#2409 "Granite Cliff"

This interesting piece of granite is from just northeast of Windsor Island in the Parry Sound Archipelago. The rock was photographed at 2 pm on Thursday July 23rd, 2020 looking southwest from very near N45.382488 W80.344342. I had been in front of that rock face the previous September. There would be no way to set up an easel in the depths of this rocky channel - although I would be tempted. 

This is another of those rock, lake and trees painting that are characterisitic of Canada. I abbreviate this genre of art as Ro-Lak-Tree because it reminds me of the rock, paper and scissors game called Ro-Sham-Bo. The rocks, lakes and trees is a slight of hand game played using a brush loaded with oil paint. Everybody wins as long as nature is appreciated and protected. Ro-Lak-Tree (a name I made up) is a nature stewardship game that the Group of Seven invented while they were searching for the Canadian identity around the time of the 1918 Flu Pandemic. Sadly, history does repeat itself. People have not really changed in the past hundred years which saw the inventions of the computer, the world-wide-web and space travel.... 

Oils on burnt sienna acrylic foundation on a smooth panel with two or three coats of white primer, a thick coat of Golden Artists Colors-GAC-100 followed by one or two coats of gesso. The number, title and story are typically written on the back in pencil and then sealed with a coat of Kamar artist varnish - 8 X 10 (inches) by ¼ inch thick.

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The Holiday Season and Pixels.com

The holiday season is almost here, and Pixels.com has several promotions for Fine Art America in November and December!  The promotional calendar for the rest of November follows. All of the promotions begin at 12:00 AM Eastern U.S. time on the listed start date and end at 11:59 PM Eastern U.S. time on the end date. 

https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-phil-chadwick

November 16th - 25% Off All Greeting Cards

November 17th - 50% Off All Apparel (T-Shirts, Sweatshirts, Tank Tops, Onesies, etc.)

November 18th - 25% Off Home Decor (Throw Pillows, Duvet Covers, Shower Curtains, Bath Towels, Coffee Mugs, and Fleece Blankets)

November 19th - 25% Off Puzzles, Tote Bags, Weekender Tote Bags, Zip Pouches, and Yoga Mats

November 20th - 25% Off Phone Cases

November 21st and November 22nd - Free Ground Shipping on All U.S. Orders

November 27th and November 30th - 25% Off Wall Art (Canvas Prints, Framed Prints, Posters, Wood Prints, Metal Prints, Acrylic Prints, and Tapestries)

I hope this helps... Thank you and keep your paddle in the water! I continue to paint up a storm...

Phil the Forecaster Chadwick

#2408 "Franklin Rock Face"

This interesting piece of granite is from nearby the location of painting #2398 "Searching for Franklin". The rock was photographed on Saturday July 25th, 2020 looking southeast from very near N45.382861 W80.340598. I had been in front of that rock on Franklin Island the previous September. The swirls in the rock belie the fiery history of the Parry Sound Archipelago. 

In addition, the patterns in the rock reminded me of my late artist friend Ed Bartram. Ed lived in King City near where we lived in Schomberg and later at Watershed Farm on the 12th Concession of King Township. This painting is my small remembrance of an artist who shared in the joy of the Georgian Bay rocks and the archipelago. The rocky swirls gave the painting both a rhyme and a rhythm. Ed gave me an autographed copy of his book, Rockscapes. I gave Ed a copy of my Weather of Ontario. We are all in this together. 

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#2407 "Benz Pines"

The pines on Benz Island in the Parry Sound Archipelago were fully exposed to the elements. These particular trees are actually on a small chunk of rock southeast of the much larger Benz Island. This is another of those rock, lake and trees painting that are characterisitic of Canada. I abbreviate this genre of art as Ro-Lak-Tree which reminds me of the rock, paper and scissors game called Ro-sham-bo. The rocks, lakes and trees is a slight of hand game played with a brush loaded with oil paint. Everybody wins as long as nature is appreciated and protected. Ro-Lak-Tree (a name I made up) is a nature stewardship game that the Group of Seven invented while they were searching for the Canadian identity around the time of the 1918 Flu Pandemic. History does repeat itself. People have not really changed in the past hundred years which saw the inventions of the computer, the world-wide-web and space travel.... 

The 30,000 Islands of the Parry Sound Archipelago supports unique ecosystems. All kinds of creatures rely on these rocky havens away from the influences of most humans. Humans need to become better stewards of the world and nature. The Georgian Bay image is from 8 am July 30th, 2020 looking southeast.

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#2406 "August Black Eyed Susans"

 I thought I would have some fun with a closer view of the black eyed susans in the Singleton garden. 

The name black-eyed Susan is an epithet (an adjective or descriptive phrase expressing a quality characteristic of the person or thing mentioned) of the flower's signature dark brown center. The legend says that the name black-eyed Susan originated from an Old English Poem written by John Gay entitled 'Sweet William's Farewell To Black-Eyed Susan'. Black Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) is a resilient wildflower that grows well in disturbed or unfavorable environments. The flowers blooms every other year but since it reseeds quickly, the black eyed susans seem to be blooming every year and everywhere. Black eyed susans are heat and drought tolerant so should do well with climate change. The black eyed susans in the Singleton garden just appeared and we let them flourish naturally. 

The black eyed Susan flower (Rudbeckia hirta) belongs to the sunflower family and is the state flower of Maryland. It’s also a medicinal herb believed to treat colds, flu and even snakebites. Black Eyed Susans are indigenous to many sections of North America. They were introduced into Europe from North America soon after Columbus's visits and were named by Linnaeus in 1753. Linnaeus gave them the Latin name Rudbeckia Hirta after his mentor Olaf Rudbeck and hirta meaning rough, hairy. The plant was known and used by many Native American tribes. 

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#2405 "Hot August Sunrise"

This particular sunrise was spectacular. There was a mist in the warm sector of the summer storm system. Pieces of altocumulus were stretched out along the deformation zone. It was going to be much too hot to paint en plein air so I retreated to the Singleton Studio. 

The warm tropical air had been surging northeastward across eastern Ontario for a couple of days. The dew point would reach the low twenties Celsius which would provide ample fuel for the thunderstorms along the approaching cool front. 

The timing of the front at the end of the day would permit some very energetic thunderstorms. I was anticipating the watches and warnings to be issued early in the afternoon by Environment Canada. 

My goal for this painting was to try something unusual on a different shaped canvas as well as having some fun too. 

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#2404 "Singleton Tiger Lilies"

I do not remember planting these lilies. Our Singleton garden is pretty much self planted and designed for the native birds and the bees. I stood in the middle of the flower bed starting at noon Friday August 7th, 2020. It was a beautiful day with no biting bugs. 

When I paint outside I barely leave behind any footprints. I certainly do not leave any carcasses. A jumping spider was all over my small panel. I wonder what it was thinking? The natural world has an innate intelligence that we can only guess at. Do not underestimate it... 

There is an old legend from Asia about the Tiger Lily. Apparently a Korean hermit helped a wounded tiger by removing an arrow from its body. The tiger asked the hermit to use his powers to perpetuate their friendship after his death. The hermit agreed and when the tiger died, his body became a tiger lily. Eventually the hermit drowned and his body was washed away. The Tiger Lily will spread everywhere searching for its drowned friend. In addition, according to some, smelling a Tiger Lily will give you freckles. The Tiger Lily stands for wealth and prosperity. The Tiger Lily is also known by a host of different names in different parts of the world. Some of the synonyms are: Lilium tigrinum, Devil Lily, Kentan, Lilium lancifolium, Leopard Lily, Pine Lily, Lilium catesbaei, Columbia lily, Oregon Lily, Western Wood Lily, Chalice-Cup Lily and Western Red Lily. 

Remembering High School biology, the Tiger Lily has six stamens with each composed of anthers and filaments. There is a single long pistil composed of the stigma, style and ovary. Tiger lily flowers (Lilium lancifolium or Lilium tigrinum) can reach several feet tall. They grow in mass atop a single stem, featuring curved sepals that complement the black-flecked orange petals above. Black bulbils will appear in the axils above the leaves. Learning how to grow tiger lilies involves planting the bulbils and waiting as it may be five years before these produce tiger lily flowers. 

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#2403 "Singleton Black Eyed Susans"

 

The name black-eyed Susan is an epithet of the flower's signature dark brown center. I had to look "epithet" up to discover that it was "an adjective or descriptive phrase expressing a quality characteristic of the person or thing mentioned". I should have known that. The legend says that the name black-eyed Susan originated from an Old English Poem written by John Gay entitled 'Sweet William's Farewell To Black-Eyed Susan'. Black Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) is a resilient wildflower that grows well in disturbed or unfavorable environments. The flowers blooms every other year but since it reseeds quickly, the black eyed susans seem to be blooming every year and everywhere. As a result the flowers are seen every year. Black eyed susans are heat and drought tolerant so should do well with climate change. I enjoy painting these happy looking flowers. 

The black eyed Susan flower (Rudbeckia hirta) belongs to the sunflower family and is the state flower of Maryland. It’s also a medicinal herb believed to treat colds, flu and even snakebites. Black Eyed Susans are indigenous to many sections of North America. They were introduced into Europe from North America soon after Columbus's visits and were named by Linnaeus in 1753. Linnaeus gave them the Latin name Rudbeckia Hirta after his mentor Olaf Rudbeck and hirta meaning rough, hairy. The plant was known and used by many Native American tribes. 

Oils on black oil tinted commercial canvas panel - 5 X 7 (inches) by a quarter inch in depth. Started 10:30 am Friday August 7th, 2020 standing on the large boulders just to the south of the Singleton home. It was a beautiful day with no biting insects.

I picked up a bit of a shed from a grey rat snake - my friend. It was very sunny and that was the only thing stopping me from going for a long paddle. 

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#2402 "Making Maritime Memories"

The story here is a man and a child who were presumably father and son out on a trip to Peggy's Cove in the pick-up truck. There was no indication of any female participating in this "Guy's Day Out" on a very foggy day. The thick advection fog was really thick and just offshore. 

I remember at the time not wanting to include any people in my paintings as I did not have the opportunity to ask permissions and they were not the intended subjects anyway. Decades later as I rekindle this memory, it is the unknown story behind the two guys who are the subject of this painting. The faces are not even clear in the supporting photographs. In the painting they are just included as a few very careful brush strokes. The little boy would be close to 45 years old today. I hoped it all worked out well but one will never know. 

This was when one could still go into the DeGarthe Studio and stand on the balcony at the rear. I vaguely recall that William was not there that day and I was not aware that he was really ill at the time. He had suffered a heart attack in 1979 and was diagnosed with cancer in 1982 about the time this picture was probably taken. He died in a Toronto hospital on February 13, 1983 - William E. deGarthe William deGarthe (1907–1983) . I once watched deGarthe at work on his granite sculpture. I did not take his picture while he was doing that out of respect for the artist. We spoke about art several times. Art is a way of life and a journey at the same time. The destination of the art and your life is never certain but one does their best along the way. 

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