Safe Passage

6 x 8 inches - oil on gessoboard - I had to wait a few days for this to dry so that I could repaint the foreground.

Sailing Home

6 x 6 inches - oil on gessoboard - Lately, I have been working on a new series related to Rondeau Provincial Park in Ontario. This sailor is returning to the yacht club from a race on Rondeau Bay off Lake Erie. The yacht club, or as my daughter used to call the yutz club (there must be a story but I never asked), is a small place where the children take swimming lessons and race small sailboats. This is where I learned to swim a long, long, long time ago.

Storm on the St Lawrence River

6 x 8 inches - oil on gessoboard - This scene is from the road in Quebec that heads to New Brunswick or to the Gaspe.

Seagull

6 x 8 inches - oil on gessoboard - This is such a successful animal, that I thought it deserved a dignified portrait.

Valley by the Sea

5 x 7 inches - oil on gessoboard

Seagulls on the Shore

6 x 6 inches - oil on gessoboard - Seagulls that are somewhat annoying in the city are less so in their normal habitat.

Waves on a Gray Day

5 x 7 inches - oil on gessoboard -  Waves keep on coming ashore regardless of the weather.

Trees by the Shore

6 x 6 inches - oil on gessoboard - I often just start putting final paint on the board but lately, I have been experimenting with a fairly complete value painting underneath using burnt umber. I am not sure whether to let this thoroughly dry first or start right away to finish the painting. I guess it depends on the painting. If I am worried about the burnt umber messing up the colour on top of it, I will let it dry longer.

Boulders

8 x 6 inches - oil on gessoboard - Along the south shore of Nova Scotia, there are places where huge boulders seem to have dropped from the sky. There is probably some geological explanation but I don't know it, maybe an old glacier did it.

Waves on an Ocean Beach

5 x 7 inches - oil on gessoboard - Watching waves crash onto a beach at the ocean is mesmerizing. Like standing in a forest listening to the birds, this helps to calm your mind.

Red Building on the Shore

6 x 6 inches - oil on gessoboard - I used to ride my motorcycle along the winding coast of Nova Scotia. There are many scenes like this and it was sometimes hard to keep my eyes on the road.

Peggy's Cove Restaurant

6 x 8 inches - oil on gessoboard - This is the restaurant sitting on the rocks at Peggy's Cove in Nova Scotia. When you visit this place which you should do at least once in your life, you need to order the gingerbread and ice cream.

Cove by the Sea

5 x 7 inches - oil on gessoboard - The south shore of Nova Scotia has a number of villages with a life style related to the sea. Fog, waves, and the smell of salt water seduce people to stay forever.

Grassy Beach

5 x 7 inches - oil on gessoboard - This grassy place by the sea had wild roses flowering.

Lupins and Boat

6 x 8 inches - oil on gessoboard - I am fairly sure that the people in little place that I found this planted this scene to attract tourists but it was attractive nonetheless.

Rocks by the Ferry

6 x 6 inches - oil on gessoboard -

Bankers Joy

6 x 8 inches - Oil on Gessoboard - I like the ambiguity of this.  Is this the banker in his boat on holiday? Is the boat owned mostly by the bank and this is a comment by the captain? Is there a totally different reason for the boat's name that we are not aware of?

Drydock

8 x 10 inches - oil on gessoboard - Now that the hull is out of the water, you have a chance to look around and make a few repairs.

Working on the Net

6 x 8 inches - oil on gessoboard - I have much respect for fishermen who have to keep their nets sorted and in working condition in all kinds of weather. It must not be a very lucrative job so they must love to do it. I respect that too.

Tide Pool

6 x 8 inches - oil on gessoboard - High tides and big waves fill up these pockets in the rocks.

Cape Breton Trail

6 x 8 inches - oil on gessoboard  -  You will want to make sure your brakes are working well before taking this tour but it is worth the effort. An iconic drive in Nova Scotia has many lookouts like this one where you can see far into the mist.

Boat by the Cliff

8 x 10 inches - oil on gessoboard -

White Coneflowers

6 x 6 inches - Oil on Gessoboard