EARTH ABANDONED

I watched the sixth episode of the National Geographic mini television series “Mars”. Watching the series with flashbacks to early pioneering in rocketry, interviews with the likes of Elon Musk the multi billionaire and owner of Space X, and other promoters of the concept of Mars colonization, it’s as if we’re being prepared for the future.

I’m an older person, so I have to admit that were I much younger I might get excited about the distraction involving mankind striking out for the stars with the first stop being the establishment of a permanent colony on the planet Mars.

 However, I’m old and have been witness to so much human misery, World Wars and the like, that I can only think that there’s something wrong with the idea, and that the Earth’s inhabitants are being abandoned by persons with very selfish motives. Persons such as multi billionare Elon Musk having reaped fortunes from humanity are now willing to spend countless sums to finance, what I believe, is a senseless idea. Humanity is being duped into believing that the colonization of Mars will benefit mankind. How, just how, can it benefit mankind? By discovering alien lifeforms on a barren planet?  And, if this were to happen, then so what? Establishing that we’re not alone in the seemingly never ending universe is a forgone conclussion given the law of possiblities, and the number of possible earth like planets in our universe.

The question also arises as to why humans have to be involved? Terraforming Mars is impossible, and were it remotely possible it would take many centuries to accomplish. And, couldn’t it be accomplished with less trouble by making use of artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence in its crude form, such as the Mars Rovers, have already accomplished wonders accumulating astonishing data. Artificial intelligence in the form of advance robots would be far superior to humans requiring no artificial environment, would be able to work unencumbered on Mar’s surface without oxygen, and food, and would be able to replicate damaged parts and supplies with 3-D printers. Also, should at some point someone with a conscience back here on earth decide that our energies would be better spent solving Earth’s problems, then the project could be abandoned without endangering lives.

Elon Musk and the like with all their wealth and ingenuity have an opportunity to work miracles here on Earth, the only home that mankind will ever know. This I believe is a far more worthwhile venture than setting out to attempt to accomplish a childhood fantasy.

➽➽➽➽➽

With Christmas just around the corner, and the apparent absence of Global Warming in our neck of the woods (been snowing like crazy), I’ve slowed work on my book projects. I have, however, made a few sketches that I can share…..

Thumbnail Sketches - Ideas that may, or may not, become paintings.      Graphite Sketches

More Thumbnail Sketches   Graphite Sketches

Somewhere In Killarney                    Watercolour Painting  2016

Islands at the Mouth of the Chikanishing River          (reworked) Watercolour Painting 2016

Near Wawa                                Graphite Drawing

Rough Pencil Sketch    The Giant's Tomb from Awenda Provincial Park's main beach

Northern Landscape      Pencil Sketch  2016

View of Peck Lake, Algonquin Provincial Park      Watercolour Painting 2016


Whether it's politically correct here in Canada, or not, let me wish everyone,
of every belief,

 A 
Happy Christmas, 
&
 Health and Happiness in the New Year!

GEORGIAN BAY & THE HURON LEGEND OF KITCHIKEWANA

"Windswept"  Georgian Bay Island   Watercolour Field Sketch  

I grew up in Midland, Ontario, located at the south shore of Georgian Bay which is referred to as "The Gateway To The 30,000 Islands”. Actually, depending upon the water level in the Bay there could be fewer, or many more islands. Georgian Bay is large, a side bay of Lake Huron, large enough to be considered the sixth Great Lake, a treacherous body of water when the winds are up. The Group of Seven Canadian Painters made famous the Bay with their depictions of the islands with their wind shaped pines. The Bay has a violent history made more intriguing by the Ojibwa legend of their God Kitchikewana. There exist many variations of the legend. The following are versions found on line written by Bala Menon and Fred Butts:-

The Legend of Kitchikewana - as related by Bala Menon

"Once upon a time, so goes a legend of the Huron Indians of Northern Ontario, there was a giant God by the name of Kitchikewana who stood guard over the whole of Georgian Bay. 

The legend says he was a violent god, prone to frequent tantrums - and his size made him a feared figure among the Ouendat (Huron) pantheon. He was taller than two huge mountains (the giant pine trees came only up to his knees) and he wore a necklace of tree stumps, He also wore a headdress which had thousands of bird feathers and his robe was made from 600 beaver pelts. 

Kitchikewana was the son of the Great Spirit Manitou. The assembly of Huron Gods one day decided that enough is enough and it was time to get Kitchikewana to calm down. A strategy was devised - the gods will find a suitable consort for Kitchikewana. So they gathered together all the beautiful girls of the surrounding regions. One of them was almost celestial in appearance and Kitchikewana liked her a lot. Her name was Wanakita, daughter of Musquakie, a northern chief, and Kitchikewana proposed to her. Wanakita's reply was a resounding "N0" - to the dismay of the gods. She said she had already given her heart to a warrior in her tribe. 

Kitchikewana was shocked - his anger rose and bubbled over. It is said that the earth shook and the skies darkened and the world cowered in fear. Wolves howled in the distance and other wildlife scattered and hid in their dens and in holes deep underground. Not a bird flew in the sky. Kitchikewana slammed the palm of his hand onto the ground - there was a thunderous explosion - and he picked up a massive clump of dirt and threw it in a rage. The dirt scattered and thus was born the the 30,000 Islands. The five finger marks in the ground became the five famous bays of the north - Midland Bay, Penetang Bay, Hog Bay, Sturgeon Bay and Matchedash Bay.

Then, hearbroken and tired, Kitchikewana lay down on the ground and fell into a deep and eternal sleep. Kitchikewana is still in slumber and his massive form is what visitors to the area see as the Giant's Tomb. 

A poignant side-tale to the main legend tells of how Kitchikewana accidently killed a girl who liked him - Wahsoona, the daughter of an Indian area chief. The gods then decided that silver birch will be made to grow forever in Wahsoona's memory on Beausoleil Island. 

Wanakita married her warrior-lover and later came to Penetanguishene to ask for Kitchikewana's forgiveness. Kitchikewana turned himself into a great pine-filled island. She told the story to her children and they to theirs and the story came down through the generations."

A variation of the Huron legend 

"The giant God Kitchi-Kiwana was the last of a race of mega gods. One day, Kitchi-Kiwana fell with a mountain in his arms which then shattered to form the 30 000 islands. The marks which his shoulders left can be seen his favourite island of Beausoleil, which was where he returned to sleep each night. When he died, the natives covered him with trees and rocks to form what is now called Giant's Tomb Island. The flickering Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) can be seen whenever his spirit visits the islands and the Great God Manitou lights fires to guide him on…"

 Kitche'uwa'ne: A Ojibwa (Huron) legend as related by Fred Butts 

As Aenons, the Chief of Toanche, approached the assembled villagers, all grew quiet. In the distance a wolf howled as he began to speak. 

"Listen now to the howl of the wolf, who calls out to the great Huron Giant, Kitchikewana to wake from his sleep. My children, as many moons ago as there are stars in the night sky, a party of Hunters from Toanche found a baby the size of a man on Manitoulin Island and brought him back here to Penetanguishene, the place of the white rolling sands. They named him Kitchikewana and as time went by, the child grew and soon the great white pine trees came up to his knees and there could be no doubt that this indeed was the son of the great spirit Manitou. Despite his great size, he played with the other young braves, and at the winter games at Ossossane, he could not be beat at fishing, chopping wood and snowshoeing. Every Huron from all five clans knew and respected him and with his presence, the savage Iroquois from the south dared not venture into our lands. It was a time of prosperity. With one finger he could break winter ice for all to fish and he could see and shoot a deer as far away as Ossossane." 

"The great Giant could easily find any lost child and once, when a wolf had attacked one, Kitchikewana asked the wolf why he had done such a thing. When the wolf answered that the boy was easy prey, the giant threw the wolf and his brothers to the north in one hand, and to this day their howl recalls this. Finally, when he was a full grown warrior, and he had lost control of his temper three times in one winter, the elders felt that a wife was needed to calm the great one. At the next Ossossane winter gathering, Kitchikewana was invited to pick from amongst the most beautiful Huron women. He picked a girl named Wanakita, daughter of the north Chief Musquakie, but she refused to marry him as her heart belonged to a warrior from her own tribe. Still, she and her father were forced to move to Toanche, on the shores of Penetanguishene Bay." 

"For eighteen moons, Kitchikewana tried to win Wanakita's heart and a wedding date was set many times, but each time she cancelled. It was said her heart was ripped from the north and one final time she declared her heart belonged to another, in front of all the Huron tribes. The giant was furious, shamed before all his people. Afraid of his wrath, she and her father fled to the north in a canoe. Seeing this final betrayal, Kitchikewana reached down and threw handfuls of earth at them, capsizing their canoe. Seeing them drowning in the falling debris, the giant plucked Wanakita and Musquakie from below the water's surface, gave them each a kiss of life, put them back in their canoe and pushed them away to their northern home." 

"Broken hearted the giant sat out in the waters all summer, refusing all food, drink and visitors. His absence teased the Iroquois into venturing into Huron territory once again. The elders met and sent word for Wanakita, who had since married her own warrior, to come and ask the giant's forgiveness and blessing. Maybe then he would be persuaded to marry one who would have him. But on the night of her arrival here in Penetanguishene, a great storm raged while the giant called out to his father. In the morning, a great pine-filled island was left in place of the giant. Asking for the great one's forgiveness as she kneeled on the beach of the island, a breeze blew and a rainbow broke. She cried and knew she was forgiven. Through the ensuing years she told her children and they theirs, of the great giant and his island that will be forever known on the great bay as "The Giant's Tomb"- the isle of legends." 

Aenons crossed his arms and looked down. The great story was finished. 

Over the years I’ve made several paintings of the Bay’s islands including the Giant’s Tomb. Hopefully, I’ll find the time to do many more.

Georgian Bay Island                  Pen & Ink Study 2014

Georgian Bay Islands     Graphite Drawing  1999

Islands Near Killarney      Watercolour Painting  2016

TERRAFORM MARS?

If you’re old enough to remember the comedy films of  Mr. Laurel and Mr. Hardy then you’ll remember Mr. Hardy saying to Mr. Laurel, " Well , here's another nice mess you've gotten me into !”, every time that something went wrong.

I spent the other evening watching television programs on the National Geographic channel. One of the programs was entitled “MARS”, a fictional account of man’s first attempt to set up a colony on the planet Mars interspaced with interviews of those who are working hard to make it happen. All that I could think of well, here’s another mess we’re getting into. The other program dealt with the tragedy of human migration in Africa from areas of drought, caused, it is believed, by global warming. (Actually the desertification of the Sahara has been going on for centuries.) Both programs were informative, but disconcerting to the extent that whereas the success of the colonization of Mars depends upon the planet being teraformed, an impossible dream considering the ecology of the planet, this same technology and effort applied to the Sahara Desert could well solve an impending human disaster. (There’s probably no profit in saving Africa.) For the life of me I simply fail to understand the need to go to Mars? I can understand that scientists cocooned in their scientific studies, overwhelmed by giant egos, can ignore other than that which they study. But, why the backers of this lunacy believe that the overwhelming reason for going to Mars and establishing a colony is to preserve humankind in the event of an extinction event on Earth, I’m sorry I just don’t get it. Were I in charge I would abandon Mars, and be satisfied with artificial intelligence preserving our memory, then with the technology available, work to repair the Earth. After all, this place that we call home may well be the closest that we’ll ever get to experience Paradise.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfteeECf5U4

Speaking of Paradise, I’m continuing to work on sketches and studies of Algonquin Provincial Park to be used in my book. I wonder at moments whether I’ll see it to its conclusion? With every chapter I see additional work needed, requiring another trip back to the park. I suppose that’s the thing about art, and working at being an artist, one’s never satisfied with one’s efforts........

Quick Ink Sketch

Graphite Drawing

A View From The Visitors Centre - Algonquin  Watercolour Painting 

DON'T

When you were very young your parents greeted your, “Why?", with, “Because.", then as you grew older still and began to explore the “Don’t” word came up. "Don’t do that.”, "Don’t eat with your mouth open.”, "Don’t hit your sister.”, “Don’t play with your pee pee, or you’ll go blind.” (Sadly, this is quite true, as seventy years later my eyesight is dimming.)and so on…. Parents were replaced by teachers, and then your teachers were replaced by employers, all reminding you to not do things that way, but to do things this (their) way. It was the same when I aspired to become an artist. Despite the fact that art is all about exploration, pushing boundaries, teachers are inclined to teach their students to do things their way. I recall when taking a watercolour class that the instructor kept repeating that when painting with watercolour you “don’t” use white - nor black, but that you should make use of the white of the paper, and black, or something similar to black, can be attained by mixing colours. Now, that’s all fine and good if you wish to be a purist, but if you wish to push boundaries, then everything is fair game. No one told Joseph Mallord William Turner, (RA) the English Romanticist landscape painter, perhaps England’s greatest painter, nor the American Realist painter Andrew Wyeth that you don’t use opaque watercolour, or mix media, or that you shouldn't push boundaries. Now, if by adhering to the teachers' wishes you’ll get a passing grade, then okay do as they say. But once free of academic restraints definitely explore. Besides, working as a purists may win you praise by other purists, but it really doesn’t put money in the bank. Some of the watercolour purists that I knew made nice paintings, but they always looked to me to be unfinished, lacking. Andrew Wyeth’s scribblings, rough sketches, have always seemed to me to have more depth and feeling than a purist’s watercolour. Check it out should you doubt what I’m saying, then should you agree - get rid of all of those negatives that you’ve picked up along the way and begin to explore.

Some days when I'm between projects, or simply bored, rather than play video games or Solitaire, as some older persons do, I open my graphic art program, an introductory version of Sketchbook Express, and explore making abstract digital paintings: -

Autumn #1      Digital Painting

Autumn # 2       Digital Painting

Autumn #3    Digital Painting

Sunset Georgian Bay                   Digital  Painting

Great fun! Perhaps, one day, if I still have time, I'll surrender and download the complete version of Sketchbook Express, and really have some fun.

OUR FRAGILE PLANET

OUR FRAGILE PLANET

Most of us aren’t aware that we’re in the middle of the last Ice Age, and that as a result the flux in weather events will take place despite any actions that we humans can take. Eons ago conditions were created on earth that set in motion ongoing geological change, a part of which involves climate change.

The movie actor Leonardo Di Caprio has released a video dealing with global warming,

BEFORE THE FLOOD : - 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=90CkXVF-Q8M 

focusing on ecological concerns that he has encountered on his travels, Leonardo hopes that his film will encourage climate action in the form of the reduction of the use of fossil fuels, a source of atmospheric pollution, and one of the main causes of global warming. No doubt that he has a right to be concerned, but to discourage the world from using fossil will be a daunting, if not impossible challenge. In my opinion we’ve regressed in human societal  development to a point of no return short of a near global disaster. It’s one thing to develop, and attempt to implement world wide, green technology but without addressing the problem of over population and uncontrolled urbanization it will all be for not. 

The earth will continue to warm with intervals of cooling, just as it has for millions of years. There have been six known Ice Ages, as well as mini Ice Ages, periods of cooling that resulted in mass migrations, starvation, disease, and political upheaval. We really can’t avoid flux in the earth’s temperature. The dominos began to fall long before the burning of fossil fuels, and as everyone knows once the dominos start to fall they’re impossible to hold back. The stopping of the burning of fossil fuels will simply buy time. About all that humanity can do (if we’re not prepared to address population control, and uncontrolled urban development) is to try to adapt to the changes that are inevitable keeping in mind that change will take place over time, not as some would have us believe, tomorrow.

----------------------

We recently spent a few days late in October up in Algonquin Provincial Park. The idea was to do a bit of hiking and make some sketches for paintings to be used in a book about the park. Unfortunately, global warming was no where in sight during our time spent in the park. The daytime temperature, with the windchill figured, at around 2C causing us to spend more time in our vehicle rather than out and about. I did manage to get a few quick sketches, however. 

Quick sketch from inside our vehicle - Smoke Lake October 24th, 2016  

From the sketch I've made a drawing.

Travelling to the access to Lake Opeongo there is a small island at the outlet from Costello Creek.

This is a view from the canoe put-in looking up Lake Opeongo. The wind was simply ripping down the lake. The water was black and white capped. Not the kind of weather to be out in a canoe.

BLANK CANVAS

BLANK CANVAS

There’s this thing about painting and drawing, the image, the picture that you’re attempting to get out of your head and onto the blank canvas, it’s there, just under the surface, waiting to be revealed. Learning to recognize and encourage the image to come forth,  however, takes concentration and practise. Rush the process, and it recedes, morphs into something unwanted, but something all the same, something that may hold possibility and result in your exploring in a different direction.

Sounds a little like life, does it not. Life begins with a blank canvas, a clean slate with all of the ingredients for one to succeed. Like works of art, however, the majority of the time life takes twists and turns, and we’re faced with possibilties not considered.

In both cases we mustn’t lose hope, and should continue to explore for who knows what might turn into a masterpiece.

It all starts with a blank piece of paper/canvas

1. To begin there's no attempt to make a detailed drawing, just a few pencil lines to indicate the horizon, waves, and the beach.

2. I've loosely indicated the island and using a paper stomp I've begun to detail the waves and the beach.

3. With the paper stomp and a few more lines I've begun to indicate the stormy sky as well as indicating trees on the island.

4. Working overtime with the paper stomp I've given more depth to the stormy sky and island

Stormy day - Awenda Provincial Park    Graphite Drawing

We were at Awenda Provincial Park on the shore of Georgian Bay looking out towards The Giants Tomb, a large island. The wind came up and blew in storm clouds. It never did rain, but the sight was awesome with dark foreboding clouds hanging over the Bay. I made this drawing from memory preparatory to making a painting sometime in the future.

A WALK IN THE WOODS

Have you seen the movie A Walk In The Woods starring Robert Redford, Nick Nolte, Mary Steenberg, and others. It’s about two older guys, physically out of shape, that decide that they’re going to hike the Appalachian Hiking Trail. It’s hilarious. Watch it should you get a chance. There’s also the book of the same name, written by Bill Bryson and published by Seal Books. 

Anyway, I mention this as the other day, September 13th of this year to be exact, we went for a bit of a hike in Algonquin Provincial Park. It was one of those days where despite the fact that we’re faced with impending doom caused by global warming, it was very cold, cold at least for the time of the year, probably in the lower teens celsius with a cold wind blowing out of the west. We’d finished our hike, and we’re looking for a sheltered place to eat our lunch. The picnic area at Lake of Two Rivers was out of the question as the wind was sweeping across the lake churning up waves large enough to discourage all but the serious and experienced canoeist. We drove on deciding that the picnic area at the Western Uplands trailhead, would be the most sheltered. It was. Apparently we weren’t the only persons seeking a sheltered area to eat lunch. The parking lot proved to be quite full. Despite the fact that it was a couple of weeks since the Labour Day long weekend that signals the end of summer, and the pause before the park becomes busy again with tourists seeking  the autumn colours, there were a good number of backpackers either preparing to go out on the trail, or just having finished hiking the trail. Just to let you know, the Western Uplands Backpacking Trail is the longest trail in the park, and is not to be taken lightly.

We ate our lunch enjoying the entertainment provided both by nature, and the activities of the backpackers. Afterwards we walked around the picnic area marvelling at the abundance of a variety of fungi, then paid a visit to the bridge over the Oxtongue River to watch mesmerized by the grasses waving in the current under the water. We always hope to see a trout swimming upstream, but on this day, as most times that we’ve visited the Oxtongue River we saw only grasses waving in the current. 

We were preparing to leave when I noticed two  middle-aged men sitting with their hiking gear at a nearby picnic table. I was unable to resist asking whether they were coming, or going. They were coming having been on an overnight hike. I mentioned that they were middle-aged, and by their appearance definitely not experienced hikers. Their clothing was top of the line, skin fitting, the kind that whisks away moisture. Their gear was by appearance new, and top of the line. Both were somewhat overweight, and the one man who was the most overweight was a smoker. I asked if they had hiked to Rain Lake, the top of the trail, and almost in unison they proudly said that they had, and that they had completed the entire loop. However, they were quick to point out that they hadn’t been prepared for the change in the weather. Apparently during the night a wind had come up accompanied by thunder and lightning and a driving rain. They had checked the weather before leaving and had assured themselves that if there was to be rain it would occur some distance from where they were to hike. The rain was not their concern, however, it was the howling wind so strong that they were unable to get their butane stoves to light, and as the temperature dropped they had nearly froze. But, as I pointed out, they had survived, and they now had a tale to tell. To this they agreed. The large man, the smoker, mentioned that when he told his wife that he was going on a overnight hike, something that he’d never done before, she’d become concerned and doubted that he’d survive the hike. He had convinced her that it would be nothing more than “a walk in the woods”. They had obviously not seen the movie, nor read the book.

While visiting Algonquin I managed to get a bit of sketching done. Ideas for paintings for my upcoming book.

Island - Lake Opeongo - Algonquin Provincial Park    Graphite Sketch  2016

Lake Opeongo - Algonquin Provincial Park    Graphite Sketch  2016

Tea Lake - Algonquin Provincial Park     Graphite Sketch   2016   

Smoke Lake - Algonquin Provincial Park  Graphite Sketch  2016

Smoke Lake - View From Hardwood Lookout Trail   Graphite Drawing 2016

A GOOD DEED GONE SOUR?

Heading South - Canada Geese

Graphite Drawing

A GOOD DEED GONE SOUR?

It’s that time of the year in our neck of the woods. Ducks and geese are beginning to migrate through the area much to the delight of the local hunters. But, much to the chagrin of the hunters the sought after Canada Goose is all but absent from the marsh. Being long lived they have acquired a bit of the smarts equating the time of the year with the hunting season, and almost to a goose move away from the marsh to the sanctuary of the local parks and golf courses. Here in Midland as many as a thousand Canada Geese can be found  grazing the grass and fouling the water at Little Lake Park. A good deed gone sour? 

Canada Geese   Watercolour Painting

We call it the Canada Goose, but is it really a Canada goose. The Canada Gooses is native to North America and it breeds in Canada and the northern United States in a variety of habitats, but as Wikipedia edited article explains: -

 By the early 20th century, overhunting and loss of habitat in the late 19th century and early 20th century resulted in a serious decline in the numbers of this bird in its native range. The giant Canada goose subspecies was believed to be extinct in the 1950s until, in 1962, a small flock was discovered wintering in Rochester, Minnesota. In 1964, the Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center was built to head the center’s Canada goose production and restoration program. The project involved private, state, and federal resources, and relied on the expertise and cooperation of many individuals. By the end of 1981, more than 6,000 giant Canada geese had been released at 83 sites in 26 counties in North Dakota. Similar restoration programs were carried out in Canada. In recent years, Canada goose populations in some areas have grown substantially, so much so that many consider them pests for their droppings, bacteria in their droppings, noise, and confrontational behavior. This problem is partially due to the removal of natural predators and an abundance of safe, man-made bodies of water near food sources, such as those found on golf courses, in public parks and beaches, and in planned communities. Due in part to the interbreeding of various migratory subspecies with the introduced non-migratory giant subspecies, Canada geese are frequently a year-around feature of such urban environments.

So, there it is, the Canada Goose is more the North American Goose, and when you get right down to it the United States should share, if not bear, the responsibility for the reintroduction of the species and the problem created. This brings me to the question, with reproduction and restoration programs in place to bring back the Trumpeter Swan, who ultimately is going to bear the responsibility for the problem that it may created. For those of you who may not be aware, the Trumpeter Swan dwarfs the Canada Goose, and can be equally as aggressive as the Canada Goose.

As I’ve probably mentioned in previous postings, it’s difficult to make a living as an artist. Government grant programs are reserved for what I refer to as “creative artists”, those that make the art that few, save museum curators and critics can understand, and in order to survive it’s necessary to produce “product”, art that appeals to the general public.  August through September and October are the make it, or break it, months for most artists. I suppose that it’s the time of the year, the weather cools, the leaves change colour, and we have Thanksgiving, a time for families to come together. Anyway, people seem to feel more generous at this time of the year spurring the holding of local art festivals and studio tours. With skeins of geese in the air and a genuine admiration, if not love of Canada Geese, paintings and prints of geese and ducks became one of my more successful products.

Aunts & Uncles - Canada Geese               Hand-coloured Etching with Aquatint

Back of the Marsh - Mallards    Hand-coloured Etching with Aquatint

Paired - Canada Geese      Hand-coloured Etching with Aquatint     

Spooked - Mallards     Hand-coloured Etching with Aquatint

Canada Geese         Watercolour Painting

High Fliers     Coloured Etching with Aquatint

Drake Mallards       Watercolour Painting

Mates - Canada Geese   Etching with Aquatint