I have been on an Adventure

ANCIENT PATHWAYS, WATERCOLOR, AUG 2009

Two canadian coasts liked by water.


Hi all. Well, I went on an adventure!!!! I left town for four days, and went in to the woods. ALONE!!

I left town on a Friday and hitchhiked to a lake north of Bon Echo p.p. got dropped off on the side of h.41 and hiked two miles or so into the lake. arived about 4 pm. set up camp. I have not camped for about 10 years. but routine came back ok. good dinner cooked over camp fire
It was great. Just me and the Loons. did not see any one the whole time, except an ATV er who roared through sat am ( who got an eye full as i was up to my knees in the lake a la natural ).

the weather was great sat, spent day resting and painting. lots of views from site which was about 1/3 way up the lenght of the lake. started to cloud up about 7 pm. so no stars, or light show.
Friday night the stars were incredible, lots of shooting stars. So bright.

just sat on the rock and listened to the quiet.... and the loons, have not heard them for too long.
the sun seting slowly..... got very buggy though.... so went to bed early.

At some point sunday am long before the sun arose there came the crash of thunder so loud.
And with it rain heavy hard rain. But the tent stood and only a little leak at the zipper.

rained into the late am so just lay ed there listening to it comming down and the loons calling.
finaly hunger drove me out. fire wood was all wet. it was under the tarp but still got wet.
fired up stove and made some Maxwell instant coffee ( we must suffer for our art). I have been since informed that the Starbucks VIA is the way to go Italian roast of course.

spent sunday in and out of tent. in lat afternoon cleared up so hiked to south end of lake where there is a group of bogs and swamps. with my sketch book and got some great scenes which will become paintings through the winter.

Started to rain again an the way back, so it was bread, nutala and chesse for dinner. finaly cleared upd and was able to watche the sun go down and have a great swim.

alas monday came and it was time to go home.

some thanks are in order to the 4 guys who provide rides, hank from Tweed, and jim from north brook who drove me all the way to the drop off point friday and to Paul who in one ride, Monday droped me back in Belleville. and Marvin who drove me to tweed to get me started friday.

some logistical notes.

need to invest in a portable water filter system ... boiling water as an ongoing job

better meal planning ... sort of through food together out of what was in house, and meat in small cans with zip top lids..... pc low sodium canded chunks of ham, is tolerable with lots of onion and garlic ..sort of! overall not well planed but I ate, was just a bit heavy.

and painting kit needs a re vamping, the laptop case works for local stuff on the bike, and in a canoe but for backpacking not so good( im sure i made an intersting picture on the trail big back pack and a laptop case) LOL.. was a bit lobsided.


Well hope all are well.... Norman K.

Painting while on the move

I was asked what i take with me for a painting trip.

I have a laptop case which holds a basic kit. in the main compartment I have pad of water color paper 140 lb

and a hard cover sketch book. small 8 inch white plastic plate for mixing color. the internal side pockets hold brushes, 2 round and 2 flat. and case of paints.

I picked up a kids paint set and poped out the solid paint disks and squized in some good paint and let it dry. I supplement this with a few tubes of paint. Other side pocket holds pencils and and basic utility knife for sharpening. as well a few colored pencils.

laptop case has out side pockets and i always find somthing extra to suff in.

Lee, realy enjoyed the trip reports from your trip home, great photos..... may work them into some paintings.

OTHER INFO

The title of the Painting Below is Face in the Style of Picasso fall 2008 in Watercolor.

still figuring out how all this works....

other events in life....

A fond and sad fairwell to my home away frome home..... The Organic Underground cafe here in town was forced to close at the end of June.....

Why ....... it was the type of place where any one was welcome there was always a pot of home made soup and some one to talk to ..... what ever you need was... a place that tryed to make the world and our community a better and kinder place..... it offered community and at times sactuary to those in need, a place for teenagers to not be judged and new artists to hang out and hang there art with no comishions to the house...

it was a place of ideas ..empowerd change and positive growth and while the doors have closed
It will be remembered with grace and dignity. Thank You to Kathrine for three wonderfull years

Second Item

Toronto was host to the G20 in June.....

While i fully suport Canadas role in the world and our peace keeping activities....

what went on in toronto as truly sad..

first let me say I do not in anyway suport violent and destructive protests. the individuals re sponsable for violence and property damage should be held responsable for there actions.

However,

I have several friends who were peacefully protesting, who were in the crowed that was enmass
arrested saturday night. they were held with out due process, in over crowed conditions in damp
over air conditioned cells....for 24 hours with out being charged. as a result one of my friends spent 3 days in the hospital with phnemonia, the following week.

Canada is a democratic country.... Under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms we as citizens have the right to voice our points of view, peacefully. with out fear of reprisal.....

this was not the case in toronto....... I am a Proud Canadian but I was ashamed of our police and elected officals over the way the "security" for this event was handled.

Hello It has been awhile.

Hi all .... well I know its been two months since I posted last,, time just flys.....

Life has been good the last while. I was down with increadably bad chest cold from mid may till mid june just did not want to go away.

well to the art world.... I did not get in to the jurried show at the library....

But did get a number of encouraging crits from judges and others so am encouraged... it was a very good show and the piece i did get finished will be submitted to the fall show along with

face in the style of picasso fall 2009 watercolor

another piece that is about 60% finished...currently working on a study of a tree

in our backyard..... not so much the tree but the spaces created in the overlapping of the branches this is under layed with a vertical grid which is defined where two colors meet to make a differeing color ie a line of yellow beside one of red where thy combine orange..... woring on a 16 X20 peice of water color paper in oil for the study ... finished work will be on canvis in oil

about 30 X40 inches....

Well I am on holidays now and am going up to bark lake. near Madawaska, to do some hiking and painting this comming week for 6 days. Im going to base camp and just do day trips all a group of seven style. going thursday.