#0879 "The Copse"

#0879  "The Copse"
11 x 14 (inches)
Started around 5 pm on Tuesday, March 27, 2007.
Painting Place N43.95376 W79.74567.

This painting originates from the era of Watershed Farm, located on the 12th Concession of King Township, just west of Schomberg. That was home between 1993 and 2009... I loved that time and the friends we made in the country. We still have those wonderful memories, but I miss the friends.

Watershed Farm was at the very crest of the Oak Ridges Moraine. The front yard, including Kennifick Lake, drained through the famous Holland Marsh and then Lake Simcoe. The pond and stream behind the farmhouse connected with the Humber River and Lake Ontario. It was a natural paradise and a wonderful place to raise both pets and children. We planted trees and built bird houses throughout the 25 acres. We were even founding members of Art Society King. Life was very good!

Times change, and the development pressures were and remain intense. Paradise was continually threatened. Political maneuvering for highways, houses and profit came yearly under different "leaders" and "parties". The latest iteration of the Conservatives has been particularly ruthless. See Bill 5, the "Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, 2025". 

Any reader of this bill would benefit from understanding "doublespeak", "word-smithing", "gobbledygook", and "bureaucratese". Hypocritically, this act does not pass any smell test. It repeals the Endangered Species Act, significantly alters several other environmental and heritage laws, raising concerns about its impact on First Nations' rights, environmental protections, and public consultation while ignoring Indigenous rights. Bill 5 is all about greed when Climate Change demands an immediate end to the release of carbon into the environment. Shame! 

But looking back, for twenty-plus years (1985-2009), I was able to paint around Schomberg and the beautiful farm fields of King Township. This particular "thicket of small trees or shrubs; a coppice" was on the southern flank of Watershed Farm. Tuesday, March 27th, 2007, was warm at 18 Celsius, and I had to paint in the shade. The bluebird sky was absolutely clear. I can’t take the sun anymore, so I set up in the shade. I rarely paint looking into the sun, but I placed a large tree between the golden orb and my eyes so this view was possible.

This was one of my favourite places to paint. The copse of trees, shadows and fallen fence create lines that I enjoy. The copse was composed of basswood and maple trees, all intertwined on the slope of the hill. The family Chesapeake loved this place as well. I spoke to her when I finished painting - it was a simple, spontaneous reflex. She had passed three years previously. I missed her greatly, and this painting was in her honour.

The weather turned dramatically as I finished stroking. A cold north wind blew in with overcast skies. I finished just in time!

Just a very small selection of the paintings and memories inspired by the Oak Ridges Moraine is included in the following collage. There are 270 paintings in the Oak Ridges Moraine and Watershed Farm Collection on Pixels. 

But the story of "The Copse", building bird houses and planting trees, does not end there. My artist friend Herbert Pryke was putting together a book of art inspired by the Oak Ridges Moraine. I applied to be part of that very worthy conservation effort. 

"Congratulations on being selected for the Oak Ridges Moraine Book -I loved your work and I chose both the autumn scene (879-this one) and the winter fence (0610) scene ... the works really stood out, especially the colour in THE spring scene ... the use of brushstroke and composition in both with horizon line near top were very engaging. " Christine A. Lynett, Manager, Programs, McMichael Canadian Art Collection

"The Connecting with Nature, Oak Ridges Moraine" art book received the 2009 Moraine Hero Award for demonstrating remarkable efforts in protecting the Oak Ridges Moraine. Several other King artists were involved in this wonderful book that Herbert Pryke designed. Herbert had some of the paintings from the book at the ASK Soiree. There were also copies of the book available to buy. 

I recall that effort raised about $20k for conservation. Sadly, that is chump change for developers and politicians who routinely deal with millions or billions of dollars without blinking or seemingly thinking. Much, if not all, of that cash is Taxpayer money, but that is another sad story. 

The science and importance of the Oak Ridges Moraine are both well known and very clear. Unbridled greed and lack of empathy explain why the Earth and Nature have arrived at such a sorry and precariously existential state. Efforts to protect the Oak Ridges Moraine and countless other unique and vital landscapes continue around the globe. The same can be said for the Frontenac Arch Biosphere, which is our current and final home. We plant trees and build bird houses for that property as well. 

The pressures on unrestricted development and extraction of resources are high - apparently everywhere. We protect an important portion of the ecosystem right in the middle of the Frontenac  Arch. It is another natural paradise like Watershed Farm once was. 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels , go straight to the Oak Ridges Moraine Collection, or to all of the Collections. Here is the new Wet Paint Collection for recent art. 

Warmest regards, and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick