Well the signs of spring, new growth, new life and new beginnings are out there. Every time I walk outside I hear the many different bird songs filling the air. Each day, I have noticed the grass getting greener and all sorts of bright green plants emerging from my gardens and buds growing on the tree branches. The best part of this time of year is the extended daylight. For me as an artist, I need light to work, to be able to see the colours I am mixing correctly, and the light, this time of year is so welcomed. I try to focus on all these positive things in this new world that we all are experiencing right now with the spread of the Corona Virus and the isolation that many of us feel, being locked down in our homes and separated from our friends and family and work.
Over the winter I decided to try some larger format paintings, as this is what my Muskoka gallery tells me that people want. I painted a series of three large Algonquin Park scenes that I titled Algonquin Lookout, Spirit of The Sky. I think you will be really impressed if you see them in person. Made me realize that I also liked painting large, and want to continue to paint some large sizes.
Here is the second one I did in that series:
Algonquin Lookout, Spirit of The Sky 2 48” x 60”
I also enjoyed painting a vertical version of a Killarney lookout, titled Summer Pine measuring 48” x 24”
My husband and I were lucky enough to escape the cold for a week just before we realized how dangerous the Corona Virus was becoming. We visited a tiny island off the coast of Belize at an area called Glover’s Reef. It was more like Glamping as the place was off the grid and only had around 15 cabins with no running water or toilets inside. (It did have a solar powered outdoor shower where you could look up at the palm trees while you showered.) We spent a week snorkelling, diving and beach walking with all the hermit crabs and lizards. Here are a couple of shots for our week:
One of many stingray I saw beach-walking, snorkelling, or diving.
Dave and I at a snorkelling spot we kayaked out to:
A new fish to me called Rock Beauty: (the yellow and black one on the left)
With spending more time at home during isolation, I decided to try and paint a view that my sister and I saw on a canoe trip in Algonquin Park a couple of summers ago. The funny thing is I remember chatting to a woman there who told me that the island we were on was called “Diaper Island,” which made me laugh. What I am not certain though is if it actually was the name of the island, or it was just her family’s nickname for it. In any case I decided to title the painting:
Algonquin Canoe Stop, 30“x40”
To help cheer my household up, being isolated at home, I bought a bouquet of yellow tulips and decided to paint them. I prefer painting landscapes because I feel I can paint looser, but maybe I could try another version sometime that is looser.
Also for Spring, I felt like trying a spring palette which I chose for this painting: Spring Pine tree Lookout, 40” x 16”
Well I hope that you can get outside and enjoy the signs of spring that are all around us. Let us hope that our world will return to being safe place for us all before summer. Take care.