Manorun Farm

The Monday Painters were invited to spend two Monday afternoons on Manorun Organic Farm in Copetown.  This is an organic co-op and a great example of sustainable farming.  They are a family farm with interns helping and learning.  Everyone was smiling and friendly.  Add to that the fact that I could paint here every day for a month and not run out of subject matter and I was as happy as a farm pig in its pen.

They had a big and very old silo that I think was made from ceramic blocks.  We didn't go in it but one of the interns is calling it home.  I became a bit fixated on it because it was so unusual and ended up painting it both weeks.  This first painting was done from very close to the car in the shade of a huge willow tree.




I discovered that if I hiked down the farm lane a bit, climbed a rather steep embankment and avoided the electric fence I could stand in knee deep grass and get a view of the entrance to the silo/guest house.  I lost my coffee mug in the grass somewhere but it was rather worth it.


One would think that being inspired would make things easier however I find that it often means I get frustrated and overwork my painting.  There is simply too much pressure to get it right. That happened with both of these to a certain extent.  I am happy with both of them more because of the wonderful memories than because they are great paintings. 

Love this weather

I have been painting lots but not posting much.  Here are a couple of my latest efforts.



This first painting was painted from the top of Rattlesnake Point.  It was a fantastic day with fish scale clouds and no haze.  Perfect for this kind of vista.  I have never painted here before but I will be back.  My goal with this painting was to capture the perspective.  We are a long way up and can see forever.



I have been sketching more.  These watercolour and ink sketches are just plain fun to do.  The first one is of an artist friend at one of our paint outs.  The second one is of the Rails End Gallery in Haliburton.  I had two paintings in an invitational plein air show there and Debbie and I drove up there to retrieve them. Nothing breaks up seven hours on the road like half an hour sketching.

Debbie and I are driving to British Columbia this summer so I can see some paintings and a ton of sketches in my future.