Sunday, November 6, 2011

On the Job With Dad Day... in Kettleby!

Bryn's admirable effort... at the lay in stage... lots of potential!



Dad's effort... with a bit of work to finish




Kettleby ... in a bygone era


Village General Store, Kettleby c 1930 - watercolour 20x25 inches by Peter Haworth, a Canadian artist I much admire for his water colouring efforts




Two hearts... as "One"!



Bryn at the easel.... "into it"




Curtis House -1890



The Italian Bakery (Old General Store)





Our subject for the day- John Stone Clift's Home and Blacksmith Shop - 1890




Looking down Main Street, Kettleby



The weather stills holds as I write today's post... blue skies... sunny... +12C degrees... but the four successive days of hard overnight and early morning frosts have all but eradicated the colour. Pockets of oaks... poplar... birch and tamarack/larch provide much of the remaining colour... and for that... I am grateful!

Bryn and I enjoyed a wonderful paint out together at Kettleby on Wednesday. The weather was sunny and bright... but the winds remained gusty and chilly all morning. I pulled the van up close behind our easel setup together to help serve as a partial windbreak... but we were in the shade of a house and large trees... so that heightened the cold of the wind.

We chose a subject which combined the 1890... century home and shop of village blacksmith John Stone Clift. It has been updated... still to period tastes and stylism... in a board and batten construction. My guess is that it was a simple frame "centre plan" clapboard home... typical of the period throughout most of rural Ontario.

This style of one and a half storey home, typically had a central entrance on the facade, located below a dormer window located directly above in the half storey. You entered the home to be greeted by a staircase that led to the second storey. The dormer window provided the necessary light for this staircase. The low ceilings in each of the two upper bedrooms followed the slant of the roof. The ground floor consisted of a parlour and dining room to the front which were lit by front windows.... and a kitchen/pantry area to the rear.


While painting... we were visited by local octogenarian resident Mrs. Marjorie Burkholder, who has lived her entire life in the village... in the same house as a child... during the whole of her lengthy married life... and now alone. She readily shared her vast knowledge of her village's history and fellow residents. Her pride in her heritage and her obviously sharp mind and memory are something which I greatly admire. There still survive... places and people who embrace "the older ways"...and live contentedly in quieter places. Kettleby and Marjorie are examples of this anachronistic phenomena... where Time... seems joyfully and willingly... to stand still.


We enjoyed a wonderful hot beverage break midway through the morning at the busy local Italian Bakery... house in the old General Store... and went back at noon to warm up... and to enjoy a delicious hot lunch. After lunch we did a tour about to look at other homes... stopping at each to read the historical plaques on the facades of each building. Little has changed in Kettleby... and newcomers have been happy to embrace the villagers need... as a whole to maintain their identity. We didn't even have to take down our easels during the whole day. We presented no threat to the comings or goings... and were made to feel welcome everywhere we went.


Bryn managed to get his panel to the lay in stage... and I purposely stopped a bit on the unfinished side for me... to enable us to continue the paintings back in the studio on his next visit. I took supporting digital images which can help with reaching a suitable studio finish... but at the same time maintaining the plein air freshness.


I asked what he had learned from "being on the job with Dad" experience. He said he had learned a lot about mixing colour... about brushwork and about aspects of composition and... the effects of cold on paint... and a lot about the history of Kettleby from Mr's Burkholder. Tongue-in-cheek... and he's a master at this... he laughingly replied..."And I learned that I won't be joining you for winter paint outs!"



I too... learned lots ... watching Bryn work... listening to his questions... watching him learn from the Kettleby experience and history lesson. Parents should avail themselves of more opportunities to work side-by-side with their children. Each learns to appreciate... and to better understand the other!


The cold did bother him... as it does most folk... and "Me" on occasion as well. But I look forward to winter painting... and being "out there"... with that winter world... all to my Self!!!


I'll post the finished pieces next week to show their final state!



Until then... Good Painting to All!!

20 comments:

  1. Dad is for sure the best tutor, not so? A charming running commentary about your day. How nice that the old resident lady could tell you about the place! Looking forward to the finished paintings!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi there Marie!... Thanks for dropping by ... and for the "two thumbs up"... on our paint out!

    It was indeed a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate to Bryn how I conduct my life en plein air!I too... learned a great deal from being with "Him"... sharing my passion for what I do daily. Too soon... he'll be on this own path... with his own journey to run. Perhaps... he'll remember this day... and all the new learning he gained... from the older folk! HA HA!!!

    Good painting!
    Warmest regards,
    Bruce

    ReplyDelete
  3. what an enchanting area and such a wonderful session with your son! your paintings illustrate your idyllic life. so peaceful, so open and kind, just so inspiring. bryn's work is very good, has to be look who's teaching him!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi there Suzanne!... Yes... Kettleby is a uniquely peaceful and enchanting place... not having the usual hustle and bustle around us!

    The paintings really illustrate an idyllic state of mind... as opposed to a place Suzanne! If one's mind is open and one tries to be kind and seeks peace... it can be found and maintained. The work simply reflects that state!

    Bryn's work shows good possibility. Now to go to the next level with it! I'm sure that he will. I sure am willing to help him to get there!

    Thanks for dropping by and for the encouraging comments... as always!

    Good Painting!
    Warmest regards,
    Bruce

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sounds like you boys had a productive day. Thank you for sharing it and for the interesting info about the town. It looks like a lovely place to go for a paint out.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Good morning Bruce, our weather continues to mirror yours - warm sunny days and cold frosty nights.

    I'm glad to hear that you had such a good day with Bryn. I'm sure it will stay as one of those special days in his memory. If nothing else, he now has an appreciation of how easy life is for a plein-air painter. /-)

    Keep warm,
    Keith

    ReplyDelete
  7. I like the neighbourhood, the houses are really cosy looking. Thanks for sharing your painting day with your son, you had fine weather for it. You both did a very good painting.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Lisa!... It was indeed a full... and productive day for both of us! Being together "out there" is at the top o' the list of pluses!

    Kettleby has many positive traits which make it a perfect place to paint!Good subjects... friendly folk... Good food and warm beverage... and ... Solitude! All the ingredients necessary for an enjoyable plein air experience!

    Thanks for dropping by and for your comments.

    Good Painting!
    Warmest regards,
    Bruce

    ReplyDelete
  9. Good morning Keith!... Glad that the "weather gods" continue to shine on your part of the world as well!

    Deb's son in Regina, Saskatchewan reported in yesterday an overnight snowfall of 18 cm... and an additional 20+ was expected overnight last night! Can't be far off for us... given the way the weather patterns here are simply a day or two behind theirs! Shovel time!... and off to Curry's Art Store for a couple of tubes of Griffin Alkyd White!HA HA!!!

    Bryn and I both enjoyed the outing... and we both came away with a better appreciation of each other!

    We both know about "the easy" of plein air work... don't we Keith! He does as well now! HA HA!!!

    Thanks for your visit and always welcome comments!

    Good Painting!
    Warm breezes... back to you Keith!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Love Bryn's name and he is a cutie. He has much talent, I see! Must get it from dad. Loved hearing about Ms. Marjorie and that is the kind of life I've always wanted to live. Apparently, I'm much too much of a rolling stone though...sigh...

    Alas, I'm with Bryn. The cold would indeed get to me. He lasted much longer than I would have. I'd have been sitting in the car painting...with the heater on! LOL

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Caroline!...Thanks for tuning in... and for the encouraging comments!

    Successful trips to Kettleby for paint outs with both Bryn and his brother Liam... now under our belts! I think both lads gained some new insights into their Dad's ongoing outdoor painting fetish! Enjoyable to all... that's what counts!

    Good Painting!
    Warmest regards,
    Bruce

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi Sherry!... Thanks for dropping by and for all of your interesting... and thoughtful comments!

    Bryn (Welsh) is indeed a good-looking... but very shy... until he knows you kind of guy! He loves to use his hands (ie woodworking course in first year highschool course selections) in conjunction with his very good mind! BONUS!!!

    The whole Kettleby adventure was rewarding for both of us... especially meeting Marjorie Burkholder! How strange the Universe... that she knew a woman Sharon... whom I had taught with for ten years in Kingston... from a time "when she was knee high to a grasshopper!"

    Rollin' stones see a lot along their journey... as they pick up that moss! HA HA!!! Enjoy the Now Sherry! It seems a good place as I see it from here! The cold isn't for everybody... and a heated car works!

    Good Painting and Writing!
    Warmest regards,
    Bruce

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi Bruce,
    Thanks for the kind words on my blog.
    I had fun browsing your blog, your work is beautiful, love the loose brushwork. It must be great to paint outside with your son. Looking forward to following your blog.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi Erik!... Thank "You"'' for the return visit... and for your encouraging words!

    We share the same goals... to paint loosely and outdoors as much as we possibly can!

    I look forward to more back and forth sharings of paintings and ideas!

    Good Painting!
    Warmest regards,
    Bruce

    ReplyDelete
  15. How wonderful, you and you son enjoying the fresh air painting side by side. He definetly shows great promise. The fact that you are there sharing your knowledge is truly a gift,your son will always cherish.

    All the best to your and your family
    Joan

    ReplyDelete
  16. i like it when you stop before the finish bruce,i really do and bryn has so much promise...he is lucky with a dad like you and you with him!!!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hi there Joan!... Thanks for dropping by and for your lovely comments of support!

    You and I share the belief that family means everything! What a better way for a Dad and his son to spend a day..."side-by-each"... painting in the quiet and grandeur of a lovely and picturesque rural enclave like Kettleby!!

    A grand day for both!

    Good Painting!
    Warmest regards,
    Bruce

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hi there Mate!... Good to hear from you! Thanks for the vote of confidence for stopping at the near finishstage on this one! I think I agree with you on this one for certain! We'll see what happens... HA HA!!!

    It's always a pleasure to share time with my family... a bonus... when it's plein air painting time... don't you agree?

    Good Painting!
    Warmest regards,
    Bruce

    ReplyDelete
  19. Awesome! What a great Dad Day! Bryn's painting is wonderful, he's got all the values down pat! (Great name by the way).
    I'm really looking forward to some winter painting too. I love autumn with the changing leaves, beautiful... but they block the view!
    Happy Painting,
    Nora MacPhail

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hi Nora!... Thanks for your enthusiatic and encouraging comments!

    Bryn does have a good hand on things... given his limited exposure and experience. Hope that he continues to show further interest... you never know where it might lead! A great start though!

    Autumn is just about gone... but winter does have its own beauty... and interesting subjects!

    Loved your watercolour floral in your last post... a really nice handling of colour used as a design element!

    Good Painting!
    Warmest regards,
    Bruce

    ReplyDelete