Time Spent Making Art: 2012

Sunday, 30 December 2012

Year One

So, here we are. The world didn’t end as many thought that it would with the end of the Mayan calendar. Rather the Mayan calendar simply calibrated itself much like the odometer of a car. The previous cycle of the Mayan calendar began on Aug. 13, 3114 B.C., by our calendar, and came to an end on December 21, 2012, the winter solstice. December 22, 2012 was to be for the Mayans the beginning of Year One, the beginning of a new cycle of time.

Year One, think about what it infers, an opportunity to revisit the past and to start anew. Not unlike many others who aspired to become an artist I jumped right into the fire and began to make marks. I suffered the influence of past and present artists, and shaped my art into product hoping to survive. I produced much art, but in retrospect there are moments when I feel that I ignored the very thoughts and feelings that drove me to making art. To begin again. To actually embrace the concept of Year One. Enticing, but is it possible to leave all of the baggage behind, and do what one intended to do when we took that leap of faith?

Probably not! And, would one really want to go back and begin anew?

The Copeland Forest from the Top of the Valley Pencil Sketch 1980

In 1979 at the ripe old age of 39 years I left a well paying career to return to study art with the hopes of becoming an artist. Some thought that I was completely crazy as I hadn't done any art for going on 20 years. To be fair, in the next few years there were moments when I felt like they were right, but I continued on learning how to make art and 32 years later, here I am. Still trying to become an artist.

Barn on the Hill Watercolour Sketch 1980

By the summer of 1980, with a year at art school behind me, I found myself encouraged but with

little confidence in my ability to produce art, real art that is. Whenever I had the chance I'd pack up my sketching supplies and go off sketching in places where I hoped no one would see what I was doing. A favourite sketching haunt was what is called the Copeland Forest, and the nearby ski hills of Horseshoe Valley Ski Resort.

Copeland Forest from the Top Of The Valley II
Watercolour Sketch 1980

Tree Study Watercolour Sketch 1980

Old Birch Copeland Forest Watercolour Sketch 1980

Sumac Watercolour Sketch 1980

I have sketchbooks full of pencil and watercolour sketches, as well as drawers of loose sketches and paintings representing decades of learning how to make art. As I look at them I quite realize that there really is no going back. I did what I did and good, bad, or indifferent, I'm quite proud of the result, and intend to carry on building on my very early experience. It's not possible to repeat Year One when, with making art, every day is Year One.

Mountain Scene Graphite Sketch 2011

Monday, 19 November 2012

ALGOMA: WHERE RAVEN PLAYS Part III

The Raven (Part III)

Time passes, as time does.

One morning, in twilight’s stillness

Raven wakened with a start.

Weak, and tired, from journeys endless,

he sensed his end was near.

Once more he summoned up his strength,

and soared to heights he'd long forgotten.

Raven soared on raging winds, high above a shining sea,

to a place with rushing rivers, worn mountains, and tall fir trees.

To the land of Gichigami.

And in this place of solitude Raven remembered,

quiet moments, and memories long forgotten.

With failing breath, and dimming vision,

Raven’s spirit soared.

Now Raven’s spirit lingers in those places,

where once he wheeled and soared.

Impressions made upon those encountered,

will live, forever more.

~ EAS ~

I've chosen to not add captions to the watercolour paintings and graphite drawings attached to this posting as they're really quite self explanatory, all being my interpretations of the Algoma District landscape, the land north of Gichigami, better known to most everyone as Lake Superior. There are a lot more sketches in the folders, but I believe that these few provide some idea of the incredible beauty that exists up that way.

As it's becoming more and more difficult as I age to climb to the top of the hills to reach the outlooks I'm going to call a halt to my sketching and painting north of Gichigami making way for those much younger to follow in the steps of the Group of Seven.

I've had a good go of it exploring Algonquin, Killarney, Algoma, a bit of Western Canada, and some of the American Southwest. I've made a lot of original prints, sketches, and paintings, and produced several books.

Time to catch up on my notes and to take some of my sketches to the next level..............

Sunday, 18 November 2012

TYSON LAKE - WHERE RAVEN PLAYS: PART II continued

Over a period of several years we took advantage of every opportunity to travel up to Killarney to explore and sketch. We sometimes stayed in the village of Killarney, and sometimes, during extended visits to the area, we chose to stay in a cottage at Tyson Lake. Tyson Lake is located approximately midway between Hwy 69 and the village of Killarney. Tyson Lake is a large lake with several fingers, a bit of a challenge to paddle on a windy day. So, on windy days we’d explore Wolf Creek. Wolf Creek, actually a small river, that originates in Spoon Lake approximately 15km to the southeast and empties into Tyson Lake.

Truth be known we spent quite a bit of time exploring Wolf Creek. Being slow flowing and shallow, and narrowing at times to a 50 meters, or so, it provided wonderful opportunities to view wildlife. Over the years our viewing experiences included bears, elk, deer, otters, many species of waterfowl, songbirds, and birds of prey. It was also a wonderful place to sit quietly and sketch and simply let the world pass by.

Leaning Pines - Wolf Creek Acrylic Painting

Common Loons - Tyson Lake Graphite Drawing

Tyson Lake Watercolour Painting

Middle of Wolf Creek Watercolour Sketch

Wood Ducks - Wolf Creek Pencil Drawing

Island - Spoon Lake Watercolour Sketch

Wolf Creek - Watercolour Painting

Mouth of Spoon Lake Watercolour Sketch

Neck of Spoon Lake Watercolour Sketch

Friday, 16 November 2012

KILLARNEY: WHERE RAVEN PLAYS - PART II

The Raven (Part II)

Time passes, as time does.

The crows,

in search of forests green,

and pristine waters,

an errant wind did bring.

Algonkin was no longer the place that it had been.

Taking flight Raven soared with the wind,

and drifted to a land where time began,

when ice retreated and water receded.

To a land with worn mountains as white as snow.

With trees that whisper,

and with lakes -

clear and cold.

To a land where time stands still.

A land called Anishinawbek.

~EAS~

With the coming of the Europeans names given by the aboriginal peoples to their lands were changed, in part to remind the Europeans of the familiar, and to give them a sense of home in a strange land. The area known by the people as Algonkin became Algonquin Provincial Park and Anishinawbek became Killarney Provincial Park.

Following my publishing WHERE RAVEN PLAYS we followed Raven north and began to explore the area known as Killarney Provincial Park. We paddled the lakes and hiked its many hills and trails making many sketches and paintings. In time the collection of sketches and paintings were used to make a book entitled "IMPRESSIONS: An Artist’s Introduction to Killarney Provincial Park". IMPRESSIONS remains in print and can be purchased from the Friends of Killarney Provincial Park through their gift shop which is accessible online.