Heather Horton Artwork

"Clothesline, Fogo Island"

2012-01-09T12:12:00.003-05:00

"..in great souls I sail before the wind without a watch,

and never reach the shore."~Henry David Thoreau

There are few places as evocative as Newfoundland. I have waxed romantic about this province before and I must take a moment to do it again. "Clothesline, Fogo Island", oil on panel, 30"x40", brings me once again back to that windy day driving around this small island on the northeastern coast of Newfoundland. Here is a link so you can see where it lies.

There is unique character to Newfoundland that makes it instantly recognizable. Certain destinations that we have had the good fortune to experience and explore remain within us while others fall away. Why is that? I believe it is because those places hit us like tuning forks with a resonance that we almost cannot explain. And it is okay not to be able to explain them. Perhaps when words fail us we are not meant to have them anyway. We simply must be held captive by Newfoundland, or Alaska, or Patagonia or wherever calls to you.

I am working on a painting currently, that a good friend saw (keep in mind I had only worked about eight hours on it) and he said "I think I've been there!" He was correct. We talked about it and he had. That is the power of landscape, to have set an indelible print within your mind that you are instantly taken back there when you even see a hint of its final rendering. Here is the painting to which he referred:

I am planning on doing a time-lapse video of this painting with the help of a friend. I will post it here when the piece is completed.

In "Clothesline, Fogo Island", I rendered the clothes in a more detailed way, while keeping with a more expressive rendering of the landscape behind them. Similar to the other clothesline I painted years ago, I wanted the clothes to almost want to fly off of the canvas and out over the water. The painting is now available at Abbozzo Gallery, where I will be having a solo exhibition of my work this coming autumn.

In other news I will be giving a lecture at the Burlington Art Centre for the Burlington Fine Art Association this month. I am excited to talk with other artists about the creative process. Also, this spring I will be a guest lecturer at the Western Kentucky University. I will give a talk, participate in artist critiques and have a small exhibition of my paintings at the university over the course of my visit. What a great opportunity! I have never been to Kentucky and look forward to an exciting road trip.

Here is a painting that I recently completed for a friend. Cats' eyes really are windows to their souls...our furry friends make life beautiful, don't you think?

I hope that 2012 is off to a great start for you. Wishing you happiness in your art and life and thanks for reading!

If you are inclined, please follow my art on Facebook and Twitter!

"What Frida Taught Me"

2011-12-14T16:51:00.000-05:00

I want quiet feet on quiet floors and quiet fears behind quiet doors.

"What Frida Taught Me", oil on panel, 36"x24", was inspired by Frida Kahlo's famous 1938 painting "What The Water Gave Me". "What Frida Taught Me" began in Whitehorse, in the Yukon Territory last autumn. I have painted my legs in a bathtub before, but this time, like every time, is different.

There are many reasons as to why artists have painted themselves in bathtubs. These are places where we are cleansed and they are also places of refuge. They are receptacles for our fears and concerns. There is peace to be found here. I began this painting with an idea of revisiting the theme of the previous piece, Quietus, seen here, from years ago:

I enjoy painting the natural world as well as things which cover us. Whether it be fabric or water, anything that surrounds us can serve as a metaphor. It can provide protection and can also wash away layers to reveal important truths. The water in my painting is symbolic of how our minds and bodies are able to have time to heal and reflect (no pun intended) in that place. The quiet drip of the faucet, the occasional creak of the house, these simple sounds become the backdrop for our thoughts as we sculpt our theories, weigh opinions, develop plans and dwell on sentiments. Quite simply, places where we are cleansed are crucibles for all that goes on in our minds.

Perhaps the composition of "What Frida Taught Me" is a bit strange to the casual observer. It makes sense to me though. Haven't we all sat in a similar places and looked down at our legs, faithful friends who have helped us through the world and not questioned why, but simply took us where our minds told them to go? They trust us, and we them.

I had gone on a long hike up Mount White with the Yukon Outdoors Club on the day "What Frida Taught Me" was conceived. I had fallen at the end of the hike but did not paint my injury into the painting. It felt strange to do so. I went with my gut and omitted the gore. I did paint the tan lines from my sandals which seem permanently etched on my feet from hours of hiking and exploring in the sun. This painting was the end of a beautiful, strenuous day. It was the opposite of the previous six hours of ascending and descending the mountain...

Halfway up the mountain..

Walking along the top of Mount White..glorious:)

Two of my greatest loves are painting and traveling. "What Frida Taught Me" is a representation of many things, and those things change from day to day. Like Frida, I place my life into my painting. It is there to see, but less obviously as the direct symbolism in Frida's work. No my story is more subtle. Like Frida I believe our paintings are places to tell our stories, the painful ones and the pleasurable ones. She lived her life intensely and followed her passion. She "painted her own reality" as she once said. I agree with her. Paint what you know. Listen to that quiet voice, that inner child and and let that voice have the final word on your canvas.

"Feet, why do I need them if I have wings to fly?"~Frida Kahlo

My handmaiden named Anxiety.

2011-11-06T21:28:00.000-05:00

Light filtering into the studio recently..

"A crust eaten in peace is better than a banquet partaken in anxiety."~Aesop

Sometimes I wonder if it is better to be frayed as an artist, or to seek the stitch.

I am a type 'A' personality where 'A' = anxiety. T.S. Eliot once wrote: "Anxiety is the handmaiden of creativity". What a wise man he was. Yes, anxiety can be a huge hindrance to creative flow, output and inspiration. If you are naturally predisposed to anxiety it can be a regular guest in the studio with you. A few years ago I was having some health struggles and remember being so anxious that I couldn't even paint at times. So, how do you work through anxiety with regards to your work?

Fortunately my anxiety rarely centers around my paintings but other thoughts that drift in and out of my mind while I work. Ideally your creative space should be a refuge, a crucible of energy that you can distill you work into, unfettered by anxiety and worry. However this is rarely so. Thus we must make the best effort we can. I like to listen to music, television shows or movies that I know well. I can paint away while enjoying a film and this serves to dissipate anxiety while providing entertainment too.

Also, if you can mix exercise into your workday I think you will notice an improvement in anxiety/mood and certainly fitness level. Exercise is a panacea. It is better than any medication in my opinion. It is natural and your body doing what it was meant to do. I wish I had mountains within reach every day but I enjoy a good jog along Lake Ontario as well. Everywhere has its own unique beauty.

Here is a photograph of some flesh tones I was mixing on my palate recently. There are so many variations of colour and value that go into anything, let alone skin. When I first started to paint many years ago, I used about three variations of the same colour for the skin of my subject. Now there are innumerable ones. It is all a part of learning. It is evolution. It is not a fast process...but with time it will happen and your work will blossom. When I am painting, I strive for a subtle edge. This can refer to creases or areas that recede from the eye. If you mix a colour just a value or two away from the one adjacent to it, you can effectively "mix" the colours but in a more segmented way. Yet when you step away and move back your eye will naturally blend them together. See Lucian Freud's work for the best example of this ever (RIP Lucian).

Yes, this is a photograph of the isolated chaos that is my palate and paint tubes. Are you one of those artists where paint flies everywhere? If so, let me know. I'm a very "quiet" painter. I've wondered about how many artists are really "Pollocky" out there...a hurricane of paint etc. In fact I'd love to know or see photographs of other artists' studios...feel free to send them to me if you wish. I work in a VERY small space which is a part of the larger space where I live. One day I will have a room devoted just to painting/work. I can't wait :) Until then I realize I could probably paint in a linen closet if I had to.

And finally here is a photograph of a section from a larger piece that I recently completed. It will be featured in my upcoming solo exhibition at Abbozzo Gallery in less than a year's time (it takes a long time to paint a full show!). I hope to see you there! This show is an exploration of the theme of waiting and the human condition (two favourite topics). In this painting above, you can see the work of applying different tones and values with minimal blending on the panel. Skin is one of the trickiest things to render I find, and therefore quite intriguing.

I hope this day finds you well, anxiety-free and smiling....:)

Heather

"Montana Mountain I"

2011-10-07T11:36:00.001-04:00

"To live for some future goal is shallow.

It's the sides of the mountain that sustain life, not the top.

~Robert M. Pirsig

"Hiking Montana Mountain I", oil on panel, 30"x40", is based on a hike that my friend Ian and I did near Whitehorse, in the Yukon Territory recently. The North is beautiful any time of the year, but in the crisp days of autumn its beauty is particularly bewitching.

We did this hike on August 26th and had to turn back eventually because of blowing snow up on the mountain ridge. Two years ago I was in the Yukon on May 1st, driving to Skagway, Alaska for the day to hike. At one point I drove through snow driving over a pass in Northern British Columbia and encountered a family cross-country skiing. On May 1st. This place is always keeping you on your toes. It can change its mind in an instant. It does not suffer fools gladly. These are just a few of the reasons that I love it.

The deep crimson foliage was abundant as we ascended the mountain. A hundred years ago there was a mine based here, and the trail we followed ran below a steel cable that helped move ore up and down the mountain. Our path was steeped in a hardscrabble history, filled with the sweat and effort of many dreams. We passed ancient pots, the remains of cabins for the men working in the area, and different tower structures made of dry, groaning wood.

The great thing about being an artist is that you are able to relive your memories, good and bad, every day you come to the easel. Not only must you mix paint, apply it and observe the technical requirements to render your piece, but you can also experience the joy of watching a painting develop into reality from your past reality, to live permanently in the world.

The air is so clear and clean up there that there is no impediment to seeing the far off mountain tops except atmosphere and any weather that rolls in. I could hardly wait to work on pushing those mountains back to that far ridge where they belong. I wanted to delve into the blues, as blues help cool things off and push them away from you. The blue of the earth as seen from all of those photographs taken from space, is everywhere, even in the humblest of paintings.

I used smaller brushes as I moved further away into the mountains on the horizon, while keeping brush strokes looser and more painterly up in the foreground to show the texture of the foliage. The sky is bleak and white because of the snow that day, but other days it would be as blue as the sea. We hiked over to the far ridge that you can see in the painting, and then headed back. Further on there are alpine lakes and even an abandoned monastery! I want to return there to see the evidence of what sheer tenacity it took to live up there on a permanent basis. Fortune favours the bold. Despite the stark and unforgiving climate, there is plenty of fortune to be had here.

On a side note, I blogged a while ago about painting a portrait of my friend Joe, who helped me out by letting me stay at his wonderful place in Chicago this past summer while I was on my way to the Midwest. I painted this little portrait for him as a thank-you. He received it yesterday! Great friends are a great treasure.

Flight 134

2011-09-16T03:00:00.000-04:00

I crane my neck to see the moon rising like a rusty gourd outside the airplane window.

My stomach is turning, spinning in the opposite direction that my head is listing to.

I hear the staccato, constant cellophane crackle of covers being removed from processed food, and the constant thrum of the plane's organs as it whisks me eastward in its belly.

The warm blood of claustrophobia pounds in my ears and oh but

there are too many quiet, heavy bodies around me.

I feel sick and faint but I manage to breathe slowly, staying calm.

If only this thick, sick feeling would pass and I was home under the covers, with the moon outside my window, tucking me in with her watchful gaze. Soon.

The Spell Of The Yukon: Hiking Montana Mountain

2011-09-10T12:40:00.002-04:00

There’s a land where the mountains are nameless,
And the rivers all run God knows where;
There are lives that are erring and aimless,
And deaths that just hang by a hair;
There are hardships that nobody reckons;
There are valleys unpeopled and still;
There’s a land — oh, it beckons and beckons,
And I want to go back — and I will.

~Robert Service, from The Spell Of The Yukon

I have spent the last two weeks up here in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. The goal is to work and play, as simple as that. Work has involved a new painting for Abbozzo Gallery in Oakville, Ontario, shooting photo reference for new paintings and a private commission. As I have waxed romantic about the North before I will try to temper that here....but I wanted to include some musings and photographs from recent climbs, scrambles, drives and hikes in the area.

Here is a detailed section of the painting I recently finished here...I will blog about it soon but wanted to include it in this post. The entire portrait of my friend Danielle is 12"x24", oil on panel.

Lavender mountains cut the horizon like a serrated

knife with dawn blushing furiously behind it.

12 hours after arriving in town, my friend Ian and I hiked up Montana Mountain. It lies about 1 1/2 hours south of Whitehorse, just beyond the tiny hamlet of Carcross. The mountain is the one visible in the photograph above...we hiked until we were waylaid by snow and turned back...all in all a great 15km hike. My knees weren't impressed, nor my quadriceps...but it is all about the challenge (and the view) :) I was struck by the quiet world that lives up there.

The lichen crunching under my feet, the silence broken only by a small creek flowing between two ridges and the leaves slipping into an ochre hum on the slopes all around us.

The field of mustard-tinged foliage was intoxicating..

While hiking up the mountain I took some reference of my friend Ian and had him take some of me. This reference will for the basis for two new paintings. Yes, they are a bit of a departure from my usual, figurative work, but it is the figure in landscape....instead of a sheet, the mountain is wrapped around us.

I have never been to the Yukon in September. It is a beautiful time of year...many mornings you are scraping ice off of the car windows, you are layered for warmth, and hot coffee takes on an almost religious experience. I am always inspired by the mountains outside of my window here in Whitehorse. They are like friends who never leave, never judge, but also leave you to your own devices. Montana Mountain was a new experience however. I had only climbed in an alpine environment once before, near the Arctic Circle in Alaska. On this day we climbed a total of 3,400 feet in elevation gain. The air, the smells, the foliage, the entire atmosphere of a place changes a lot when you climb that high.

Whole little ecosystems of quiet beauty abounded up on the mountain..

At the highest point, we ascended into and above the clouds. Shortly thereafter we encountered a good deal of snow. I was a bit nervous about a whiteout and we decided to descend back down the mountain.

Assessing whether to continue or not.

As we retraced our steps the snow transitioned to rain and then stopped altogether...the clouds opened up to show us Tagish Lake below, with a riot of colour all around us. It was sublime. Though I felt the effects of this new terrain in my body for days, it was worth every moment.

Tagish Lake below us..

One final surprise of the day. As we rounded a corner on the road Ian said "why can't we just see a bear today?" Low and behold, a black bear came lumbering out in front of us and crossed the road. I had to scramble for my little point and shoot and this was the best shot I could snap. I wonder what he is up to now...off in the woods, off in the quiet, perhaps even off in the clouds..

"Tina With Her Bass"

2011-08-31T11:09:00.002-04:00

The smallest, most inconspicuous corner of your canvas waits for you to paint it. Every little space is essential to the integrity of the whole piece. Each square inch should be considered; whether for a moment or an hour. I often use a very loose, textured approach to the backgrounds or large spaces of my paintings. I like to think it provides a nice counterpoint to the more tightly rendered areas of a figure, or in this case, a figure and a musical instrument.

"Tina With Her Bass", oil on canvas, 30"x40", 2011, is one of the only paintings of a musical instrument that I have completed. I have painted fruit, vegetables, houses, set squares, loved ones and cherished pets. But it was with great pleasure that I rendered this bass of Tina's, with her standing beside it. She adores her bass, but a hectic lifestyle makes it hard for her to play as much as she would like to.

I was drawn to paint Tina by her hands. She has musicians hands, the hands of someone who gets things done deftly. When she showed me her bass and described how much she adored it, I knew it has to be in the painting with her. Sort of a double portrait if you will.

I wanted to paint her in a contemplative way while incorporating the bass as a form of stability, comfort and familiarity. My paintings are not about accuracy. One can put away rulers and set squares, as my lines are not straight..and that is okay. I would prefer to see small waverings, little imperfections that when assembled and woven together create a painting that might appear as if looking through a soft piece of glass.

This painting will be part of an upcoming exhibition of new, figurative work at Abbozzo Gallery in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. I will post details about the show as it approaches.

Recently I arrived here in Whitehorse, in the Yukon Territory, to hike, explore and work on paintings. It has been wonderful so far. The Northern climate is wonderful and the mountains are faithful friends. Here are some shots from my little make-shift studio that I have set up here in Whitehorse, YT. Have a beautiful day wherever you may be..

Paint 'butterflies' after a morning of work..

The view from my coffee mug in Haines Junction, YT yesterday

"The Searcher"

2011-08-22T13:44:00.000-04:00

"Obsessed by a fairy tale, we spend our lives searching for a magic

door and a lost kingdom of peace."~Eugene O'Neill

What is invisible is intriguing. I am taken with dreaming of other places, other realities, while at the same time remaining grounded. If we do not strive to imagine what lies beyond the door, we may become stagnant and complacent. If we take steps to open and step through the door, or search for other doors, we grow and evolve.

I suppose this is why ephemeral and unfinished narratives permeate my work. Who wants answers? I cannot presume to know them, but have always wanted to ask questions in my paintings. "The Searcher", oil on canvas, 60"x40", is another painting that invites the viewer to wonder what is happening within the piece, and more importantly, why?

The largest painting I can fit in my studio (it has low ceilings) is 60 inches. Anything taller and I have to find another room in which to paint. Thus I was able to fit this 5 foot painting into my studio and took turns sitting to paint it in my studio chair as well as on the floor.

The paint towers on my palette continue

to get taller...

'The Searcher' took about 3 weeks of full days of painting to complete. I took photographs of the piece throughout the process. It think it is good to document the arc of creation as it happens, so that you can share it with others and also keep it as a part of your records and to see how you develop as an artist.

Recently I saw the film "The Devil And Daniel Johnston". It follows Daniel Johnston through his adolescence and up through his struggles with manic depression, fame and creativity. I was deeply moved by this film. I alternately wanted to hug Daniel and pick up my brush and paint.

Also, I have begun reading a book about Rainer Maria Rilke's time in Switzerland...it focuses on a few years of his life through the war, his travels and search for creative solitude as his struggles to grapple with the world at large. Both of these artists exemplify what it is to be a creative person making their way through the world through their art..

Painting is something that takes place among the colors, and one has to leave them alone completely, so that they can settle the matter among themselves. Their intercourse: this is the whole of painting. Whoever meddles, arranges, injects his human deliberation, his wit, his advocacy, his intellectual agility in any way, is already disturbing and clouding their activity.

~Rainer Maria Rilke

Individuals who are driven to make art are, for the most part, a very sensitive lot. We feel intensely. Oftentimes our work reflects how we have stepped out into the world and gathered reference, keeping it safely in our hearts and minds for future output into paintings, prose, sculpture.

After all, the heart is the brightest star of all..

"We are so lightly here. It is in love we are made.

In love we disappear."~Leonard Cohen

"Joe"

2011-08-04T18:15:00.000-04:00

"A man is a success if he gets up in the morning,

and gets to bed at night, and in between

he does what he wants to do."~Bob Dylan

Recently I had the opportunity to crash at my friend Joe's place in Chicago. It was my first time in the Windy City and I was captivated by it. I stopped by on my way to the Midwest and then back again on the return journey. Each time we spent time up on the roof of his warehouse loft in the Fulton Market area. It is filled by day with lots of activity: meat packers, milk and egg distributors, etc. It also has a smattering of quaint little bistros offering some pretty amazing craft beer. It is very close to the downtown area yet seems to be removed and in its own little world.

As a thanks for letting me stay at his place, I painted this little portrait of Joe. He's an old soul living in the body of a 23 year old. He is, among other things, a philosopher, a great photographer and a professional barista with Intelligentsia coffee.

We met each other via a mutual interest in the life of Christopher McCandless. Our friendship has subsequently been enriched by a love of photography and the beauty of the world around us, good coffee and living a life of exploration.

Joe standing atop his apartment pointing out the various landmarks around his place..

"Joe", oil on panel, 10"x8", 2011, is a little thank-you for great hospitality. It is earthy and humble, like Joe. He has a favourite chair in his apartment, a chair in which he photographs all of his house guests before they depart. I sat in this chair and he took my photograph, and then I had him sit in the chair for my own photo reference. The "Joe" painting is the result of that photo shoot.

The end to a great evening of great conversation, with the Sears Tower in the background

I haven't painted a direct portrait like "Joe" for a long time. To paint someone directly, to scan their features and try to interpret them in a meaningful way is difficult and thrilling because of its difficulty. The challenge is to see if one can infuse some magic into their features, to breathe life into a person that already lives and walks the earth. Many artists paint people, but the true test is to see if we can place the person's character into the piece, to mix some of their soul in with the pigment.

Over the last few months I have concentrated on painting the figure in a more oblique way; mixed in with folds of sheets or silhouetted in doorways. They are in their own world, they are a part of the narrative that surrounds them. However to paint a simple, direct portrait one must abandon the accoutrements of the person's environment and simply focus on their features. The set of their brow, the curve of their mouth--these things are all who they are, and like no one else in the world. It is beautifully confounding and enticing.

As time passes I am trying to paint more people in exchange for travel or other great opportunities. It is a great and symbiotic exchange. It is a way of expressing thanks...it is what the artist can offer as our own appreciation to others for their kindness. It is the best currency of all.

On my return trip it was stiflingly hot in Joe's apartment. He pointed out his neighbour's hammock in the loft next door. He has slept here upon occasion and offered it to me as a choice of place to lay my head for the night. I knew it would be an interesting experience and I was right. I woke up to the El trains starting their day at 4:30am, then the birds starting theirs around 5am, and then the hum of the forklifts around 6am. It was unique and wonderful. Here is a photo of the view I woke up to...

5am view of the Chicago skyline from the hammock on the rooftop..

Have a beautiful day/evening/morning, wherever you may be...

"We shall not cease from our exploration and at the end

of our exploring will be to arrive where we started...and know

that place for the first time."~T.S. Eliot

"Kerri, Aware"

2011-07-08T12:24:00.001-04:00

Artists are like sharks: we must constantly move and continue creating or we will perish.

My time in the Midwest is drawing to a close, but I am pleased to have completed 2.5 paintings while here. "Kerri, Aware", oil on canvas, 18"x36", is the second of the trio.

While here I have felt calm and able to approach the easel with excitement and enthusiasm each day. Calm, yes, but still the quiet voices that whispers "create, work, paint" are always echoing in my ear. I listen to them.

I do not kill myself with painting 10-12 hours a day. I know some artists who love to do this, but I know myself and that would be too much. I would become myopic and my painting would suffer. Instead, I choose 6-8 hours a day of focused time and when I feel my technique is starting to slip, or my eyes get too heavy, I stop. Always, always strive to place the paint as accurately and thoughtfully upon the canvas as possible. Otherwise you will produce milquetoast paintings.

Two of the three paintings I brought with me here to the Midwest revolve around my friend Kerri and her house. Kerri is complex. She is multi-layered and has many facets. Kerri's mind is always moving, and she is one of the most insightful souls I have the pleasure to know. She has an energy to her that skips and whisks from one place to another. You can hear the cogs turning in her mind.

So I find it ironic that I am painting her in a pose of repose. She may be sleeping, or maybe she is pondering any number of things. I think of Kerri as movement, yet she appears static here.

When we sleep, our beds become our world. Whether you are on an air mattress in a sleeping bag amidst the quaking aspens in central Alaska, or surrounded by deep duvets and mountains of fabric in Burlington, Ontario, we must traversr the landscape of our mind when we rest.

I removed some things from the reference as I worked on this painting. I removed them so as to add important to the bat in the corner. I wanted the bat to be quietly there in the shadows. At the time when I shot the reference, I didn't really see the bat. But later I did, and I thought it must either be for home defence, or perhaps belong to one of her children.

The second painting inspired by Kerri is a portrait of her room. The bed is now empty, the window is curtain-less. The palette inside is muted. The colours outside are a bit more vibrant and yet seemingly seen through a veil. Granted, this painting is still in progress, but I wanted to include it here to show the relation between the pieces and how they are quite connected. I find beds without figures in them just as intriguing as those with a person under the covers.

Lastly, I have new friends here in the Midwest. They are fireflies. We have them in Ontario but they are elusive in the area where I live. Here, they are ubiquitous. I love them...they are evening companions that tread water in the air. They land on my hand and visit, then continue their voyage through the garden. Photographing them is tricky, but I did manage to get one shot, shown here. Have a beautiful weekend, wherever you are and remember to move as much as possible.

"Diary Of A Supertramp"

2011-06-24T11:20:00.000-04:00

"The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no
greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and
different sun. If you want to get more out of life Russ, you must lose your inclination for
monotonous security and adopt a helter skelter style of life that will at first appear to you
to be crazy. But once you become accustomed to such a life you will see its full meaning
and its incredible beauty."~Christopher McCandless

"Diary Of A Supertramp", oil on wood, 4"x72", is a painting of the leather belt that Chris McCandless painstakingly handcrafted in 1992 while staying with his friend Russell Fritz. The belt chronicles Chris's adventures from his departure from Atlanta following college graduation in 1990, all the way up to his intended destination, Alaska, marked with an "N" for north. The completion of his odyssey would be his final greatest adventure in the wilderness near Denali National Park.

This painting was truly a labor of love. I first saw and held Chris's belt in 2009. It truly is an amazing work of art. His parents and good friends Walt and Billie generously let me use the belt as inspiration for a painting that would be 150% life size. I didn't want to miss a nuance of detail in my rendering of the belt.

I went to Home Depot in Burlington to find my "canvas". My canvas turned out to be a 2x4 piece of pine, 6 feet long, and cost $2.46. I thought Chris might appreciate that. I placed it in my car, ducking my head to avoid it, and went home to begin what would turn out to be a 100+ hour painting.

I am currently traveling and working away from my studio, BUT I will post more close up photos of the belt painting when I return to Canada in a month. Until then you can see a smaller study of Chris's belt below. "Diary Of A Supertramp (study)", oil on panel, 8"x10", was completed as a test to see if I could paint leather in a satisfying way. The full belt and the study are unusual pieces. I tried to paint in a very detailed manner. I didn't want to lose any information. I wanted to go on the journey with Chris as I painted each piece.

Each painting was completed starting on the left and moving to the right. I thought it would be interesting to paint it chronologically. I painted "July 1990", a No U-Turn sign, a skull and crossbones with CJM overtop, a two-lane blacktop, a thunderstorm with Chris's Datsun flooded and abandoned, the Pacific Crest Trail, The Sierras and on and on. Chris retells his odyssey on this belt and it is a very special artifact.

I recently had an exhibition of my paintings inspired by Chris's life in Oakville, Ontario. You can see the belt painting here in the exhibition, "An Aesthetic Voyage: Paintings Inspired By The Journeys Of Christopher McCandless, held at Abbozzo Gallery in Oakville, Ontario."

I sometimes marvel at the impact that Chris's life and journeys have had on countless people. His courage to explore the unknown with élan and his ideology of less is more really do reverberate on a global level. Even if we do not hitchhike and go as minimally towards the horizon as he did, it is what we distill, what we take away from his words and actions that matter most. Below is another photograph from the exhibition, as well as more paintings that were in the show...

Opening night at Abbozzo Gallery

"To The Sea", oil on canvas, 24"x36"

"Chris's Tent, Stampede Trail", oil on canvas, 18"x36"

It is with great joy that I announce the release of

Back To The Wild: The Photographs And Writings Of Christopher McCandless

The book is now available on Amazon.com at this link. The DVD will be available in early July on Amazon as well! The book and DVD contain over 250 of Chris's photographs and writings from his odyssey. Outside magazine has described the book as "a treasure trove". Here is a link.

The belt that Chris carved so meticulously and artistically, is like his photographs in that it is his unique vision. There are no other interpretations, it is simply his life as he lived it fully and completely, recording it for us to see. Look for those close-up photographs of the painting of the belt here in the coming weeks.

When I was in France last fall for a photo shoot, I bought a silver ring at the Rodin Museum in Paris. Inscribed in a pretty script on the ring are the words "Une vie a plein bord" or "A life lived to the brim". I have worn the ring ever since, even out to Bus 142 in Alaska, being pulled by a snowmobile for over 20 miles along The Stampede Trail in March, bundled up, the snow crunching and flying by. When I got off the sled attached to the snowmobile, the ring had been bent from the effort of holding on so tightly as I was pulled over moguls and around sharp curves. I love that it is bent. It is perfect now. A life lived to the brim. I would like to think that Chris would agree with its message too.

"Not all those who wander are lost."~J.R.R. Tolkien

"Erin, Choices"

2011-06-21T11:06:00.000-04:00

"We must make the choices that enable us to fulfill the deepest capacities of our real selves."

~Thomas Merton

I have completed only two paintings away from my regular studio in Burlington, Ontario, Canada....ever. You gets attached to places of creation. The familiar routine, temperature, rituals and ability to fall into a groove of focus tend to be pretty constant in one's regular studio. That is why I came prepared to Omaha, Nebraska. A prolonged working vacation with three canvases in tow to finish while here. "Erin, Choices, oil on canvas, 24"x48" is the first of the three.

I have spoken before about people I paint. They range from new friends to old friends...but an alignment of time and place must work together for a successful photoshoot and painting to take place. Erin, a good friend and yoga instructor, is an old soul. She is one of those friends who possesses the gift of articulation, and that, combined with wisdom, makes for very good conversation. I was thrilled when she agreed to let me paint her and where else to paint her but where she loves to be: a yoga studio.

I have been taking classes at Moksha Yoga Burlington for a year and a half. The first time I tried hot yoga I loved it. I knew as long as I could get out of bed every morning I would take classes as much as time and budget would allow. Erin teaches there, and Thommy, the owner of Moksha Burlington, let us do a little photoshoot in one of the studios.

I knew from the outset that mirrors and reflection were needed. I love the challenge that a reflected image places upon you, and the metaphorical significance is always enticing. I liked the idea that the mirror might not be instantly noticeable, that you might have to wonder momentarily if she had a twin. Or is it a different version of herself? Why is she looking away from herself and not towards herself? What is she thinking? The idea of a fork in a road, of a set of choices upon choices was the inspiration behind this piece.

I packed the canvas of Erin into my Subaru and headed to Omaha two weeks ago. The drive took me two days, with a brief stopover to visit my friend Joe in Chicago. What an amazing city. I'm more of a country mouse but I have always wanted to experience The Windy City. Though only a pit stop en route to the Midwest, I was impressed.

A first glimpse at Chicago...

Evening sun setting on West Fulton Market

A brief mention about the drive. The border officials at the Sarnia crossing into Michigan were super nice. I knew I'd have to go to Secondary Inspection given my high threat vocation of being a painter ;) but I duly pulled into a spot while a pair of guards with black latex gloves went through the car and queried me as to the specifics of my voyage. I complied (of course) and we were joking around together after a few minutes. Then I was on my way. Despite tonnes of road kill and highway tolls in Michigan, I was thrilled to be on another adventure. Adventure keeps you young, sharp and fully engaged with the world around you. I highly recommend it.

Joe on the rooftop of his warehouse loft.

A great end to a great evening in the Windy City.

I will post another blog soon about my continued adventures towards Omaha, and paintings I am working on here. As a painter you need to keep moving, just as you move through your adventures that take you from place to place. But the point is, like a stone that skips across water, to keep grounding yourself with your work, or your passion, or your play. Ground yourself to things that define who you are and you will never become lost.

"Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--

I took the one less traveled by,

and that has made all the difference."~Robert Frost

Studio life, Upcoming Art Exhibition and "Back To The Wild"

2011-05-31T15:18:00.000-04:00

"My biggest influences were people like painters and poets.

These are solitary workers."~Robert Wyatt

I think sometimes people might wonder what exactly goes on in a painter's studio? I mean, painting takes place obviously, but what else? I can only speak for myself, but daily life typically consists of the steady hum of artworks being developed, priming future works, snuggling with my cats, writing my blog and keeping up with the business aspects of this vocation such as talking with clients and emailing.

If I have time I bike and do yoga. It is all about balance. Exercising the body exercises the mind and helps oxygenate it. It fills you with ideas and energy to pour into your work. I know of some artists who paint every day, literally every day, for 10 hours. I can't do it...I would produce a whole bunch of weak paintings and drive myself crazy in the process...When you are producing your best work, striking while the iron is hot. Yet knowing when to step away so that you can again crave to return to the easel, is just as important.

I have included some photographs of my studio in the past few weeks, along with other activities or friends who make life truly fulfilling. Recently some people have asked to watch me paint. I have no problem with that, and frankly, am touched that folks would want to watch me work...but right now I have a tiny little dark studio in a basement...it wouldn't be a good space. One day however I aspire to have a studio away from the home where folks can come and peruse paintings in progress, talk about commissions, and buy works, should the spirit move them. I believe this will happen.

Here is a photograph of when I was sitting on the floor while working on the painting "Gayle, Waiting". The canvas is 60" high, and I have low ceilings. I had to improvise and so enjoyed a brief stint of painting while on the floor.

Improvisation is the name of the game.

"Gayle, Waiting" sold within 24 hours of being in Abbozzo Gallery. It is part of my upcoming exhibition "An Aesthetic Voyage: Paintings Inspired By The Life And Travels Of Christopher McCandless". Along with the McCandless-inspired works, I have a few other non-related works, such as "Gayle, Waiting". I was elated that this piece sold so quickly. I believe if the PAINTER enjoys the creation of a piece, there is an energy transference that others can discern.

Here is a shot of the advertisement promoting my show last weekend in the Globe And Mail's art section for the Saturday edition. I think the gallery did a nice job of designing the ad and hope it brings some people out this weekend to the opening on Friday night from 7-10pm at the gallery. Perhaps I shall see you there too! There are about twelve different paintings inspired by Chris and his journey, organized chronologically, as he embraced living life intensely from 1990-1992. The exhibition runs from June 3-18th and, among other pieces, will have a life-sized painting of Christopher's belt that he carved at the beginning of 1992, an amazing artifact.

Below are two photos of recent outings. Leaving the studio is so important so that you come back to it with a receptive heart. Here is a rainy run I was on at dusk a couple of weeks ago. Light and colour, provided with the mist of rain and falling light, produced some interesting effects.

New Street on a run at night..

Although I have no Alaskan plans this summer like last year, these little shoes are the perfect solution to the hiker/runner who wants to feel connected to the earth. Vibram Five Fingers was developed for people who wanted to run barefoot, but they can be used for almost any outdoor pursuit. They are amphibious, comfortable and they make you feel like a superhero. I used them hiking in Yosemite National Park and Denali National Park last year. Most recently I used them hiking through Dundas Valley Conservation Area. I HIGHLY recommended them.

My last photo from the studio is of my studio assistant, Sasha. Words cannot express how much I adore him and he carefully wends his way around my work, the paints and supplies. He's savvy. He is one of a kind. I am privileged to share a life with him :)

"I love cats because I enjoy my home;

and little by little, they become its visible soul."~Jean Cocteau

I will blog again soon about "Back To The Wild: The Photographs And Writings Of Christopher McCandless"...the release date for the book and DVD is June 15h! You can find out more information on the link provided. We are so excited and thank-you for your support and interest in this project. Happy painting/creating to you all!

"Gayle, Waiting"

2011-05-25T09:24:00.001-04:00

"The world is all gates, all opportunities,

strings of tension waiting to be struck."~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I have certain places and friends that I always enjoy painting. Places and energies that just bring out creativity and make for a successful reference-hunting trip. On this particular day I traveled to my dear friend Gayle's 1840's home to shoot reference. She was busy. We had 20 minutes. I had to act fast. I asked her to have a sheet and a step-ladder on hand.

Gayle's house and property are a refuge from the hectic pace of metropolitan life and the constant thrum of suburbia. Her house is perched on a pretty hill north of Burlington. When I am there I forget the rest of the world. The fact that my mobile phone doesn't get reception there only adds to its Avalon-esque appeal. Gayle and I have our routine down almost to a science. I know the walls and corners of her house like I know her...trusted, dear, honest, and a pleasure to paint. I feel free there, and freedom is necessary for anyone, let alone a painter looking for new ideas.

And so "Gayle, Waiting", oil on canvas, 60"x30" came to be. She seems to be almost a spectre passing through the doorway. This painting haunts me. I liked the idea that she might be waiting for someone to return, someone dear, someone special. That she, in these moments, might pace the old floors waiting, with silence as her companion in those quiet hours.

At first I found the size of the canvas intimidating. But then I reconsidered my perception and viewed it as a larger opportunity to tell a story. The small object near her feet is a sculpture of a rabbit. We laughed when I was there previously and asked about the rabbit. She said "That's Ken Hall". I thought she meant that was the name she had given the rabbit. No, that's the ARTIST's name she explained. I thought it would be fun to incorporate 'Ken Hall' into the painting.

I also enjoy the idea that Gayle will always be between two rooms, two places, two realities. It serves to scratch an existential itch for me. But again, it is all subjective, and in the eye of the beholder. The question is...what do you see?

I hope that you will be able to see this painting in person during my upcoming exhibition at Abbozzo Gallery in Oakville Ontario. I am exhibiting a series of paintings inspired by the travels of Christopher McCandless. Below is more information on the show.

Also, it is with great anticipation that we await the release of "Back To The Wild: The Photographs And Writings Of Christopher McCandless" on June 15th, 2011. Here is the website for the book and DVD which chronicle Christopher's two year odyssey that culminated in his traveling up to Alaska to live out his final, greatest adventure in the wild. Proceeds from the sale of the book and DVD will go to the Christopher Johnson McCandless Memorial Foundation. There are hundreds of photographs and writings in the book as well as narration on the DVD by friends of Chris's (Wayne Westerberg and Jan Burres), as well as the voice of Mr. Hal Holbrook. We are thankful and grateful to everyone who has made this project a reality.

Have a beautiful day!

Chris's Pack, Stampede Trail, oil on panel, 24"x36"

An Aesthetic Voyage:

Painting Inspired By The Life And Travels

Of Christopher McCandless

June 3-18th, 2011

Abbozzo Gallery, Oakville, Ontario, Canada

Opening Reception June 3rd, 7-10pm

June 4th, Artist in attendance from 2-4pm

If you are interested in any of these paintings you can contact the gallery toll-free at

1-866-844-4481 or at mail@abbozzogallery.com

"Happiness depends upon ourselves."~Aristotle

"Self-Portrait, After" and Christopher McCandless Exhibition

2011-05-06T12:48:00.002-04:00

"Sadness is but a wall between two gardens."~Kahlil Gibran

Every artist has their own manifesto, their own impetus that resides underneath the paint. Our reasons for painting are as varied as our techniques...and the beauty of it is there is no correct answer. It is ultimately subjective. Speaking of manifestos, and on a side note, my friend Conrad once suggested I read Pulitzer Prize Winner Mary Oliver's book "Blue Pastures". Within its pages there is an essay called "Of Power And Time." It resonated with me VERY strongly as a creative person. You should read it.

Periodically I do a self-portrait of myself, bereft. I call it, unofficially "The Crying Series". I never know when another piece will be added, which is part of their appeal I find. This painting, "Self-Portrait, After", oil on panel, 2011, 8"x10", is the third piece in the ongoing series. Pain and sadness are just as much a part of life as joy and fulfillment, the question is, what do we do with these ebbs of the spirit? I choose to paint them. By doing do it makes them a reality. It is cathartic. It enables me to work through the sadness, to try to capture a bit of that intensity of emotion. I am not wallowing in despair, but instead, literally, making the most out of a bad situation.

When you look at the painting, remember that it is not important why I was crying, but how it resonates with you. I paint these pieces for myself, but with the hope that others can understand and place themselves in a similar situation where they felt the same hand-wringing of the soul.

On a technical note, I had great interest in painting my eyes. I wanted to show that delicate translucency that one's lids have during and after the struggle.

"Self-Portrait, After" is available at Abbozzo Gallery, and is a part of an upcoming exhibition of my work. I will have a selection of new paintings which will be displayed in conjunction with paintings inspired by the life and travels of Christopher McCandless. Christopher's story was the subject of John Krakauer's book "Into The Wild", and the film "Into The Wild" directed by Sean Penn. The exhibition will have its opening reception on June 3rd from 7-10pm. I will also be at the gallery on Saturday, June 4th from 2-4pm for guests who were not able to make the opening reception the night before. I hope to see you there! Have a beautiful day and weekend :)

Chris's Pack, Stampede Trail, oil on panel, 24"x36"

An Aesthetic Voyage:

Painting Inspired By The Life And Travels

Of Christopher McCandless

June 3-18th, 2011

Abbozzo Gallery, Oakville, Ontario, Canada

Opening Reception June 3rd, 7-10pm

June 4th, Artist in attendance from 2-4pm

If you are interested in any of these paintings you can contact the gallery toll-free at

1-866-844-4481 or at mail@abbozzogallery.com

"Diary Of A Supertramp (study)", oil on panel, 8"x10"

"To The Sea", oil on canvas, 24"x36"

"Chris's Tent, Stampede Trail", oil on canvas, 18"x36"

"Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth."~Henry David Thoreau

"Gayle, Somewhere Else"

2011-03-02T17:08:00.001-05:00

"We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time."

~T.S. Eliot

I have traveled a lot over the past two years. A LOT. I believe travel is the best education certainly, yet there is a time and place for it. As a painter, I need a quiet studio, without frenetic energy, in which to create. Some artists thrive on chaos in which to make their art, but not me. To gather moss is not necessarily a bad thing. Moss is productive in its own right. But the "rolling stone gathers no moss" maxim has an important message. Do not stagnate. Stay active, even when you are still.

So, travel. Experiences outside of the studio: Camping in Denali and Yosemite National Park, The Mediterranean, Cappadocia, Vancouver Island, The Yukon, Manhattan, The Outer Banks, the Midwest, the desert, the ocean, fireflies, many moons. All of these experiences have enriched me enough to last a lifetime. I cherish each memory. But the most important thing I have gleaned from these two years is that I need to return to the figure. I want to re-examine what can never be truly understood. Painting a form, a person, who may be somewhere else, far away, but appears to rest, that is the undiscovered country that I want to explore.

Many people have commented that my self-portraits and figurative work convey sadness. "Gayle, Somewhere Else", oil on panel, 40"x48"is no exception. But she is not sad. Or maybe she is. My goal is not to paint someone 'posing', someone aware of the viewer. I want to capture the quiet moments of solitude. Often in solitude we are not smiling from ear to ear, and sometimes we are. Thus my portraits are contemplative yes, but, by and large, not sad (to me). And to be sad...is that such a horrible thing? Without sadness how could we appreciate the happy times? Just saying.

Here is the first stage of the painting. I wanted to include these so that you could see how it all developed. For the first couple of painting sessions I just tried to cover the white of the canvas. I should do an underpainting, but I'm too impatient. I try to move around the canvas and work the entire piece as much as possible to retain balance. I mix each brush stroke or two with new paint. I never work with a pre-mixed batch of a certain colour. Again, no patience. It is funny how we get into habits, routines. Perhaps we are not meant to break them :)

Stage two finds the colour spreading as the drapery starts to take form.

Below you see the painting almost completed. I wanted the drapery to encircle her, as it protecting her. I had worked quite a bit on the skin tones here but still was dealing with rendering the sheets to my satisfaction. One friend has commented that the sheets resemble the folds of one's mind. I like that metaphor. She is quite oblivious to the outside world, or appears so, and instead is negotiating the terrain of her mind.

Upon completing this painting I was filled with a sense of happiness to be back doing what I love most...capturing the figure in quiet moments. The next year will be filled with more of these paintings, as well as completing some commissions. I know that I will always travel, always need to get out, camp, hike and see new places. And be aware that this blog post is coming to you from Fairbanks, Alaska! But happily, I will take off my hiking boots soon. It is good. It is balance. And balance is everything.

Have a wonderful day, wherever in the world you may be....

Heather

"Gayle, Somewhere Else" is also available as a print! Check out the link here on Deviantart. Thanks!

Also, follow me here on Twitter! Facebook page too!

"Reality leaves a lot to the imagination."~John Lennon

Paris...Where Will You Let It Take You?

2011-01-03T21:26:00.001-05:00

"I invent nothing. I rediscover."~Auguste Rodin

Happy New Year! The year brings with it new experiences, artwork, friendships and potential for growth as artists and individuals.

I have collected a few images that I photographed on an amazing journey to France last autumn. A commission project took me to the South Of France. The clients, who are now dear friends enabled me to take thousands of photos while staying with them. I could easily live in France. The slower pace and savouring of time, food and company help with one prone to a busy, overly-active mind.

The images found in this blog post are all available for purchase as fine art prints, photo prints and more here on my DeviantArt page. DeviantArt is a huge, online community of passionate artists and creatives and a great hub of excitement about all things art.

These images are taken mostly from Paris, with the Arc De Triomphe and Notre Dame offering many opportunities to capture amazing subjects in shifting light and atmospheres. Here are two images taken from a visit up the Arc De Triomphe...

Ascending the many steps up to the top of the Arc De Triomphe

..this image reminds me of a nautilus shell.

The Arc De Triomphe wasn't too busy that day...but considering it is one of the most frequently visited spots in Paris, there was a large volume of people there. The views from the top of the Arc were spectacular and showed the city radiating out in all directions like waves out from a central point. There was a "study" for one of the relief sculptures on the outside of the Arc found inside en route to the top. The detail and quality of expression on this figure truly amazed me. I shot numerous photos of this statue but this one was my favourite..

Another day involved a visit to the very popular Pere LaChaise Cemetery. Most people go to track down the grave of Jim Morrison, lead singer of "The Doors". Morrison's body was removed from the grave man years ago for fear of vandalism I believe. While walking around the cemetery I spied this lovely statue. A bit of grief frozen in time. I always marvel how soft fabric can retain that visual quality even when sculpted from stone, marble or bronze.

The next day I visited Notre Dame De Paris, one of the most famous cathedrals in the world. As I meandered past many shrines to different saints, the crowds were respectful and quiet and spoke in hushed tones all around. I stopped to take a shot of one of the many places that votive candles had been set out to be lit by the devout or simply visitors moved to be at the cathedral.

The warm glow of the votives contrasted nicely with the echoing

acoustics and cool grey stone of the cathedral..

There were many beautiful statues in Notre Dame but the one which I enjoyed the most was the solitary figure of Joan Of Arc off in a corner, a bit of light illuminating the statue. Her resolute posture struck a chord.

After exploring the cathedral from the inside I decided to head up the hundreds of stairs to view the famous gargoyles en route to the top of the structure. I was not disappointed. The gargoyles cut a great profile on the skyline of Paris...watch guards who keep a constant vigil over the City Of Lights. There was must quiet jostling of precious real estate space up there on the terrace. People were leaning out and snapping photographs like mad, myself included.

These gargoyles jutted out and perched on the corners surrounding the periphery of the cathedral. I tried to imagine sitting there, looking out forever at the same view, but a constantly changing view too, with people and seasons altering the landscape. While I was out on the small catwalk a group of cleaners appeared out of nowhere and regarded their charges. The gargoyles stared back. It was a rather amusing moment.

The gargoyle seemed to defy the sky to descend upon the city..

A fun juxtaposition..acrophobes need not apply:)

These photographs have been culled from a large number of shots...thousands of them actually. Look for more blog entries about the amazing city of Paris within the coming weeks...these are but a few of the many sights that caught my mind and heart out in the City Of Lights. I can easily say that Paris is the most beautiful large city that I have ever had the pleasure to visit. I could live there, unlike other large cities of the world. There is room to breathe, character at every corner and romance, yes, is everywhere. It is a place of dreams, a place that belongs to artists and those with a desire to push themselves to the edge of their imagination and beyond...

"An artist has no home in Europe except in Paris."~Friedrich Nietzsche

Thoughts on An Extraordinary Year..

2010-12-27T14:50:00.017-05:00

"North on I-29", oil on panel, 16"x16"

This past year has been ridiculously full of travel and exploration. From hiking over mossy trails on Vancouver Island, jogging along the Yukon River in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, standing in sun looking out at the splendour of Cappadocia in Turkey, peering over the shoulders of gargoyles at Notre Dame in Paris, witnessing the impossibly blue Mediterranean Sea, touching the spines of Saguaro Cacti in the south of Arizona, standing beneath the quiet hush of giant sequoias in California's Yosemite National Park, and seeing Mt. McKinley in the heart of Denali National Park in its full glory, I would not trade a moment of it for anything.

A flicker surveys the surrounding desert landscape from atop a saguaro cactus, Arizona..

It has been a year of reference-collecting extraordinaire. But it is not distance nor quantity of places that matter. It is what you glean and distill from each day that has meaning and builds upon the fibres of your being. Whether you live in a cave (like one woman I met in Turkey) or rub shoulders with arctic tundra on daily basis...is is what we choose to store inside our minds and hearts that counts.

The sublime drive into Delta Junction, Yukon Territory

As Francis Bacon once said: "The job of the artist is to deepen the mystery."

This is an exciting and challenging task. I am trying my best to do this with my artwork, blogs, photos and other creative projects. Or course one has to venture inwards as much as outwards to fully express how you feel with regards to you work. I hope you have enjoyed these posts this past year, and just imagine what the future holds! 2012 sees another voyage to Alaska, a 200 km hiking adventure above the Arctic Circle in Greenland, and lots and lots of time in the studio getting back to painting the figure. I can't wait!

Cave dwellings thousands of years old in Goreme, Cappadocia, Turkey

The year has also seen "Back To The Wild: The Photographs And Writings Of Christopher McCandless" grow and evolve. We expect to publish the DVD and book in the early part of 2011. You can read more about the project here. It has been an incredible journey helping to bring the photographs and experiences of Chris McCandless to light for the world to see.

"The Big Blue": The Mediterranean in the South Of France

While a good number of paintings have come out of the studio, even more will be produced next year as I let the experiences of 2010 ferment and turn into fuel for future works. I have painted three landscapes recently, one of which is at the top of this post. I love painting these pieces yet I yearn to re-embrace portraiture and figurative work.This is at the top of my list of goals for 2011.

"Uzes Kitchen", oil on canvas, 24"x18", 2010

Private Collection

Magnificent Mount McKinley in Alaska, the highest peak in North America

So thank-you for coming along on these journeys with me over the past year. Many of you have been following my work for years already! I appreciate your support and belief in what I do. If you are interested in the painting "North On I-29", at the top of this blog, please contact Abbozzo Gallery.

Also I have set up an online ordering system for prints of my paintings and photographs! Here is the link to purchase prints. I will add more paintings and photographs to the list of available pieces soon. You can purchase fine art prints, photo prints, mugs, magnets and more!

May 2012 be your best year yet!

Sincerely, Heather

"Moving Forward" by Rainer Maria Rilke

The deep parts of my life pour onward,
as if the river shores were opening out.
It seems that things are more like me now,
that I can see farther into paintings.
I feel closer to what language can't reach.
With my senses, as with birds, I climb
into the windy heaven, out of the oak,
in the ponds broken off from the sky
my falling sinks, as if standing on fishes.

"Towards Fairbanks" and "The Swan" by Mary Oliver

2010-12-23T11:18:00.001-05:00

"Towards Fairbanks, oil on panel, 9"x12", 2010

The Swan by Mary Oliver

Did you too see it, drifting, all night, on the black river?

Did you see it in the morning, rising into the silvery air -

An armful of white blossoms,

A perfect commotion of silk and linen as it leaned

into the bondage of its wings; a snowbank, a bank of lilies,

Biting the air with its black beak?

Did you hear it, fluting and whistling

A shrill dark music - like the rain pelting the trees - like a waterfall

Knifing down the black ledges?

And did you see it, finally, just under the clouds -

A white cross Streaming across the sky, its feet

Like black leaves, its wings Like the stretching light of the river?

And did you feel it, in your heart, how it pertained to everything?
And have you too finally figured out what beauty is for?
And have you changed your life?

This painting and two other new landscapes are available at
Abbozzo Gallery!

Wishing you a Happy Holiday and a wonderful New Year!

Cavorting in Yosemite National Park

2010-12-16T14:40:00.001-05:00

"I am not an adventurer by choice but by fate."~Vincent Van Gogh

After our day trip to the ghost town of Bodie, California, my friend Jay and I decided to explore more of Yosemite National Park where we were camped for a week. The entire region was a sensory overload...to witness "Nature's Cathedral" so intensely was something we knew we would hold close to our hearts forever. With each glance upward cliffs of granite greeted us and we watched the light slant and change every hour. We had our adventure shoes on, and plenty of good coffee too!

We had a great system of filters and coffee to jump start our mornings at camp

On one of our last days we went to the top of Glacier Point, over 3,000 feet above the valley floor. It was amazing and vertigo-inducing to look down over the edge to Curry Village down below. People scurried about like ants and cars were the size of pebbles.

The winding climb that took over an hour to reach the top had us giddy with the knowledge that we were in such an amazing place. It was hot...every day was...July in Yosemite challenges your body to maintain a steady temperature, yet the climate is so variable that we were quite cold when twilight dipped into camp. Being in the high Sierras forces you to be prepared for the dramatic fluctuations in temperature from mid day to the middle of the night.

Here is a view looking out from Glacier Point. Half Dome, that sheer granite cliff that has inspired artists and naturalists for ages stands resolutely off to the right hand side. Here is a closer view of Half Dome below. It is hard to believe that it towers 4,744 ft above the valley floor...

Spending time in Yosemite National Park fostered a new appreciation for the beautiful variation of the earth. It is continually a surprise, an adventure, an invitation to reach out beyond our preconceived ideas about what the world is about. It was my first time in California and I can see why people wax romantic about that state. Granted I only saw a small pocket of it, but an important and significant place. I am pleased that Yosemite National Park is protected, and, while heavily traveled, there is a conscientious attitude there to preserve and enjoy it for future generations. John Muir set a good example and the park simply would not exist without him.

"Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in,

where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul."~John Muir

A view looking down Lower Yosemite Valley

On one of our last days in the Yosemite area, we ventured up to the Northeastern section of the park to Tuolumne Meadows. The drive took us on a winding road over to Olmstead point, which presented gorgeous views of the park from an entirely different angle. All told, we traveled from the top to the bottom of the park over the course of 8 days and did a great amount of hiking. From the vast expanse of the valley floor to standing in the soft shadow of giant sequoia trees, we embraced all that nature had to offer.

Crazy-gorgeous sky and clouds, with slabs of mountains falling away

as we drove towards Tuolumne Meadows..

At last...Tuolumne Meadows. Standing here was the highlight of my time in Yosemite..

Tuolumne Meadows literally took my breath away. We walked out on to the emerald expanse, and I could not help but spin around in circles. I felt like a child once again, and looked wide-eyed at the paradise rolling out all around us. Such large spaces of beauty seem to create a vacuum...they seem to possess their own gravity and pull you towards and into them as if with a tractor beam.

The water was so clear I couldn't help but wade in up to my waist...fortunately I had my Vibram 5 Finger KSO's on!! These little shoes are fabulous...especially if you are a rock climber, or like to amble about or run barefoot. Check out your local hiking store to see if they carry them. Here is their site!

KSO's make you feel like a Nature ninja!

I admired the tenacity of this tree to grow through a crack in the rock.

Proof that nothing is ever permanent..

We explored the meadow for the afternoon, walking away from the road, towards the river and passed all manner of rocks and trees, encountering almost no one once we left the road. Our entire week in the park had no rain, just hot temperatures, magnificent views and, fortunately, no cell phone reception!

Our last stop was the Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias...sequoias are truly exceptional trees...they were almost driven to extinction because their wood is so valuable...I think it is over 300 times more dense than pine. The forest was quiet with a light humidity as we walked in the shade of their shadows...we followed the winding trail down through the forest, marvelling at their immensity and the majesty of these unique trees.

Jay demonstrating the scale of the giant sequoias...

Yosemite seems like a lifetime away now, but yet the memories of spending time here will never leave me. The park thankfully, is protected, and we have the freedom to explore its wilderness to our hearts' content. If you have the chance to visit Yosemite National Park, please do. It has a quiet magic that will cast a spell on you and will not lead you astray. I promise :)

"I will be the gladdest thing under the sun.

I will touch a hundred flowers and not pick one."~Edna St. Vincent Millay

Have a beautiful day, wherever you may be...

UPDATE!

I now have prints, mugs, magnets of my paintings and photographs available!

Please check out my profile here on Deviant Art and click "Prints".

I will continually add new paintings and photographs for purchase.

Thoughts on "127 Hours" And What We Overcome: Part 1

2010-12-05T19:24:00.001-05:00

"Figure, Folded", oil on canvas

"The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it."~Moliere

I was on the treadmill today thinking about "127 Hours", as I have every day for the past week. Eight days ago my friend Natalie and I went to Toronto to see this film that I had heard so much about. It is the cinematic adaptation of Aaron Ralston's life threatening experience hiking near Moab, Utah in 2003. Knowing full well what was going to happen in the film, I was nervous about watching"the scene". Would I faint? Feel nauseous? Natalie thrust a colour photo from the center of Ralston's book "Between A Rock And A Hard Place" into my wide eyes, so that I could see his amputated arm, encased in rock and with splashes of crimson all around. That diminished my fear a bit, all the while piquing my curiosity about this man and what he did when there was no other option.

I had full confidence that "127 Hours" would move me. And it did. I've been watching Danny Boyle's films ever since "Shallow Grave" (1994). (Ewan McGregor laughing to himself in the restroom at a wedding, muttering "f#*king bin bag. He made that film).

As for "127 Hours" I was pulled into Aaron Ralston's world immediately. The film had a directness and did not embellish. It did not fall prey to many films that pad their premises with drama for drama's sake. I liked that. It simply took us to the heart of his ordeal yet laid it out in a thoughtful and beautiful way.

As an artist and outdoor enthusiast, I'm attracted to landscapes that take the breath away. I am bewitched by great distances between things. I MUST and WILL hike and experience that pocket of the world...ever since reading 'Desert Solitaire' two years ago, Edward Abbey's description of Arches National Monument and the surrounding landscape has haunted me. The film integrated the landscape with Ralston's enthusiasm perfectly..all the while drawing him nearer to the place that would change, and nearly take his life.

I have contemplated Ralston's act of cutting off his arm. Could I do the same thing? Would I survive it let alone have the courage to try? One can only speculate for it is only in that moment that you really discover the answer. So I started thinking...what have I overcome that has made me who I am today?

Now, keep in mind human beings compare in order to understand. We evaluate ourselves against the trials of our peers. Ralston lost an arm. That's heavy stuff. I'm not trying to compare our respective situations other than drawing even the most remote parallel.

Two experiences in my life have shaped me into who I am now. The first feeds into the second. In this blog entry I will describe the first experience. In a few days I will write about the other..

Three years ago I overcame an eating disorder that had me very VERY ill. I am 5'8" and had whittled down to 100 lbs at my lowest weight. I could not sit on a wooden chair or sleep with my knees stacked together for the pain from lack of body fat/muscle. I was in a crazy situation that had been precipitated by a depression following my mother suffering a massive stroke. I sought control in a situation that had swung madly off the charts of my understanding.

I obsessed about what I ate and overexercised. It became a game. A deadly game. My brain and body chemistry had altered so much that I felt like a husk of a human being. I felt like and looked like a wraith drifting between the world of the living and the dead. It was only when I was told I had osteoporosis at the age of 32 that I snapped out of it. Then and there in the doctor's office. That diagnosis changed me. I was not ready to perish. I was not ready to let go. I walked out of that office, ate whatever I wanted that day and never looked back. Now, four years later I have almost entirely reversed my bone loss (bone is the slowest growing tissue in the human body), am healthy and hike all over the world. With a combination of tenacity and determination, there truly is no limit to what you can do.

"Self-Portrait, Between", oil on canvas

Keep in mind I had to paint and earn a living through the eating disorder. The fire had left my eyes but there was always a spark deep inside. I knew this situation could not continue. It was like living two lives: the one I was trapped in and the one I knew was the correct one. I needed to paint myself in these places of unhappiness. As Picasso once said "painting is just another way of keeping a diary."Thus I have a record of what I went through with some of my self-portraits. Even the other work I did has echoes of that sadness in them. Here are some examples:

"Self-Portrait, Bedhead" This one won a prize :)

"Double Portrait", oil on canvas, 48"x36"

"The Spare Room", oil on canvas, 30"x60"

I think that this period of my life produced some of the most emotional work I have done. Yet I was not healthy. I painted as though through a gauze, in the shadows, indirectly. Now I am back on track and painting with a vibrant palette and carving out experiences wherever the wind blows me. It is all a part of our own unique history. We all have a way of tallying our lives, of realizing them with permanence. Mine is through paint and words.

Thus back to Aaron Ralston

"Art begins with resistance-at the point where resistance is overcome.

No human masterpiece has ever been created without great labor."~Andre Gidé

"Chris's Tent, Stampede Trail"

2010-11-22T11:43:00.001-05:00

"By all means use sometimes to be alone.

Salute thyself; see what thy soul doth wear."

~George Herbert

It is human nature to test oneself. There is a desire to carve out one's character and prove one's mettle in this world. How we do this is beautifully varied and unique to each of our own temperaments. Some of us dream to take the leap into this unknown. Others do it. Chris McCandless did it. The fact that he perished while realizing his dream doesn't change the fact that at least he tried. This is why I have gravitated to his story and the photographs that he took have inspired over 14 paintings based on his adventures from 1990-1992. "Chris's Pack, Stampede Trail", 18"x36", oil on canvas, is the latest in this body of work.

Chris set out on The Stampede Trail on the morning of April 28th, 1992. It was cold and spring was particularly late arriving that year. This painting shows the snow-packed trail and his small camp that he has set up right on the track. Considering how many mushers and snowmobilers, skiers and outdoor enthusiasts frequent the area, it is pretty amazing that Chris didn't see another soul for 113 days. But this is probably what he hoped for. Total isolation. The ultimate test to see if he could do it. And he almost did.

The Stampede Trail runs along a small parcel of land that is technically in the Wolf township. It is surrounded entirely by Denali National Park, a vast expanse that is over 6 million square acres. Stampede Road graduates into Stampede Trail, and the trail meanders for over 20 miles before dissolving into the wilderness. Along the trail there are a few cabins but it is largely unpopulated. I have hiked the entire length of Chris's journey along the Stampede Trail, so going through his photographs I feel a wave of nostalgia, which strikes me as a bit strange. Read about my entire journey here. I recognize areas that he photographed (the Teklanika River, Bus 142, the gravel bar near the Sushana River). This painting is another of Chris's many "self-portraits". His tent, his small home, his worldly possessions all assembled on the cold earth, are an extension of himself. He wanted to look back on these images and remember what he had done and where he had been.

In approaching this painting I wanted to accentuate the space, the open sky and surrounding landscape. The colour palette is muted. Subtle. I used a lot of grey which I mix on my palette rather than purchasing grey in a tube. The same goes for black. I like to mix all of these tones each time I apply a bit of pigment. I never mix a large quantity of paint to draw from but prefer the inherent variations produced from mixing for each brushstroke. That is why a large section of black can have echoes of dark green, purple, crimson or blue.

Painting white is one of my favourite things to do. Whether it be snow or sheets draping a figure, all colours are found in white, but the challenge is to show that it IS white...how does one do that? Like anything else, it is a balance of value and colour. The important thing is to stay open to being surprised by what you see and being faithful and resolved to reproduce it on canvas as accurately as possible.

Although this painting is of Chris's tent along the Stampede Trail it could belong to any of us. It is a symbol. It represents the bottomless energy of youth and the determination to not shy away from the precipice.

I have had many requests to show the painting of Chris's belt that I painted a study of. Here it is again. It is called "Diary Of A Supertramp (study)". A full version of the belt will be included in the "Back To The Wild: The Photographs And Writings Of Christopher McCandless", released in 2011!

"Diary Of A Supertramp (Study)", oil on panel

Below is a photograph of the Stampede trail as it winds through the Alaskan backcountry in the height of summer. Photo courtesy of my dear friend Ed Plumb, who hiked it with me in 2008.

Upcoming blog posts will include a revisiting of Bus 142 and Denali National Park in Alaska, an incredible journey to the South of France and Paris and explorations through the heartland of America for the Back To The Wild project! Have a beautiful day!

Heather

"I hold it true, whate’er befall;
   I feel it, when I sorrow most;
   ‘T is better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all."
~Alfred Lord Tennyson

Bodie, California: Beauty In Decay

2010-11-19T13:39:00.000-05:00

"Men rush to California and Australia as if the true gold were to be found in that direction; but that is to go to the very opposite extreme to where it lies."~Henry David Thoreau

Human beings are by nature a curious and persistent lot. We are constantly seeking to improve ourselves through whatever means necessary. Take gold for example. Gold was the catalyst that created a huge influx of wealth and people into California in the 1800's. Bodie, California lies east of the Sierra Nevada, only 12 miles from the Nevada border. I had the chance to see this amazing town that lives in a state of "arrested decay" with my friend Jay this past August.

Jay and I were in the midst of spending a week in Yosemite National Park, exploring its many wonders. We decided to leave the park and venture to Bodie for a day trip. A 3.5 hour drive northeast of Yosemite brought us to the dusty and rock-strewn road that breaks off from I-395. We then began a circuitous route around sandy mountains littered with dusty, dry bushes. It was HOT. August. The desert. Enough said. Yet we relished it...it was such a far cry from the cool mists of Vernal Falls and Yosemite Falls in the heart of Yosemite Valley.

Big sky country. Taking a break along the bumpy,

12 mile stretch of unmaintained road towards Bodie.

As we drove along this road we marvelled at the unrelentingly stark landscape around us. We could not imagine living out here, much less in the ferocious winter months. After what seemed like hours a bend in the road brought us to our prize: Bodie. The buildings scattered on the hillside seemed dwarfed by the sky and sheer scale of our surroundings.

Bodie's notorious reputation precedes it. Known as a den of inequity and crime in its hay day, all that remains now are whispers and ghosts of its past. As an artist and someone fascinated by the remains of activity in quiet places, it was Xanadu. There were no residents to tell the tales, no miners and bankers, mothers and husbands to share their happinesses and sorrows. There was only what they left behind in the spaces they used to inhabit. Haunting stuff.

A small barn slowly accepting the inevitable..

This old bed frame, cast aside, symbolized lives lived and long gone.

Bodie has been designated as a National Historic Site and thus has a small crew that works there on a full-time basis. They take tours out around town and supply visitors with answers to their questions. With a detailed map of present and the footprints of past structures in hand, Jay and I meandered around the town for the afternoon. Here are some photos of what we found...

A chopping block. I found this rather eerie.

Wires like arms outstretched..

Jim, a convivial guide who offered tours of the mine that is usually closed to visitors.

Relishing the unique climate and feel of such a special place.

Ontario seemed very far away..

Bodie is a testament to the adage that change is the only constant. The buildings were hastily and poorly constructed when the town began to boom in the 1870's. Thus when winter set, in a lack of insulation contributed to a high mortality rate. Crime was a daily reality as well. The town bell would ring each time someone lost their life. It rang very frequently. One little girl famously wrote in her diary when she learned of her family's move to Bodie: Goodbye God. I'm moving to Bodie."

The Swayze Hotel in the foreground. Note the beam propping it up.

This side trip to Bodie will always stand out in stark contrast to the verdant climes of Yosemite that we had come to know and love in the days leading up to this day. Bodie in particular is a reminder that life is always hurtling quickly forward. It takes no prisoners. A sign in one building in town had a plaque that showed Bodie in various phases of its existence. "Nothing Endures But Change" Hericlitus said, and this quote lies above the photos. I could have spent weeks photographing this place...the rugged countryside and threatening sky seemed constantly poised to descend and swallow it up. It was eerie. It was beautiful. It was.

Crumbling remains of the bank in Bodie.

"Because things are the way they are, things will not stay the way they are."~Bertolt Brecht

"Self-Portrait, Smallest"

2010-10-14T15:25:00.000-04:00

"The countenance is the portrait of the mind, the eyes are its informers."~Marcus Cicero

The only place that I have ever left that brought tears to my eyes is Alaska. "Self-Portrait, Smallest", oil on panel, 3"x4", symbolizes the vacuum I felt between the 49th state and my studio a few days after arriving back in Ontario, Canada, thousands of kilometres away.

13 wonderful days were spent in my favourite place, meeting new friends, reuniting with old ones and exploring new territory. My friend Jay and I camped and hiked in Denali National Park and spent lots of time in Fairbanks with my dear friend Ed and other good friends. Once you have friends and a community about you, it endears you even further to that land. It attaches itself to your bones and beckons you to return.. Perusing photos I had taken, a melancholia descended upon me and I knew I had to paint that impression. Could this be seen as melodramatic? Perhaps, but this is how it felt and thus it is the truth, and I had to capture it.

I think that often the smallest paintings can be receptacles for the greatest depth of emotion. These tiny paintings are often studies that depict moments of reflection, of poignancy, of quiet urgency. They are easily missed but if you notice them they challenge you to look away. Perhaps that is what I love about Alaska: it challenges me to look away from it when I am off in other places, working on other projects and exploring other landscapes. And perhaps the North, as a corollary, is where the true allure lies. This is what will take me to Greenland and Norway next year, yes further Arctic adventures are in store! Yet each time I gaze at this little painting I am reminded of the mist that lay low in the valleys of Denali National Park the morning we drove out, of the lone caribou that wandered towards us as we hiked along the park road, or of seeing Mt. McKinley out and perfect in its full glory on that special day. It is a small remembrance of a much larger experience. Here are some photos from that journey to provide context...

Driving towards Cantwell on the Denali Highway

Mt. McKinley, the tallest peak in North America was fully visible that day...

Driving out early in the morning from Denali National Park...6 million acres of beauty..

Technically, I spent a long time on this painting. Longer than I thought I would but the intricacy of the smaller details is what demanded further attention. Yes, I painted with small brushes, whisper-thin at a few hairs wide, but you are only as good as your brushes, in my opinion. You can mix colour with anything but the care taken when applying it is where true patience speaks and accuracy is essential. I enjoyed the lack of white, but mixing and applying variations of pale pumpkin all the way through to angry russets. Painting transitions is always something to pay close attention to: where the jawline recedes into the pillow behind it, where the creases in eyelids or hands intersect..it all must be considered. Unless I am under a tight deadline, I enjoy this task immensely.

This painting is on wood panel, which adds a bit of weight to it. It is comfortable in the hand...as seen here as I dropped the painting off at Abbozzo Gallery in Oakville, Ontario:

I found out that there were clients waiting to see the painting the day before, when I had mentioned I would drop it off...what a wonderful feeling...to know that people are looking forward to seeing work before it has even dried. Joy!

Speaking of joy, I wish you a wonderful and brilliant day wherever you may be reading this post from...one day I will release a book with photography and paintings together, stitched together from different adventures and the impressions they have left upon me, as well as the beautiful souls encountered on the way.

"Your work is to discover your world and then
with all your heart give yourself to it."
~Buddha~

Yosemite National Park: Nature's Cathedral, Part 1

2010-09-02T15:53:00.000-04:00

Yosemite Valley, to me, is always a sunrise, a glitter of green and golden wonder in a vast edifice of stone and space. ~Ansel Adams

It has been quite a while since my last posting but I have been accumulating a lot of blissful experiences traveling and exploring! I seek to embrace as much exploration as possible...there will definitely be a book of artwork and photography that comes from all of these travels!

I had the great pleasure of visiting Yosemite National Park last month. The park surpassed my expectations and let me tell you, they were high. I, like millions of people around the world, fell in love with the park while watching the Ken Burns special "National Parks: America's Best Idea" which aired last year. In fact, one park employee remarked that attendance in the park is expected to increase by 40% in 2010, due mainly to the Burns Special. Truly, Burns' photography painted a stunning wilderness tapestry with his series....he showed the park and the beauty of the High Sierra like nothing I had ever seen before. I remember goosebumps alternating with getting choked up by the beautiful cinematography.

My friend Jay from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and I had been planning this hiking/camping trip for over a year. We would camp for a week in Yosemite and then fly up to Denali National Park in Alaska. Pretty much a National Park dream-come-true :) Initially we were skeptical about our campground being so far away from Yosemite Valley but came to relish the cooler temperatures with the 1,000 ft elevation gain it had compared to the valley floor. Hodgdon Campground was beautiful for its giant Mariposa pines and fresh air....but I did have some issues with noisy neighbours for most of the week. Proximity is close between campsites so hopefully there aren't many people who snore :) However the group of ornithologists camped on our other side made for perfect neighbours...they were quiet and respectful.

Looking down an adjacent valley en route to Yosemite Valley...sublime!

The majestic El Capitan took our breath away

En route to Curry Village we stopped and walked through this meadow

Despite temperatures that rose to swelterings level during the high point of the day we relished the cooler evenings and higher elevation of our camp. Yosemite Valley was bustling with lots of people yet rarely felt "crowded". Curry Village was charming and well-equipped with a great climbing/gear store, a souvenir shop, a great pizza place, a larger hall that served buffet style meals every day, a cafe and a quiet area where WiFi was sporadic. Perhaps the granite cliffs all around us thwarted a decent signal but our goal was not to stay connected but to get away and explore. Jay and I have a deep respect for John Muir and Ansel Adams...both of whom were deeply passionate about the park and we understand why now.

Jay sitting by the sign towards Vernal Fals

We caught a glimpse of the falls on our way up. It was a steep, slippery climb but great fun!

Our climb up Vernal Falls didn't take very long but it had a steady flow of traffic and, being a narrow trail in sections, there was some waiting involved. Everyone was happy and excited to be there, you could tell...and who wouldn't be? I enjoyed the Mist Trail...the park was so healthy and clean...we hardly saw one piece of litter the whole time at Yosemite.

Vernal Falls

We hiked up to the top of Vernal Falls, a popular, steep hike with 900 ft elevation in a short time. On our way back down I spotted some Amish people ascending up the trail. I thought that they looked beautiful and was fascinated. I looked away as they passed because I did not want them to think I was staring at them. I took a quick shot with my camera that I lined up quickly and candidly, having no idea what I would capture, if anything....

But there they were in the frame...

Vernal Falls was a great hike for our first day. We acquainted ourselves with the valley and rented bicycles in the afternoon that we rode out to Mirror Lake. Lots of people rent bikes for the day in the park as there is minimal car traffic and lots of paved areas and unpaved trails to travel on. The ride to Mirror Lake was mostly uphill but a low grade which we appreciated given the heat of the day. Mirror Lake is an area frequented by children and families who want to splash in the clear waters and admire the granite cliffs that surround the park. Part of the trail in the area was closed off recently due to a rockslide but just standing at the water's edge gave us a huge sense of peace. I waded into the water and would have spent the entire day there but there was so much left to see...one doesn't have to push oneself to scale up craggy trails to find great joy. I'm sure Thoreau often found bliss contemplating a blade of grass or a flower. I believe it is not the distance that one travels but how you contemplate and feel about what you have seen that matters most.

Mirror Lake..it is easy to see where it gets its name from..

Half Dome never seemed far away from us....it is so vast you can see it from many miles away.

Granite veins that seem to provide a life force to the valley and park.

The setting sun filtering through the trees at Hodgdon Meadow

We had read that the Tiger Lillies were blooming in Hodgdon Meadow so we found the trail and walked out in the evening sun...it was peaceful and quiet with the perfume of campfires wafting from the campground nearby. The lilt of laughter could be heard from far off...people relishing the place as well..for they, like we had the pleasure of embracing the magic of Yosemite for that week....

I am heading to France for two weeks for a painting commission but I will blog more about Yosemite and Alaska upon my return. Have a beautiful day and savour every moment...

Heather

Sunlight through the Tiger Lillies blooming in Hodgdon Meadow

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

Back To The Wild: The Photographs And Writings Of Christopher McCandless

2010-08-31T14:50:00.005-04:00

"The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun." ~Christopher McCandless

It is with great pleasure that I am able to announce new information about the forthcoming DVD and book, "Back To The Wild: The Photographs And Writings Of Christopher McCandless". There will be over 300 photographs that Chris took on his odyssey of self-discovery and exploration from 1990-1992.

The official release date for the book and DVD is June 15th, 2011!!

There will be writings from Chris and those who knew and were close to him. All of these materials cohere together to form a portrait of a unique and gifted young man, a man who has touched countless people with his story and life. This book will allow readers to follow in Chris's footsteps as he chronicled his adventures with camera and pen, living life on the cusp of the unknown. You will meet the friends that he met and made, seeing them as he saw them along the open road that he followed so faithfully.

We extend our thanks to Jon Krakauer for writing an introductory note, along with Walt and Billie, Chris's parents and Gloria Davis, our editor. Joseph Moss, a professional photographer, designed the cover for the book. I am honoured to have contributed time and energy to this project and I will definitely keep this blog up to date with new information as it becomes available. If you wish to read the introductory notes to the book click here. Adam Read is the talent behind the website for the book which is in the final stages of development. Wayne Westerberg continues to be amazing help with the project as well, providing anecdotes and materials from his time spent with Chris. We have a Facebook page devoted to the project now. You can access and join it here. The project is also on Twitter and you can follow us here! We also extend a huge thanks to Mr. Hal Holbrook who provided some wonderful narration on the DVD.

From the moment I saw Chris's photographs when I visited Walt and Billie in Virginia I was deeply moved...something had to be done with these beautiful images. The world needed to see Chris's vision through is own eyes. I have created and am still working on a body of work surrounding Chris's story and have created paintings based on some of his photographs. You can see these paintings on my website found here.

Proceeds from the sale of the DVD and book will go to help needy children via the Christopher Johnson McCandless Memorial Foundation.

I have an upcoming exhibition of paintings inspired by the life and travels of Christopher McCandless. The exhibition will have its opening reception on June 3rd from 7-10pm. I will also be at the gallery on Saturday, June 4th from 2-4pm for guests who were not able to make the opening reception the night before. I hope to see you there! To see the full selection of available paintings related to Chris's story please visit my website here!

Chris's Pack, Stampede Trail, oil on panel, 24"x36"

An Aesthetic Voyage:

Painting Inspired By The Life And Travels

Of Christopher McCandless

June 3-18th, 2011

Abbozzo Gallery, Oakville, Ontario, Canada

Opening Reception June 3rd, 7-10pm

June 4th, Artist in attendance from 2-4pm

If you are interested in any of these paintings you can contact the gallery toll-free at

1-866-844-4481 or at mail@abbozzogallery.com

"Diary Of A Supertramp (study)", oil on panel, 8"x10"

"To The Sea", oil on canvas, 24"x36"

"Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth."~Henry David Thoreau

I recently visited Bus 142 on the Stampede Trail where Chris spent his final four months in the summer of 1992. I had last visited this special place 2 years previously. Here are a few photographs that I shot while there.

Most of the windows are smashed now but efforts have been made to

place cardboard over them, keeping the elements at bay a bit.

The suitcase left in the bus by Chris's parents is still there,

along with his bible from when he was a child.

I gathered a small bunch of wildflowers and placed them by

the plaque that Walt and Billie had installed years ago.

Eventually it was time to leave, but it had been wonderful to return for awhile...

Have a beautiful day and I will post more updates soon!!

Heather

"A Special Meal"

2010-08-26T14:10:00.001-04:00

"I once had a sparrow alight on my shoulder for a moment while I was hoeing in a village garden,

and I felt that I was more distinguished by that circumstance than

I should have been by any epaulet I could have worn" ~Henry David Thoreau

"A Special Meal", oil on panel, 24"x18", was a painting that needed to be completed from the moment I saw the photograph on which it is based. I was in Virginia visiting with Chris McCandless's parents Walt and Billie, and they generously showed me the photographs that Chris took on his two year odyssey from 1990-1992. The vast majority of the photographs were beautiful, informative, poignant. However a handful stood out to me as truly iconic. That man had some seriously wonderful skill with a camera, a carefully composed eye, and I was moved to tears looking through them.

I am fascinated by subtlety, by the hint of movement, by the careful yet spontaneous placement of objects, body language and expressions. This painting clearly shows a deliberation, a method, Chris's plan of laying out this special meal for himself in Bus 142 on the Stampede Trail. He composed the table setting as he composed all of his photographs-with care and planning. When I first saw it I was struck with how happy he must have been to survey this pocket of civility that he had created in such a rough and raw landscape.

A knife that Chris probably acquired from Jan Burres, a friend of his who he met in California is set on a faded napkin. A spoon from his childhood home in Annandale is there as well, along with a fork and various pans and bowls that hunters have left in the bus over the years. A green tin is smoking to keep the mosquitoes at bay. Bug dope and his camera case are situated next to other jars and perhaps some rendered moose fat in a jar. Some berries sit in a bowl, perhaps to be enjoyed as a desert, or perhaps as a condiment for the moose meat in the bowl. There is an undeniable energy here. There is the expectation and the knowledge that he probably enjoyed this meal very much. It echoes back to how despite the most primitive conditions, we often revert to customs and habits and are ingrained within our beings at the deepest level.

This painting has been two years in the making. It has sat in the back of my mind while I worked on my "Newfoundland Portraits" exhibition last year, and it has stayed there while I have completed commissions for clients and other personal work. But at last I was able to begin it while staying for five weeks in Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory in May. I wanted to paint it on board because the thickness and texture reminded me of the makeshift table that Chris used. It had a rough, natural quality to it that I liked.

After visiting Bus 142 for a third time, just three weeks ago now, I still look fondly at objects in this painting that remain in the bus. I do hope they remain there for visitors to see who have come to pay respect to Chris and his journey. I have now completed about 13 paintings based on Chris's photos and experiences. If you wish to see the other paintings I have completed about Chris click on the numbers. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,. Although I never met him, I am able to try to see through his eyes as I paint the landscapes and moments that he deemed special, that means something to him. It is important to not rush past places of beauty, but to really see them for what they are. I paint to understand, to examine, and to become familiar with things that compel me to put brush to canvas. Whether it be the human form, the curve of a hillside, or eating utensils, it is what they represent that is alluring. For they then cease to be just an object and instead become what energy and memory we attach to them.

I will be posting new information soon on this blog and my other blog, Heather's Paintings and Musings about an upcoming DVD and Book of Christopher's photos and writings. Anyone who has been moved and/or affected by the life of this extraordinary young man should see/read them!

If you wish to find out more about Chris, his life, and the Memorial Fund created in his name to help needy children please visit:

Christopher McCandless Info
and
Chris's Purpose

"You shall above all things be glad and young.

For if you're young, whatever life you wear it will become you;

and if you are glad whatever's living will yourself become." ~e.e. cummings

Hiking In The Ibex Valley: Whitehorse and The Yukon 2010

2010-06-12T23:31:00.000-04:00

"I would rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth."

~Steve McQueen

I knew for three weeks about this hike. It haunted me a bit, frightened me a bit, thrilled me too. 27 km in 6 hours? It seemed rather ambitious yet I was up for the challenge. My friend Ian, whose house I was sitting (along with his cats) in Whitehorse, YT, told me before departing for Uzbekistan, that a small group of us would do a good hike before my flight back to Ontario. He explained it was across the floor of the Ibex Valley, a gorgeous region of land 25km north of Whitehorse. We would use two cars, one at our extraction point and one at the beginning of the trail. Here is a map of the Ibex Valley. Our hike looped below the Alaska Highway and met back up with it via a side road.

We organized our gear at the start of the trail. I was excited to try my Osprey daypack, a Kestrel 28L, as I knew it would be the perfect place to put it through its paces, as well as being handy for many future day hikes. There were four of us in total, and we headed out on trail which is usually frequented by bikers, ATV enthusiasts and skiers in the winter.

The trail was mostly flat, with a few rolling hills but no steep ascents or descents. We made good time and chatted amiably amongst ourselves. I was glad I had packed lots of water and some Gatorade, as well as lots of food. It is amazing how quickly you become depleted when hiking, especially if you are hiking at a good clip. I had forgotten my Camelbak in Ontario but it was easy to drink while hiking with the side pockets on the pack. I didn't want to slow the group down and was determined to keep pace with them. All three of my friends are consummate Yukoners, seasoned hikers, used to multi-day treks and much more ambitious excursions than this one. Thus I wanted to prove my mettle by not lagging on the trail.

As we crested a ridge I caught sight of a beautiful perspective...snow capped mountains as far as the eye could see. I looked out, loving the thought that they were so untampered with, not trodden upon by many people at all...the land free to breathe as it wished.

You can see from this photo the angle of the sun was quite distinctive. I wish I could articulate what it is about light and the North, what makes it so unique. I'm sure it must have to do with the latitude and angle of the sun, but from this artist's perspective I can only appreciate the effect it has on me rather than analyzing why it is the way it is. At times it is almost diaphanous, thin like the air, gauze-like. It's rays reach like a filigree over the earth. It bewitches.

Here are a couple of the many MANY bear tracks we saw on the trail. The earth was sandy and it was easy to make out the tracks...fortunately they were going in the opposite direction! The top photo shows an adult black bear while the shot below is a cub. We had bear mace and tried to make noise so as not to surprise them and reduce the chance of a potentially nasty encounter.

About 9 miles along the trail we approached a lake where my friends knew would be a perfect spot to stop for lunch. I asked Ian and the group about living in the Yukon and listened to them talk knowledgeably about animal tracks and previous adventures in the North. It is certainly a land of extremes: extreme climate, beauty, potential, serenity, and certainly extreme fortitude.

The vista took my breath away. My heart sang with gratitude that I was seeing this and experiencing this special place. We only passed a handful of people on the trail, all of whom were on bikes. They seemed a bit incredulous that we were hiking rather than biking the distance. As we neared the lake I could discern that it had a glorious turquoise colour, a quiet gem in the wilderness. A few birds were around but, as in Alaska, the enormity of the landscape made birdsong few and far between...silence predominated.

So many greens and soft colours composed the landscape. It was as though the earth was waiting to open with vibrancy and colour in a few weeks of warmer weather.

Although I knew the waters would be frigid I had an urge to jump into the lake, to break that still mirror reflecting the mountains above it.

After lunch we continued on, covering ground quickly. We spotted a few elusive Dall sheep up on the mountains to our left...small specks of white contrasted with the dark shale. We marvelled at their habitat, such a precarious life, their survival depending on their surefootedness.

After six hours we made it back to the car that we had left as a shuttle for ourselves. My feet ached but the rest of me was happily exhausted, a great day of exploration and companionship behind us. In times of sickness or fatigue, when I am in a crowded waiting room or on the subway, I think back to this day, use these memories as food to carry me through the trying times. It takes one to truly appreciate the other.

We discover that nothing can be taken for granted, for if this ring of stone is marvelous then all which shaped it is marvelous, and our journey here on earth,

able to see and touch and hear in the midst of tangible and mysterious things-in-

themselves, is the most strange and daring of all adventures. ~Edward Abbey

Whitehorse to Haines Junction: Experiencing the Sublime

2010-05-30T17:53:00.000-04:00

"It is not the mountains we conquer but ourselves"

~Sir Edmund Hillary

In an area of Canada as large as the Yukon Territory, you would think that the distance between towns would be vast. In many cases it is, but there is a whole lot of beautiful country that separates nearby day drives to Skagway, Alaska and on this particular day, Haines Junction.

My friend Allison and I headed out on a drive to hike and explore Haines Junction during February and March of this year while I was housesitting for my friend Ian. It was a perfect distance...2 hours to reach Haines Junction, another couple of hours to hike and then the drive back. Most of my days during the month I was in Whitehorse were spent working on new paintings brought with me from Ontario. Thus this excursion further afield held great appeal.

The view about 30 minutes northwest of Whitehorse on the Alaska Highway

I had heard great things about this drive, and I was NOT disappointed. In fact, that drive from Whitehorse to Haines Jct rivals any I have ever driven...we stopped to take a lot of photos as we made our way north and west. Haines Junction is a perfect jumping-off point to explore the gorgeous Kluane National Park.

A sign indicating the Kluane region that we were entering along the Alaska Highway

Last summer I went hiking and camping in Wrangell St. Elias National Park in Alaska. You can read about that adventure here! These two parks are joined together and encompass some of the most beautiful landscapes I have ever seen.

The mountains continued to rise out ahead of us as we drove along.

We drove through the Ibex Valley en route to Haines Jct. A week later I would be hiking through the Ibex Valley on a 27km trek that I will never forget. Look for that post in the next two weeks! The weather was typically quite changeable. The big skies of the North enable you to see shifting weather at great distances. The air is very dry in The Yukon. I couldn't believe how arid it was. One's skin becomes dry, the air is thin, and this is in the spring and summer. Ian informs me that this dry climate is even more pronounced in the winter.

Tempestuous clouds and far off rain seen on the horizon..

There were very few people on the highway...in fact, not many people period! The highway is so quiet that you look every time a car goes by if you are stopped by the road taking photos...It was the antithesis of Toronto, a far cry from the typical traffic found in Burlington too. The lack of congestion brought as much peace of mind as the mountains and clean air. Looking out over miles and miles of pristine forest, across untrodden slopes of snowy peaks, is catalyst for calm and inward reflection.

Such beauty made me catch my breath

We detoured into a popular campground where only a week previously there had been an incident with a bear. Bears are very frequent in the North...especially in the Kluane area. I was quite surprised that I didn't see any during my time in and around Whitehorse. Only some tracks. Perhaps this is for the best:)

The view across the lake by the campground. Sheets of rain can be seen on the right.

As we neared Haines Junction I continued to be awestruck by such great swaths of beauty. Haines Junction itself only has a few hundred people. It is very small but has a great sense of community. We stopped in at a local bakery/café after paying a visit to the Visitor Centre for some information. We were warned about bears in the area. Fortunately I had borrowed some bear spray from Ian's brother and I had it in my side pocket to retrieve it quickly should I need it. Fortunately I didn't!

Arriving in Haines Junction

We opted to hike along the Dezadeash River. It is an interpretive trail that is 6 kms long but we didn't read the signs, we just enjoyed the hike and surroundings. Allison was a bit on edge with the knowledge that bears were in the area but we continued on. The trail parallels the river for quite a ways and then loops back to rejoin itself. Although technically in town, the trail was sufficiently remote for us to feel the true benefit of the hike.

The foliage was still minimal as the temperatures were quite cool still. Nonetheless the landscape had a particular type of beauty that only the spring can possess. Seeing the trees bare and leafless makes you appreciate the transformation that will happen in a few weeks.

Across the river there was a wonderful view of the mountains. The perspective and scope of the land continued to inspire and humble me. I was half tempted to become a landscape painter then and there, as landscapes and their faces change just as frequently as any individual's. We continue on and as we passed this sign were reminded about whose territory we were really in:

This sign says "You are in bear country".

The Yukon is home to an abundance of black bears and grizzlies. I would not want to tangle with either kind. When bears attack people often it is because they have been startled, or feel that the lives of their cubs are in danger. Thus making noise is always wise, and one of the most important things I took into the Wrangells with me last year was a simple whistle. That and talking loudly and making lots of noise will hopefully alert any nearby bears to your presence and thus reduce the chance of a potentially deadly encounter.

This sign informed us that the area was a part of a Grizzly Monitoring Project

We hiked the loop and decided to make our way back to Whitehorse at a leisurely pace. On the way back we were fortunate to see a bison walking along the highway, along with some horses that had been abandoned by a defunct outfitter. They appeared to be enjoying their freedom and still had thick winter coats on.

Bison along the Alaska Highway

Elk!

Wild horses

The drive back to town was certainly eventful, as threatening weather brought bouts of rain intermixed with sunshine. We chatted amiably and Allison's dog Nugget had provided us with some entertaining moments throughout the day. To be a small part of such a big place caught me in moment of overwhelming peace and terror, but a good terror. The knowledge that our lives hinge on the smallest variable out here in the vast and unrelenting wilderness gives one cause to pinch oneself and also to sober us in the face of this reality.

"All good things are wild, and free.." ~Henry David Thoreau

A daytrip to Alaska...Whitehorse to Skagway!

2010-05-10T13:44:00.000-04:00

"Nature has neither kernel nor shell; she is everything at once."

~Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

I have enjoyed a few excursions during my time here in Whitehorse. One such morning I decided to drive to Alaska for the day. I knew that the trip to Skagway, AK was about two hours each way, and apparently one of the most beautiful drives in the area (which is saying a lot).

I grabbed my passport and left Whitehorse at 8:30am, intending to stop and take photos along the way, arrive in Skagway before lunch, hike and head back by the end of the afternoon.

I noticed how arid, or semi-arid Fairbanks was two years ago when I visited there and explored around Denali National Park, visiting Bus 142 on Stampede Trail in the process. I couldn't manage to stay hydrated it seemed. I was constantly drinking water and yet it seemed like a losing battle. Whitehorse is no exception. The air is quite thin, dry and crisp as compared to the soft, temperate climate that you encounter along the coasts. I know it is simple science that makes it so, but the contrast was extremely evident as I drove from Whitehorse to the coastal Alaskan town of Skagway that day.

heading south down the Alaska Highway

If you wish to see the route I took to Skagway, here is a link.

I stopped and took some photos of the world's smallest desert, The Carcross Dunes. Its size is only 1 square mile if you can believe it!

It was so bizarre to see sand juxtaposed with snow in such a way...certainly I had never seen anything like it before. It was quite cold and windy, particularly with the gain in elevation, so grabbed my toque and continued on towards Skagway.

Eventually you take a turn and leave the Alaska Highway, heading southwest on the South Klondike Highway. There was no one on the roads as usual, even on a Saturday. I only passed the occasional car and when I stopped to get out and take the odd photo, I would stand and listen to nothing but the wind and feel a lovely heaviness in that moment, feel the gravity of where I stood and tried to process it all.

There was still a lot of ice on the lakes near Whitehorse

Eventually I crossed the border into northwestern British Columbia. The highway passes through B.C. and then on to Alaska. But the borders, the latitude and longitude, were irrelevant in the face of so much beauty all around. Such grandeur made labels and statistics seem pale and unimportant by comparison.

The mountains and their monochromatic quality reminded me of a

scene that Ansel Adams might enjoy

The snow accumulates as I pass through Northwestern British Columbia

I continued on and as I made my way onwards and upwards, my increased elevation turned the precipitation into snow. It was quite amazing...to leave the sun and brilliance of Whitehorse and to now be an hour away and in a fog of blowing snow..quite surreal. At one point I stopped to shoot some photos of the blowing snow near the top of what seemed like a pass and, to my surprise, a family in a truck next to me took out skis and began cross country skiing...on May 1st no less!

Eventually I crested the top of the pass and began to head down towards the coast. I passed a rather bizarre sign that I tried not to think too much about:

I passed through U.S. customs without any issue. The border guard, all decked out in uniform, was pleasant and bid me on my way. Slowly but surely the snow began to dissipate as I neared the coast...the trees awoke as the snow receded, and by the time I rolled into Skagway there was greenery and lush vegetation everywhere.

Skagway is a popular destination for cruise ships and people beginning to hike the historic 53km Chilkoot Trail. The Chilkoot trail is rich in history as it was one of the main routes that intrepid men and women hiked during the Klondike Gold Rush. I would like to hike this trail within the next five years if possible. It sounds like an amazing adventure. There are still old stoves and other possessions that were to cumbersome to carry, now long abandoned and left by the side of the trail.

Skagway is home to about 500 people, yet the town was quiet in the drizzle of rain that was falling. I wandered about but most of the tourist shops and even the visitor centre were all closed. It appears that tourist season doesn't start in earnest until Mid-May up here. That was fine, as I didn't want to fall in step with the throngs that would inevitably descend here and in other popular spots in Alaska and the Yukon. I prefer to visit and explore places in off-season, when residents are more relaxed and life beats at more of its regular rhythm. Stopping in at the ferry terminal to track down a map of local trails, a friendly ticket issuer passed me a map and told me where the trailhead was. As I turned to leave he said rather nonchalantly "make sure you watch out for bears". I was slightly unnerved as I was on my own yet appreciated his advice and made my way to the beginning of the trail system.

I was going to attempt a longer trail with a higher elevation gain and more challenge, but after encountering a fair bit of snow on the first leg of the trail I opted for a lower route. I had never hiked on my own in earnest before, and certainly not in Alaska. Nevertheless I made lots of noise, stayed alert and enjoyed the solitude as I ambled up the steep slopes that levelled off and followed my chosen route.

Skagway, as seen from the beginning of the trail

My path wound up sharply for the first while.

After awhile I came to the lake I had been seeking and stopped to listen and observe everything around me. I was pleased that the trail was fairly well marked, yet it was still easy to take a wrong turn up there. Everywhere I could feel the earth waking up and enjoying the rain. I put my jacket back on as it was quite cool out. I loved the feel of of rain and didn't use my hood once. I can see why many women in northern climes don't wear much if any make-up. Who would want to up here when everything else is so natural and unaffected?

The lake was quiet, so still, with a thin layer of ice receding near its far shores.

I eventually found my way back down to the beginning of the trail and headed back to Whitehorse. I left the temperate rainy forests for the ice and snow of the pass, then back down to Whitehorse, a fabulous day of amazing sights seen, adventures had and peace felt. I will never forget it.

“Keep your love of nature, for that is the true way to understand art more and more.”
~Vincent Van Gogh

"Clothesline"

2010-05-07T13:09:00.009-04:00

The question is not what you look at, but what you see.

~Henry David Thoreau

"Clothesline", oil on canvas, 20"x20"

You may or may not have seen those commercials on television encouraging you to visit Newfoundland and Labrador. You know the ones...crashing waves, miles of pristine coastlines, and always a blowing clothesline or two? Well, let me tell you, that's EXACTLY what you find on The Rock. 360 degrees of unfiltered beauty.

As I explored the northeastern, north and northwestern areas of Newfoundland from Wesleyville to Rocky Harbour, I repeatedly came across clotheslines blowing fiercely in the wind. As I have mentioned in previous posts, the wind is always blowing there. Always. It is with you every step you take. I remember having to walk headlong into the gales in Gros Morne National Park...my coat flapping furiously. I swear they were 80km/h gusts. But this wind keeps the air so fresh, right off of the ocean, that you appreciate it as an intrinsic component of that special place, as necessary to its identity as partridgeberry jam.

After seeing a few clotheslines I became inspired to paint one. Yet I didn't want to approach the subject matter with a traditional composition of coastline and the clothes above. No I wanted to create almost an abstract piece. The shapes created by the clothes flying on the line intrigued me. I thought, what if I used the clothes as a horizon line? Perhaps people would look at this painting and not know what it was at first. Or perhaps they would. It didn't matter, because the fun is in not knowing how people will see a piece.

I can tell before I even start painting if I will like it. The composition is SO important, as important as any colour that you mix or how you apply the paint. Usually when we see clotheslines they are above our line of sight. Yet here I wanted to lower the subject, and thus emphasize the vast spaces of fresh wind and sky above. The skies are tumultuous and ever changing in Newfoundland, probably partially due to its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. Yet on this day the sky was robin's egg blue, pale and constant with no clouds at all. I love painting chunky, threatening clouds, but clouds were not the subject here. The billow of the clothes, the play of fabrics as they whipped on the line was the focus. I loved that the wind filled the towels and clothes like invisible bodies, shapeless until they encountered one another, and just as quickly were gone, replaced by other gusts.

If you do visit Newfoundland and Labrador, you will undoubtedly come across clotheslines such as these. I can also guarantee that you will encounter gorgeous coastlines, purple-blue water, and perhaps a part of yourself that you never knew existed. You will certainly meet beautiful, authentic, windblown people who inhabit this truly unique corner of Canada. That's a promise.

The Canadians of those days, at least, possessed a roving spirit of adventure which carried them further, in exposure to hardship and danger, than ever the New England colonist went, and led them, though not to clear and colonize the wilderness, yet to range over it as coureurs de bois, or runners of the woods, or, as Hontan prefers to call them, coureurs de risques, runners of risks.
~Henry David Thoreau

A Beautiful Silence...Whitehorse 2010

2010-05-03T12:01:00.000-04:00

The trail that hugs the shores of the Yukon River

We're all like detectives in life.

There's something at the end of the trail that we're all looking for.

~David Lynch

Last Friday I went for a run down by the Yukon River. It has been just over two weeks since I arrived in Whitehorse. Most days have been clear and sunny, or the occasional clouding over which has lent a lovely atmosphere with the mountains off in the distance.

Admittedly I'm a cautious girl, despite traipsing off and hiking alone in Alaska this past weekend (that will be another post, another day :)). Thus when my friend Ian told me about a great loop to run down by the river I was excited and scheduled it in as an alternate to my usual route down Hamilton Blvd to the Canada Games Centre and back (about 4.5km). This loop by the river is about 5km. Thus I headed down and parked near the S.S. Klondike, a designated national historic site which is situated right at the river on the way into town.

islands of ice line the river

It was brisk at 9am on Friday morning. Granted it WAS a workday. Nevertheless I was astonished at how few people I saw on the trail. In fact, aside from maybe two other joggers and one man walking his dog, I saw no one for the entire loop...It was alternately peaceful and unnerving. I was raised in the suburbs...a town that is home to 155,000 people. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the capital city of The Yukon Territory only having 25,000 people. Once you leave Whitehorse the average settlement that you encounter is only home to about 300-800 people...as another example, there are about 700,000 people in Mississauga, a suburb of Toronto that is two cities over from Burlington where I live. That is the ENTIRE population of Alaska contained within Mississauga essentially. Wow.

The patterns of ice were so beautiful, I was quite hypnotized by them.

Ian had informed me that there was a bridge called the "fish ladder"that crossed the river some distance down the trail. Thus I set off along the asphalt and stopped periodically to take photos of the melting ice on the river. The last time I saw this river was in Alaska...it certainly has personality...clear waters that vary from teal to slate blue-gray....it ranges from over a hundred feet across to narrower channels but always, always is on the move. I was glad I had my toque with me as I skirted the river and paralleled Robert Service way, one of the main thoroughfares into the city. Even so there were not many cars going by (surprise).

Here is a short video that I shot while running along the river.

A fun side trip but I had definitely taken a wrong turn

As I made my way around the loop I encountered a small wooden bridge. Not knowing the area I presumed that this was the bridge Ian referred to. I was wrong. The asphalt turned into wood chips and soft earth but I kept running, happy to have a change of surface. The trail became quite overgrown in parts and I had the feeling that I had taken a wrong turn but kept on with the route. Finally I realized that indeed I was going the wrong way. Serendipitously, just at that moment another runner came by. I asked her where the elusive fish ladder was and she instructed me to where I would find it. A few minutes later and I was on track again.

The fish ladder is right at the hydro station in Whitehorse. Signs posted everywhere indicated how hazardous the area was so needless to say I hastily ran over the bridge and made my way along the far shore in the direction of the start of the loop.

The fish ladder bridge that crosses the Yukon River. A nice 5 km loop.

I have not run inside at the Canada Games Centre since arriving in Whitehorse. Generally it is easier on the knees to run on a treadmill than paved surfaces. Concrete is the bane of runners' knees. Asphalt is 10 times softer apparently and you can definitely feel the difference between the two. However here the natural trails are so ubiquitous and inviting that I would almost feel guilty running inside. Thus I cherish the fresh air and ability to run outside here.

The river with the Whitehorse skyline in behind

I happily steered clear of the water's edge here

The trails on the far side of the river veered off of the asphalt and I followed them, the soft ground being the most preferable for my feet and knees. Periodically I stopped to take shots of the river, signs and landscape. My memory of the entire experience is clean, fresh, cool air, adventure and the excitement of taking a new path. Though familiar to many residents of Whitehorse, this loop was brand new for me...a great discovery. I can't wait to run it again...Not today though....it is snowing and has been all morning. Here is the view out into the backyard when I awoke at 7am.

As the days continue on here in Whitehorse I am continually struck by the constant quiet. In fact, when I awoke this morning I heard what I thought was the soft thud of a neighbour hammering next door. Upon listening closer I realized it was the beat of my own heart.

Have a wonderful day....

"A happy life must be to a great extent a quiet life,

for it is only in an atmosphere of quiet that true joy dare live."

~Bertrand Russell

If you enjoy listening to music and want to follow me on Blip.fm please click here. Blip.fm is a free music listening website. It is a lot of fun and a great way to hear new bands. I highly recommend it. Click here if you want to join. If you do, welcome! :)

"To The Sea"

2010-04-23T12:08:00.001-04:00

“There's no mastery to be had. You love the attempt.

You don't master a story any more than you master a river.

You feel lucky to canoe down it." ~Garrison Keillor

"To The Sea", oil on canvas, 24"x36" is another painting inspired by the journeys of Christopher McCandless. For this piece, I used Chris's own photo reference of his epic adventure down the Colorado River towards the Sea of Cortez in Mexico in the autumn of 1990. Chris bought the Grumman canoe second hand and began to make his way down the river, ostensibly ending up in the Sea of Cortez. Little did he know however, that after crossing the border into Mexico, the river would be diverted into smaller veins and irrigation canals that would thwart his progress and make a clear path to the sea impossible.

Fortunately some Mexican duck hunters helped him to the Pacific Ocean where he continued his adventure south down the coastline. Chris spent a total of 36 days without seeing a single soul, subsisting on fish from the ocean and surviving a dust storm that forced him into a cave for 10 days. He finally decided to abandon the canoe on some dunes when he was almost blown out to sea and broke a paddle in the great effort it took to make it back to land.

Why did I choose to paint this piece from 300 photos that Chris took? For one thing I am moved greatly by the courage it took him to follow a path into the unknown, to have his line of sight as his main navigational tool. I certainly don't have that courage! Also, I love the point-of-view from his canoe...there is an anonymity to it. Most of us have sat in a canoe or kayak and can appreciate that streamlined perspective that we know so well.

Another reason I am was compelled to paint this scene is how Chris's worldly possessions are discernible from the viewer's vantage point. His small, collapsible chair, his sleeping bag, his backpack....these objects that are so important to his adventure, these necessary ingredients can be seen and so for the complete picture of what exactly he carries with him as he paddles into the unknown.

Simplicity, in life and art, is often the best approach. The composition in this painting is pretty simple, with a muted palette of dusty greys, blues and greens. I like the balance of sky to land. and there is lots of room for the viewer's eye to rest. It is symbolic. It symbolizes the untrodden path, the fork in the road, the choice to experience life as acutely as possible. A busy canvas is not always a good thing. If you provide all of the answers, it takes the mystery out of it. I have never presumed to know what a viewer might think when they look at my paintings, just as we don't know what Chris was thinking when he took the photo that I based this painting on. The NOT knowing is magical. The uncertainty is important. Perhaps the questions are even more important than the answers. I believe they are.

Have a beautiful day, wherever you are...

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler."

~Henry David Thoreau

Thoughts in Northern Climes: Whitehorse

2010-04-21T15:25:00.000-04:00

heading south down the Alaska highway, towards Skagway and Carcross

It is my third full day here in Whitehorse and I'm beginning to settle into a quiet daily rhythm. Ian's beautiful cats are warming up to me, and now that they realize that I can and will give them food periodically, I seem to be in their good books.

Waking up with fresh lungs filled with clean air is a fabulous feeling...then to take that feeling outside for some exercise in the brisk wind and sun on your face make a morning here truly wonderful.

As you run down the paved trail there are subdivisions quietly sitting amongst the trees, the odd cyclist, people walking their dogs and always the pacific view of snowy mountains on the horizon. I try to savour and bottle the feelings of freedom and movement, the lack of pollution and the ease of breathing as I finish my morning dash.

The sun was shrouded a bit by angry looking clouds

but rain didn't fall until later in the afternoon

The view down the hill on Hamilton Blvd.

A great 8km distance for a morning run

Yesterday Ian and I drove down to Carcross, a small town that is rather dependent on the tourism industry and thus was rather quiet when we rolled into town. Tourism season picks up in May and continues until the end of July.

Emerald Lake, en route to Carcross

We took the Alaska Highway south and I remarked on how little traffic there was. "RV season hasn't begun yet" Ian chimed in. I then imagined a caravan of RVs trundling northward towards Whitehorse and the wilderness the surrounds the city.

The view out over Bennett Lake as we look out from Carcross

Quite quiet, Carcross seemed to be waiting for the inevitable crowds of June

When we arrived in Carcross we saw not a single soul. One truck trundled down a street but for all intents and purposes it was a ghost town. Even the public outhouses were locked up. Nevertheless, appreciating a place when it ISN'T active and bustling is enjoyable in it's own right. I believe it offers a peek into the true nature of a place, when the fluctuating crowds have not arrived yet, when there is quiet, and a feeling of waiting, hibernating even. We didn't stay long but began our way back to Whitehorse as raindrops were coming down and we had errands to run in lieu of the Viking party we are having tomorrow night. If we are adopting names, I'd like to be Freya, Norse Goddess and leader of the Valkyries. Not a bad gig I think.

Marsh Lake, on the way back to Whitehorse

“You will never do anything in this world without courage.

It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor.”~Aristotle

The Stark Beauty of Spring: Whitehorse

2010-04-20T11:48:00.000-04:00

"Some say it’s a fine land to shun;

Maybe; but there’s some as would trade it

For no land on earth — and I'm one."

~Robert Service, The Spell Of The Yukon

Time spent in solitude, especially in northern climes, invites introspection. It makes you cherish those distant connections with friends and family even more, yet also opens you up to new possibilities of adventure. In fact, travel inherently is paradoxical: you pull your past along with you while also forging ahead into new landscapes. The weight of the past may be light or heavy, depending on your relationships. Some seek to cut the rope that holds those memories behind them as they climb, run, hike away into new valleys of experience. However the trick, I think, is to keep your loved ones in your heart, trusting that you will return to them after your sojourn away from them. And perhaps, just maybe, leaving them for a time brings your closer to them in the end.

The view from my room in Whitehorse

I am going to try to blog more frequently up here in Whitehorse as I have less distraction than when I am in Ontario, and the rhythm of my days is much different. The Yukon is so vast, it is comforting to know that there are less than 40,000 people here in the entire province!

Glacial water has that luminescent blue hue that is sublime..

A view of Whitehorse

I wanted to post some new photos that I have taken of the surrounding area on a small tour with my friend Ian. His cats are warming up to me and I have included a photo of my latest painting subject, the lovely and convivial Pumpkin. Ian informed me last night that he had briefly considered naming her "Grendel's Mother", which is a FABULOUS name. Perhaps that can be her middle name. Certainly she has a better temperament than Grendel's Mother :)

So today I shall think about our own unique histories, for each is as individual as a fingerprint. Revisit what you might have put aside or neglected or turned away from. Our past shapes our future, of that I am certain.

The lovely and incomparable Pumpkin (aka Grendel's Mother)

The Yukon River, which I have not seen since I was in Alaska two years ago near

Fort Yukon on the Dalton Highway

Have a beautiful day :)

Heather

"We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfilment." -Hilaire Belloc

Thoughts On Exploration: British Columbia and The Yukon

2010-04-19T12:08:00.000-04:00

A view from the ferry, en route to Vancouver Island....

“How badly I want that nameless thing! First there must be an idea, a feeling... Maybe it was an abstract idea that you've got to find a symbol for, or maybe it was a concrete form that you have to simplify or distort to meet your ends, but that starting point must pervade the whole.” ~Emily Carr

There's nothing like waking up with the sun in your eyes, and I mean that in a good way. Waking up with the sun in your eyes in a new city is even better...in this case it is Whitehorse in the Yukon. I am here "on assignment" for the next month and if this morning is any indication, it is going to be one heck of a beautiful month.

I arrived late last night from Vancouver, where I have spent the last week. I also ferried over to Duncan on Vancouver Island to see my friend Anne. It has been two years since we have spent time together and it was such a pleasure to see her and her family once again.

Cherry blossoms were out all over Vancouver, lining the streets in pink petals.

I'll try to keep my rhapsodizing about the Western Canada to a minimum here but each time I visit I fall more and more in love with this side of the country. Maybe it isn't the West, but the coast, as I the east coast of Canada has it's quality of unparalleled beauty.

The mountain trail that I ran/walked each day I was in Duncan..

The intent of this five week journey is multi-faceted. To reunite with friends, to paint, to write and to shoot reference for future paintings. I have three commissions lined up, and this is a lovely part of being a painter...you are creating something special for friends and clients, something they will always have and that is unique to their lives and history. It is their vision, and as creatives we are a conduit to making that happen. The best commissions are the ones where the clients give me carte blanche. They say, here is the subject, I trust your vision. Do what you do. How liberating! Nothing beats that feeling.

The view down from Mount Tzouhalem, the mountain that Anne lives on...

Looking up while on a walk through the forest...intoxicating...

The weather in Vancouver was cool and refreshing. It was wonderful to revisit the neighbourhoods that I enjoy so much: Kitsilano and the West End. I took the ferry over to Nanaimo and stayed in Duncan for three nights, each day going for a hike or run on the mountain trails behind Anne's house. I remember distinctly going into town with Anne's son and her husband, and sticking my head out the back window to smell the air. It was perfumed with the scent of flowers and spring. It was remarkable...I can see why they say that our sense of smell is most strongly tied to memory.

Nefertiti, one of Ian's lovely cats whose company I will

enjoy very much over the next month..

Now I am in Whitehorse, arriving late last night. I can hardly wait to explore this part of the country...waking up to snow-capped mountains, fresh coffee and the promise of the unknown drives many a person, many an artist, many an explorer. My main objective is to take care of my three feline charges, Nefertiti, Sneggy and Pumpkin. That, along with painting and working on the book about Christopher McCandless will make the four weeks fly by. I am thrilled to be underway in the North... :)

Some of the changing faces of the landscape behind Anne's house in Duncan, BC....

"The only people for me are the mad ones,the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars..." -Jack Kerouac