Back From a Foray to Algonquin Park
Despite fighting the rain throughout the entire three days, it was a rewarding trip. I managed to come home with three pretty good paintings doine entirely on location...thanks to the copious canopy cover of stands of black spruce that proliferate this beautiful and pristeen wilderness area.
My wife Deb and I were invited to visit by our good friends David and Diane Kay in Whitney located at the East Gate entrance to the Park. Together they operate a motel business called the East Gate Motel there. David is a very fine artist who knows the area like the back of his hand. His gallery of fine art at the motel attests to this intimate relationaship and his capability as an artist.
The horse flies and mosquitoes which frequent the Park in July were VERY active...and distracting to say the very least. We did find several sites which offered wind and some relief from their incessant badgering. The Park is very green in this summer season...but I love the challenge of playing with pigment to unravel the slight differences between greens. One has to study the scene before them very carefully ...before adding paint. The old adage: Look twice... paint once...forms the best startegy for success in this undertaking. One has to watch carefully that they don't let the bravura...no bravado that many outdoor artists demonstrate when working outdoors. Not strangely to me, these same artists forsake summer because of the "green monsters"...and in so doing...in my own humble opinion miss an opportunity to discover the joy of accomplishment of being out there...surrounded by the vitality of Nature at her height. Just my thought however!
Here are a couple of the "sketches" completed entirely on location. Judge for yourself if the exercise is achievable...or worthy of time and effort. I'd be interested in your comments!
Good (summer) painting!....wherever you are!
Cheers!
Despite fighting the rain throughout the entire three days, it was a rewarding trip. I managed to come home with three pretty good paintings doine entirely on location...thanks to the copious canopy cover of stands of black spruce that proliferate this beautiful and pristeen wilderness area.
My wife Deb and I were invited to visit by our good friends David and Diane Kay in Whitney located at the East Gate entrance to the Park. Together they operate a motel business called the East Gate Motel there. David is a very fine artist who knows the area like the back of his hand. His gallery of fine art at the motel attests to this intimate relationaship and his capability as an artist.
The horse flies and mosquitoes which frequent the Park in July were VERY active...and distracting to say the very least. We did find several sites which offered wind and some relief from their incessant badgering. The Park is very green in this summer season...but I love the challenge of playing with pigment to unravel the slight differences between greens. One has to study the scene before them very carefully ...before adding paint. The old adage: Look twice... paint once...forms the best startegy for success in this undertaking. One has to watch carefully that they don't let the bravura...no bravado that many outdoor artists demonstrate when working outdoors. Not strangely to me, these same artists forsake summer because of the "green monsters"...and in so doing...in my own humble opinion miss an opportunity to discover the joy of accomplishment of being out there...surrounded by the vitality of Nature at her height. Just my thought however!
Here are a couple of the "sketches" completed entirely on location. Judge for yourself if the exercise is achievable...or worthy of time and effort. I'd be interested in your comments!
Good (summer) painting!....wherever you are!
Cheers!
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