Robinson Lake on the Dumoine River

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oil on canvas 12x16 in. $960

 July 22, 2016 found me just getting up for breakfast at our Bio-blitz camp on the shore of Robinson Lake on the Dumoine River, ZEC Dumoine, Quebec. The sun was breaking through the clouds to illuminate the last of the lake mist, just drifting off the trees and reflecting itself in the mirror-still lake - but soon our hopes for a sunny day would be dampened entirely by heavy cloud and intermittent drizzle.

I photographed the lake, with Pickerel weed leaves making angled reflections near shore, and the floating lily pads of Water Shield farther out on its glass-smooth surface. The subtle mood of the scene, although enchanting, would change in only a few minutes - too ephemeral for me to get my gear out and set up to paint it - so I decided to photograph it to paint later, and hike off to explore La Grande Chute for potential painting spots.

I took my painting umbrella in case of showers - at first it served well as a walking stick, on the narrow undulating hiking trail that follows the west side of the river, much of it so high on the wooded cliffs of the gorge that I had no view of the river, though I could hear each of the several falls along the "chute".  My journal (and poem) about that hike can be read in the "La Grande Chute" post.

Now, motivated by the upcoming "first annual" Dumoine River art camp at the beginning of August, run by the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS),  I've painted that morning view from the campground on the shore of Robinson Lake. I hope it will inspire other artists to paint the Dumoine with Phil Chadwick and me this year!

I've also made a short video to help stir up some excitement. https://youtu.be/ZaDAlDATXmo

For art camp registration details, see the CPAWS-OV webpage for the Dumoine River art camp

NOTE: The deadline for registration is 30 April!


Comments

  1. AnonymousMay 21, 2017 at 10:53 PM

    Stunning, Aleta. Thanks. Rae Smith, Australia

    ReplyDelete

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