'Rising Wind - Holland Point'

Though I may seem to whine a bit about bad weather

the neat thing about cloudy wet weather is getting set

up as the winds rise and the clearing begins.

I was lucky enough to get out one afternoon a

couple of weeks ago for just that sort of event.

The clouds and sparkle on the water seems so much

brighter and lively. Little things that make plein air

so very interesting and challenging.

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Oil on wood panel 6 x 8.

Your thoughts & comments always welcomed.

Jeffrey

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'Spring Sky - Little Trial Island'

I painted with a buddy of mine on the shore of McNeill

Bay last weekend. To say that the sky on that

beautiful warm day was spectacular would be an

understatement in the extreme.

I have included a series of photos that I hope will give

you some idea of the incredible aerial extravaganza we

witnessed as we painted. I must say that I sensed at the

outset that I would need to get my sky roughed-in quickly

and then develop it further as things were going to

change and man did they. I often had the feeling that I just may

have started my painting to soon...

=:-/

The double humped island to the right of the painting middle

is known locally as Little Trial Island because of its

remarkable profile similarity to its much bigger brother

Trial Island, that is home to the historic light station.

The main Trial Island is now an ecological reserve that

harbours several plant species that are no longer found

in other areas around the south Island.

These photos are set up from when I first started

till when we were finishing up...I did hold

back on many more!

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Oil on wood panel 12 x 16.

Your thoughts & comments always appreciated.

Jeffrey

'Juan de Fuca Light'

I was fortunate to be set up ready to go when the light

broke through the dispersing clouds. Transferring the

blinding brilliance of that fast changing light as the patterns

moved across the water I found to

be quite a challenge. However in this instance the

surface of the sea was dark with shimmering light that

allowed for an interesting contrast.

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Oil on wood panel 9 x 12.

Your thoughts & comments are valued.

Jeffrey

'March Afternoon - Holland Point'

Another plein air from Victoria's waterfront. This time

I faced west toward Albert Head while standing

above the beach at Holland Point. That is the

green marker at Brotchie Ledge in the middle left.

Our weather is very unpredictable these days and it is a real

gamble as to what conditions you will get from one hour

to the next. We got lucky close to noon on

Friday for this excursion.

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Oil on wood panel 11 x 14.

Your thoughts & comments are very much appreciated.

Jeffrey

'Evening Sky - McNeill Bay'

The waters surrounding these islands and islets have

been the scene of many marine disasters in our

maritime history here on the south Island.

Rough ground that can go from several feet to a hundred

in short order. As well tides that can reach 6-7 knots

make for tricky navigation in the best of conditions, add

in 30 or 40 knots of wind, darkness and

mariners beware.

Fortunately standing as I was on firm ground in late

afternoon sun, painting this piece was not fraught

with such concerns.
=;-))

Wishing you all 'fair winds and following seas'.

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Oil on wood panel 12 x 16.

Your thoughts & comments are always appreciated.

Jeffrey

'Eventide in the Islands'

 
Several years ago I spent a couple of days at the north end

of Thetis Island and it is from some of the photos I took

that this piece was developed.

It was late May and there were spring tides running.

The below zero tides during the day provided amazing

reference photos that I have probably developed into

at least a dozen different paintings.

When we were there it was so quiet that it was almost

eerie. The extreme low tides exposed those unusual

rock formations that the Gulf Islands are known for.

(hmmm perhaps a double-entendre...)

As the evening settled upon us 
you could sense the spirits

that continue to walk these shores.

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'Eventide in the Islands'
oil on wood panel 
18 x 24.
~~~~~~~~~~~

Your thoughts & comments always appreciated.

Jeffrey

'Morning Winds - Enterprise Channel'

BC's south coast was battered by another gale from early

morning and through much of today. Some areas registering

wind gusts to 100kmh. Though the winds were not

anywhere near that speed where I painted this morning,

it was too windy to set up outside so I hunkered down,

once again, in the shelter of my vehicle...

Incredibly beautiful skies and sparkling water in a very

fast changing panorama, so make a decision and

paint fast boyo!

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Oil on wood panel 6 x 8.

Your thoughts & comments always appreciated.

Jeffrey

'Snowy Coffin Island'

At low tide the Coffin Islands are a small and wondrous

place alive with the quarrelsome sounds of feeding

Wigeon as well as other competing waterfowl.

The islands lie on the north side of the entrance to West Bay

in Victoria's outer harbour. Though they both are probably

each under 100 feet across they rise up like the humps

on a camels back to at least 30 feet.

At below zero tide they seem higher yet when standing

on the exposed flats at their feet.

I made it out for a paint on Friday afternoon with painting pal

Linny D. Vine

We dressed for cold as it was about -10 Celsius in the wind

which in this part of the world is damn cold.

But dressed right, out of the wind and in the sun

quite pleasant. Victoria has just passed through our first

big weather event of this winter. My neighbourhood

got close to 25cm of snow and then the cold winds

gusting at times to over 50 kmh. Our world famous

flower count is slated to begin on Tuesday!

=:-/

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Oil on wood panel 6 x 8.

Your thoughts & comments always appreciated.

Jeffrey

'North from Holland Point'

I started painting this piece on a really beautiful late

morning in lovely sun on Victoria's waterfront.

However as many can attest, when painting en plein air,

a beautiful sunny day can be quickly over taken

by a cloud bank. This one showered us in

ice pellets and had us making a hasty retreat after about

an hour...what a difference an hour can bring...

=:-/

So I finished it off in the warm dry studio.

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Oil on wood panel 11 x 14.

Your thoughts & comments always hoped for.

Jeffrey

'Morning Gale'

This piece was inspired from a recent plein air

excursion during a morning easterly gale to

Albert Head Park. When the east

winds blow, large breaking waves are hurled onto

the beach and eventually create great swirls and

drifts of foamy sea floss from the constant wave

action. Years ago there was a manned light

station on the point. It is one of the local hot spots

for salmon and halibut fisherman as well many

sea mammals and birds can be observed here.

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Oil on canvas 36 x 30.

Your thoughts & comments are invited.

Jeffrey

'Easterly Gale - Albert Head'

I arrived here to paint Friday morning knowing it would

be windy but hoping I might find a spot with some

protection, that turned out to be behind the

windshield of my vehicle!

I hadn't tried this before, however I think it may be

worth exploring further for those days when the

conditions prove to much for this old soldier...

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Oil on wood panel 9 x 12.

Your thoughts & comments always appreciated.

Jeffrey

'Konk-la-tareeeee..."

Southern Vancouver Island has small numbers of

Red-winged blackbirds that winter over every year but

the wonderful mating displays and calls of

"konk-la-tareeeeeeeee..."

won't be present for awhile yet. However by this time of

year I'm already watching and listening for them and

looking for the first swallows of the year.

Two things that mark the beginning of

of spring, for sure, in my world.

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Oil on wood panel 9 x 12.

Your thoughts & comments always sought.

Jeffrey

'Misty Morning Swans'

One of the highlights of the winter season on the

south Island are the Tundra Swans that spend the

winter months here. Standing close to the marsh edge

when a small flock glides low overhead to land in the

water is a thrilling experience that warms the soul

even on a cool and damp west coast morning.

The marsh in those conditions softens sound

and the bugling calls of the swans

seem from another world.

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Oil on wood panel 12 x 16.

Thoughts & comments always appreciated.

Jeffrey

'Lagoon Willows'

Even on a chilly overcast westcoast winter day the

wonderful colour of the naked willows light up the

morning. I painted this while out with a small band

of hardy outsiders on Friday. The cold wasn't to bad

if you were out of the wind.

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Oil on wood panel 9 x 12.

Your thoughts & comments always appreciated!

Jeffrey

'Not Long Now'

This scene depicts that time in late fall when the

snow line is slowly creeping down the mountain with

each passing day. The excitement in the

skiing and boarding community begins to build

as the long waited for opening of the

season gets closer...

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Oil on wood panel 14 x 11.

Your thoughts & Comments always appreciated.

Jeffrey

'Meadow Memory'

Once a common sight on the south Island and throughout

much of the Gulf Islands, the Western Bluebird

is mostly just a memory. Though a few are sighted

every year it is a rare sight indeed.

Thankfully nest box programs and monitoring are

being started and it is hoped that it

will meet with the same type of success other

programs have had with species like

the Eastern Bluebird, Wood Ducks, Purple Martins and

others elsewhere in Canada & the US.

If you want to be part of the effort and help

bring back the Western Bluebird please check out

The Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team

You can really help.

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Oil on wood panel 10 x 8.

Your thoughts & comments are always welcomed!

Jeffrey

'Spring Tide - Gulf Islands'

A beautiful spot at anytime, Saltspring Island's Burgoyne

Bay is stunning on a sunny morning in late

May which often co-insides with a spring tide.

These tides are those which fall during the full moon or

new moon phases and are noted for the very

extreme high-highs and low-lows of tide levels.

At these times the earth, sun and moon alien

to produce maximum force of gravity creating

those extremes in tide levels.

Also my favourite time to paint seashore scenes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oil on wood panel 18 x 24.

Your thoughts & comments always welcomed!

Jeffrey

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Live each season as it passes,

breathe the air,

drink the drink,

taste the fruit,

and resign yourself to the influences of each."

(Henry David Thoreau)

'Hike to the Lake'

This another enlargement of an earlier piece

done last year. The first one was a 8 x 6

and I must confess seemed to go

easier than this piece.

It seems such a long time ago now, that I was

heading up this trail for a cool swim in

the summer heat...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oil on wood panel 14 x 11.

Your thoughts & comments are always

encouraged & appreciated!

Jeffrey

'Top of the Falls'

A smaller version of an earlier piece, this scene is at

the top or start of Skutz Falls on the Cowichan River.

The end of the fish ladder is just to the left of the

viewer where salmon and steelhead make their way

to the upper reaches of this spawning river.

I was so taken with this scene that I wanted to do

another one but this time smaller and on a different

support. As well many things have been altered to fit

the different format. (I have left the header image

that is at the top of my blog for comparison.)

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Oil on wood panel 12 x 16.

As always your thoughts & comments are

always appreciated!

Jeffrey

'Spring in Uplands'(Canadian west coast Impressionism, Uplands Park, Camas Lily, oil paintings of southern Vancouver Island)

Another one from last springs Camas time in Uplands park.

This one is 'photo challenged' and will need another

try when its dry...

These meadows were being cultivated for the bulbs

these flowers produce many thousands of

years before contact by the first peoples

of this area. These ecosystems attracted flocks

of butterflies so enormous that it defies the

imagination. Sadly due to the destruction of so much of the

former Garry oak meadows of the south Island many of

those butterfly species are no longer part

of our natural world.

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Oil on wood panel 16 x 20.

Thoughts & comments always appreciated!

Jeffrey