Club Island

This is the view to the west from the lawn of a "for sale" cottage on the northeast tip of Club Island. The cottage is in need of repair. Raccoons and skunks were living under the cottage, having removed some of the wood fencing that was designed to keep them out. This is the third day of the 10th Annual  International Plein Air Painters Paint Out. We have 20 artists participating in the Rockport Event which was cosponsored by the Rockport Development Group. The wave action from the passing tours boats came crashing into the little bay.

Fish Rock

This is swimming hole for all of the kids of Rockport looking east at around 2 pm on Saturday September 10th, 2011. This is also the second day of the 10th Annual  International Plein Air Painters Paint Out. We have 20 artists participating in the Rockport Event which was cosponsored by the Rockport Development Group. One of the next generation of Rockport kids kept me company while we both painted.

Rockport IPAP Paint Out - A Wonderful Three Days of Creativity

Twenty artists painted and ate for three days amoung the Thousand Islands at Rockport, Ontario. It was a wonderful time with close to 100 works of art completed. I managed seven... and I will show a couple of them here.

"999 2 Go"

This is Fancy Rock Island from the dock of Pine Island looking east at 9:30 am on Friday September 9th, 2011. Having painted one island of a 1000 explains the mathematical title.

"Zavicon Island"

painted from a small patch of grass on the south slope of Pine Island looking south at around 2 pm.

"Ishpeming "

The tugboat is a bit dented but has a lot of proud character. An internet search revealed that the name Ishpeming comes from the Anishinaabe language ishpiming, meaning "on top" or "from above" or "upon high." Ishpeming, in the Ojibwa dialect of the Anishinaabe language, also means "Heaven".

Rockport, Ontario - International Plein Air Painters (IPAP) Worldwide Paint Out in the Heart of the Thousand Islands

The Historic Waterfront Village of  Rockport in the Heart of the Thousand Islands is sponsoring the 10th International Plein Air Painters (IPAP) Worldwide Paint Out. The itineary can be found at ww.rockport1000islands.com ... The village organization of Rockport Development Group will be your host and start your weekend experience with a welcome breakfast on Friday morning followed by a tour of the various locations for painting. There will be transportation available to take any artist to an island location, if this is your choice, but there are numerous unique locations on the mainland if boating is not your desire. Each evening there will be a dinner offered at one of the local waterfront restaurants and a topical speaker will do a pre-dinner presentation.

We hope you can make it. It is hoped that this will be the first in a long tradition....

Great news...my Southampton Courses are both full...

Southampton Art School - "Making Waves on Chantry Island"- August 22 - August 24, 2011Spend 3 full days learning the fine points of painting water and everything surrounding it - the first day on Chantry Island - day 2 and 3 in the studio working from your sketches. The prime themes in Phil's work are weather patterns and how they affect water and skies and he'll share his secrets of painting a great lake's great moods in this workshop.
Time: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm Southampton Art School - "Killarney Paint Escape" October 3 - October 7, 2011
Participants are to arrange their own transportation and accommodation/meals package at Killarney Mountain Lodge. 1(800) 461-1117
Escape to Group of Seven country and paint "en plein-air" with Phil the Forecaster Chadwick. The fall colours of the trees and granite ridges will expand your palette and spark your creativity. Killarney Provincial Park and Georgian Bay provide outstanding artistic opportunities against the expansive skies of Canadian weather. Killarney Mountain Lodge accommodates the artists and the menu is delicious!
Daily morning trips will be to different locations to explore the elements of design that the landscape offers. Afternoons are free to develop your work. There will be a full day excursion to the Lodge's wilderness camp in the park interior, superb for creating on shore or from a canoe or kayak ($35 additional fee). Practiced plein-air painters will enjoy this back-to-nature experience. Phil's passion and techniques for capturing the essence of the moment are equal to his love for passing them on.
This paint escape is in tribute to his friend and fellow artist Jane Champagne.

Summer Arts Fest August 13th in Public Square, Watertown NY

The North Country Arts Council (NCAC - www.nnyart.org) is holding it's third annual Summer Arts Fest August 13th in Public Square, Watertown NY on August 13th.Traffic is restricted from one side of the square where tents are set up for various vendors and entertainment (bands, dance, etc.) are conducted. Bob Heddon is organizing the  Plein Air Event for the Summer Arts Fest and has asked me to be the judge. I will do my best but I see something great in all art...

Racing the Rain

I decided to paint from the dead-end scenic road south of Burk's Falls. It was a race with the weather. The cirrostratus had thickened overnight and bands of altostratus were streaking across the southern horizon with the warm conveyor belt of the spring storm. These same winds produced gravity waves in the cloud above the warm frontal surface. At the ground I had a raw, damp easterly wind chilling me and my hands to the bone. The temperature might have been plus 6 Celsius but it felt much colder. The painting was a bit of a race against the weather. I had to get it done before the altostratus switched to nimbostratus and rain. I made it with 5 minutes to spare.

Algonquin Spruce Sentinel

I painted from the wooden bridge looking northeast across the flood plain of the South Magnetawan River and the mix of trees - some alive and some dead! It was a beautiful spring day and much too nice to miss. Note the altocumulus in gravity wave patterns. I was very pleased with the resulting sketch of the dead spruce tree.

Magnetawan Morning

On day two of the Nickle Paint-Out we headed to the South Magnetawan River and stopped when theForestry Tower Road got too soft and sloppy. Lawrence was leery of getting his truck stuck in the mud. I painted from the wooden bridge looking southward toward the shaded hillside. The sun was on my left shoulder. It was a beautiful spring day.