Small Cascade, Algonquin Park, Canada

Here is another painting inspired by my recent canoeing/backpacking trip to Canada. We found our island campsite and put up our tents etc... Then we canoed to a nearby island where there were waterfalls and rapids. This is one of the smaller side cascades away from the main surge of water.

Another painting from Tellico Plains Trip...Steer Creek Road

Another painting from our recent trip. This is the road off of the main highway where we turned off to find our cabin. I tried to get permission to paint on site, but was unable to find any landowners at home. So I contented myself with some photo reference.

Trip To Tellico Plains, Tennessee

August 2013 - We just got back from a trip to east Tennessee near the Cherokee National Forest. We stayed in a cabin near Tellico Plains and I enjoyed the time I had to paint. 

 Bald River Falls

The falls drop over 100 feet. My 16 year old son climbed up and jumped off at a point around 24 feet from the bottom. My goal was to capture the feel of the swift water and the subtle shadows and other dark places.

 View from Huckleberry Bald

We walked a trail through woods and meadows to reach the top of this 5600 foot mountain. A "bald" is an appalachian phenomenon still unexplained in which some of the mountain tops are devoid of trees. We walked through the grassy trail listening to the hum of thousands of bumblebees enjoying the red and white clover blossoms. The woods were full of huckleberries and blueberries. The view, of course, was spectacular.

 Sycamores By The Creek

This is the creek that wound around our cabin.

 Towhee Falls

This is one of the many beautiful waterfalls in the nearby hills. We had it all to ourselves. I painted while my wife and sons explored and read. Those overhanging leaves are rhododendron.

Mossy

This one is already sold...or at least has a claim on it. I walked away from the campsite into a more dark woodsy area and found this little scene. I was attracted to the textures and contrasts and the idea of the cycle of life.

Algonquin Park Paintings

I sat on islands deep in the heart of Algonquin Provincial Park in Canada and painted each of these directly. I used lake water to spread and mix the paint. This is what is called plein aire painting. We canoed in to these spots, set up camp, and I pulled my painting supplies out of my backpack. This is the real thing. If you buy one of these paintings and hold it up to your nose, you may be able to smell Canada itself.


Root Fingers, Algonquin Park
5 x 7 in. Pen and ink plus watercolor on 140 lb arches watercolor paper.

Algonquin Hillside
7 x 5 in. Pen and ink plus watercolor on 140 lb arches watercolor paper.

Roots and Rocks, Algonquin
5 x 7 in. Pen and ink plus watercolor on 140 lb arches watercolor paper.

Candle Holder

Last year we went on a camping trip to Land Between the Lakes State Park in Kentucky. We visited "The Homeplace" which is a working farm set in the 1850s with workers dressed in period clothing, houses, animals and outbuildings. I took some reference photos. 

I thought this was an interesting candle holder. It looks like a mug or pitcher that has been cut. I believe they call this "splatter ware" pattern, but I could be wrong. It was sitting on a mantle above a fireplace. I enjoyed capturing the mottled white paint of the wall and the splatter pattern as well as the wax candle drips.

Gray Barn

I was taking a walk through Lynchburg, Tennessee earlier this year and took a few photos. This painting was based on one of these images.