Sharing Happiness: Camping At Rockwood Conservation Area

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, 

to front only the essential facts of life,

 and see if I could not learn what it had to teach,

 and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."

Henry David Thoreau 

Thoreau's words have resonated and connected with people throughout the many decades since he wrote them. He speaks the truth. To live deeply, mindfully and authentically, benefits everyone, from who we are at our deepest levels to who share our lives with. I found this very passage amidst much graffiti in Union Station in Toronto, shortly after my friend Jay had arrived from Cape Breton for three weeks of camping, socializing and Blue Jays games. This passage stood out in bold green in between declarations and admonishments, dreams and fears that were scribbled all around it. I took note.  

Part of Jay's journey out to Ontario from the rugged and remote island of Cape Breton on the east coast of Canada was to go with me camping to Rockwood Conservation Area near Guelph. Rockwood had been recommended to me by other friends who have camped there many times over the years. We booked a campsite far in advance according to their suggestion. 

To say that experiences differ from one place and time to another is a huge understatement. Just a few days previous we had been surrounded by thousands of people at a Toronto Blue Jays game, deep in the company of multitudes cheering and enjoying the festivities. Here however, was an altogether different adventure. It was quite a place, possessing a good degree of civility without being a distraction from the experience of being in the woods. I had returned not one month previous from the backcountry of Alaska that you can read about here, and Jay is from a very remote area of Canada so there was plenty of discussion surrounding the contrasts and similarities to each place. We took every opportunity to appreciate Rockwood for what it was, very special, a unique and beautiful place to explore a quiet little pocket of Ontario. 

Our tent at the campsite. 

We spent a total of two nights and two days at Rockwood. On our second day we explored the two main trails that are found within the park. They were beautiful and easy to negotiate. It gave us a chance to really see the area and there were some lovely cliffs and rock formations that we encountered along the way. We saw quite a few people on our hikes but we didn't feel crowded, instead focusing on what we saw along the way and appreciating this unique place: beautiful mirrored ponds, foliage of every shape and colour imaginable, birdsong in almost every tree and the sheer enjoyment of experiencing each turn in the path for what it was. 

I loved the juxtaposition of vertical trees and horizontal rocks here.

 Perhaps a future painting?

These reflections captivated us as we walked past

Jay and I are inspired by the works of Thoreau, Emerson, Mary Oliver, John Muir and others. These are people who have outlined a philosophy of living that we respond to strongly. We possess an appreciation and reverence for the beauty of the unexplained and the sublime complexity of the natural world that surrounds us. Thus, Alaska and crashing waves in Cape Breton were not needed...all we needed was the trees, a path (or not) and our openness to experience as much as we could from what we encountered along the way. These authors and poets move us deeply and have profoundly affected our lives. I will include a poem by Mary Oliver at the bottom of this entry that illustrates what I am trying to say more succinctly than I can here. 

A path through cedar trees winding down to the water below

We rented a canoe in the afternoon of our second day, which provided another form of hypnosis: instead of the quiet crunch of foliage underfoot we listened to the soothing rhythm of the paddles cutting the water and the vantage point the lake provided us as we gazed up at tall rock with pockets of caves, framed by cedars on either side. We paddled by the old Woolen Mill which was build over a hundred years ago. It seems almost out of place in such a forested area, this shell of a regal building standing in a clearing, surrounded by the woods. 

The old Woolen Mill

We enjoyed ourselves at Rockwood and took away as many experiences as we could in that short period of time. It is very close to where I live (about an hour away) yet seemed much more remote. My tent held up beautifully in the rain and was easy to put together (so easy that it made me realize how easy it will be to travel on other adventures with Jay). Co-operation is key. We had some great fires and great conversations too, exactly what our goal had been. Half the fun of going on camping and hiking trips is the company, who you share your memories and experiences with. Sharing happiness in your life with others makes life worth living, without question. Solitude has its place too of course, but when we choose march briefly with a similar drummer, whole new vistas of appreciation and potential open up to both of you. 

 

Mornings at Blackwater Pond

by Mary Oliver

For years, every morning, I drank

from Blackwater Pond.

It was flavored with oak leaves and also, no doubt,

the feet of ducks.

And always it assuaged me

from the dry bowl of the very far past.

What I want to say is

that the past is the past,

and the present is what your life is,

and you are capable 

of choosing what that will be,

darling citizen.

So come to the pond,

or the river of your imagination, 

or the harbor of your longing,

and put your lips to the world.

And live 

your life.

My solo exhibition of Newfoundland paintings is fast approaching! I hope you can make it out to the show. Here are the details:

Portraits Of Newfoundland

November 5-22nd, 2009

Abbozzo Gallery, Oakville, Ontario

Opening Reception November 6th, 7-10pm

"Sammy, Lumsden"

"Art is the proper task of life". ~Friedrich Nietzsche 

Sometimes you encounter individuals who truly stand out. Sam is one such person. I was driving along the little road that led through the village of Lumsden in northeastern Newfoundland and had to pull the car over to examine a property that had been blanketed with lawn ornaments from end to end. That was how I stumbled upon Sammy Land.

"Sammy, Lumsden", 14"x30", oil on panel, is another idea for a painting that wouldn't leave me alone. Over the course of my 16 days in Newfoundland I met a wide variety of people. From Newtown to Rocky Harbour to Tilting, wonderfully humble and quirky folk were more than willing to stop, let me take their picture, chat, and every one welcomed me into their sphere for a brief time. The first day when I passed Sammy Land Sam was not home. I left a note indicating that I would like to talk to him, perhaps take his picture, that I was a painter from Ontario, and if he wouldn't mind meeting me I would be very appreciative. I was elated when the phone at the studio rang that evening. It was Sam. We arranged to meet on his property the next day.

At the appointed hour Sam and I met, had a great talk and he shared with me how much he loved the little world he had created on his property. He said that it is his passion, his love, something to occupy him since his retirement, and that working on it gives him much enjoyment. Sam is a bona fide artist in his own right. He is motivated by a desire to create something, to arrange the elements just so, to please the eye, to satisfy the mind's eye, and to witness his art unfold. Each section had been carefully planned: a road with a fire engine here, a small tableau of fishermen and seagulls on rocks there, deer, raccoons, cats, dogs and squirrels, all cohabitating in harmony. The variety of creatures seemed endless. Each section had been designed and had its own narrative. I signed the guestbook that was on a small table atop a hill encircled by gnomes and deer who looked on. 

I shot Sam in different sections of his property but in my mind I saw the painting as quite heavily cropped, with the animals and his own portrait hopefully creating an interesting interplay. I settled on some reference and went to work.

Painting skin that is in indirect light is very enjoyable. Similar to "Lisa, Kanuti","Sammy, Lumsden" has a lot going on in the shadows. I find the tonal nuances that exist in shadows is far more interesting than painting a subject that is lit directly. Direct sun is a master at washing out all of the fun bits, the subtle hues, the rich pigments that can breathe and express themselves more fully when they lie in an area that has been eclipsed. Now contrast is great, and the staccato effect of direct light and shadow on the sheets of an unmade bed is certainly a lot of fun to paint, but I am challenged more by the the aforementioned scenario. 

Paint is a taskmaster when working with limited tonal variation, with less contrast. It is not tolerant to inaccuracy. If an area that I am painting lies in shadow, mistakes are more easily discernible. It is easy to let your subject flatten onto the canvas unless you carefully delineate the infrastructure beneath, be it skin, wood or rock. Plus, paint has an annoying habit of lightening up a little bit when it dries. I hate that. A lot. However, usually I'll work around the canvas reapplying  the tone a bit darker darker and generally re-examine areas where this has happened. 

I will call Sam soon (he doesn't have email) to let him know about this painting. I will also thank him once again for sharing some of his time with me, and introducing me to his little world on top of the Rock. 

"In art the hand can never execute anything higher than the heart can inspire"

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Sam on a small section of Sammy Land 

I have two paintings that will be in an upcoming group show at Loch Gallery in Toronto, Ontario. Below are the details. I hope you can make it to the show!

Exploring The Figure

May 23-June 10, 2009

Loch Gallery 

Toronto, Ontario

"Latham", Oil On Linen, 24"x36"

Here again are the details for my solo exhibition about Newfoundland. I hope to see you at the opening!

Take care and have a beautiful weekend,

Heather

Newfoundland Portraits

November 5-22nd, 2009

Abbozzo Gallery, Oakville, Ontario

Opening Reception November 6th, 7-10pm

"The Berry Picker, Greenspond"

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children...to leave the world a better place...to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

There are paintings that, when looked at months after completion, transport you back to that place and time instantly. "The Berry Picker, Greenspond", oil on panel, 50"x35", is one such painting. When I look at this painting it I feel an invisible thread with the strength of a thousand mountains pulls me back to that remote and windswept hill on the northeast coast of Newfoundland last August. 

The wind was a major player, of course. The wind, the wind in Newfoundland....it is ubiquitous and as reliably next to you, all the time. Greenspond is a tiny town in the Northeastern area of Newfoundland. There is a beautiful hiking trail that wraps around the mass of land that lies at the end of a small causeway. On the crest of the large hill that is contained within the trail network I saw this woman, Milly, collecting partridgeberries in her scarlet sweater. She was wading through tall golden grasses that covered the hillside as I approached her and asked if she would mind if I took her picture. She was humble and sweet, as Newfoundlanders are by nature, and I appreciated her obliging me.  

Sometime when you shoot reference for paintings, you can feel the painting already there, just waiting to be created. This blissful feeling happened while I shot the pictures of Milly filling her bucket with bright red partridgeberries...I envisioned the painting then and there. The little town sloped away on the horizon line and I knew it would be fun to render the buildings off in the distance while keeping the foreground nice and expressive with broad strokes of colour.

Berry pickers are themselves ubiquitous in the latter months of the summer and early autumn. Wherever we drove we saw a car here or there parked by the road, invariably one or two figures in sweaters could be seen about a hundred feet or two hundred feet out, bending over the spongy ground, filling containers with cloudberries, partridgeberries and wild blueberries.You can read a little bit about these commonly found berries here.  Milly was focusing on partridgeberries, and I thanked her profusely after the mini photoshoot as I think she might have been a bit shy. I am so thankful to her for helping me capture a moment of the beauty of Newfoundland, the simple pleasure found in a meditative act such as picking berries to nourish your family and yourself and to simply enjoy the fruits of the land. Beautiful New-Found-Land, a small bit of it hopefully contained within this painting. 

Technically it was a lot of fun doing this piece, and I am sure that also had to do with how much I enjoyed the subject. Painting on larger panels and canvases can be a little intimidating sometimes but I had such a belief in the theme and composition that I simply flung myself into painting it with lots of gusto, and lots of paint. The colours of Newfoundland are so vibrant and immediate, so unfiltered and pure, and I tried focus on rendering them as accurately as possible. 

Time is flying towards the Newfoundland show in November! Although still months away I have to budget time because these paintings take time and patience. We must balancing life, family, travel and time to create within the mind too, to turn over ideas for paintings that might not be fully resolved. There is much to be said for not creating, for distilling and assessing, for contemplating. Only after contemplation and consideration is it prudent to act, however there IS a lot to be said for spontaneity too! I suppose each approach has its own time and place. The important thing is to march to your own creative drummer, for if you are true to yourself you cannot go wrong. 

"Yes. Feet on earth. Touch stone. Knock on wood. Good luck to all."~Edward Abbey 

Here is some information on the exhibition in November of 2009. I hope to see you there!

Newfoundland Portraits

November 5-22nd, 2009

Abbozzo Gallery, Oakville, Ontario

Opening Reception November 6th, 7-10pm

"Cyril In The Sea Runner"

"For whatever we lose (like a you or a me)/ its always ourselves we find in the sea".

~E.E. Cummings

A lifetime can be seen, literally, upon the face of another. Every one of our faces has a story to tell, for within their features are the marks of accumulated experience and wisdom. They are a living chronology, a roadmap of what has brought us to this very moment. They are first impressions, fading memories and lifelong companions. As a painter I could spend a lifetime studying and painting faces, for they are like fingerprints and snowflakes, each one is unlike any other. 

As soon as Cyril stepped out of his house with that fantastic hat on I knew I had to paint him wearing it. Cyril and Jim, two of David's good friends, had agreed to take us out to the small islands surrounding Wesleyville, Newfoundland. This excursion was a short way into my 16 days spend in Newfoundland last September. You can read more about my time spent in Newfoundland here.

 As my good friend Jim (a different Jim from the aforementioned one) firmly states "the only way to really see a place is by water". Indeed, you really see how small a place can be when you view if from a mile out on the water. It was with great enthusiasm that I donned the galoshes that Jim's wife kindly lent me as the ground would be damp where we were headed. Galoshes are as ubiquitous in Newfoundland as moose. They're everywhere. We climbed into Cyril's sturdy Sea Runner boat and headed off to Bennett's High Island and Swain's Island. 

On our way over to Bennett's High Island I took some reference of Cyril piloting his boat. I decided on a pretty heavily cropped study of his face after debating a larger painting with more of the boat visible. I simply wanted to paint that hat and Cyril's great expression. He is a benevolent man, a truly special person who extended such kindness to me while I was in Wesleyville. Jim too, offered his time and friendship, some homemade blueberry jam and a tour of his beautiful house circa 1860. 

While on Bennett's High Island I chuckled when I saw Cyril on his cellphone-a true seafarer thrust into the present moment with cutting edge technology, getting a good signal on this tiny island perched on the easternmost point of Canada. It was a sight I shall never forget.

This painting is one of eight now that I have finished for the show in November. I have said before and I will say again: faces are landscapes, and landscapes, faces. Our faces are small little worlds inhabited by crevasses, creases and eyes like pools or the sea. Just as we spy a face in the clouds, a man on the moon, or smooth mountain range across weathered cheeks, so they are one in the same. 

Take care and have a wonderful evening/day/morning, wherever you may be.

Heather

"Live in the sunshine, swim in the sea, drink the wild air"

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Newfoundland Portraits

November 5-22nd, 2009

Abbozzo Gallery, Oakville, Ontario

Opening Reception November 6th, 7-10pm

If you are interested in seeing any of these paintings please contact Abbozzo Gallery. They will be happy to answer any of your questions.

Take good care,

Heather