Painting by Metaphor

North Shore Lake Superior' is one of my most self examined works. Those who know me personally know that I am on a big cancer journey. I was motivated to paint a work which has two harmonious landscapes - my internal landscape and an external landscape which work together to best express my world. And for those with an interest in such things, I will explain more.

The metaphor of life takes on at least 3 different forms in this work.  Firstly there is a traditional journey river of life. The painting has a directional sense.  I began the journey into the painting with a cluster of trees (birches on the left side)  Again, trees are ancient life symbols.

Since I have cancer, my journey is taking me from blackness to the brilliance of the  light  in the right corner.  Its not unsual for painters to do scenes in which the eye moves from right to left. I see that there is are some focal issues with this work. I will reshoot it again tomorrow in natural sunlight.

Stormy Day

Peanut Rock evolved from a Lake Superior photo. This happens sometimes. Call it an artistic epiphany or a work of imaginationin - its your call.   Its a relatively simple painting. The work gets its drama from the intense wind blowing in the trees and over the water.  The trees are painted in an uncomplicated, simple style. I shaped 3 subtle colours into the background and it was fun giving as little reflective bounce of light into the water along the shore.

Acrylics
12x14
$400

Drama in the Morning, Lake Superior

This work began after I drove across the north shore of Lake Superior. First a walk, then a sketch, then a photo back in the studio. Its always a challenge to turn a relatively flat, mid tone scene into a lively, colourful, attention getting painting.

Acrylics

12x14

$400

Kicking Horse Flats

This is another of my unfolding saga paintings. It began on location as a plein aire work and it eventually took this form in my British Columbia studio.

I intentionally played with this work. Students of art who know mountains will understand what I am saying.
A mountain peak looks closer to the viewer then the base does. I tried to capture this by giving the base some light distancing blue hues -  which are lighter then the peaks above.

Let me take this a step further.  There is a disease sweeping through the forests of British Columbia and Alberta. A pine beetle is creating havoc. The ochre/orange hues you see at the base of the mountains is the denuded forest.

acrylic
12x16
price - negotiable

The Beauty of a Mountain Stream

This painting is rich with the beauty and drama of the Rocky Mountains. Its a picture which had its genus in Hospital Creek, which flows behind my home.  I learned a lot about exploring subtlety of colour and light in this work - not to mention creating realism in the flow of water. I doubt if I will ever put it on the auction block.

Acrylic
12x16
price?  whatever. lets talk about it.

Where Eagles Fly

I think its done.
This one became a standing joke. My wife said that I was forever tinkering with it. Fiddling was the exact word. It took over a year for me to complete.

Where Eagles Fly began with my imagination and a small sketch.  It took off on its own flight after that.

A friend called it a most Canadian painting. Its got an interesting contrast. The Eagle soars peacefully through the sky but the water below lifts and bounces with action and the trees and grass swing in the stiff wind.

Acrylics
36"x48"
price? Sales are not my long suit.
           I only sell when someone wants to buy my works.
           Contact me and tell me what you want to pay.

Before the Storm

This painting was painted in the week prior to the death of a close friend.  I gave it the title before even knowing what the storm would be. Talk about sensitivity. Art tells all, doesn't it?

Its painted in concentric circle form

Acrylics
18"x 24"
stretched canvas
likely not for sale....but go ahead, name a price.

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Abandoned

A dreamlike painting. A life metaphor.
This work was gifted and hangs in on display in the home of two special friends.

Nature's Roundabout - where the Blue River Meets the Columbia

Local people know this as the place where the Blue River meets the Columbia.  It flows in from the right, and swirls around an island in the middle of the river.

The dark sky over the background mountains give the work a sense of drama. You can see the bouncing water in the distant rapids where the rivers meet.

acrylics
18"x24"
How does $900 sound?

Dinner Dance

This painting catches that rare moment after the osprey seizes the fish.  The fish is heavy and it twists violently and the osprey is caught between lifting it from the water and descending to the nearest pole for dinner.

12x16
acrylics
$500

Moonlit Fantasy

This is one of those "straight from the heart" paintings. No, preliminary sketch. No stored memory. It began with me smearing white in the area where we see an illumination of moonlight.

acrylics
18x24
sold

By Burnt Dam

Another of my autumn 2011 plein air paintings.
This scene was painted after the autumn leaves had fallen.

9x12
Price: $150

Autumn on the Bay

This little plein air painting captures the drama of autumn wind on C Wright's Bay. Its a small, impressionistic work.

size: 8x10
price: $150

Mount Bastian, British Columbia

Mount Bastian, BC. is located near the town of Salmon Arm.  This painting has a Scottish Highlands look about it.  It could be the lavender colours in the sky, that lightly washes down into the background hills. The painting has a blending of hues that gives it a certain craggyness.. The sky indicates the possible movement of a storm into the scene. This work is painted on the back of a piece of panel board.

size: 9x12
price: $400

Along the Skootamata

Painted, plein aire along the Skootamata River, near Actinolite, Ontario.

Size: 16"x20"
Framed
Media: Acrylics
$400

Falls on the North River

Falls on the North River, was painted after a series of visits to the falls.  The exact location is the North River which flows into Belmont Lake, east of  Peterborough, Ontario. This painting combines drama with simple beauty. It was recognized as a premier prize winner at a regional fair.

Size: 23.5"x31.5"
Price:  $1,500
Stretched Canvas
Media: Acrylics