Paintings of Central Canada
Canadian Shield of rock formations, Great Lakes, Beloved pine trees.
Strolling the Islands 7
Tales of Temagami Series
Shingingwood Bay – Oil on Canvas
This is likely my last painting of my recent series Tales of Temagami. This one holds a special memory to me as my dear friend and I paddled around her island together as she filled me in on her memories and stories of the past and long ago. It was peaceful and serene. Capturing this particular rock off the shoreline just spoke to me. I thought of my mother and her love of rocks and how she would have asked to have this in her rock garden. I am grateful for our friends sharing their very special place with us.
20h 16w canvas | 24h 20w framed
Strolling the Islands 5
Summer Night Sky
Tales of Temagami Series
Lake Temagami – Oil on Canvas
These paintings are winding up my Tales of Temagami series. A typical beautiful summer night sky up in beloved Temagami. I go up to camp normally every summer, and the natural environment I live in for a few weeks nourishes my soul. Not having this as part of my place to reset and reflect has me feeling that “something is missing“. I’m sure we are all missing special places and traditions that remind us of life’s beauty. I will appreciate it even more when I get to return.
20h 16w canvas | 24h 20w framed
Glorious Shoreline
Tom Thomson Lake, Algonquin Park – Oil on Canvas
Photo: Tori Miller
This was inspired by my favourite photo of 2020. It was taken by my daughter on one of her canoe trips last summer during COVID. It would become a series of Strong and Free and I thought I would complete the series but it was still drawing me in this past month. I painted large! I just loved diving into the canvas with such freedom and happiness. This shoreline can remind many of us of different places we have been over time, and can bring us back to those peaceful memories. The reds remind us of our Canadian landscape and how powerful and beautiful it is. Enjoy.
48h 72w canvas | 52h 76w framed
Serene Wetlands
Ottawa Regioon – Oil on Canvas
I was going through my photos and came across this beauty. It is rare I do not remember it’s exact location but I believe I took this photo after devastating floods in Ontario. I pulled over and there was such calmness and stillness in what appeared to be a marsh, but after a closer look you could see the landscape and birches sitting atop the water line; an area that was flooded. Our land is so fragile in many ways, leaving the mind to wonder and fear about losing parts it to uncontrollable elements. I see beauty in this single moment in time, with its story reminding us how fortunate we are.
18h 72w canvas | 22h 76w framed
Summers End on the Bay
Georgian Bay, Ontario – Oil Canvas
28h 22w canvas 32h 26w framed
This painting was inspired as I was on FaceTime with my daughter as she just arrived at this very spot on Georgian Bay awaiting her friends to arrive to camp. She was scouting out a safe place to have an evening campfire and she “walked me around” as though I was with her. The lighting, the mood, the simple beauty never ceases to astound me. I was so grateful in that moment for my daughter, sharing with me and including me in a quiet moment in nature.
Duchesnay Falls
North Bay, Ontario – Oil Canvas
My good friend and I recently drove up to North Bay to visit an old friend and spend the night. It’s funny, I drive through North Nay a few times a year to go up to Temagami, but never have I stopped at Duchesnay Falls. So beautiful, light rain was falling and we were unable to hike to the top, so I sneaked into the forested terrain and captured a glimpse of the roaring falls through the trees. I put some of my favourite colours together on my palette and painted happily, remembering old friendships with our young children. Time just passes, we think we are so busy at that moment in time, and I know we are, but we must remember to truly appreciate the moments in time. I was reminded of friendship.
36h 24w canvas 40h 28w framed
Dancing Pines
Stand by Me Series – Mixed media
Pine trees are what always captures me. These stylized trees are part of my “Stand by Me Series“ and I continue to elaborate on the possibilities of the simple beauty of bringing colour and nature together. I smile when I paint these trees as I listen to my music and feel the freedom that no tree is ever in pure stillness.
The lime greens complement the greens and magentas of rock and branches.
60h 24w canvas 64h 28w framed
Birches of Blue
Ontario – Oil on Canvas
So much of my inspiration comes from driving, either visiting my daughters or delivering paintings. I can’t seem to get enough of the beauty where home is, Ontario. This was a glimpse from the road near Kingston, capturing a touch of our Canadian Shield amongst a summer array of birch trees. Sometimes the time of day depicts the colours I see, the blues in the rocks just stood out to me against the crisp whites of the birch bark. It’s fresh and summerlike.
40h 40w canvas 44h 44w framed
Sunlight On the Point
Lake Rosseau, Muskokas – Oil on Canvas
This picture grabbed my eye because of the light. The photographer zoomed in on this point near their cottage on Lake Rosseau and captured the beauty in a moment of light. I love the blue moving waters and the mood delivered just with the given light on the rocks. It would be a perfect place to paddle to and sit and ponder. It’s a simple moment, a moment of beauty.
20h 20w canvas 24h 24w framed
Mixed Emotions
Stand By Me Series – Oil on Canvas
This painting represents the turmoil of emotions in all of us as our everyday normal lives have changed. The sense of freedom, security, and independence seems to be lifted from underneath us. A pandemic, a global pandemic, that has struck our very souls. But in all this, there’s a global unity that is reminding us we are all here sharing the same earth. The red pines are recklessly blowing In a whirlwind of emotions, the colour representing Canada and the beginning of social distancing as the trees part their ways.
Still standing strong however.
24h 24w canvas 28h 28w framed
Center Falls
Temagami, Ontario – Oil on Canvas
This painting was inspired from another memory from the nurses canoe trip up in Temagami. One of our stops was Center Falls, near the south channel of Lake Lady Evelyn. This was an epic day as we “backsided” slid down the falls wearing life jackets on our backside for padding, we sat under the falls, and then had a lovely charcuterie lunch on the rocks. It’s so wonderful to experience pure pristine waters in current times.
36h 36w canvas 40h 40w framed
Glorious Reflections On Lady Evelyn
Temagami, Ontario – Oil on Canvas
Glorious Reflections on Lady Evelyn // Temagami
This painting speaks of the absolute stillness on the lake Lady Evelyn Lake up in Temagami. We awoke from our campsite to this glorious reflection, the day was crisp and clean, knowing the first stroke of our paddles would break the stillness of the mirrored water. The landscape of pinks and greens was standing in the water. So pretty.
36h 36w canvas 40h 40w framed
Spring On Lady Evelyn
Temagami, Ontario – Oil on Canvas
This last spring was a challenging time for all of us as we adjusted to a new way of living. I noticed a pattern with my palette choices were happy and bright, joyful, colour choices of hope and renewal, pinks! Ironically enough, I painted this series just before March, before the dark news of the pandemic hit. I was happy to see that these joyful paintings of pinks could help bring happiness and smiles to others during this time
This painting in particular is another view from my little hospital cabin up at Camp Wanapitei, my daily view. I still hope one day to get much of the brush cleared to see more of the lake and feel the breezes.
24h 24w canvas 28h 28w framed
View of Percé Rock
Percé, Gaspé, Quebec – Oil on Canvas
My sweet little ‘sister’ and I do not see each other often. We are both nurses in ER. We try to grab a few days together once a year. She invited me down to the Gaspe last summer, New Carlisle to be exact, for five day. At the same time directly across the Bay du Chaleur where we were, is Bathurst New Brunswick whereby my other two sisters were vacationing. So close but yet so far. The rock formation along the Gaspe coast is stunning. The water is vast as it leads out into the ocean. Perce Rock is a viewpoint from a sweet little Quebec town called Perce. It’s a true form of my impressionistic style, yet still wanting the subject matter to be recognizable.
20h 40w canvas 24h 44w framed
Summers Eve
Oil on Canvas
This is a view down by the rocky shores on Lake Rosseau at my daughter’s friend’s cottage. The sunsets across lakesides of Ontario are one of the many pleasures of relaxation and simple moments of beauty enjoyed by many cottagers. This is one of the draws for people wanting to live on the waterfront. This was the very last moment of daylight, and the contrast of darkness and remaining light in the day was captured.
Photo Credit: E. French
22h 28w canvas 26h 32w framed
Windy Waters on Lake Rosseau
South End Lake Rosseau, Ontario – Oil on Canvas
Part of my Muskoka collection. I love the “abstract”feel of this painting. You can feel the wind in the waters at the south end of Lake Muskoka. The purples always bring balance in my view to my work and I always enjoy choosing the hue and where it will go on my canvas.
Photo Credit: E. French
20h 40w canvas 24h 44w framed
Cranberry Marsh on Huckleberry Trail
Lake Muskoka, Ontario – Oil on Canvas
This is a well known hike taken for cottagers living in the Muskokas, the viewpoint overseeing Lake Muskoka.
I have never been here, my daughter’s friend captured some photos for me and I was quite pleased when this painting was recognizable to people who live there. Viewers have said it has brought back many fond memories for them taking day hikes from years ago with their families. As an artist, this is what it’s all about, someone making a connection with your work.
24h 36w canvas 28h 40w framed
Blue Skies 2
Up the Hill Series – Oil on Canvas
I painted this one right after Blues Skies 1, I just loved the mood and ease of these paintings coming together, it once again reminded me that my successes with paintings have to come from within, the story behind it. I put in some red/magentas in the trees here living the contrast with the sky.
36h 18w canvas 40h 12w framed
Jumping Rocks
Temagami, Ontario – Oil on Canvas
This is a sweet memory of one of my nurse’s canoe trips in Temagami in September. One of our campsites had these rocks, well known to our Camp Wanapitei, for the kids canoeing here for an afternoon of rock jumping. The rock formations are so unique in shape and texture along the shores, the lake waters are warmed up by summers end, and a fun memory keeping us young at heart.
20h 20w canvas 24h 24w framed
The Road at Tree Planting
Dryden, Ontario – Oil on Canvas
This painting is from a photo my son took up in Dryden, Northern Ontario when tree planting. It was a simple photo, but I loved the story. This was his road every day for 3 months taking him to “The Block”, the block he would plant thousands of spruces. I love that these young people are nurturing our land, refurbishing our forests for future growth and their passion and drive to do so, in often challenging elements, is so pure. The Road is exactly that, the hint of new growth in the background and the drive to do so is this painting.
24h 36w canvas 28h 40w framed
Spring In The Air
Wakefield, Quebec – Oil on Canvas
This painting has an abstract feel to it, but I love the mood it brings as the thaw of winter brings new life to spring. I took this photo on a sunny day on my birthday visiting Wakefield and Chelsea in Quebec. I painted this in 2017, admired by many but still waiting to find it’s forever home. I like that it begins to show elements of my artistic style coming out with my loose strokes and play of colour.
24h 36w canvas 28h 40w framed