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.

Morning Departure from LaHave River

Nova Scotia fishermen work in good weather and bad, but it's always best heading out on a bright clear day like this one. The water on the LaHave River is just a little choppy but it's unlikely that it will be worse on the open ocean with a clear sky like the one above. Already the seagulls are circling in hopes of the fishermen throwing the results of 'fish-cleaning' overboard for their breakfast. This Cape Island Boat was registered at Lunenburg, one of the world's most renowned ports for fishing as well as schooner racing. The well-known Schooner Bluenose, skippered by Captain Angus Walters was world-renowned as a 'banks' fishing schooner as well as an international racing champion in the 1920s. That was long before the Cape Island boat was first built at Cape Sable Island by Ephram Atkinson who designed it to resemble the sleek and efficient floating body of the seagull. Two or three men can do all of the necessary work on the high powered and speedy Cape Islander and return home the same evening. By contrast, the large sail-powered schooners required a crew of many and worked on the Georges Bank or the Grand Bank for weeks at a time.

Spring Sunshine at Clifton Estate

The Haliburton Memorial Museum at Windsor honors the town's most significant citizen of all time. "Clifton Estate" was created by Haliburton and his young bride, following their marriage in 1815. Louisa named it for her home in England. The house contains the library where Thomas Chandler Haliburton wrote the first History of Nova Scotia in 1829, and later, the stories that captured for him the titles of Father of Canadian Literature and Father of American Humor. His interest in agriculture led him to plant a wide variety of plants and trees from all over the world. A walk over the grounds conjures up visions of life back then, with walking paths as well as horse and wagon trails amongst apple orchards and beautiful huge old trees. This palette-knife oil painting was done "on the spot" on the south slope adjacent to the present museum.

Sunshine on Shingle-covered Barn Roof

The tall door in the pitch of the roof was used for many years to load hay into Harold's wood-shingle-covered barn. Lightening rods were an essential protective devise, for the barn held both the cattle and the winter's hay. The barn was totally functonal to all farmers who probably never stopped working long enough to notice the absolute beauty that was foremost in my mind whenever I viewed one - especially in strong sunlight. Pigeons frequently sunned themselves on the top of the roof safely away from the barnyard cats. They also had their secret passages that allowed them to enter the hay mow where they built nests high on the rafters of the roof. And why not? Hay makes the softest nest and there was always plenty at hand! Harold made sure of that each and every summer.

Clearing Mist on the LaHave River

Even on an otherwise bright day, fog often obscures the shoreline as Nova Scotia fishermen head out for a day's work. The LaHave River was the scene of these men readying their gear at the stern, or, "back aft", as the say! The canvas "steadying sail" is not used for sail power. It will serve to keep their motorized "Cape Island Boat" headed into the wind when they are "at anchor", while picking up "lobster pots". Just like small children and animals, water won't stay still long enough to be captured in paint by an artist on the spot. For that reason, when faced with a great photo opportunity like this one, we take lots of photos that can provide wonderful material for exciting compositions to be painted in the comfort of the studio later on.

Croft Overlooking Glen Coe, Scotland

The colorful and often heavy skies over Scotland's wonderful hills seem to almost 'fall' onto the landscape, partly blocking things from view. In my estimation, such 'atmosphere' in the artistic sense is easier to capture with watercolor than oil, probably because in reality it consists of particles of water suspended in air between the viewer and the scene. While it is entirely possible to achieve in oil paint, water just seems to me to be the more logical medium.

Rising Mallard From a Farm Pond

Mallards are known as "common" wild ducks. Still, they are as beautiful as any. Their distinctive markings set them apart from all others, especially the 'curly feather' between the dark back and light tail. I'm also assured that the Mallard is the only duck that sports such a curly feather. And who could miss that iridescent green head and white ring around the neck. Bird lovers tell me that the less colorful female identifies the male by the beautiful elongated marine blue patches on the wings adjacent to the body. They are beautiful in a flock but when you can focus your complete attention on a single male rising from a farm pond or 'slough' you get to appreciate the totality of its magnificent features. The cattle fence by this pond reminds me that it was painted at one of my favorite trekking grounds, the King's Meadow Marsh at Windsor, Nova Scotia.

Hot Oysters on the Half-Shell

I just thought that I should show you a photo of opened oysters on a plate as they appear after being opened and cooked in a micro wave oven. In the glass is Canadian Rye Whiskey - not that the oysters need anything to help them slide down! That's just a little added pleasure for the occasion. It might be a good subject for a still life painting BUT, the oysters never seem to stay around long enough to be painted! There are only three of the four left here, and the others soon followed the first one down the hatch.

South Cove Oysterman

Jim Crawford has the 'Dept. of Fisheries Oyster Lease' for the cove where our home is situate on Cape Breton's Loch Bras d'Or. He 'rakes' oysters from the bottom and sorts them on a counter affair laid across the boat. In some coves, he dives for them, using snorkeling equipment. In this painting, he is close to our shoreline. We've become friends over the years and he sometimes steps ashore and walks up the field with a bucketful of oysters for Lauren and me. He taught us how to open them properly with an 'oyster knife' and enjoy them on the 'half-shell'. Here's a recipe I discovered for easy opening. Scrub oysters clean in the sink, then place four oysters on a dinner plate with a small amount of water and cook in the microwave oven for one and a half minutes. The shells open automatically and the oysters are hot! Repeat as necessary! Toast is used to pick up the juice on the plate that you don't sip from the shells! MMMMM! Jim has provided me with lots of oysters, stories and subject matter for paintings.

Creek at King's Meadow Marsh

This has long been a favorite walking place for me and my dogs. They love scooting ahead of me along the embankments looking for and finding ducks and muskrats. The farms at the edges of the marsh make for great compositions. There is a ski hill on one of those mountains to the left and large corn fields in between where Canada Geese flock to feed on the left overs after the corn harvest. The whole scene is just as beautiful in winter as in other seasons and the dogs and I love it just as much at all times. The fence is meant to keep the cattle away from the creek but it doesn't always work!

Castle Frederick, Falmouth, Hants County, N.S.

Joseph Frederick Wallet DesBarres (1721-1824) charted the coasts of Nova Scotia and produced the DesBarres Charts, the famous "Atlantic Neptune". His home at Falmouth, near Windsor, N.S. was a 500 acre farm called "Castle Frederick". There he recorded the charts in winter months based on his findings of the coastal waters in summer. Prior to the Deportation of the Acadians from the Windsor/Falmouth area in 1755, the farmland where he built his home had belonged to an Acadian family named Landry. In 1784, DesBarres became the first Governor of Cape Breton. He changed the name of Spanish Bay to Sydney, in honor of Lord Sydney who appointed him governor, and made it the capital of Cape Breton. The fascinating love story of JFW DesBarres and his "beloved friend" Mary Cannon, known locally as "Polly" is well known to Falmouth/Windsor locals. Popular Nova Scotia Historian, Peter Landry aka "Bluepete" tells the story on his web site. The Landry Farm, or Castle Frederick, is owned and operated today by Jim and Frances Bremner, relatives of mine, making it a favorite place to visit. This painting was done from the Falmouth country road, by the farm pond, looking across the property toward the Chester Hills of Nova Scotia's South Shore.

Falmouth Farm Field in July - En Plein Air

Falmouth is a lovely farm village just across a bridge over the Avon River from my home town of Windsor, Nova Scotia. It was ever a quick escape for me as a busy doctor to have a chance to do what is called today a 'plein air' painting. That French art term means in the 'open air' and refers to a painting done outdoors in daylight - on the spot, as it were, rather than in a studio from a photo. As a busy family physician and with no 'art studio' available, for years I was forced to paint 'on the spot' - long before the fancy term was invented! Today it sounds like 'magic' when we hear that a particular small painting was done by a certain artist, 'En Plein Air'. I still love doing it - whenever the Canadian weather permits it! But, when days are not conducive to going out in the wild winter weather and facing the impossible problems that weather often creates for us Canadian paintaholics, I just dip into the photo filing cabinet and take my pick of any subject that interests me, and get busy with creating another painting. I've been there, on the spot, studied the landscape, taken plenty of photos, and done enough paintings that way, that I don't have to prove to anybody that this painting or that was done 'en plein air'! This one just happens to have been done that way, on a piece of quality painting cardboard. I remember well, the day, the field and the beautiful experience. I hope the painting expresses all of that.

One Man's Possessions

Terrance Bay is a remote rocky edged cove tucked away on Nova Scotia's South Shore. The fishermen there have had hard times over the years because of the remoteness, absence of trees for lumber and poor ground for growing vegetables. Man cannot live by fish alone! I found the scenic beauty of the area was enhanced by the man made structures, Boats, Pole Wharves, Fish Stores and the Fishermen's family homes, all of which helped in designing compositions for painting. Others seemed to agree because paintings of such areas always seemed to sell well. People seem attracted to paintings with water and reflections.

Barn Door Latch

The textures of weathered wood seem to be complimented by a little rust on an attached piece of metal. Rough textured watercolor paper seems to be the ideal surface to use when attempting to capture this subject. Will there always be such "objets d'art" for artists to study, or are they quickly disappearing from the changing modern world?