How is it July already?

I am in shock at how fast this year is going. Please summer, won’t you slow down just a little for us?

The moods of Lac Cameron, PQ

We travelled to Ontario and then to Quebec to visit with our family recently and to help build a deck at a lakeside cottage. The lake, of course, is incredibly beautiful and ever changing.  I did not paint on days when we had torrential rains (well, maybe before the rain started) and high winds.  But I never really thought that high temperatures would also be a deterrent. Biting bugs I understand and regularly hide form them. The drive up was challenging.  So fricken long.  And our dog Trixie gets crazy anxiety in the car.  We have medication from the vet for her to help calm the poor doggie down.  Unfortunately it had little effect.  She would not lie down at all the entire trip.  The poor thing was panting like a train the whole way up. Made the drive less pleasant and we felt so bad for her.

Plein Air painting at the lake

I anticipated painting at least one or two a day.  It was interesting though.  Once the sun returned the lake actually looked the same each day.  Same colours.  Same clouds.  Same view to paint. So I decided to paint at various times of the day to see if I could get more variety.

In my first painting the heavy clouds were moving in quickly and I knew I had to concentrate and paint fast. The sky was getting darker by the minute. I literally tossed the painting into the cottage as the downpour started.

The second painting was a perfect summer day with big, fluffy, friendly clouds. This was a high contrast kind of day. Clouds were just starting to form on the horizon. The day was to be 28 degrees with high humidity. Perfect bug weather! I am very happy with this painting – the foliage on the land is working very well. I am not too itchy at this point!

And the third painting day was of an idyllic sort of summer day. Just the right amount of sunshine, fluffy clouds and summer breezes – that is, until the heat and humidity got to me. Which brings me back to the fact that there is no real perfect painting day – you just have to make it yours! Fresh off the easel I’ve been somewhat busy in my studio as well with a number of paintings on the easel. Drama in the Sky is available by clicking on the image link. Moody Moments has been sold and is proudly hanging in it’s new home

Fresh off the easel

I’ve been somewhat busy in my studio as well with a number of paintings on the easel. Drama in the Sky and Moody Moments have been sold and are proudly hanging in their new homes. Drama in the Sky has moved to Texas!