John Ross Matheson and Brockville's "Fly More Flags"

John was very moved with the ongoing support of Home Hardware and Brockville. On Friday November 22nd, 2013, the 50 Years of Our Flag Committee Chairperson Bob Harper showed John the coupon used by people to purchase a 3x6 foot Canadian Flag from the Home Hardware Building Centre. I was behind the camera with John's permission. The ground swell of support and pride in the achievement of the Canadian flag is starting to grow. The 50 Years of Our Flag Committee would like to thank John and the generous support of Home Hardware Brockville. Together we are doing great things.

MerryBookmas, December 14th at the 1000 Islands Mall, Brockville

I have been invited to participate with the Friends of the Brockville Public Library in their first Author's merrybookmas event. It should be fun. I have a few copies of the 2008 "Connecting with Nature" book that generated a significant contribution to conservation on the Oak Ridges Moraine. I also have one copy of the "Passion of Phil the Forecaster" which is a summary of my art up to 2012 - this is my copy and is for display only. I hope to have more published. The main book is the "Weather of Ontario"... and I hope to have quite a few copies of that one.

Looking forward to seeing you at the 1000 Islands Mall on Saturday Decemeber 14th.

Point Paradise

This is the "far point" of our Singleton Lake Property. The marble finger points to the deepest part of the lake which is about 49 feet deep. The red spruce that line the ridge of the point are probably older than Christ. The red spruce trunks are gnarled and marred by ancient scars so they deserve the respect of the ages as they eke out an existence on the rocky and minimal nutrients they can find. Every so often the wind will push one of the small "bonsai" trees over. New growth and seeds emerge from the root and life goes on.

There is almost no "tooth" to the gessoed panels so I have to lay the paint on thick - wet on very wet. It is a fun change for me... painting with pools and swirls of oil and pure colour.

Long Reach Rain

The title is meant to sound like the name of our lane as well as to describe the spits of liquid that I observed as I was making a note of the scene. This view is looking southeasterly across Chip O'Connor's point toward Long Reach. The thinner and brighter cirrostratus cloud on the southeastern horizon was being replaced by nimbostratus cloud and rain. The sliver of altostratus cloud behind the mid level deformation zone was a classic signature for the approaching low pressure area. The calm winds would be replaced by blustery and potential damaging westerly wind not long after I got back. The approaching storm had a precipitable water content about 300% of the climatological normals for November. Heavy rain and severe convection was likely. As it turned out, thee were more than 80 tornadoes across the United States.

The painting was completed on a panel mounted to a stretcher frame built by my Dad. Panels are conducive to the use of a lot of paint. I painted wet on wet. 

Reach Long

The title may be the dyslexic version of our street address or it may refer to the way the reflections of the spruce and pine trees on the granite point extend well down into the painting - virtually to the gunwales of the kayak. Reflections tend to have a long reach if you are sitting very low in the water - as I was.

It was an overcast November day and I was having a lot of fun on the water. There were just a lot of ducks and geese and a single loon to keep me company. The overcast altostratus skies were a harbinger of the rain that was on the way. The first spits of rain would signal that the altostratus had by definition thickened up into nimbostratus. This happened after I had paddled just a few hundred more metres to the other side of Chip O'Connor's point.

The painting was completed on a panel mounted to a stretcher frame built by my Dad. Panels are conducive to the use of a lot of paint. I painted wet on wet and resisted the temptation to smooth out the brush strokes. It was fun and the energy in the paint is almost tangible.

November Altocumulus Singleton Lake

I was out for a rare November paddle on Singleton Lake. It was a beautiful day. This skyscape is looking northward from about the deepest portion of the lake. I liked the patterns in the altocumulus and thought this would be a good Christmas gift for a grand daughter - lots of paint and lots of fun.

November Paddle

The loon youngster is still on the lake ... along with a great blue heron and hundreds of common mergansers. Those white dots in front of the kayak were only a small fraction of the mergansers that had taken flight when I turned a corner. It was a great paddle on a rare November day before the rain and winds arrive. The only recipe that is worthwhile to cook a merganser is the following...

1. Take a pine plank soaked in water and lemon jouce for three days
2. Lay the merganser duck on the plank
3. Sprinkle with herbs and seasonings to taste
4. Barbecue for 7 hours over a low flame
5. Eat the plank...

Fly More Flags Brockville and Home Hardware Building Centre

The 50 Years of Our Flag - "Fly More Flags Program" has partnered with my friends at Home Hardware Building Centre in Brockville. For only $15 and a Coupon soon to be printed in Brockville papers one can purchase a 3x6 foot flag for less than half price. What a brilliant idea! The image is a first draft of the coupon. Please remember to visit "voteBrockville.com" and the Aviva Competition.

November Sunset

The sun broke through between two thick and dark layers of stratocumulus. For about 10 minutes the forest along the edge of Long Reach Lane was on fire with sunset, sunlight. The colours and the tall white pines were so striking that I had to give a painting a try. It was Remembrance Day and maybe the sun was saluting with its own blaze of glory. I have painted these white pines before.