In November 2011 I will be returning to Antarctica and really look forward to visit South Georgia again. This special expedition will be taking the ashes of explorer  Frank Wild to South Georgia where he will be buried beside  his “boss” and loyal friend Sir Ernest Shackleton. Mr Wild was Shackleton’ right hand man and played a huge role in the 1914-1916 Imperial Trans-Antarctic  expedition  . As second  in command he was left in charge of 21 men on a desolate rock on Elephant island while Shackleton and crew of 5 made the epic  rescue mission to South Georgia in a lifeboat. From April 24th to August 30 (winter in antarctica) , Wild and men waited until rescued on a rock now called Point Wild. They all survived. Attached on this post is  some short video clips from a previous trip to Elephant Island  and a taste of the  incredible wildlife  and painting-photography opportunities at St. Andrews Bay on South Georgia Island.

Last week I was honoured to receive  the Curry’s , Da Vinci award, in recognition of the  painting   “Paradise Bay, Antarctica’ . For several years now I have painted on the great white continent and always find inspiration in its natural  beauty and endless abstractions of form. Witnessing climate change among the massive ice shelves, and glaciers, I contemplate this melting flow of water that effects us all. Watercolour is an ideal medium for attempting  to capture the light and flow of this journey  and i am grateful to share this painting at this Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour  open international juried exhibition in Toronto.

"Paradise Bay, Antarctica", 22 x 44 inches, watercolour

"Autumn in the Pacific Spirit Forest" 26in x46in. watercolour

The Pacific Spirit Regional Park, which adjoins my backyard in Vancouver, provides countless inspiration for new paintings.  In October, the Big Leaf Maples of this forest decorate the hemlock and sweet fir moss-draped understory.

Denali Sunrise

In early September, autumn is well on its way in Denali National Park, Alaska.  While hoping to capture a glimpse of Denali, North America’s highest mountain, i focused painting on site trying to capture the mountain light and weather played out on the multi-hued tundra. The following 3 minute video highlights the painting process.

The main base to work from was at the Wonder Lake Campground where one is dropped off by park bus as there are no cars permitted in the Park.  However, for a different view and excellent food, rest, and knowledgeable guides, we also stayed at the beautiful Camp Denali for 3 nights. More paintings can be viewed on my recent works page and many great landscape and wildlife photos from the trip can be viewed on Daisy’s blog .

"Denali #2" 12 in. x 22 in. watercolour

"Painting Mirror Lake"

"Denali, North Face", 15in x22in., watercolour

The time-lapse video above captures the painting process of this large studio watercolor. The painting is one of a few recent large commissions inspired by Lake Superior’s coastal trail in autumn. The complexity and technical challenges are exciting to take on and are sometimes over the top!

This 26 by 62 inch watercolour was painted on 140lb Arches cold press that comes on a roll of 44 inches by 10 yards.  Cutting off the roll allows custom sizes in which in the past I have done watercolours up to 72 by 176 inches.  Not cheap, but when framed with non-reflective UV90 museum glass the results can be wonderfully rare and transcendent.

"Coastal Trail, Lake Superior" 26in. x 62in. watercolour

Often large works have some sort of plan going, and being a studio piece photo reference is used. However I like to leave room for  the image to evolve and use memory and imagination, thus I do not pre draw to much. When it comes to rocks, each one is a portrait interrelated to another by wear and reflection if wet, so they have to be well seen to be believable. I love the natural spirals and inner rhythms of a boulder beach. Even though it is a representational painting I basically just paint a dance of light and dark coloured shapes that grow and interlock with each other that hopefully create a hierarchy of entertaining focal points that sing a reverent song of place throughout the illusion of space.

"Gichigami" 30in. x 60in. watercolour

The video above shares highlights from a wonderful painting trip to Antarctica in December 2010. Many of the paintings from the trip are now posted on my recent works gallery. Many thanks to Daisy for some great video shots!

Sometimes a question is asked at my presentations, why do you paint on location? Why not just take a picture? The act of painting and observing on location for me is a meditation, a way of connecting with the moment and being fully present and aware of “place”. Taking in the coloured shapes and inhale them through the body, feel it in the heart and transfer them through the hand, brush and paper. Often good painting is accumulations of this state of attention, a collage of many of the experiences that have happened. Through out a session I am also inspired to take photos and I find that by being still and in one spot often provide great opportunities for close wildlife encounters. I love to watch the tides and currents at play with the ice floes, creating endless compositional dances lit with unearthly Antarctic light. It is here the camera is really handy at capturing those incredible never to be repeated moments.  Thanks again to One Ocean Expeditions for taking us there and we really look forward to do it again later this year!

Painting from the lookout above Neko Harbour.

"Lemaire Channel Sunset" 7in x15in watercolour

David McEown with cspwc flag, at the Auster emperor penguin rookery , Antarctica

I am currently in Toronto preparing and warming up my brushes for upcoming Antarctica trips.  It is the time of year to look back and pay homage to many who have inspired and opened paths for a creative life.  Just a few days ago we heard of the passing of the great teacher, artist and friend, Doris McCarthy at the age of 100 years old. She was one of few living links to a time when Canadian art was defining itself. The first time I met her,  I was a starving artist having a solo show in some obscure medical building with many flights of stairs that she just flew up (in her eighties) eager to stay in tune with what was new , she was just so encouraging of my crazy over sized watercolours yet being so humble about her own art. Over the years I would see her at several Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour events. She was the CSPWC’s president twice decades ago and was a champion of the medium, one that she used to paint on site to the far reaches of the planet. Last time I saw her, was during an invite for dinner and wine at her home a few years ago. We sat on her couch surrounded by a treasure of artwork and a nice fire in the fireplace. We looked at a recent slide show I had from Antarctica on the laptop, and joked about those smelly penguins. The images just took us back to the place of huge icebergs and fantastic abstractions evoked by the pack ice. She also noticed a few “bad” paintings and let me know when my colour was a bit garish! I could get a sense of sadness that she still longed to go back but the body was not willing. Many will miss her.

Doris McCarthy and David McEown at cspwc AGM Lunch , 2003

On November 11 the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour celebrated its birthday in the Historic Arts and Letters Club. Eighty five years ago to that date several prominent artists including members of the group of seven came together in this building and proposed the idea of a society celebrating the watercolour medium. Some of Canada’s best artists were a member at one time or another and now the C.S.P.W.C   has grown as a truly national society, not a small feat in a country the size of Canada. I am not a club guy,  but what I like is that I have driven from Newfoundland to the Yukon and have met and visited artists studios and there is always a common humbleness created by that ever challenging medium, maybe also a shared interest in transparency and “light from within”.  A few years ago, the now current president Peter Marsh and I were talking about my crazy upcoming painting trips , and that it would be fun to make a flag  and take it to the North Pole. Now it’s been with several artists and several places around the globe. Lots of  fun!

David McEown with CSPWC flag at the North Pole via the Russian Nuclear Icebreaker, Yamal, 2007

Painting can be a journey to the ends of the earth or deep within ones consciousness. That is true with one of my teachers John Inglis who was chairman of fine arts at the Ontario College of Art and Design and continues to produce wonderful work. It was a delight to receive a copy of his new book this month, “In Quest for Countenance, a search for meaning in a world in transition”. I love his visionary watercolours that illustrate a transpersonal quest for meaning in a world of radical change. A wonderful weave of inner, outer, and body, mind and spirit. Thanks for the inspiration John!

"Boreal Memory", 22in. x 30in. watercolour by David McEown

Speaking of weaving, today I honour my mother who passed away 2 years ago today after a difficult illness at a all to young age of 62. Priscilla was an adventurer, traveler and super talented artist who loved to work in fabric. As a professional dietician she worked hard at her quilts after work and continued to find liberation in them during illness. I have so many fine pieces of hers and hope arrange a show someday. I am always open to suggestions on how to best honour that body of work. Her mantra was to do things while you can and never pass up a chance to go for a hike in the woods or in the mountains.

“The works of humanity cannot compare to the works of nature.  As a self-taught quilt artist, one of my goals has been to pay homage to the natural environment in which we dwell.  As I walk the forest trails or contemplate the reflections in a mountain stream there is a powerful sense of being connected to something greater than ourselves.  I hope to instill in each piece of work my own emotional reactions, my sense of awe and wonderment, of excitement or peacefulness and, not least, of unity with this habitat.  I remain open to new ways of seeing and expressing and have recently experimented with a degree of abstraction in some of my landscape work. Priscilla”

"Summer Flow", 36in. x 22in. quilt by Priscilla McEown

I worked on several small paintings and drawing on site while filming. Afterwards a larger sustained watercolour is attempted and captured in time-lapse  for viewing in the following 2 minute video clip.

For location and further information on the Adams River see the parks website Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park. Also a fine blog post from this event, Salmon Connections by Ivan Doumenc with photos by Isabelle Groc.

PACIFIC SALMON

RIVER-BORN FUGITIVES, RED MUSCLED UNDER SHEATHING SILVER,
ALIVE WITH LIGHTS OF OCEAN’S CHANGING COLOURS.
THE RANGE OF DEEPS AND DISTANCES THROUGH WILD SALT YEARS
HAS GATHERED THE SEA’S PLENTY INTO YOUR PERFECTION.
FULLNESS IS THE LONG RETURN FROM DARK DEPTHS
RENDERING TOLL OF ITSELF TO THE SEARCHING NETS
SURGING ON TO STRIFE ON BRILLIANT GRAVEL SHALLOWS
THAT OPENED LONG AGO BEHIND THE FAILING ICE.
IN VIOLENCE OVER THE GRAVEL, UNDER THE BURN OF FALL,
FULLNESS SPENDS ITSELF, THRUSTING FORTH NEW LIFE
TO NURSE IN THE STREAM’S FLOW THE OLD LIFE.
USED UTTERLY, YIELDS ITSELF AMONG THE RIVER ROCKS OF HOME.

RODERICK HAIG-BROWN

"Return of the Sockeye" 22 in. x 30 in, watercolour by David McEown

When painting on location and a grizzly bear is hanging around I will “calmly” pack up , pay respect, and leave these incredible creatures alone. It is not recommended to approach bears in wilderness. However in Katmai National Park Alaska, one can   sometimes observe brown bears in their natural habitat if done responsibly. Camping in a tent amongst the grizzly bears was sleepless at first, even if  our site was in a  park designated space away from the bears main fishing spot and the tent was “protected” by a  thin  electric wire. Traveling with a small group of photographers and an experienced guide, we observed these giants , feed , sleep, nurse and go about surviving. Most of these bears are used to the odd fly in day trip visitors and have little fear, discomfort or even interest in us. They come to fish for salmon in the tidal streams  and dig for clams  on the beach.  Wilderness experience is recommended as well as checking with the park about proper equipment and  bear observation habits.

I sketch, video and take pictures for painting reference. Painting is a challenge on site as it may be required to move position due to bear behavior and the incoming tides. A small pocket sketch book was most useful, as a few painting were done back at the camp site from a few shapes hopefully well seen. One thing that I hope to express in the paintings is the interconnectedness of the bears to the landscape. Their shapes and colour echo the mountain peaks, and the mountain range itself resembles the back of the lone salmon stranded and exposed in shallow water ready to surrender to the bear that will   selectively feast and leave parts scattered for many other creatures to feed and trees to grow.

Outgoing Tide, Hallo Bay, 15in. x 22in. watercolour

Mother and Cub, Katmai National Park

Hallo Bay Camp, Katmai, Alaska

" More Beach Patrol"

"Awaiting Salmon at Hallo Bay." 12in. x 22in. watercolour