geese still go rogue but not that often. The birds are smart and soon learn the rules. 

The goose excrement breaks down with the weather and fertilizes the soil without washing into the lake. Any of the excrement that gets on the rocks is picked up with gloves on and moved to the compost pile. 

The Flag Fence

These particular Canada geese families were respecting the car dealership flag fence and grazing happily on the clover in the shade of the large red cedar. I decided to paint moving targets and be very quick and loose with the oils. 

The plein air effort was fun. For this and much more art, click on Pixels.

Warmest regards and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick

#2774 "Singleton Spring Yellow Flowers"

#2774 "Singleton Spring Yellow Flowers"
7x5 inch canvas panel oils

I wanted to paint some flowers. These tall yellow flowers were the brightest one on the marble ridge that borders Jim Day Rapids. 

These flowers are the King Devil (Hieracium pratense) from the hawkweed family. I had to look those details up. Flowers were hairy and yellow with bristly stems covered with dark hairs. Even the leaves were hairy. The King Devil was introduced from Europe and is now common in eastern Canada and the northeastern United States. Apparently, King Devil and other European hawkweeds were used as an herbal remedy for healing eyesight. Pliny reported, in ancient Greece, that hawks ate it to see better. 

The nectar and pollen of the flower heads attract bumblebees, other bees, butterflies. The Ruffed Grouse and Wild Turkey feed on the young leaves and seeds; the seeds are also eaten by the American Goldfinch. The Cottontail Rabbit, White-Tailed Deer, and Elk browse on the bitter foliage occasionally, but it is not preferred as a source of food. We do not have any Elk at Singleton. Cattle reportedly avoid consumption of the foliage. 

This is not a morphological, detailed painting in any sense of the word. I just wanted to paint some colour. 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels.

Warmest regards and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick

#2773 "Long Reach Spring Green Shadows"

#2773 "Long Reach Spring Green Shadows"
7x5 inches on canvas panel

Lots of nature and even the smaller predators tend to settle in close to homes seeking shelter and safety from the larger predators. Coyotes and bobcats will cross the lawn but typically, it is only the squirrels, rabbits and deer that enjoy the relative safety close to human structures. I do not interfere. That field was full of nature and all kinds of critters. 

I was interested in the backlit colours of the spring forest. The work had to be done quickly before the sun cleared the tops of the trees. 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels.

Warmest regards and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick

#2772 "Singleton Twin-stemmed Sugar Maple"

#2772 "Singleton Twin-stemmed Sugar Maple"
12x10 oils on canvas

The sun was a bit higher after I finished #2771 "Mossy Pioneer Stump" but the biting bugs were still tolerable. 

I continued to enjoy the morning and remained painting within the Singleton Forest. A large, twin-stemmed sugar maple caught my eye. I was thinking of the Rex block in the atmosphere and the dry conditions in the Boreal forest as I painted. The Singleton Forest and never been logged and the ecosystem is quite unique and irreplaceable. I take extreme caution in the forest so that it stays that way. 

Extensive smoke from the Boreal forest fires in Alberta was apparent on the water vapour imagery. Forest fires were breaking out across all of Canada within the boreal forest. Fires would break out even in in Nova Scotia resulting in many homes burnt to the ground and mass evacuations. 

As of June 7th, 2023 there were 423 active fires across Canada — 246 of them out of control, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. The worst-affected province was Quebec, where 154 of the fires have been recorded so far. There were also 70 active fires in Alberta, which is also at the highest level of preparedness, and 68 in British Columbia. Twenty of the 45 new wildland fires recorded on Tuesday June 6th were in Ontario, according to the center's statistics. Climate change plays a big role, by causing more intense high-pressure zones, which bring prolonged periods of sunny, hot conditions and exacerbate drought conditions. 

'Unprecedented' Canadian fires intensified by record heat, climate change'

The Air Quality Index was hazardous due wit smoke from the Quebec wildfires so I remained in the Singleton Studio... sad...

For this and much more art, click on Pixels.

Warmest regards and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick

 

#2771 "Mossy Pioneer Stump"

#2771 "Mossy Pioneer Stump"
5x7 canvas panel oils en plein air

I do not know when the very large tree was cut down in the Singleton forest. The wood probably ended up in the wood stove. The stump was still intact and was the home to ant colonies which also attracted the pileated woodpeckers. As sibling was growing beside the old stump probably enjoying the sunlight that opened up in the forest canopy when the larger tree was felled. 

I wanted to paint out of the sun and capture the colours of a shadowy forest. The sounds of spring filled the air. The barred owl certainly had a lot to say. 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels.

Warmest regards and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick

#2770 "Spring Morning Privy"

#2770 "Spring Morning Privy"
8x10 oils on canvas May 22nd, 2023

I had not painted since April 8th and I was long overdue. Spring chores take precedence over art. The bugs would soon be out and biting fiercely so I decided to avail myself of the opportunity. I had to rediscover my mojo and the best place to do that was in the Singleton Sanctuary surrounded by nature. The forest filtered the early morning light. 

I thought that I might get inspired by the Pioneer Outhouse and the morning light filtered through the developing, leafy canopy of green. I had painted this composting toilet several times before. So far, the privy can be seen in #2473 "Singleton Pioneer Privy", #2485 "Singleton Private Place" and #2755 "Singleton Sanctuary October Johnny on the Spot". 

The pioneers arrived in the 1800s and actually had a very sensible way to deal with waste. This is essentially an early type of simple composting toilet. The downside was that it was a hike from the cabin and there was no running water except in Jim Day Rapids. It was built on the shoulder of the ridge so it was not as prone to flooding - never a good thing if you have business to get done. 

Apparently, the history of indoor toilets actually goes back to medieval castles. A picture is worth a thousand words. 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels.

Warmest regards and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick