Autumn Paintings

Clayton's Store no longer exists as Clayton's, but I remember. when it was in full operation. It had a wonderful butcher shop and a great selection of heavy wool mitts. hats and boots. Today it is an Interior decorating store called "Clark"s on Main.", open seasonally. There is no access to the lakeside of the building, but I often find those out-of-the-way places the most interesting to paint. The mood of something abandoned or neglected is a painter's paradise. I was also drawn to the simplicity of the composition of the scene. All of the paintings come with a solid maple floater frame, custom-made in Dorset.

The channel runs right through the centre of our village, dividing the town into north and south sides. On the south side of the bridge is a marina where you can rent boats and buy a ticket for a ride on the S.S. Bigwin.

I have painted the old buildings by the Dorset Channel for years. There is something compelling and inspiring about the simple, functional architecture of 100 years ago. In this painitng, I love the beautiful, slightly olive coloured, reflections in the water.

The S.S. Bigwin is docked at the Dorset Narrows. From there, the newly refurbished steamboat (now electric), takes tourists on a. tour of Lake of Bays. It is a feature tourist attraction in our village. I have painted the boat many times, but I have never gone on a boat ride in it. Hopefully this summer.

One of the most stunning hikes in Lake Superior Provincial Park is up the Sand River. It leads you to one spectacular waterfall after another. If you ever get to that part of Ontario, you must hike the Sand River.

This is a rather unusual view. I have painted the iconic Dorset hump bridge many times from just about every angle, except this one. It was a very bleak, grey day and I thought it was perfect for painting the undergirding of a grey, iron bridge. All paintings come framed in a solid maple floater frame, handcrafted in Dorset.

My canoe is very old and very heavy. I can barely lift it into the lake. However, it fits me and my small lake perfectly, it glides gracefully and silently through the water and responds instantly to the commands of my paddle. I love it. I first aw it on a back road on my way to Huntsville, one rainy day. The canoe was half in the ditch, with a "For Sale" sign on it. I sped by, but thought about it all day. I made a point to drive home the back way again, just to have another look. It was gone! I went to the nearest house and knocked on the barn door. The man said, " It's still here. I just pulled it out of the rain." Now, I am not an expert on choosing the right canoe, but I can recognize a thing of great beauty and character. My thought was, "Just think of the beautiful paintings I can make with this canoe - not only the canoe itself, but the places it can take me to." The seller was a canoe builder and he told me that this canoe was the oldest canoe that had ever crossed his threshold. He and his friend had restored it. I bought it.

I had a commission to paint Livingstone Lake rock cliff. My client wanted a big canvas. I made this smaller version to practice, before I tackled the biggie. He is now buying both!

Livingstone Lake is on the edge of Algonquin Park, but not in the park limits. It is where I have a small, off-grid cabin that faces this majestic rock face.

The Bigwin is a historic boat that used to ferry vacationers to the famous Bigwin Island on Lake of Bays where live bands, dancing, swimming, fine dining and lodging entertained guests. This boat ferried many famous musicians, actors and politicians to the island in the first half and mid part of the 1900"s. That era is now gone. In the 90's, the boat was resurrected from its watery resting groungs and restored. Today, the Bigwin carries tourists all around beautiful Lake of Bays. It docks in my village - Dorset. An original painting of the HHS Bigwin is a popular purchase! This painting is framed in a solid maple floater frame.