A late fall boat trip in and around the Parry Sound district was the foundation of this new artwork.  Franklin Island resides just out from Snug Harbour (I love those names!) and while putting along it's varied and rugged shoreline, I spotted this weathered piece of the Canadian Shield receding into the deep dark cold waters of the bay.  By this time of the day, the light was low in the western sky and poked through the trees here and there, bathing everything in a warm late day glow!

While much of the painting I am doing these days has grown and grown is scale, I am attempting to balance that development with an increasing focus on smaller pieces.  Each of these smaller works is finished off with a custom hand made frame, created to enhance and accent these striking but affordable pieces of art!
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Colours of Spring  
26"x54" framed with vintage timber
for sale  (contact donk@rogers.com for details)

After a too long winter, spring finally arrived and with it, some bright, rich colours to light up the world!  after a time, I returned to this location and a more uniform palette had taken over. Well there is always the fall ahead!


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Cabin in the Green
27"x84"
​for sale  (contact donk@rogers.com for details)
currently on display at Van Allan Design Centre
150 First St Collingwood, On

Deep in the forest on the shore of a nameless little lake, sat this tiny rustic cabin.  I remember it as a silent serene place and hopefully the painting imparts its audience with the same feeling.
​While planning this painting, I was playing with the asymmetrical balance between the vast sea of green on the canvas and the relatively small spot of red and blue.  

One of a series of smaller works I am slowly building up; this painting 'Snow Tonight' is highlighted here to showcase the frame treatment utilized.  I try to customize each frame to suit the individual painting and in this case, the frame was constructed from slightly cleaned up barn board, which allows the saw cuts from long ago to create their own patterns and add another layer of interest to the artwork.  

​In response to the constant demand for pics of the our famous gallery greeter, Brownie or Bdog for short, here is a pic that I managed to squeeze into.  The owners of this painting wanted a pic with the art and artist and Brownie photobombed us, as usual!

Just delivered my painting 'The Conversation' to my clients new home in Collingwood, situated right on the water.  The muted colours seem a great fit with the colours of this beautiful home!

This large format piece (40"x60") was commissioned by a client that was interested by an earlier painting, Underfoot, that was sold over the winter.  The clients and myself went through my sizeable reference library of images showcasing the remarkable and unique landscape of Georgian Bay's eastern shore.  This composition offers the viewer an obvious 'walkway' into the painting, and then they are free to wander around on the expansive rock, surrounded by the translucent waters of Georgian Bay.  With a painting this large on your wall, it really does feel like you have a slice of Georgian Bay rock and water on your wall!

Happy to announce that my painting 'Contemplation' was awarded a Jurors' Choice Award at this years Annual Juried Show held by the Blue MountainFoundation for the Arts.  The BMFA has moved to new digs in the burgeoning 'Arts' district in Collingwood and the show is always a worth while visit.  Drop by and see it!

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Recently finished commissioned work.  This large painting 40"x60", is a scene that while familiar looking, doesn't really exist.  The clients had a list of features they wanted to see in their 'custom made' painting, and this is how it turned out.  I have to admit that painting flowers wasn't so bad and probably more wildflowers will show up in future gallery works.  


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Happy to report that this new painting has already found a home with a Killarney enthusiast who knows the very spot this piece showcases very well.  Scrambling over this ancient rock to the top rewards ones' efforts with a spectacular view in all directions!  I can confidently predict more Killarney paintings ahead for me! ​

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I am paticularily satisfied with a painting when I see the type of day it depicts on a regular basis.  At the tail end of this winter, it seems there have been countless days where the landscape was very much in keeping with those painted in this piece.  
​Coyotes are often heard, and their tracks are abundent where I walk, but they are rarily seen, so I decided to slip one into this work.  My plan was to keep it from dominating the view, and infact this one is about to pass beyond the frame of the painting.


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Composition in regards to painting involves colour, shapes and values (darks and lights) arranged in a pleasing fashion within the format of the canvas.  It is always my first priority the balance of the elements in this one just seem to work nicely, in my opinion!

'This piece is all about a careful combination of three major elements, namely; the car, the people, and the setting or scene, and how they fit and interact together.  The elegant ladies' look over her shoulder back toward the sleek, striking automobile offers lots of possibilites as to her thoughts.  I leave it open to interpretation by each viewer,  what is yours? 


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How long has this quiet scene sat undisturbed, weathering many seasons of sun, snow, wind and rain, gradually settling into the surroundings as to almost appear as conceived by nature itself.   Disturbing this stoic solitude are two ravens; maybe they are only here for the briefest of moments, or perhaps they drop by on a daily visit, like two old timers that meet  and converse in the park daily without fail?  


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The area I call home is dominated by the river that winds through it on its way to the southern coast of Georgian Bay.  I witness it  every day, throughout the four seasons, and marvel at the endless virtual 'paintings' I am presented with.  Can't image a time where the next dozen paintings I might consider not revealing themselves along this waterway.

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