Monday, August 6, 2012

Change... is in the air!

The vastly changed cool... crisp morning air following two days of vacillating high gale force winds and rain signalled the unpredictable nature of August... sullenly humid one moment and mimicking fall in one other brief moment. Even the birds... the overly noisy...raucous and raspy gatherings of crows and erratically wheeling Arctic terns over the water belayed the sudden confusion of such a radical and sudden change in the weather pattern. How wonderful that brisk westerly breeze felt on my cheeks!... How fresh and alive the world seemed - reclaimed from the clutches of the paralysing heat that had hung like a woollen blanket for the past two weeks.

Previously wilted and parched gardens and flowers stood tall once more... revitalized in a fashion which no manner of watering can achieve. Morning dew on the lawns in a space of just hours. It is remarkable to observe Nature in action... and to feel a part of and place in the scheme of such wondrous things. To feel regenerated oneself as well. To be able  to be outside again enjoying comfortable painting conditions and to genuinely feel motivated and alive creatively. This sudden change allows one to feel and understand perfectly the regenerative effect which other creatures of Creation experience... when "all's well with the world."

Well... yesterday and today...  the world was simply that for "Me." My reunion... as brief as it was with my high school mates added new fire and created a stronger sense of meaning in spiritual terms for me. This morning's sweet hour of solitude... and meditation... in the cool and quiet of this August morning kick-started me back into action at my easel. I finished up the demo which had been hangin' about because of the endless heat... and completed another painting... an 11x14 inch canvas which was completed using the landscape directly in front of Islesview with the addition of a photo reference which I had made a week back of The Empress... a Victorian look alike steamer from the turn of the century. The Empress, out of Kingston, Ontario plies the waters of Lake Ontario... The St Lawrence River between Kingston and the Saguenay River in The Gulf of St Lawrence just north of  Quebec City.

 Both paintings... on their own way support the focus I have been discussing regarding respecting the Past... but embracing the Present... while preparing for the future. Each painting has a heritage touch included... symbolizing a healthy acknowledgement of things passed. However... both in their own way demonstrate a moving forward to embrace the face of change as demanded by Man and  his always changing Technology. I think that both paintings reflect a fresh air of acceptance and a hearty embracing of the Present.

What do you think? I wonder...

 " Sun Bathing at the Captain Carnegie House in Rockport" - oil on canvas 24x20 inches


"The Past Steaming Full Speed Ahead... Into the Present!" - oil on canvas 11x14 inches


Good Painting! Get out there... summer's on the wane!

6 comments:

  1. I so wish I could see the inside of the Captain Carnegie House. I love that a sea captain lived there. Too, the beautiful Empress reminds me of the old paddle wheel boats that went up and down the Mississippi River...sigh...

    Thanks for still wanting to be my blogger friend, despite my sometimes off-putting way of thinking, Bruce. You don't know how I wish I was different in many respects.

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  2. Good Morning Sherry!.... Thank you for taking the time to "board"! Captain Carnegie commanded such a ship which ferried residents and visitors between Rockport and Alexandria Bay, NY... before the advent of the Thousand Island International Bridge. So the two images are appropriately linked in time.

    You will remain my Blogging Friend Sherry. I admire your work ... and your wonderful spirit. The insecurity that you feel is something for you to work on... and I support that! v"You"... matter!


    Good Painting!
    Warmest regards,
    Bruce

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  3. Good Morning Bruce, oh yes,lovely paintings. Bruce. Love the way you keep the freshness in your larger paintings. They maintain the brilliance of your plein air paintings. Thank you for sharing.

    All the best to you
    Joan

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  4. Good Morning Joan!... Thanks for your positive comments and observations Joan!

    As is obvious in your own work Joan... not overworking a painting in the initial stages helps maintain a freshness..., which though adjusted later in the studio perhaps... continues to have that outdoor painterly feel. This is learned through many years of painting en plein air and becomes an invaluable tool.

    Thanks for visiting Joan!

    Good Painting!
    Warmest regards,
    Bruce

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  5. Great paintings Bruce. I really like Captain Carnegie House was looks very rural, homely and secluded. The Steam Boat is a wonderful painting and I really like the way you've dealt with the water and reflections. Both are excellent pieces. Happy painting.

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  6. Hi there John!... Thanks for visiting... and for your positive comments!

    So many intriguing subjects to choose from... new ones crop every single day!

    Happy Painting back to you!
    Warmest regards,
    Bruce

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