#2797 "Mack's Shack at Lake Pinceau"

#2797 "Mack's Shack at Lake Pinceau"
8x10 oils on smooth panel

It was 12:30 pm on Thursday, August 3 and I was still at the boat ramp into Lake Pinceau. 

I decided to paint the next cottage north of Kenny's Place. At the time, I was not aware that was "Mack's Shack". That title is a misnomer because even from a distance, you could tell that it was neat and tidy and loved. You cannot disguise the pride of property ownership. Mack's Shack was a special place as I would discover later in the week but for the moment, my view was from 370 metres away across Lake Pinceau. 

The horizon was low on this smooth and slippery panel making this more of a weather observation than an architectural rendering. 

In the couple of hours since mid-morning, the cloud and sky had changed. Lake Pinceau had gotten into the warm sector of the weather system. The warm front which was to be the focus of the severe convection was just to the north. The sky was overcast in cirrostratus. The Langmuir Streaks were still present but higher and wider apart. The crests of the Langmuir Streaks were simply identified by streets of gravity waves parallel to the easterly wind being drawn into the approaching low-pressure area. The lifted condensation level for a particular layer of the atmosphere defines the portion of the circulation we can view. Without clouds and moisture to trace, the winds in the atmospheric ocean are invisible. But they are always there. 

Streets of turbulent cumulus fractus were also lined up within the planetary boundary layer. These low-level lines would converge and determine exactly where the convection would fire up later in the afternoon. 

Art is just as much about making and recording memories as applying oils to the canvas. Those memories are written down and augmented with images if possible. Typically, the memories only include the weather and the place but sometimes new friends enter the scene.

Kim and Bob McDonald at
Mack's Shack on Lake Pinceau. 

I would meet the owners of Mack's Shack while painting #2815 "Afternoon Heavy Rain at Lac Pinceau" at midday on Monday, August 7th, 2023. The torrential rain was pounding down but I was standing under the hatch of the Subaru Forester. I was reasonably dry but the panel was getting wet. Bob drove to the boat launch on Lake Pinceau to investigate who the strange person was painting in the rain. Bob and his friends had been apparently watching me on and off all week. I had not noticed anyone but that was because I was focussed and engrossed in the oils. What followed was a most enjoyable afternoon and tour of his camp. That afternoon was topped off by fresh, blueberry (fruit from their front yard) cheesecake. 

I heard a lot of stories and history and wish that I had been able to write it all down as fast as I heard it. Bob McDonald's father was Bob, as was his grandfather and a son. Kim and Bob also have a daughter. It was a wonderful afternoon of conversation in the rain and memories. Everyone gets a nickname at Lake Pinceau and I was christened "The WeatherMan" by Bob. The name fit. 

The three distantly spaced camps that dotted the south basin of Lake Pinceau were now under the care of the sons of the fathers. Bob's father was the original "Mack" having obtained the camp from Dr. D.G. Owens, Mayor of Lake Placid N.Y. and the original owner of the boat ramp from which I was painting - as well as the camp. 

The current sons inherited the camps and continue to care for them while also nurturing the land. They share a three-kilometre-long, well-maintained laneway back to their properties so they don't have to employ boats and the boat ramp anymore. The first neighbour is Kenny and then the next one is Danny who enjoys the land on Dumoine Road. The mountain behind the camps is called Whiteface Mountain. Lake Pinceau is a 100-foot-deep lake trout lake - special.

CPAWS-Ottawa Valley has hosted DRAW Retreat for Artists since 2017. DRAW is a clever acronym for Dumoine River Art for Wilderness. I have attended every year except during COVID. There is no better cause. The goals are admirable and ones that I deeply share. The objective is ultimately to make a lasting difference like A.Y Jackson and the Ontario Society of Artists did in the case of Killarney Provincial Park. The impacts of climate change are already being felt. There is no time left for dithering. 

This is the fifth of twenty-seven paintings I completed en plein air at CPAWS DRAW 2023. It was a wonderful experience with a terrific group of people. https://cpaws-ov-vo.org/draw-retreat-artists/ A portion of sales from this endeavour will go to support CPWAS and keep the wild in the wilderness.  

For this and much more art, click on Pixels. To go to the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society Collection on  Fine Art America, click here. 

Warmest regards and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick