Eels Lake VI and VII - Two Works in Progress

Today we decided to take the pontoon boat out again and go the Eels Lake which has an excellent boat launch.

With all the problems we have had with the supposedly "overhauled" motor, Ron put the electric motor onto the boat just in case we ended up stranded with the motor deciding not to work in the middle of the lake.

The motor started after two tries and Ron let it idle while we set up the canopy and moved things around on the deck, but as soon as he tried to engage the motor it quit and from there it wouldn't even try to start.

It didn't surprise me that we would end up using the other motor; so I helped Ron get it set up and we were finally ready to go out.

Eels Lake VI

We went the opposite direction than we usually go and found an inlet which Ron thought would have fish and I had some nice scenery to sketch.

About half an hour later we slowly headed back toward the dock. When we were in sight of the dock we saw that there were a number of boats lined up, so we when back through the first inlet with Ron finding a place to fish.















Eels Lake VI

While we were waiting Ron caught two nice bass which just goes to show that you don't have to go far from the dock to catch fish.

I will post each of these sketches at a later date as more work on them is completed.

Chemong Lake X and XI - Two Works in Progress

Today was another hot 82F (28C) and humid, 93F (34C) and although they are calling for thunder storms tonight, I doubt that they are going to appear.

Ron wanted to take the pontoon boat out again and see if the motor was going to work any better, so we went back to Chemong Lake.

It took at least four tries until he finally managed to get it to go into gear and take us out into the lake. This time we went up the lake to the very end.
















Chemong Lake X

Once we made it to the end, we stopped to have lunch before turning around to head back to the boat launch.

On the way back Ron stopped to try his luck at fishing, while I worked on a sketch of a nice area with bent and twisted cedars, sunken logs and lots of strong contrast with sunlight and shadows.
















Chemong Lake X

From there we moved further down the lake as Ron continued fishing, letting the current carry us along which didn't give me much time to sketch.

I will post each of these drawings at a later date as more work on them is completed.

Wolf Lake V-VIII -- Four Works in Progress

With it being a nice sunny day we decided to take the canoe and go out on the lake for the day.

As we headed up Highway 28 we were talking about which of the many lakes in the Kawartha Highlands Signature Site Park and decided that we would go on Wolf Lake.

It didn't take long for us to unload the canoe, put our gear into it and head out onto the lake. We paddled up the lake until we came to one of the inlets and I started sketching while Ron got his rod out and cast his line.















Wolf Lake V

I had barely gotten started on my sketch when he caught a nice sized bass, so I had to stop what I was doing and carefully take it off the hook and release it back into the lake.

It wasn't long before we left the inlet and went onto the lake again and headed further up the lake and went to the far side of an island.















Wolf Lake VI

Once again I started on a sketch beginning with a tree stump sticking out of the water just off shore of the island and then, Ron caught a small bass. So, I had to stop and take it off the hook and release it.

I barely had time to pick up my pencil before Ron caught a larger medium sized bass for to me to remove it from the hook and release it.
Before I could clean my hands there was another medium sized bass for me to unhook and release.















Wolf Lake VII

We moved further up the lake and stopped between the shore and a large group of islands and had lunch. Then we turned the canoe around and once again I worked on a sketch while Ron went back to fishing and before long, he caught another medium sized bass and I had to set it free.

We found another inlet and at this one Ron wasn't catching a fish as soon as he cast out the line. I was able to spend some time on my drawing where I put in the island and indicated some of the land on the far side of the lake before he caught another small bass.















Wolf Lake VIII

It wasn't long before we returned to the boat launch and headed were soon heading back home.

I will post each of these drawings again when more work on them has been completed.

ACEO - Cottage Country 1

We are supposed to get another up to another 2" (5cm) of snow today on top of all the other snow we have had this week.

After doing the barn chores and feeding the birds I decided to paint. I pulled out this piece that I had started quite a while ago (see posts on 05 June 2014 and 05 May 2019).

I started by putting in the distant shore on the horizon line with burnt sienna.

Next, I worked on the cottages, starting with the roof which I painted with various greys made of French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna.

With a wash of burnt sienna I painted both cottages, being careful to leave the windows without paint.

Darkening the burnt sienna slightly I indicated the logs on the cottages.

Next, I darkened the roof colour and added more details to the roof, the door jamb, and window sills on the cottage. At the same time, I indicated the tree trunks around the cottages.

To finish the cottages I used cadmium yellow for the lights shining through the windows.














Mixing various green using Antwerp blue, French ultramarine blue and raw sienna, I used a sponge and applied the green paint to the deciduous trees.

This was followed by painting in the pine trees around the buildings.

I added in the grasses and growies around the foreground cottage with mixtures of raw sienna, burnt sienna and new gamboge.

Lastly, I painted the rocks using various mixtures of burnt sienna, alizarin crimson and French ultramarine blue.

If you would like more information about ACEO please go to my post on 11 March 2010.

The ACEO shown here is an original watercolour painting using Artist quality Winsor & Newton paint on 140lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. It is priced at $20.00 and sold unframed.

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 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.

Lovesick Lake XIII - A Work in Progress

I see that my goshawk is still around. Last year, he worked his way through almost 20 squirrels; this year with not as many squirrels available he did take out a blue jay.

I didn't see him do it but, the jay feathers and the imprint in the snow told the story.

With it being Ron's birthday today and the kids bringing Chinese food for supper I didn't have a lot of time to get into anything that was going to take a lot of set up to get working on a painting.

So I decided that I would work on some of the sketches I did last summer while we were out on the lakes in the canoe or on the pontoon boat.

I chose this one of  Lovesick Lake (see post on 08 June 2020) and started working on putting in the far shoreline.

From there, I put in some of the trees on the island and it wasn't long before Christine and Kyle arrived bring supper.













Christine had baked a "turtle" cake for him, as she felt that at age 65 he would slow down to turtle speed which, we both knew would never happen.

While Kyle went own to the barn to get Ron, we got everything set out for supper.

We had an enjoyable supper, followed by singing "Happy Birthday" to Ron , who managed to blow out the candles with no problem.

After dessert was finished, we decided to spend the rest of the evening playing Chinese checkers.

Time passes quickly when you're having fun and all too soon, they had to go home.

It won't be long before it is Christine's birthday.

Eels Lake I - A Work in Progress

This morning I was pleasantly surprised to have a Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) come to my fat feeder at the front of the house. She tried to get onto the feeder so she could get to the suet a couple of times before landing on the ground and looking up and studying the feeder.

It didn't take her long to figure out how she would have to land on the feeder to gain access to the food.

These mainly black birds are one of the largest forest birds in North America and I usually see one a couple of times a month.

The name Pileated comes from the Latin word pileatus which means "capped" and refers to the bird's prominent red crest. This one is a female, as the male has a red line from the bill to the throat patch running through the lower black stripe on the cheek.

As they do not migrate, a Pileated woodpecker pair will stay together on their territory all year round. They will defend their territory in all seasons, but tolerate others during the winter.















While walking through the fields and in the forest on the property I have often seen signs that they are in the area. This is because Pileated Woodpeckers digging into dead trees and fallen logs in search of their main prey, of carpenter ants and wood-boring beetle larvae, they leave a unique, large and roughly rectangular hole in the wood.

I hear them drumming to proclaim their territory and they will often use hollow trees to make the loudest sound possible.

In April, the male excavates a hole for their large nest in the cavity of a dead tree, to attract a female for mating and raising their young. Once the young are raised, the nest is abandoned and they do not use it again.

When abandoned, these holes provide good homes in future years for many other birds and a wide variety of other animals.















After she left, I thought I would like to work on this drawing that I started while we were canoeing on Eels Lake a couple of years ago (see post on 30 September 2019).

I started working on the rocks in the water in the foreground, indicating the outline and adding some of the shadows.

I put in a few water ripples to give me a base for the island.

Next, I put the bark texture on the lower part of the main pine tree.

From there I started on a small pine that was just in front of the larger pine.

I put the ground lines in first. This was followed by the trunk and then gradually adding branches and needles.

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

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

ACEO - Splash 1

Today is the first time I have had Evening Grosbeaks come in for food at my feeders in over 30 years.

It was an unexpected and very pleasant surprise.

There were only two males and I hope they return often and bring others next time they come back for food.

I came across a number of small frames in a box that I had purchased a couple of years ago.

I thought it was about time I put paintings into them, especially since I had some small pieces of paper that would fit into the frames perfectly.

I started by putting in a sky into the top of the paper with Antwerp blue.

Next using alizarin crimson, burnt sienna, French ultramarine blue I painted in the area where the rocks would be placed.

While the paint was drying I mixed a dark of the colours used for the rocks and painted over top of the rocks when they were dry and using a palette knife I scraped out the rock shapes.

I splattered a mix of raw sienna and Antwerp blue into the white area above the rocks.

Lastly, I scraped out the splash from the waves below the rocks.

If you would like more information about ACEO please go to my post on 11 March 2010.

The ACEO shown here is an original watercolour painting using Artist quality Winsor & Newton paint on 140lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. It is priced at $25.00 and sold framed.

Loon Call Lake VII

Today I was sitting at A Place For The Arts in Bancroft, Ontario.

The new show in the Annex, "Exhibition of Colour" was being hung, featuring the art of Jewell Allington and Jane Hall, both are friends I made through my time at the "old" Kawartha Artists' Gallery and Studio.

After opening the Gallery and doing the various chores that all sitters should do to keep the site looking clean and tidy, I took out my artwork and continued to work on this drawing that I had started a number of years ago (see posts on 14 September 2014 and 10 December 2016).















It was another fairly quiet day for a Wednesday so I ended up having plenty of time to work on this piece.

I started by completing the cottage and followed by putting the rocky shoreline in to the left side, putting the shadows to the rocks and adding some grasses and growies.

Next, I worked on putting in the pine trees on the rocky area to the right of the cottage, followed by adding the rocks, their shadows and the grasses and growies.

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

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

ACEO - Burleigh Rocks 1

Today I thought I would finish this painting that I had started last year (see post on 09 December 2019). All that it needed to be completed were the rocks in the foreground.

First I washed some of the rocks with alizarin crimson and while the paint was still wet I added a small amount of burnt sienna into a few areas.

As the paint dried I used a mix of French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna and put in the shadows and cracks on the rocks.














On the other rocks I lightly touched them with a wash of Antwerp blue and burnt sienna and as it was drying I brushed in some alizarin crimson and then added the cracks in the rocks and the shadows with burnt sienna and a small amount of French ultramarine blue.

Lastly, I put a little alizarin crimson into the water below the rocks for reflections.

If you would like more information about ACEO please go to my post on 11 March 2010.

The ACEO shown here is an original watercolour painting using Artist quality Winsor & Newton paint on 140lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. It is priced at $20.00 and sold unframed.

Eels Lake IV

Today we went to Eels Lake with the pontoon boat, which was a great improvement over last year when we took the canoe.

We went up a different channel and found a quiet spot where Ron could fish and I had plenty of things to draw.

I had barely started my drawing before Ron caught a perch, which made him happy as last year he didn't catch anything when we were here last year.

After I removed the fish from the hook and carefully released it back into the lake I returned to my drawing.















It wasn't long before he caught another perch (but not the same one) and I returned it back into the lake.

Once more I returned to my drawing and this time, I managed to get a lot more work on it completed before he caught a large mouthed bass and we went through the same routine again.

I did a little more work on my drawing before Ron decided he wanted to explore the lake and see what other fishing spots he could find.

It was an enjoyable afternoon and I took many photographs of the islands, shoreline and some of  the boats out on the lake. Giving myself a lot of reference materials for future paintings.

Wolf Lake I-IV

It was going to be a nice day to go out on the lake, with a temperature reaching 79F (26C) and humidity making it feel like 86F (30C).

We decided to go to Wolf Lake for a change, as the last time we were there was in July 2014.

It didn't take long to get everything ready and we were on our way.

The nice thing about going out during the week, is that we do not have to contend with the weekend traffic.

Once at the lake, it was easy to put the canoe into the lake get everything loaded as there was no one around. Ron parked the car and we were off.

Wolf Lake I

We paddled out into the lake for about a half hour and Ron started fishing while I got out my sketch book and sketched until Ron caught a large mouth bass.















Wolf Lake II

After I unhooked the fish and carefully released it into the lake; the canoe had drifted and rather than paddle back to where I had been sketching I simply started another sketch.















Wolf Lake III

After Ron caught his second bass, we stopped for lunch in a quiet inlet. It was there, after lunch he found a great spot for catching bass. Which, aside from stopping to take them off the hook and release them, it gave me plenty of time to work on a drawing.















Wolf Lake IV

After he caught his fifth bass it was time to head back and go home, on the way I did this last sketch of rocks at the lake's edge.

I will post each of these sketches as more work on them is completed.  

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.

Stoney Lake II - A Work in Progress

Today I wanted to work in pen and ink, so I pulled out my folder of drawings that were in various stages of completion and decided that I would start work on this one that I did while on the Stoney Lake Boat Cruise (see post on 19 September 2019) last year.











I started inking in the trees on the foreground islands and gradually moved to some of the trees on the islands in the background, followed by indicating the rocks of the cluster of little islands where the trees were growing.

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

Loon Call Lake XI-XIV

After hearing the weather forecast calling for clear skies a temperature of 84F (29C)  with humidity at 90F (32C) it seemed like a good day to go out on the lake.

While Ron got everything together and put into the car then loaded the canoe, I made our lunches and gathered my pencils and sketch books and did the barn chores.















Loon Call Lake XI

It wasn't long before we were heading up Highway 28 and deciding on which lake we were going to spend the day.















Loon Call Lake XII

We decided on Loon Call Lake as the last time we were there was in 2015 and it would nice to see what changes have been made in the last five years.















Loon Call Lake XIII

One of the cottages at the end of the lake that looked like it was abandoned had been given a facelift; and around the point from it the owners of that cottage had added a four foot tall lighthouse, of which I did  a sketch.















Loon Call Lake XIV

By then it was time to break for lunch and enjoy the warmth of the sun and the gentle breeze, before we would slowly make our way back to the boat launch.

Ron had been enjoying his day as well, he caught four largemouth bass and a sunfish, all of which were safely removed from the hook and carefully returned to the lake.

In one inlet there was a small tie up at the water and a "goat track" leading up over the rocks to an outhouse and higher up was a small cottage at the very top of the rock face.

Loon Call Lake XIV

On this sketch I am not sure whether to do it as a vertical to show just how far up the cliff you have to go to the reach outhouse or leave it as a horizonal sketch. Time will tell.

Burleigh Rocks 1 - A Work in Progress

Today Norma and I went to paint with the Lakefield Creative Arts Group. It is the first time we have been there since January.

Norma had a photograph she had taken earlier this year, when we went on the M/V Spirit of the Kawartha Boat Cruise on Stoney Lake that she wanted to paint and we decided that we would do our own version of the scene.

I took a small section of the picture to feature a grouping of the rocks close to the shore, while Norma decided she wanted to paint the entire area shown in the photograph.

Using French ultramarine blue with a small amount of Antwerp blue I brushed in the sky leaving a few area of white paper for the clouds and brushed in the water below the islands being careful to leave the foreground rocks without colour.

With various mixtures of raw sienna, burnt sienna, Antwerp blue and a small amount of aureolin, I painted in the far shoreline. 















Next, I added some new gamboge to the various mixtures and add in the deciduous trees onto the islands on either side of the painting. 

While the paint was still wet I dropped small amounts of pure burnt sienna in some areas pure cadmium yellow into others and some raw sienna to create texture in the foliage.

Once the trees on the island were dry, I used the remaining light green paint and added French ultramarine blue and raw sienna to darken the colour and painted in the pine trees on the islands.

Lastly, using a mixture of alizarin crimson and burnt sienna I painted in the rocks at the waterline of the islands.

I will post this painting at later date once I have finished painting the rocks.

Changing Season 1 and 2 - Two Works in Progress

Today I wanted to do a couple of small autumn paintings, so I used a couple of photographs that I took while canoeing on Eels Lake earlier this week.

The first one is taken from the dock of the shoreline area nearest where the boat launch is located.

It is a nice mixture of coniferous and deciduous trees at the edge of the lake.

It shows how low the water levels are in the lake at this time of the year, with so many of the rocks and stumps being above the water.

Changing Season 1

Next I chose the area in the inlet on the far side of the parking lot for those using the boat launch.

This view shows even more of the exposed rocks that are normally below the surface of the lake.

Most of the deciduous trees are higher up and further back from the shoreline, while the pines and cedars are lower and almost on the edge of the water.

I decided I would do these paintings just at sunset as I saw them.

Changing Season 2

I started by putting in the sky in with a mix of raw sienna and alizarin crimson.

At a later date I will post each of these paintings as more work on them is completed.

Lovesick Lake IX, XI and XII - Three Works in Progress

Today I wanted to do a little more work on these drawings that I had started last month (see post on 07 July 2019).

On the first one I worked on the tall pine tree on the small island and managed to complete the one side of the tree and some of the ground at its base before I was interrupted.















Lovesick Lake IX

After lunch I thought I would work on another of the drawings and I started with this one. I managed to get the cottage indicated with some of the trees and bushes around it, as well as the tree tops on the larger pines before it was time to get supper ready.















Lovesick Lake XII

I started to work on the next, but I wasn't destined to get more than a few of the top branches finished and indicating the branches on the largest tree, before I had unexpected company arrive. 












Lovesick Lake XI

I will post each of these drawings as more work on them is done or they are completed.

Big Cedar Lake VII-XII - Six Works in Progress

Today was going to be a nice day with the temperature reaching 81F (27C) and the humidity 84F at (29C) with a gentle breeze blowing.

After doing the chores and having breakfast, Ron thought we should go out canoeing.

While Ron got his fishing stuff together and got everything loaded in the car, I made our lunches and got my sketching things together.

It wasn't long until we were on the road and the only thing left was deciding which lake.

We passed by a couple of the lakes we often go to but didn't want to go too far and finally picked Big Cedar Lake.

Big Cedar Lake VII

Once everything was unloaded and Ron went to park the car, I did my first sketch of a birch tree that was on the shore.















Big Cedar Lake VIII

While we went up the lake, I took photographs until Ron found a spot where he wanted to go fishing.

We stopped by one of the islands, about halfway up the lake and Ron fished and I did started a sketch of the island.












Big Cedar Lake IX

We let the canoe drift and as my view of the island changed I didn't bother to paddle back, I simply started another sketch of the island from a different angle.

Once we were past the island and I was looking at the shore I started a new sketch of that as we drifted past.















Big Cedar Lake X

We stopped for lunch and let the current carry us back down the lake.

The breeze changed into a wind and we decided that we would go to the inlet near where we launched the canoe.















Big Cedar Lake XI

In the quiet, sheltered inlet, Ron continued to try and catch a fish while I worked on sketches of the rocks sticking out of the water.

Ron finally caught a sunfish which made him happy and we headed home after spending an enjoyable day on the lake. 









Big Cedar Lake XII

I will post each of these sketches at a later date as more work on them is completed.

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

ACEO - Northern Island 1

Today the temperatures are 86F (30C) with the humidity making it feel like 104F (40C). We are under a Meteorological Alert for severe thunder storms, a large hail warning, flash floods and the possibility of tornadoes and winds of 50mph (80kmph).

I thought I would stay inside out of the heat and humidity and work on this painting that I had started many years ago (see posts on 14 June 2013 and 22 December 2016).

I started by painting in the under paint of the rocks with a mix of burnt sienna and alizarin crimson.

Using various mixtures of Antwerp blue, French ultramarine blue, burnt sienna, raw sienna and new gamboge, I painted the trees on the islands, beginning with those in the background being the lightest green and gradually darkening the colour while working forward to those on the large island.















Next using various mixtures of burnt sienna, raw sienna, alizarin crimson and French ultramarine blue I added the shapes and shading onto the rocks, again beginning on the background islands and working forward with darker colour and more details.

With a mixture of the two blues and burnt sienna I dry brushed in the water leaving some areas of the paper white.

Using the rock colour I put in a few reflections of the rocks into some of the white areas.

Lastly I put a lone seagull into the sky.

If you would like more information about ACEO please go to my post on 11 March 2010.

The ACEO shown here is an original watercolour painting using Artist quality Winsor & Newton paint on 140lb. Arches 100% rag, acid free watercolour paper. It is priced at $20.00 and sold unframed.

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