Winterlude and the Gatineaus

Our friends Claire and Robert Chartrand invited us to Ottawa and their cottage in the Gatineaus.  Skiing and eating French Canadian cuisine was the central focus.  We added a side trip to Ottawa's Winterlude to see the canal filled with skaters and then to the ice sculptures.  I was desperate to take my paint and easel, but decided to avoid any conflict with my good wife.  So I took the camera and the sketch book to fend off my addiction.  But I don't like to paint from photo reference.

Waking up to this raised my pulse.

Lac McGregor

But off skiing we went.  That kept the addiction at bay.  Great day.  Sun and -16C.

Camp Fortune

I studied the pearlescence of the snow and the values of the deep shadow and the open shadows.  I probably would have started with cobalt and permanent rose.  Two days of this torture laced with fine food - Pot en Pot, Tortière, and maple sugar based Beans with Onion.  Lucky we were skiing!

One afternoon we visited le Parc Gatineau.

Open Water

We went through Wakefield on the way home.

A Classic

Then I saw.....

A Barn

These barns have no obvious foundation.  The board seems to go straight to the ground.  So don't use this reference then tell your teacher you painted it in your locale.

Finally Robert pulled up to a favourite scene of his.

Les Cascades de Robert

I'll paint an impression of this in the late afternoon sun.  Thank goodness I have painted similar scenes from life.  Then I can use the reference primarily as a composition tool.  My many snow paintings from life will be invaluable.  We'll see how it goes.

Then in Ottawa at Winterlude,

The Winner

Sublimation had already set in, but this was incredible.  It would make a good painting exercise.

On the canal.....

John Alexander Day

This reignited the addiction.  Three things of note.  Bare hands.  Arctic boots, the real thing.  The Andersen Easel.  This easel is excellent for painting big outside.  For years it has been called the Glouchester Easel.  It is available from Take It Easel in Maine.

Canal Reference