At the top of my painter heros list would have to be Andrew Weyth, the late great 'rural realist' painter whos' riveting images struck a powerful chord with so many.  Besides his haunting and unconventionally beautiful images, I am also influenced in were he sourced his subject matter.  Everything he painted seemingly could be found within a walking distant from his two homes.  The variety and depth he was able to mine from this limited world is truly amazing, and inspirational.  

Just behind my home winds a little creek that twists and turns impossibly as it passes through our farm.  Every bend affords a new painting possibility, this one is viewed from a little foot bridge and is usually accompanied by the sound of the water running over the rocks under the bridge.
The frame was chosen to highlight the bit of colour found in the painting and is constructed from  reclaimed lumber,  measuring 51" by 33". This new work is currently  available for purchase at The Kilby Gallery .

Around here people wait anxiously for the cold and snow to come but during the time before its arrival there is a period of transition, marked by grey skies, rainy days and conditions that send most indoors in search of heat and comfort.  For me, that time also has become an exciting period to paint.  The sombre limited colour palette puts the focus on composition  with the  monochromatic quality lending a sense of what makes black and white images so intriguing.  Good rubber boots, warm toques, gloves and windproof jackets are all it takes to make venturing out during this time of transition in relative comfort, something myself and Brownie do every day, looking for the next striking image to appear.

This new piece was commissioned as a Christmas Gift from a husband to his wife who grew up in nearby Meaford and remembers that time very fondly.  Viewed from the nearby Niagara Escarpment, Meaford lies mostly hidden in a continuous forest of trees up to the winding shore of Georgian Bay.  It was decided that the painting would show the town in the height of falls brilliant and varied colour palette.  The unusual weather patterns that unfolded this year resulted in a spotty fall for colours but artists equipped with the power of the brush can help out where needed.  
A large painting, 62"x28", there was lots to see and include and I spent a lot of time studying some of the masterpieces found in my trusty Group of Seven art book, to see how the colours of fall can be portrayed.