" Unstable over Burks Falls"

Some cumulus clouds developed with daytime heating in a westerly flow aloft. I presume this flow was associated with the katabatic (inactive) portion of the warm front. There were some floccus clouds as well revealing the instability present in the warm air mass. The warm front was evidently very close to Burks Falls! The surface air certainly felt hot and sticky. The weather was setting up to turn cooler with the arrival of a cold front and thunderstorms.

Oils on dark burnt sienna oil tinted foundation on commercial canvas - 11 X 14 (inches)

"Spruce Forest"

This time I wanted to focus more on the trees than the forest. The spruce trees are characteristic of this area of Ontario and was my main attraction for this painting. The patch of daisies seemed to expand during the day.

Oils on medium burnt sienna oil tinted foundation on commercial canvas - 14 X 11 (inches)

"Singleton Granite"

Forest Edge Daisies and Tom Thomson

I turned the easel another 45 degrees and stood on the edge of the group of daisies. Linda likes daisies. A butterfly landed on the canvas apparently thinking the daisies were real- the best complement I had that day. I also rescued a bug from the oil with the butt of my brush. A family of ravens were carrying on a lengthy conversation. Oils on medium ultramarine blue oil tinted foundation on commercial canvas - 14 X 11 (inches).

Tom Thomson died 95 years ago today. Roy MacGregor and I share the same opinion - arrived at quite independently. Of course no one will ever know for sure and in reality, it doesn't matter as it cannot change the fact that Canada lost its greatest artist. Tom's genius was found in his art. How, when or why he died is irrelevant except that we lost the art he was certainly destined to produce. For what it is worth, here is my much abbreviated opinion based solely on discarding the half truths and lies from the story of those days in July 1917. Tom's watch (water proof watches weren't invented until the 1920's) stopped at 12:14 when his body hit the water. That was 12:14 am early Monday morning and not 12:14 pm Sunday afternoon. He arrived back from fishing unnoticed late Sunday evening - had a scuffle with Shannon Fraser over money or perhaps Tom's philandering. The impact of Tom's left temple on Shannon's fireplace grate was deadly. In fright, Annie and Shannon dumped the body in Canoe Lake using Shannon's fishing wire and a weight to hold him down forever - "No body - no crime". Tom wasn't supposed to surface ever again but fate and Dr. G.W. Howland trolling for trout with his daughter must have dislodged the body. Tom was buried in the Canoe Lake cemetery and is still there today.

Daisy Path

It was hot when I turned my easel around to paint looking north along a forest path. A "flock" of daisies showed the way into the spruce forest interior. Oils on medium ultramarine blue oil tinted foundation on commercial canvas - 14 X 11 (inches)

Little Clear Morning

This is the view looking northeasterly across Little Clear Lake, Limberlost. The water surface was like a plate glass mirror. It was only rippled when a family of geese swam in front of me on their way to the far shore. Later in the morning the northwesterly wind rippled the surface. Daytime heating is responsible for eroding the radiational inversion and making the atmospheric boundary layer unstable. This allows the air mass circulations from aloft to penetrate to the ground. This cycle happens nearly every day...

Algonquin Art Centre 2012 Season - Please Stop By This Summer

Algonquin Art Centre

open June 1 - October 16

10 am to 5:00 pm daily

in the heart of Algonquin Park

(705) 633-5555 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (705) 633-5555 end_of_the_skype_highlighting / 1-855-221-2278 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-855-221-2278 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

info@algonquinartcentre.com

"Falling Down Ragged" Another visit to Ragged Falls on the Oxtongue River…This time I am looking down the water course at the tumble of white water molecules bouncing between the rocky bumpers like a billion balls in a giant pin ball machine... This is just one of the many paintings celebrating "water", the 2012 Art Exhibit Theme. I am looking forward to meeting my friends again in Algonquin. See you Saturday at km 20 of Highway 60 ...

Paddle the Arch

Trip #1 Admiralty Islands, Saturday June 16 2012

Meeting 1000 Islands Kayaking, 110 Kate St. Gananoque. Our plan is to wander the Admiralty cluster of islands along a historical paddling trial. Feature guest speaker will be Phil the Forecaster Chadwick... Phil will talk about the weather... climate ... and the birds and the bees.. among other things. The Forecaster is philling in for Doug Bickerton and will do his level best to entertain and amuse!

Summer Clouds

The cumulus clouds were developing early under the strong, late spring sun. It had rained hard overnight and there was moisture everywhere. The sun soon converted this liquid to water vapour and with convective lift, back into cloud droplets. The air mass remains unstable on the western flank of a late old cold low. There were bound to be a few scattered showers when these cumulus clouds developed into towers. There was nothing to worry about though - nothing severe!

This is getting to be a favourite view for a morning painting. The sun was on my back and both the easel and the scene were illuminated by the same light. The sounds of spring were still playing. I heard numerous barred owls, ruffed grouse and all the small birds I can hear but not identify.