Short Dock

The sandy beach to the north of the pile of rocks that are the remains of the “Short Dock” and it was one of the favourite painting places of my friend Jane Champagne. The site was close to her home, offered a great view of Chantry Light and of course had the public beach. What could be better? It seemed only appropriate that Day One of “A Toast to Jane Champagne” would be held on that patch of sand.

The history of the Short Dock dates back to the 1870’s. The growing community of Saugeen was incorporated as the Village of Southampton by a special Act of Parliament in 1858. On April 1, 1859, the guiding beam of the Chantry Island lighthouse shone across the waters of Lake Huron for the first time. Due to the treacherous shoals around the island, a Harbour of Refuge was constructed in the 1870s with the Long Dock stretching out to Southampton and the Short Dock jutting a short way into the water. Unfortunately the Harbour of Refuge was not successful. The opening was narrow and difficult to find especially in storms when the safety of the harbour was needed most. More important was the arrival of across land rail service in 1872 and that forever changed the way goods were transported. The shipping industry was sunk. The Southampton docks fell into disrepair and only piles of very large rock, some long timbers and metal spikes remain.

This view is directly across Chantry Island including the rocks and shrubs that mark the Short Dock. I was most interested in colour and imparting as much fun to the participants as possible. For Jane whose car had the license plate “I4ART”, painting was all about fun and passion for creation. Maybe that is why we hit it off so well. The fellow toasters to Jane Champagne had a great day as well.

Water's Edge

The cold front was fast approaching and the sky was simply a mass of gray with the occasional sunny break. I turned to the lake shore for inspiration.

This is the view toward the south looking across Jim Day Rapids. Duck weed hugged the shoreline while out in the current the faster water was completely open. The wave action was such that one portion of the wave reflected the sky while the other reflected the dark greens of the opposite shore. Silver and soft maples grow right to the water's edge. In the spring the water is at least a couple of feet up the trunks but the trees seem to survive the month or two of drowning quite nicely. I wanted to capture the feeling of the place without painting every blade of grass. 

Singleton Gray Ratsnake

We see lots of snakes at Singleton Lake and they are all safe. I have two nesting boxes for the endangered gray/black ratsnake and have provided other shelter as well. The ratsnake is a constrictor, mainly preying on small mammals. Its natural predators include Red-tailed Hawk, Osprey, Raccoon, Fisher and Mink.

"The major threats to the species include being run over by vehicles - given their length and tendency to move slowly across roadways, deliberate slaughter by humans and habitat loss due to increased development."

This harmless snake can live up to 25 to 30 years, but due to the species' tendency to only lay clutches of 10 to 15 eggs late in their life cycle every two or three years, even small threats to the Gray Ratsnake have major implications for its overall survival. We are doing everything we can to promote them at Singleton Lake. This gray ratsnake was maybe 5 feet long judging by my foot... they need a place to live and thrive as well.

Summer Morning

The warm front moved north of Singleton Lake overnight. Brisk and warmer southerly breezes were the clues to this fact. A low level jet at the top of the planetary boundary layer had created some streets of cumulus fractus which were in the front of the scene. Convection was likely occurring where this low level jet intersected the warm front to the north. The southerly streets of stratocumulus on the western horizon merge into a solid cloud sheet until it gets overhead and you can see between the streets. The higher level deformation zone was evident behind the stratocumulus. This is the leading edge of the convection along the cold front.

A quick look at the radar and satellite confirms the sky reading - more or less. There is a second low level jet further west but still ahead of the surface cold front. Environment Canada has some watches out but no warnings as of yet and nothing for Singleton Lake. Maybe I will paint a thunderstorm this afternoon. 

Cold Side Cumulus

Have you ever notice that fair weather cumulus clouds prevail in a ridge of high pressure? This is a pretty obvious observation that we are all familiar with. The cool and dry air in the ridge is just right for puffy cotton balls of cumulus but not too unstable for the taller cumulus and thunderstorms. These clouds evapourate like magic as soon as the leading edge of the next system crosses the area. The deformation zone of the warm conveyor belt that feeds the approaching system with heat and moisture can be almost invisible unless you are a keen meteorologist. Those curved arcs of cirrus in the western sky reveal the deformation zone that I am referring to. You can also infer the deformation zone by watching the cumulus vanish. It seems like a contradiction that the cumulus clouds disappear just as the upper atmosphere becomes moist but really it is the delicate dance that the atmospheric forces play out each and every day. The cold conveyor belt part of the ballet were the easterly winds that stirred up Singleton Lake on their way into the approaching ow pressure area.
The bottom line is that it will shower later on Wednesday.
I have been using more paint lately..

Dark Thunderheads - A Supercell

As some of you might be aware, I have been doing a presentation about the meteorology in famous works of art  for a few decades. Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven have been favourite subjects within these presentations. "Dark Thunderheads" by Tom Thomson is a classic example. The painting was probably named by Dr MacCallum or Lawren Harris and neither were meteorologists anyway. Tom’s motivation to “record” this particular observation would have been the nearly constant thunder and the dynamics of a supercell thunderstorm. The persistent rotating updraft, backbuilding anvil and steep flanking line are all characteristic of a supercell. The dark scud (scattered cumulus under deck) cloud is simply a timing issue. I talk about this and more during my presentation depending on the interests of the group.

A real life supercell imitated art just a few weeks ago. This storm had already blown down some trees and hydro lines in Lyndhurst... and across our lane. The colours might be different but the similarities with Tom's painting including the scud, prompted me to take the picture - as if I needed an excuse anyway. The blue box encloses the portion of the storm that Tom fitted to his panel.

IPAP Worldwide Paintout in Rockport - Friday September 13th through Sunday 15th, 2013

Registration for the 3rd Annual Rockport Plein Air Paint Out, Rockport 

Friday September 13th through Sunday 15th, 2013

Sponsored by The Rockport Development Group

"999 2 Go" was painted from the dock of Pine Island during the First Rockport Plein Air Paint Out.

Contact: wendymerkley@1000island.net for further details or accommodation support with special event rates. The only required information is - Registrant’s Name ... Email Address… Phone #

 This event is intended to bring together plein air artists in the friendly creative atmosphere of the historically significant and beautiful Thousand Islands village of Rockport.
 There is no registration fee required. The costs for each participant hinge upon lodging, meals (breakfasts, lunches and evening dinner) and transportation costs over the event period.  Rockport and area businesses providing these services are offering special event rates
 Prizes will also be awarded based upon “People’s Choice” criteria at the final wine and cheese reception on Sunday.

Day #1 – Friday, September 13th

Welcome Breakfast on the Lawn at 31 Front St.  Cost $3.00 – kick-off and site map distribution 8:30am

(a) (NEW for 2013) Plein Air at Boldt Castle, NY (All day)                      
-return transportation onboard a Rockport Cruise Line vessel@$20.00 

-entry fee onto Boldt Castle Grounds @$8.00  (some refreshments available at island or bring lunch)

Rockport Departure at Boat House Restaurant Dock - 10:30 am SHARP!

Possible returns at 1:00pm       3:00pm… LAST BOAT 5:00pm!!

NOTE: a valid passport is required for entry into the USA and back into Canada

Restrict your materials carried to this site to the most necessary in order to reduce customs delays or complications

(b) Choice of islands locations via water taxi from the Andress Boat Works Dock at return cost of $6.00 per individual.    Pine Island      Hill Island       Grenadier Island       

(c) At any location in the village as per the map

Evening Dinner – 6:00pm TBA drinks and chat 6:00 to 6:30 pm

Evening Speaker – TBD

Day #2 - Saturday, September 14th

All artists are requested to paint within the village of Rockport for the entire day to present an opportunity for the public to watch artists at work. A detailed Rockport map of possible painting locations and guidance will be offered at the opening breakfast on Friday.

Complimentary Evening One Hour Cruise – 5:00pm

One of our business partners, The Rockport Cruise Line, has graciously invited all artists and their guests to board one of their cruise vessels for a complimentary one-hour cruise and introduction to our beautiful Thousand Island region. We depart at 5:00 pm SHARP. Upon our return, we will proceed to dinner to be announced at the welcome breakfast. . Afterward we can enjoy sharing our weekend experiences and if one wished… an artist could select their best piece to share with the group. A restful way to end a busy painting day with friends!

Day #3 - Sunday, September 15th

Morning – Last opportunity to paint or to “touch up” those earlier “masterpieces”
Final Reception… Wine and Cheese and Awards Ceremony – 1:00 pm SHARP

Southampton Art School - Phil the Forecaster Classes

Great news... it looks like there has been enough enrollment to make all of these classes happen this year. The details can be found at http://www.southamptonart.com/instructors/phil-chadwick
I have some new tricks up my short sleeves this year! There is still some room if anyone else wants to come and have some plein air fun. The Killarney Adventure is always great.. and the weather and fall colours are bound to be spectacular. There is a reason why the Group of Seven and the Ontario Society of Artists kind of adopted the area. Not every effort is a masterpiece but it is easier when you are surrounded by inspiration.

International Pacific Research Center

One never knows where your art might turn up!
http://iprc.soest.hawaii.edu/  A particularly brilliant (if not genius!) undergrad friend of mine from Queens University is now the Director of the International Pacific Research Center (IPRC). Strangely, we both followed meteorological careers after Queens. Our respective paths have crossed repeatedly in the last 45 years and they have done so once again. Kevin's journey took him to Hawaii where he took a fancy to my yin-yang handling of some Ontario lily pads. Kevin asked to include them on the entry page to the IPRC website and of course I was honoured. Here is what "Alluring" looks like - the circle in the upper right.