Long Lake Cottage XIII - A Work in Progress

Today it is snowing, with the temperature at 25F (-4C) and the winds blowing the 2" (5cm) of snow at a steady 12mph (20km/h) with gusts of 24mph (39km/h) making it feel like (-10C) 14F.

With living on the top of a hill there is nothing to stop the full force of the wind driving the snow into your face.

After doing the barn chores, filling all the bird feeders and having breakfast, I thought I would like to work on this drawing that I had started a couple of years ago while canoeing on Long Lake (see posts on 16 September 2019 and 20 July 2020).

Before I can finish inking in the drawing I need to do some work on the cottage to square it up and get the proportion correct.

I started on the main part of the cottage, straightening the walls, squaring up the windows, putting on the roof, adding the shingles and chimney.

Next, I started on the mud porch, trying to get its roof under the overhang of the main roof and making it looked like  it was an addition to the cottage.

Before I  could finish the porch I had friends drop in for a visit.

I will post this drawing again once I have the cottage and remaining landscape drawn.

Thank you for taking the time to look at my artwork and I hope you will return often.

Long Lake Cottage XIII - A Work in Progress

Today, I had planned on working on my art outside, but even though the temperature was 81F (27C) with the humidity making it feel like 88F (31C) it was a little breezy out with the wind at 12mph (20km) and the wind gusts up to 22mph (35km/h).

So instead of sitting outside and fighting with my paper, I sat in the porch enjoying the sunshine while I worked.

I wanted to get the main rocks inked in and if I had the time, to also start on the trees and growies.

Once the rocks were placed, I put in the tall leaning pine trees. 

This was followed by the putting the bushes around the base of the pines.

Next, I put the small trees and growies in the cracks and spaces between the rocks and some bull rushes coming out of the water.

I will post this drawing at a later date once more work on it has been completed.

Long Lake XIII-XVI

Since Ron didn't have to go into work today we decided to go canoeing on Long Lake.

It didn't take us very long to get everything together, loaded into the car and get on the road so we could spend the day on the lake.
















Long Lake XIII

We paddled up the lake as usual until Ron found a spot to go fishing and once he was settled I got out my sketch book and pencils and started drawing.


















Long Lake XIV

It wasn't long before he caught a bass and I stopped to take it off the hook and release it back into the lake.

Once the fish stopped biting it was time to move to another location.

What I like about Long Lake are the beautiful, granite cliffs rising high above the lake; with the many pine and spruce trees growing up out of the cracks in the rocks.

You have to wonder how some of them can grow so tall without a lot of soil for their roots.

Long Lake XV

After we had lunch in a quiet inlet, it was time to turn around and slowly head back to the boat launch.

I continued to work on a couple of sketches as we drifted back down the lake.

Ron was very happy that he caught three bass which made the day enjoyable for him and as for me I had four sketches and a lot of reference photographs to show for my day out on the lake.

Long Lake XV

Now we will pick up supper on our way home for a relaxing end to our day.

Long Lake VI

Today I wanted to complete this drawing that I have been working on for a number of years, (see posts on 15 June 2013, 05 July 2016, 23 March and 31 May 2018).

I started by completing the large pine tree in the foreground first, before going to work on the background trees behind the large rock on the left side of the drawing.















From there I worked on the large rock in the background first, indicating the outer edges before proceeding with adding the shadows over the rock and the water at its base.

Lastly, I completed the middle ground rocks by adding the shadow and details.

This original 6" x 9" pen and ink drawing when matted and shrink wrapped will be available for $50.00.

Long Lake VI - A Work in Progress

I had planned on going painting today with the KAGS Outdoor Painters' Group to the Miskwaa Art Studio and Outdoor Gallery in Trent Lakes, Ontario. But unfortunately, we ended up having rain most of the day with the chance of a thunderstorm, due to the continuing heat 86F (30C) and high humidity 102F (39C).

Instead I decided to work on this drawing that I had started a number of years ago (see posts on 15 June 2013, 05 July 2016 and 23 March 2018) while canoeing on Long Lake.

I started by putting in more of the background trees and then adding the outline of the tops of the main rock masses.














Next I put in some of the larger dead tree trunks and then, added in a few of the grasses and growies among the rocks.

On the foreground island I started adding in some of the crevices and shadows on the rocks before starting on the trunk and lower branches of the largest pine tree.

I added some water ripples to the base of the foreground island and to the base of the middle rock island.

I will post this drawing at a later date once the drawing has been completed.

Thank you for looking at my artwork.

Long Lake V - A Work in Progress

Today, I thought I would like to work in pen and ink, as I looked through my sketches of the lakes in the area, I decided on this piece that I had started a number of years ago (see post on 15 June 2013) while we were canoeing on Long Lake.

I started by putting in the water at the base of the rock face, and from there I put in the larger tree on the right side of the rocks.














Next, I started adding the shadows on the large stones that made up most of the cliff, but before I could get much further along on this drawing I had company come over.

I will post this drawing at a later date as more work on it is completed.

Soft Reflections I

Today I started working on this sketch that was originally called Long Lake IX (see post on 14 September 2013).

It was one of the many sketches I do while out in the canoe on the various lakes in the area.














It was on an island where a number of the tall old pine trees had died off, but there were a few trees still clinging to life in the poor soil.

This original 5" x 9” pen and ink drawing when matted and shrink wrapped will be available for $50.00.

Rock Faces 1 and 2 - Two Works in Progress

Today I thought I would work on these two paintings that I had started last year (see post on 05 November 2016).

The first one is of an inlet on Long Lake near the boat launch.

I used a streaked in wash of Antwerp blue for the sky and then I set it aside to dry.

Next on the second painting which is of Loon Call Lake; I put in the sky with a mixture of Antwerp blue and French ultramarine blue.

I changed the name of this first painting to The Lookout 1 from Rock Face 2.














I changed the name of the second painting from Rock Face 1 to Granite Cliffs 1.

I will post each of these paintings at a later date as more work on them has been completed.

Long Lake VII - A Work in Progress

Overnight the world turned white with the first snow storm of winter.

I had a Red-bellied woodpecker come to my feeder. It is the first time I have ever seen one and by the time I got my camera it had disappeared. I can only hope it comes back and becomes a regular visitor.

Since I saw a new bird this morning, I thought I would do a little more work on this drawing that I had started a long time ago (see posts on 14 September 2013 and 15 October 2016).

I started by putting in a few more reeds on the right side and added another part of the fallen tree in behind the reeds and then added in the waterline and a few ripples.












Next I added a few more water ripples below the large tree trunk an put in the reflection of the branch.

I will post this drawing at a later date once I have completed the heron.

I would like to thank returning collector Mrs. Joanne Fernall of Norwood, Ont. on her selection of Rearing I (see post on 19 May 2011).

Thank you for coming to look at my artwork and I hope you will return often.

Rock Face 1 and 2

This area is known for its pink granite stones, boulders and rock cliffs as well as the clean, dark waters of its lakes and rivers.

We often go canoeing on many of the lakes in the Kawartha Highlands Signature Site Provincial Park.

I have sketches, drawings and paintings of a number of them, including Coon Lake, Loon Call Lake, Wolf Lake and Long Lake which are the most recent.

Next year I hope to explore three or four more lakes from in the Park.

Rock Face 1

This first one is from Long Lake up the first inlet near the launch site.














Rock Face 2

This is from another inlet near an island on Loon Call Lake.

Thank you for coming to look at my artwork and I hope you will return often.

Long Lake VII - A Work in Progress

I picked this sketch, that I started a long time ago (see post on 14 September 2013) when Ron and I were canoeing on Long Lake.

I started with the bark on the fallen branch on which the heron is standing, followed by the water ripples below the branch.

A small bush was placed into the background to the left side of the heron.














Next I added the reeds into the background to the right of the fallen branch.

I will post this sketch at a later date once I have added more details to the drawing of the heron on the branch.

Thank you for coming to look at my artwork.

Long Lake VI - A Work in Progress

Today I didn't have a lot of time to work on a painting, so instead I went through some of my sketches and decided to work on this piece that I had started a number of years ago (see post on 15 June 2013) while canoeing on Long Lake.

I started by putting in the smaller pine tree on the right side of the drawing.

Next I added in some of the grasses on the tops of the rocks.















I indicated the trunk of one of the large pine trees when my friends came over to pick me up to go to hiking and sketching through the Warsaw Caves Conservation Area and Campground.

I will post this drawing at a later date once more work on it is completed.

Long Lake XI and XII - Two Works in Progress

Today I was going through some photographs that I had taken last year on the two occasions that we went out on Long Lake (see posts on 15 June and 14 September 2013).

One of the things I enjoy seeing are the magnificent rock faces of pink granite which surround some of the inlets on the lake and the rocky islands that are scattered throughout the lake.














Long Lake XI

I started working on a couple of the sketches with pen and ink. The first one of was of a rock face with a few pines that had taken root at the top of the rocks.














Long Lake XII

The second was of a small island with a weathered pine tree surrounded by dead trees.

Each of these original 5-1/2" x 9” pen and ink drawings when matted and shrink wrapped will be available for $40.00.

Long Lake VIII - Ghosts I

I wanted to finish this sketch that I did earlier this year while canoeing on Long Lake (see post on 14 September 2013).

What attracted me to this scene was the pale grey bleached "ghosts" of what were once healthy trees scattered among pink granite rocks, with the only living thing remaining on the island being a few small bushes and growies.














This original 5-1/2" x 9” pen and ink drawing when matted and shrink wrapped will be available for $50.00.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and look at the artwork. I hope you will return often.

Long Lake III

I thought I would finish with pen and ink the third of the three sketches on one page I did earlier this year (see post on 15 June 2013) while out on Long Lake.

As usual I started by indicating the distant trees with vertical lines.

Next I indicated the tops of the rocks on the outcropping of land extending into the lake.

On this piece of land there were a lot of dead trees with some new growth of trees scattered in between with a lot of growies at their base.

Lastly, I put in the reflections of the new trees into the water.

This original 4" x 5-1/2” pen and ink drawing when stretched, matted and shrink wrapped will be available for $30.00.

Long Lake II

I thought today I would continue to work in pen and ink on my sketches that I did while canoeing on Long Lake with Ron earlier this year (see post on 15 June 2013).

I started by putting in the background trees with mainly long and short lines and put in an occasional pine tree which towers over the other trees or one that is in the foreground.

Next I outlined the top of the main rocks as a base for grounding the trees on the island.

The main trees were then put onto the island followed by some growies at their base.

Next reflections of the distant shore, the rock and trees were then indicated to place the island in the water of the lake.

Lastly, the cracks and the shadows were put onto the rocks and a few growies were indicated.

This original 4-3/4" x 6” pen and ink drawing when stretched, matted and shrink wrapped will be available for $30.00.

Long Lake I

Most of the bottom part of the last east section is finished. Hopefully we will finish the last of it this weekend.

With that done I can now work on some sketches I started earlier this year (see post on 15 June 2013) the first time we when we went canoeing on Long Lake in the Kawartha Highlands Signature Site.

It had been an interesting day, with some of my sketches carried away by the wind and sinking into the lake.

Later another page also went overboard but I was able to get it back. This is one of three sketches that were on the page.

Years ago when I did pen and ink drawings I would do them in stipple (pointillism) which was very time consuming.

It did however; give fine detail and some very lovely effects to the drawing especially when a watercolour wash was applied.

Lately I have been using with long and short lines.

This original 4" x 5” pen and ink drawing once it has been stretched, matted and shrink wrapped will be available for $30.00.