Painting, Traveling and Portraiture; July 8th, 2010

It is the time of year to travel to new places and enjoy the outdoors. Two weeks of cycling on the rocky north-west coast of Ireland and camping on the shores of Georgian Bay north of Parry Sound has kept me away from working on Jean’s portrait. As soon as Jean returns from her holiday, I will continue and complete her painting.

In Ireland, I took many photos of the rugged coast, the deep fijords, the quaint fishing harbours and the sheep covered hills and mountains. I am hoping these photos will give me enough information to paint a few pictures of Ireland.

Painting ‘Au Plein Air’ on the rocky shores of Georgian Bay always has its challenges. The hot and bright sun on the canvas (even toned) and the wind makes sitting on the rocks for 5-6 hours an endurance test. However afterwards, back at the campsite, I had a cold drink, studied the painting more objectively and decided that it had turned out pretty well.