Pidgeon on Barn Roof

Painted at Haliburton's driveway.

Spring Day Near Cape Blomidon

In the spring of 1961, palette-knife oil-painting was my favorite passtime. Trouble was, medical practise kept me so busy that there was little time to do it. Small 9in.X12in. panels done on the spot quickly but infrequently, was about the best I could manage. The 'Bluff Road' near Hantsport, close to my home in Windsor, was quick and easy to get to and provided a variety of challenging coastal scenery. It also laid the groundwork for future endeavors. Today, all around the world, artists are painting so called "pleinaire", after the French which simply means "painting in the open air". "Voila'!", a fancy new name for an age old practise of 'outdoor-painting-on-the-spot'. It's a fascinating and rewarding practise - regardless of what it's called.

Sunlight on Percy's House

Basic country homes in Nova Scotia often added a "dormer" to increase the upstairs bedroom capacity, as well as a "sun porch" and often a "summer kitchen" - which avoided over heating the rest of the house during the summer months. Percy Hebb's home in rural Hants County had all of these features. What was sorely missing, however, was electricity. Percy's mother and sister Elva lived in the home also and all welcomed the light of spring, summer and fall after the long dark days of winter. Mrs. Hebb regularly used the day light of the kitchen window to thread her needles as she made their clothing as well as quilts for the old homestead. As the family members grew older, the buildings began to deteriorate; first the barn and then gradually, the house.

One Man's Wharf, Isle Madame, Cape Breton, N.S.

Isle Madame is a French settlement on the east coast of Cape Breton Island. Very little equipment was required for a fisherman to make a living at "inshore fishing". Most did some "mixed farming" also in order to provide for their family and earn a little money for extras. This oil painting represents one man's wharf, fish store, boats, barrels and cutting table. His house and barn were just across the road from his work place, making for easy access. The shoreline on Isle Madame was dotted with similar wharves, indicating a common way of life.

Sunny Day at Iona Village, Cape Breton, N.S.

The "Malagawatch Church" and the "Centre Chimney House" were both moved by dedicated historians and craftsmen to the Highland Village Museum at Iona from other areas of the island. They are part of a magnificent retrospective reconstruction of Cape Breton history that have thrilled countless visitors to the site during summer months for decades. Attendants and volunteers in period costume present the story of Cape Breton's past, including its buildings, clothing, tools and manufacturing skills.

Morning Light at Aspotogan Peninsula, Nova Scotia

Aspotogan is one of several wonderful fishing communities on Nova Scotia's Lighthouse Route # 329, between Mahone Bay and St.Margaret's Bay. Beauty abounds all along that part of the east coast, making the area a dream-world for artists and tourists. Sail boats are ever present cruising amongst the many and interesting small off-shore islands - one for every day of the year, 365 in all, so the sailors say!

This oil painting was done with a very limited palette yet covers all the delightful colors with which Nature has blessed the area.