Fog On Gabriola Island

The Subject:

The action of the wind creates these fabulous sandstone shapes on many of the beaches on Gabriola Island. In the foreground, you will notice my watercolour painting on the easel.

The Painting:

I used M. Graham watercolours on a 24 X 18" block of 140 lb. rag paper. (SOLD)

Porlier Pass

Sailors in and around the northern Gulf Islands in BC are well familiar with the fast tides in narrow passages between the Islands. Porlier Pass depicted here is one of the main narrow lanes through which ships and pleasure boats pass when the tide is still. This view of Porlier was painted on an early fall morning with the mist just burning off the water as the sun is rising. Painted in watercolours on 9 X 12" 300 lb paper in about an hour.

Gabriola Farmhouse

As part of the Federation of Canadian Artists' Gabriola Island Plein Air Workshops, I was privileged to have access to this tumbledown colourful farmhouse for a morning. I love the rich rusted colours and crumbling shapes of this relic of a former life. It was painted with watercolours on 140 lb paper

24 X 18", in about 2 hours (with a few minutes of studio touch up).

Entrance Island from Gabriola

Sitting on the rocky shore at Berry Point on Gabriola Island, this gentle view of the Lighthouse at Entrance Island cried out to be painted. Using watercolours on a 24 X 18" block of 140 lb. Papier d'Arches, this was captured in about 2 hours.

Behind the Point, Tenedos Bay

With luck, we managed to anchor at Tenedos Bay in Desolation Sound Marine Park, BC tucked neatly behind this lovely little point. There was just enough room, if we tied a line from the stern to the shore as well as an anchor out front. This 15 X 11" watercolour was painted looking out from the cockpit in the stern.

Tenedos Bay wall

At anchor in Tenedos Bay in Desolation Sound Marine Park, BC we looked back at this impressive wall of stone and clinging arbutus trees. This little watercolor sketch attempts to capture the grandeur of it all. (SOLD)

Quadra DEMO Floral

Setting up in the side garden at Firesign B&B on Quadra Island, these stunning deep rose pink Cosmos caught my eye so I made them the focal point for this demonstration for the workshop group. Using lots of colour, lots of water and wet-into-wet techniques turned this into a bright, fresh watercolour on paper. (SOLD)

Quadra DEMO Beside the Strait

Painted on location on beautiful Quadra Island as a demonstration for a Firesign workshop, this little study looks along a stretch of beach on the North side of the Island, facing the Strait of Georgia. Watercolours on 300 lb paper were used to emphasize strong colour used in the first layers.

Quadra DEMO Rebecca Spit

Painted on location as a demonstration for Firesign workshops, this iconic scene at "the Spit" on Quadra Island tries to capture the sense of space one feels alongside the Strait of Georgia. Using thin glazes of heavy body acrylic on paper, the idea here was to imitate the look of a watercolour painting. After about 1 1/2 hours, it got cool and windy and we had to retreat.