A Bridge to Beauty: Gushue Cove

 

I'm working in a blurb book about a trip to Stephenville, Newfoundland I had in the summer of 2010. This photo of the a bridge at "The Gravels" just beckons one to cross, don't you think? There is a mystery to it, but not a threatening one, certainly not in hospitable Newfoundland.

"The Gravels" is a  breathtaking walking trail about 15 minutes out of Stephenville, at Port au Port. Lots of tuckamore trees, wild roses, forest, stunning coves, huge fossils in the rocks and a well maintained path to boot.

Demolition by Neglect. Beautiful Stephenville WW2 Buildings in Limbo.

Stephenville, Newfoundland  was home to a United States Air Force Base in World War II.  This was an enormous base, and the last stop before Europe. Although many of the hangers are now gone, there are still many buildings from this period remaining. Barracks and other buildings that housed soldiers are now transformed into lovely apartments and private homes. Creative uses have been found for some of the hangers that exist, but some, like in the photo above, are vacant and in limbo, awaiting the next entrepreneurial endeavor. I imagine there are a few people in town who would like to see these vacant shells torn down. I hope they remain up. I would love to see  a creative use for these  beautiful giants with the dramatic auras.

I spent some time photographing the outside of some of these Stephenville WWII buildings. They compliment the photos I have been privileged to take of the interior of the Small Arms Inspection Building in Mississauga, Ontario. During the second world war, over 40,000 women came from across Canada to work in the Lee Enfield Rifle plant there. The Lake View Legacy Project is committed to revitalizing this building as a creative centre with artist studios, theatres, exhibition space, brown field studies & more. Although it, too, sat in  limbo, creativity , co-operation & collaboration has resulted in a promising & positive future for this WWII space in Mississauga.

Squamish, Olympic Spirit & a Running Squirrel

I was flipping through my iphoto on my MAC & listening to a CBC Radio One show about Squamish, British Columbia. Under the leadership of an inspired Squamish citizen,  a large team of hardworking volunteers showed their Olympic Spirit  - through  determination, teamwork, creativity, too - and successfully established Squamish  as a source of nordic expertise for the Olympics.

And there it was. A photo I had forgotten about. A  squirrel goes for the gold (seeds from a bird feeder) and runs upright through a well-worn track in the snow. Obviously he made many visits there. This focussed fellow isn't a Squamish squirrel but he certainly represents how perseverance clears the path to success!

And now for B.C.... is they could just get some of the snow in the photo....

Curious about  Squamish. Here's the link.

Warming up to Plein Air Painting

Minus 32 degrees celsius with the wind chill did not deter 8 members of the Ontario Plein Air Society (OPAS) from meeting at the heritage Scotsdale Farm, on the Maureen Smith trail area of the Bruce Trail in Ontario.

This was my first visit to the lovely American colonial style farm buildings, and my need to explore and photograph, took precedence over my need to paint. Long tree shadows crossing over white clapboard buildings, a stone silo dusted in snow, and weather vane topped cupolas made for inspiring photo taking.

As there was so much to see, it took me a while to settle down to draw with my Cray pas oil pastels. But by the time I did, the weather changed - everything going grey. Still beautiful, but we all became a little more conscious it was winter. Shadows disappeared, and snow  swirled off the roof tops, as in the little 8" x 8" oil pastel drawing on canvas I did, and am quite fond of, even though it was quickly produced, for the grand jaunte it represents.

By drawing on location, my feet buried in the snow,  in a farm pen that I had to climb over a fence to get to, for the view I wanted, I can still feel the crispness of the air, and replay the image of the snow swirling past the silo I was drawing. The paintings of Scotsdale Farm that will be created  in the comfort of my Williams Mill studio - these paintings, will certainly benefit from the plein air experience.

To see a video by Zan Barrage on this plein air day, with some great tips (e.g. how to use socks..) click here. For the OPAS blog with plein air painting info, click here.

Plein air painting at Riverwood with OPAS

Today I was to paint with the new group Ontario Plein Air Society, but rain got in the way. Instead we held a very constructive meeting in OPAS leader Zan's SUV, and roughed out goals for the next year. OPAS will be holding plein air painting sessions every Sunday until November and yours truly will help organize at least three of them, including the three day paint out to be held in conjunction with the international plein air paint out day! To find out more about and /or to join OPAS  (it's free!) visit   http://ontariopleinairsociety.blogspot.com/ Meanwhile here are a few hits of colour on what was a very gloomy day.

On the "Go" - Two new paintings, Mississauga landscape, Kincardine Lighthouse interior.

Last week was busy!  I finished this  20" x 20" oil painting of  a youth going down the lighthouse stairs at Kincardine, Bruce County, Ontario, Canada. The challenge to myself was to paint whites in shadow (expand my gray palette). I wrote a blog on this painting & mini  color mixing lesson. Click  here.

Above is a 9" x 12" oil painting of  a Go train emerging from the trees over the Credit River in Port Credit, Mississauga, Ontario. Young boaters from the nearby Mississauga Canoe Club stop to watch it go by - thus the title Stop and Go on the Credit River (Please note: This painting is now sold).

The Credit River in Port Credit is fabulous spot to spend an urban summer evening. Boaters, birds, coffee and ice cream - Lots of places to stroll, shop, sit & people watch.

The original painting isn't as dark as this photograph. Unfortunately it sold so quickly I never did take that quality RAW photograph. Artists out there ! Heed this lesson. A painting is NOT finished until you have taken that quality image for your records.

I often have the problem - when the painting is glossy and glazed - of getting a true representation of the painting. Either the gloss of the paint from my use of liquin (which speeds drying time) reacts like a varnish layer and reflects the light, even on an overcast day. OR even worse, the camera is too efficient and somehow photographs through the top glaze layers and The image photographs as if in an unfinished state!

My husband has decided this is his favourite of all my paintings. Hmmm. I am flattered, but considering I have done some fairly ambitious pieces over the past six years, I am bit "stopped" by such enthusiasm, but I will admit it was fun to have a "go" at a train.

(Last week I also did my first plein air painting . Here is that painting & blog - Click here) This painting will be auctioned off at the 2010 Art Gallery of Mississauga Annual Art Auction.

Grey Paint. Phenology. Where's the link?

Today I was going to talk about painting greys, that is until I did a look see at  The Riverwood Conservancy new web site- here. Formally the known Mississauga Garden Council, this non profit organization has chosen a new name more suitable to  their role as steward (and much more)of this amazing urban wilderness - that in their words, to which I fully concur-  is both "beautiful and wild".

There is much to explore in this 150 acre old growth forest that is the most ecologically diverse in the Credit Vally watershed. Do you know that the salmon, yes salmon, are working their way through the 6th largest city in Canada, right about - let me check my watch - now?

But what I really wanted to let you in on is the niftyRiverwood web feature, the Phenology Database . At this link one can search for the time and place of the sightings of specific animals and birds. I think this is a great tool for nature lovers, artists and photographers alike.

As well, one can return the favor and enter the location, time etc. of the wildlife seen. I think this would be a nice participatory thing thing for the kids to do, too.

You don't have to be an artist to enjoy a visit to Riverwood... but I strongly suggest you'll regret not bringing your camera.

So much  talk about Riverwood on such a sunny spring day. The greys can wait. Guess where I'm heading?

Riverwood, Mississauga crocus Copyright Christine Montague 2009

Valentine's Day Love for Chickadees at Riverwood Park

   I was over at Riverwood Park early this morning to take part in the Riverwood Conservacy  "Family Day" bird talk. I wanted to learn more about the birds I see in the park , and was hoping for some great photos too.

Photographing a chickadee that hops down for a moment to pluck a seed from your hand is not easy when one's fingers are numb from the cold and one's arms are aching from patiently standing still  - holding a camera to one's face with one hand and holding the other arm up and out lie a tree branch. But the wait was worth it ! The feeling of the little claws landing on the thumb then hoping to the palm are unique. One can't help but love these cheery little birds. And what a joy to reconnect with naturen on our very urban city.

Speaking of our city..In Mississauga , Valentine's day is also a cause for another celebration - Our Mayor Hazel McCallion,  the mayor of Canada's  sixth largest city, celebrates her birthday. The significance? Not only does Madame Mayor turn 88, but she always hosts a fundraiser for the arts on this day. A year ago today, it was my honour to have my portrait painting of the late, great Oscar Peterson, presented to the Mayor, and Kelly and Celine Peterson, at the Mayor's Valentine day's Tribute to Oscar Peterson "Feelings from the Heart". It was a wonderful moment in my carreer, as well as a wonderful show, produced by Mississauga's own Ron Duquette. The painting now hangs by the portrait of Mayor McCallion in the Living Arts Centre.

So enjoy your Valentines's Day, and for Ontarioians, your Family Day Weekend. Mine is certainly off to a good start!

P.S. A special thank you to all the wonderful, knowledgeable & friendly Riverwood Conservacy Volunteers. As well there is a terrific new free brochure out from the Riverwood Conservacy that identifies the Riverwood birds

Visual Artist Christine Montague Painting & Photography Fine Art Blog

Welcome to Camera and Canvas!  I paint realistic, representational oil paintings on canvas & am an avid nature photographer. 

I entered into the world of art years ago primarily out of the love of drawing. I drew all the time - from life and my imagination - and I was good at it.  But in 2002 after an invitation to help create the artist co-operative Beaux-Arts Brampton, I entered the art world full time with the ambition to be a painter - to finally have a real go at using oils. Until then, with no space of my own at home & conscientious of my children's  health, oil painting had never been an option for me.

After two years in a studio at Beaux-Arts Brampton, I moved into a larger studio in a beautifully rennovated old mill , the Williams Mill Visual Arts Centre in  Halton Hills. Inspired by the wonderful art buzz of the community and my beautiful art space in the countryside, my painting skills progressed to a new level. My very first painting there , The Magnificent Ascent of the Mighty Bear, a 3' x6' oils & oil stick painting took top prize at two juried art shows. And my photographs, initially taken as possible future reference for my paintings, began to take on a following of their own. Exhibited in my studio for interest, they began to sell, and one was used on the 2006 Halton Hills Tourist Guide cover. In 2008 I had two solo photography shows. "The Hidden Garden", a year long study of the Chappell House residential gardens in Riverwood Park was part of CONTACT 2008 Toronto Photography Show and the first photography show at Visual Arts Mississauga.

For almost 5 years I observed how important having ones own studio and what an important support being surrounded by a creative community is to this solitary business of visual art. But I also observed these artist communities work best for those in them. I lived in a completely different city to the communities above . And I wanted what those communities offered to be offered to not only me, but the other artists of my city - Mississauga. And thus AIM  - Artists in Mississauga - and the grassroots movement AIM4Studios were born.

So onto my journey. In 2009 I want to put away the habits I have developed over the past few years- ie. painting realistic paintings straight from photographs. I want to get back to my roots of drawing, incorporate that in my painting. I used to love graphic novels and wonder can I get that back?  can I retrigger my imagination? I also I want to tell more stories with my camera & bring my view of looking at nature more into the public eye.

And finally, I passionately want to make progress for AIM and find us a home to create.  

Wish me luck! And I invite you to comment on what you think of any new art I post and anything else art related.