#0618 "One More Drift"

#0618 "One More Drift" 
Masonite Panel 11 x 14 inches.
Started Tuesday, March 25th, 2003.

This was one of the last times of the winter season of 2003 that I headed south to the neighbour's fence line to catch the last pockets of deep snow. This view was looking eastward across some of the fencing that had already been included in previous works. The colours of the basswood trees in the sunlight, as well as the colours in the grass and the distant cedars, caught my eye. Retreating stratocumulus hung low over the Toronto horizon. The city had not yet swallowed up Hammertown, but it was coming... 

Once again, my honey bees were flying and landing on my palette and my clothing. It was nice to hear them buzzing around me. I'm certain that it would have made some people very nervous, but these were my employees and friends. 

The family Chesapeake was with me and proceeded to tear the lower, dead branches off the pine trees and chew them down to size so that I could throw them. She spent a lot of time roaming in Jimmy Coulter's fields across the fence line. She did not disturb the cattle and was simply curious. 

This is a special place on the crest of the Oak Ridges Moraine. It is land that is worth preserving. The devious efforts of the current Conservative Provincial Government to profit from the dismantling of the "Greenbelt" are really quite criminal. The authorities have yet to put anyone in jail. 

I loved my honey bees, but could not keep them alive due to the proliferation of chemicals and diseases. There were six healthy colonies at the peak, around 2001, producing more than a thousand pounds of unbelievable honey. I used to sit quietly in the grass watching the bees come and go. Sometimes I had my film camera with me, which provided the above memories.

My friend Paul Chantree was a professional apiarist and generously guided my efforts. I learned much from Paul. He was also a knowledgeable weather enthusiast interested in preserving the safety of the community. We were very active in CANWARN. His family continues his legacy.

I compared commercial Billy Bee Honey to preparing a fine meal, but first taking that delicious spread from thousands of bee colonies and passing it through a blender before the flavours reached your palate. What a mistake that would be... so Philly Bee refused to do that to his bees. I spun out each frame separately into mason jars so that the bees' effort and specific flavours were preserved for all to enjoy.

There are many other paintings from this part of the fence line. Here is a collage of just a few of those. 

The smooth and slippery surface of  "One More Drift" was fun. A lot of oil was used. The brush strokes got a little wild. Lay it in and leave it alone was my plein air motto. 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels or go straight to the Collections. Here is the new Wet Paint Collection. Thank you for reading, and stay well!

Warmest regards, and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick