The Park was afire with colour...and besieged by busloads and carloads of camera-toting "leaf lookers" all along Highway 60 which runs west to east across the breadth of the Park.It can be annoying and distracting...even dangerous for the artist...if you paint within sight of the highway. I don't! Thirty years of dealing with this phenomenon has taught me to seek out "less obvious" and less travelled areas of the park to set up shop ...and to find the space and solitude I seek in going there.
The weather was intermittently cold and rainy over the four days we were there and yours truly had the chest cold he had just gotten rid of revisit with a vengeance on day two. I stayed with it...Cold FX...Buckley's Flu Combo and Vicks VapoRub added to my kit.I managed to complete a 16x20 inch sketch and another 2ox24 inch canvas....and gathered lots of reference material to carry me through the winter months in the studio. So a profitable and enjoyable foray...despite the weather and health hurdles.
We enjoyed an interesting encounter with a black bear on Opeongo Road who was busy stuffing his face and stomach in preparation for the long months of hibernation facing him and his kind. He seemed completely oblivious to our presence...and I felt honoured and privileged to share his space and to watch his behaviours. I learned a lot about him. I wondered if he learned anything about me...or if he even cares to wonder.He used his paws in such a human way ...stripping of berries in a way not dissimilar to my own way of picking blueberries.
I spent the day in the studio...under the lights in my cosy studio...reworking a sketch...while the wind and rain drummed on the windows. It felt good warm...with less cold...to be back home...and to have these "moments" to reshape and play with to my heart's contentment.The joy of painting outdoors...brought indoors to savour and reflect upon one more time!!
This short season of blazing colour will be short this year...so I'll be "out there" again tomorrow.Stay tuned!
Good painting to all!
Bruce
