#2672 "Dames Rocket"

#2672 "Dames Rocket"
7x5 inches oils

I consulted with my learned friends as to the identity of the flowers. They did not hesitate at labelling them as Dame's Rocket. The flower is sometimes tootled as an invasive plant, but generally just a few plants are found in clusters on recently disturbed soil or along streams. 

Dame's rocket was brought to North America in the 17th century and has since become naturalized there, now growing throughout most of the United States and Canada. Young leaves are high in vitamin C and can be eaten in salads and have a slightly bitter taste. Seeds can be sprouted and also eaten in salads. 

Art is also an excuse to continue learning about the natural world.  

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#2671 "Rainy Day Daisies"

#2671 "Rainy Day Daisies"
12x10 inches oil on smooth panel

I had some paint that needed using. Rain was nearby and I had just returned from a most pleasant paddle in my canoe. 

I decided to set up beside the sunroom overlooking a small patch of daisies that had planted themselves. One can never have enough daisies. We need a new daisy for every day... The rain was close but passed by just to the north of Singleton. 

It was D-Day was the start of Operation 'Overlord'. On D-Day, 6 June 1944, Allied forces launched a combined naval, air and land assault on Nazi-occupied France. The 'D' in D-Day stands simply for 'day' and the term was used to describe the first day of any large military operation.

Early on 6 June, Allied airborne forces parachuted into drop zones across northern France. Ground troops then landed across five assault beaches - Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword. By the end of the day, the Allies had established a foothold along the coast and could begin their advance into France. So many sacrificed so much so that people could enjoy freedom... I could simply paint, surrounded by nature. A simple thank you can never be enough. 

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#2670 "Singleton Butterfly Kisses"

#2670 "Singleton Butterfly Kisses"
12x10 inches oils on panel

I wanted to have some fun on a smooth and slippery surface. I went looking for wildflowers and found lots of them behind the solar panels. I painted for an hour of tranquillity surrounded by nature. 

A single swallowtail butterfly started out with me when I applied the first brush stroke. Three of its friends soon arrived and they clearly related well together. A hummingbird moth joined us along with an aerator bird - a yellow-shafted flicker. One butterfly landed briefly on my painting but I was too slow with the camera but that memory was stored nonetheless. One butterfly landed on my hat. A tick crawled on to my sock... nature can have a down side as well I guess. The June sun was extremely powerful and it cooked my oils on the smooth panel. The heat was going to be almost too much to endure. It was important though to capture the moment while embedded in nature. 

The guide books identified the butterfly as a "black swallowtail" as near as I can determine. There are lots of swallowtail butterflies and the difference between them are subtle. I could not really be certain as it fluttered by. 

I consulted with my biologist friends as to the identity of the flowers. They did not hesitate at labelling them as Dame's Rocket - sometimes tootled as an invasive, but generally just a few plants in a cluster on recently disturbed soil or along streams. Dame's rocket was brought to North America in the 17th century and has since become naturalized there, now growing throughout most of the US and Canada. Young leaves are high in vitamin C and can be eaten in salads and have a slightly bitter taste. Seeds can be sprouted and also eaten in salads. 

It was the eve of D-Day and I was remembering my Father and the countless others of the Greatest Generation who gave so much for peace... so I could stand out in the forest and simply paint. 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels. Thank you. 

#2669 "Long Reaching into Red Horse"

#2669 "Long Reaching into Red Horse"
14x18 inches oils stretched canvas

The Narrows is an important landmark that marks the entrance from Long Reach into Red Horse Lake. The community of homes have been there at the Narrows for quite a long time. 

On Long Point it's known as Rice's Narrows, and the adjacent large, granite knob to the north is "Rice's Mountain", after Joel and Melinda Rice who were the first settlers there. In Lyndhurst it's called Weeks's Narrows after Harvey and George Weeks who farmed there later. When our local historian was a kid, he prided myself in being able to go through there in my speedboat without slowing down. 

I painted the Narrows before in #1399 "Red Horse Narrows", #1611 "Red Horse Narrows", #1744 "Autumn Narrows" and #2658 "October Narrows 2021". I even called two by the same name... something I try very hard not to do but it obviously happens. 

I was out for a long paddle... and got this painting out of the effort. 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels. Thank you. 

#2668 "Midday Singleton Daisies"

#2668 "Midday Singleton Daisies"
10.25 x 9.25 oil panel

It was a sunny day at least until the line of thunderstorms arrived.

I figured that I had enough quiet time to paint some daisies. I was alone in the Singleton Sanctuary, the ultimate in quiet and at peace. My palette was getting messy but I did not wish to take the time to scrape it and start afresh. Time is limited and precious. 

While painting, I pondered back to the summer of 1915 when Tom Thomson painted "Wildflowers". Tom was frustrated with his efforts. He apparently flipped his brush around and used the pointed end to scratch an "X" in the surface of the wet paint. There are other scratches as well in that surface but the big "X" was clearly an expression that he was not pleased. Tom's painting did hit the mark, the bulls eye so to speak, although he could not see it at the time. 

After I finished this painting, I headed for my swim in Jim Day Rapids. A loon surfaced just ten feet away while I swam. It knew me, made eye contact and hovered around for several minutes before diving further into Long Reach. This reminded me of a previous nickname "Dances with Bees" and perhaps an additional, humourous moniker might apply - "Swims with Loons". 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels. Thank you. 

#2667 "Blue Columbine Wildflowers and Friends"

#2667 "Blue Columbine Wildflowers and Friends"
9.25x10.25 inches oils on panel

I encourage wildflowers in our sanctuary. 

These blue columbine flowers cover large portions of the marble ridge. The blue-white blossoms are a favourite among the birds and the bees. Bumble bees were really active on the clump of flowers right in front of me as I painted. The natural sugars and pollen of real flowers are really best for their diet. There were several other plants and even maple saplings growing within that clump of inspiration. These are the friends that I alluded to in the title. 

The sounds of nature were almost loud. Loons, red-bellied woodpeckers (that sounded like tree frogs), bull frogs... everyone had something to say. 

We were in the warm sector of a large and unstable weather system. The southerly winds were bringing in hot and moist air. I had to cover up with my hat and long sleeved painting shirt to protect my skin. I needed the sunglasses as well. The extra clothing including pants were protection against the biting insects but my dragonfly air force kept them at bay. I rarely sit down to paint en plein air but the flowers were so low to the ground that I had too in this case. I had to retreat for a cooler environment after finishing this group of wild flowers. 

Sadly if you simply Google "columbine" one gets pages of links about something very different than flowers. I will stick with the original botanical links that I found. Sad. 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels. Thank you. 

#2666 "Dandy Bouquet"

#2666 "Dandy Bouquet"
20x16 inches oils

The best way to not overwork a canvas is to grab another canvas and set the first aside - at least for a while. The bugs were ferocious outside so it had to be a Studio canvas. The painting that needed to be set aside for a while was #2665 "Happy Day Sunflowers"

I had this idea about a dandelion still life for a while. I always tend to paint flowers in the late spring and summer when the outside, biting bugs are bad. Of course, the mosquitoes are just doing what their biology tells them to do. I picked a Mason bottle and some dandelions and put a light on the subject matter. 

I collected these dandelions from around the property. These particular dandelions were outside the garage door of our Singleton Home overlooking the field to the east. I kept having to pick more dandelion flowers and leaves until this canvas was done. I had fun painting the ragged leaves which gives the plant its English name from the French "dent de lion" or lion's tooth. Apparently the French common name is "pis en lit" which means " pee the bed" and originates from the diuretic action of the roots. 

Even dandelions are safe in the Singleton Sanctuary. They provide early pollen for the insects but they can also be delicious. The Latin name for "dandelion" is taraxicum officinale which apparently means "the official remedy for disorders." The dandelion has many health benefits which include being good for the liver, assisting with inflammation, alleviating kidney and bladder stones and as a poultice for boils. Dandelion greens are best in early spring. Fresh roots can be peeled, thinly sliced, and sautéed. 

For this and much more art, click on Pixels. Thank you. 

#2665 "Happy Day Sunflowers"

#2665 "Happy Day Sunflowers"
40x36 by 1.75 inches Gallery Wrap

This painting is based solely on #2435 "Overcast Sunflowers" and perhaps the loud music that I was listening to at the time. I felt I could do a large painting and still keep it as dynamic and alive as the smaller sunflowers. I used one of my finest and most expensive, stretched canvases for the experiment. 

Layout Sketch - Charging Forward with the brush...

Life is not always about the showy and bright flowers. The subtle, darker web of the twisted stems and leaves also support the vortex of life as we all turn toward the light… like the sunflower in real life. I was concentrating on connecting the dark to the light with big brushes and strokes of energy. 

As luck would have it, Robert Genn's "The Painter's Keys" would publish "Johanna van Gogh" on the date that I started this canvas. Johanna was instrumental in spreading the art of her talented brother-in-law Vincent around the world. "The sunflower is mine, in a way" said Vincent Van Gogh. I know that he would share though. I almost share my birthday with Vincent except that his was 100 years earlier than mine. 

I was starting to dab and loosing direction after several days of concentrated effort on this canvas. I decided to paint the edges and let it mellow for a while as I went to other subjects. One can overwork even a large canvas. I did return to the canvas after a few days but one would be hard pressed to see any of those brush strokes. 

The sunflower and this painting are intended to bring some happiness into the world during these challenging times ... and challenges always bring opportunities if we look. For this and much more art, click on Pixels. Thank you. 

#2664 "May Evening Post Cold Frontal Altocumulus"

#2664 "May Evening Post Cold Frontal Altocumulus"
5x7 oils on canvas

The cold front had gone through and a ridge of high pressure was building in. 

Remnant pieces of altocumulus in the hang back from the low pressure area were lingering in the sunset sky. The atmospheric frame winds were clearly northwesterly but there were also elongated fingers of cloud stretched from the northwest. I interpreted those as Langmuir streaks. The night-time microphysics image confirmed the deduced pattern. A band of cloud low on the horizon did not reveal how it was oriented but I painted what I saw so it must be right according to nature. 

The west basin of Singleton Lake was exposed to the northwesterly winds behind the cold front. The rippled surface of the west basin was reflecting the blue sky above. The calm waters of the protected east basin of Singleton were reflecting the sky that was lower on the horizon. 

I wanted to have some fun with the colours and stay home too. For this and much more art, click on Pixels. Thank you.