The River

36 x 48 – Acrylic on Wood

A beautiful Ontario fall day yesterday meant a trip to High Park in Toronto to take pictures of the fantastic colour. I hope to be able to translate some of these photos into paintings over the coming winter. While the photos just don’t compare to the experience of being there, they do help spark the memories and I infuse those memories into each painting. I don’t think I will ever paint en plein aire – my style just doesn’t support it, but I do wonder sometimes…

I have completed everything on this side of the river. It’s time to go over to the dark side.

The River

36 x 48 – Acrylic on Wood

Fall has settled in after a big storm earlier this week. Many leaves have left the trees and some of the bright colours are dulling. There are still some good photo ops, but it seemed so short this year!

I have made some good progress on The River, the foreground and the river itself are almost complete. After that it will be time to see what lays across the river. I suspect forest.

The River

36 x 48 – Acrylic on Wood

After a glorious Canadian Thanksgiving weekend with balmy temperatures and constant sunshine, I’m back into the foreground of The River. I have departed from my original plan in that I think I need to echo some of the green-y blues that I have elsewhere around the yellow spot. And I will continue to make changes to the lower right as well. This is one of those instances where I have to see where the painting leads. (I quite like it when that happens.)

The River

36 x 48 – Acrylic on Wood

Took a 600 kilometre spin through Algonquin Park yesterday. Although it was off and on rain we found some beautiful colour and hiked some lovely trails. I haven’t had a chance to look at the photos yet, maybe I’ll just save ‘em all up for the winter.

I did some more foreground work this session. I may just continue on and finish that up before I head back into the woods.

The River

36 x 48 – Acrylic on Wood

I’m checking the Fall Colour Report and Algonquin is at Peak Colour! Yay! Guess I know what I’m doing this weekend. Glad its one of those that I can do a in a quick day trip! Toronto is still only at 10% colour so it’s amazing that I can drive north for just a couple of hours and be drenched in Autumn’s crimson! It really extends the fall season for me, which is great since it’s my fave. That’s probably enough exclamation marks and smiley faces for one post – lol.

I have reached the pocket of yellow foliage that sits on the bank of the river – just a little morsel of gold hemmed in by the darker reds and greens. This river has everything.

The River

36 x 48 – Acrylic on Wood

Fall is here and I can’t wait for the colours! I’m planning my day trips and going over the notes I’ve taken over the last few years to remind me of the best spots.  I also like to find new favourite inspiration spots and I have found that geo-caching really helps with that. I go to all sorts of odd places looking for caches and find wonderful landscape opportunities that I would never have found otherwise.

I’m enjoying working this large – even though sometimes it feels like I will never finish. I did some more work on the background trees this session. I think I may move on to the river next; I would like to see some more of it!

The River

36 x 48 – Acrylic on Wood

We will be going to Thunder Bay in the next little while, looking for Fall. I expect we’ll find it. I guess I can’t wait patiently for it to come to my little part of Ontario so I’ve got to go haring after it up north. Anything that extends my season of inspiration is a good thing. (Not that I don’t like or get inspired by the other seasons, mind, but Fall is just packed with perfection!)

I am moving smartly through this riot of foreground foliage and I’m starting to feel the urge to move into the trees across the river again.

The River

36 x 48 – Acrylic on Wood

A little of the foreground is complete now and I can get a good sense of how the painting is flowing. Next up I will work on the trees across the river which I have been very anxious to do. I’m getting nicely into the rhythm of it all now, one shape flowing into another, colours complementing and merging.

We are heading into my favourite time of year there is a distant chill in the air and the first bronzing of the leaves has begun. Fall in Ontario is so brief and so beautiful – I can’t wait!