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Recent/Blog

News and blog posts about recent works, workshops, events, presentations, expeditions and exhibitions by Canadian artist David McEown.

Filtering by Category: Art Workshops

Hollyhock Watercolour Workshop

David McEown

Sunrise from Cortes Island
Sunrise from Cortes Island

It was a real pleasure to provide a watercolour workshop atHollyhock , "Canada's lifelong learning centre", on Cortes Island , BC, a few weeks ago and paint with a fine group of artists. The contemplative ambiance, facility , lodging and food was excellent as well as the variety of subjects to paint.  After an early sunrise, participants had the opportunity to join in a yoga/ body work sessions before breakfast. Then we startedwithsome demos and paintedon the beach in the morning, following the tide lines. After lunchthe artist's had the opportunity to continue working or go explore the island . By 3pm sessions resumed to capture the afternoon light . Then again after another healthy buffet dinner we would have another painting session that would continueinto dusk.

Along with the stunning beach, the gardens and forest trails were also a fine source of inspiration. The only problem was that the 4 night workshop went to fast! So we are happy to announce another watercolour workshop again next yearwith and extra day.

"Artist's Journey with Watercolour"

May 31th – June 5, 2015

Explore the magical flowing spontaneity and essential techniques of this travel friendly medium. Discover painting as a form of meditation and “seeing”, allowing you to capture the moment with paper and brush.   All levels welcome.

Tuition: $525 CDN / 5 nights

All inclusive accommodations and meals charged separately.

Cortes Island & Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

800-933-6339 x 232 hollyhock.ca

Registration should start by mid November 2014 , please feel free to contact us to be notified when registration begins.

"Painting on the beach at Hollyhock"
"Painting on the beach at Hollyhock"
"David giving a demo on the beach at Hollyhock"
"David giving a demo on the beach at Hollyhock"
"Working into the underpainting and learning to control the hard and soft edges of the mountain and cloud shapes."
"Working into the underpainting and learning to control the hard and soft edges of the mountain and cloud shapes."
"Painting the shoreline grasses, an excersise in negative shape reading, and staying cool in the shade!"
"Painting the shoreline grasses, an excersise in negative shape reading, and staying cool in the shade!"
"Some of the fine watercolourists!"
"Some of the fine watercolourists!"
"Sunrise painting from Cortes Island"
"Sunrise painting from Cortes Island"
2 Comments
categories Art Workshops, Coast Mountains, Cortes island, en plein air, Landscape painting, Northern Landscapes, Uncategorized, Vancouver, watercolor, Watercolour, West Coast Rainforest
tags art workshops, Cortes Island, en plein air, great bear rainforest, Gulf Islands, Hollyhock, McEown, rainforest, Watercolor, watercolour

McMichael Canadian Art Collection "Art Mentorship Project"

David McEown

"What Grows Here", 29 x46 inches , watercolour
"What Grows Here", 29 x46 inches , watercolour

December 20, 2013 - March 02, 2014

Exhibition Opening

Sunday, January 19, 1:00 to 3:00 pm, with remarks at 2:00 pm

  McMichael Canadian Art Collection

10365 Islington Avenue, Kleinburg, Ontario, Canada   L0J 1C0

(Islington Avenue north of Major Mackenzie Drive on the east side)

Information: 905.893.1121 or toll free 1.888.213.1121

In the summer of 2013, the McMichael Canadian Art Collection partnered with York Region Arts Council (YRAC) to launch a new Art Mentorship Project to provide support to emerging artists and foster professional development, production and exhibition under the guidance of local, established artists in a distinctly Canadian context.

For the project’s inaugural term I was honoured to be mentor and was delighted to work and share ideas with the programs first successful applicant Ben Barak, a recent  BFA graduate of Nipissing University. We had several sessions working on site at the McMichael Gallery and used the historic Tom Thomson Shack as shelter and place for critiques. The highlight for me was painting on location along the Humber River and a week long trip to Algoma in Northern Ontario, following the rail tracks to places that so inspired the Group of 7 and close to where I used to live.

The mentorship program has been a great opportunity to share, reflect and build upon my past body of work.

I have been interested in painting remote wilderness areas from Antarctica to the North Pole attempting to capture their wondrous beauty as well as witness the increasing changes in the landscape. Equally inspiring my artwork is the local indigenous flora and forest not far from my own home and how it is interrelated to what is going on at the “ends of the Earth”.

In response to the mentorship studio demonstrations of watercolour techniques, I chose to paint a large spring wildflower painting inspired from my hikes over the years when I lived near the Humber Valley. “What Grows Here” is a microcosm of the brief unfolding complex circus of wildflowers that covers forest floors that used to dominate York Region.

Juxtaposing the   local Humber River Valley painting is a selection ofmy watercolours inspired by remote wilderness of the North Pole, Antarctica and Lake Superior. Ben Barak’s work, on the other hand, focuses on themes of searching an identity, executed using many of the techniques he practiced under my demos and critiques.

_ANP5252
_ANP5252
Painting Along the Humber River
Painting Along the Humber River
"White Pine", 30 x22inches , watercolour
"White Pine", 30 x22inches , watercolour
2 Comments
categories Algoma, Antarctica, Arctic, Art Workshops, en plein air, Lake Superior, Landscape painting, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, North Pole, Northern Landscapes, Watercolour
tags art mentorship, Ben Barak, en plein air, Group of Seven, Humber Valley, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, north pole, Tom Thomson Shack, Trilliums, watercolour, watercolour techniques, York Region Arts Council

2012 Whistler and Gibsons Summer Workshops

David McEown

Wave study n.1
Wave study n.1

Many thanks again to the organizers and the participants that persisted through wonderfully challenging exercisesatthe 2 workshops I gave this summer. Both theWhistler Arts Council's Workshops on the Lake, and Gibsons School of the Arts have annual fine art programs with a variety of quality instruction. We were blessed with wonderful weather that enabled on site painting right from the studio deckor to long walks on the beach after   ahard studio work outon the sunshine coast!

_PAC0819
_PAC0819

From the our subject of moss-covered waterfalls to shoreline waves, watercolour’s magical flowing spontaneity and ethereal softness as well as its ability to make crisp highly defined form were explored.  We focused on colour mixing, values, negative shape reading(no masking fluid or tricks!), creating depth and  controlling the hierarchy of focal point.

ctm12_001a
ctm12_001a
Coastal waterfall n.1
Coastal waterfall n.1

I am looking forward to conducting informal art workshops on expedition cruise ships later this summer in the arctic and later this year in the antarctica summer. More Upcoming workshops will be posted soon.

1 Comment
categories Art Workshops, Coast Mountains, en plein air, watercolor, Watercolour, West Coast Rainforest, Whistler
tags 140lb cold press, art workshops, en plein air, Gibsons school of the arts, rainforest, sunshine coast, Watercolor, watercolour, Whistler

Painting in Antarctica

David McEown

 Early in the season we saw incredible sunsets and unusual amounts of ice in the channels. Recent paintings are now posted on the website and many new studio works are in the concept stage. Having so much amazing reference and ideas is a wonderful problem to have!

Iceberg n.10
Iceberg n.10

In the Antarctic spring it is exciting to witness the energy of creatures breaking trails in the fresh snow returning to nest or  to feed below the surface. They seem so at home among the  hidden turquoise ice caves, following the ancient rhythms and echoes of the ocean. Often it seems the weather etches the shapes of mythical beings on the icebergs. Every block of ice has such a story to tell as it  contains  the  layers of the past as well is being  worn by the  warming currents of today.

Iceberg n.11
Iceberg n.11
3 Comments
categories Antarctica, Art Workshops, Elephant Island, en plein air, Landscape painting, Peninsula, watercolor, Watercolour
tags Antarctica, en plein air, Frank Wild, Icebergs, Paintings, Watercolor

Antarctic Peninsula

David McEown

Sometimes a question is asked at my presentations, why do you paint on location? Why not just take a picture? The act of painting and observing on location for me is a meditation, a way of connecting with the moment and being fully present and aware of "place". Taking in the coloured shapes and inhale them through the body, feel it in the heart and transfer them through the hand, brush and paper. Often good painting is accumulations of this state of attention, a collage of many of the experiences that have happened. Through out a session I am also inspired to take photos and I find that by being still and in one spot often provide great opportunities for close wildlife encounters. I love to watch the tides and currents at play with the ice floes, creating endless compositional dances lit with unearthly Antarctic light. It is here the camera is really handy at capturing those incredible never to be repeated moments.  Thanks again to One Ocean Expeditions for taking us there and we really look forward to do it again later this year!

Painting from the lookout above Neko Harbour.
Painting from the lookout above Neko Harbour.
"Lemaire Channel Sunset" 7in x15in watercolour
"Lemaire Channel Sunset" 7in x15in watercolour
5 Comments
categories Antarctica, Art Workshops, en plein air, Landscape painting, Peninsula, Watercolour
tags Antarctica, art workshops, en plein air, Watercolor, watercolour

Federation of Canadian Artists on Gabriola Island

David McEown

The Federation of Canadian Artists invited me to be one of the instructors at a week-long en plein air painting event on beautiful Gabriola Island in British Columbia. It was wonderful to paint with almost 125 artists that descended on the island from all over North America. We had ocean shoreline vistas and wildlife sightings as well as old heritage farm lands to draw inspiration from. Plus the weather cooperated as well. Also it was inspirational to work with fellow instructors Mike Svob, Brent Heighton, Deanne Lemley and guest lecturer Robert Genn. The event was one of most well organized workshops I have participated in. The Haven Resort site was a fine location to host such a large event. The Phoenixauditorium also was a great venue for nightlypanel discussion on art and presentations, in which I gave my“Antarctica to the North Pole” painting adventure show. Many thanks tothe organizers that put this together. I wish the FCA much success next year and recommend it to those that want to paint on “island time for a while”.

David with Demo from Entrance Point Light House
David with Demo from Entrance Point Light House
2 Comments
categories Art Workshops, en plein air, Landscape painting, Watercolour, West Coast Rainforest
tags art workshops, en plein air, Watercolor

Whistler Art Workshops

David McEown

Alta Lake
Alta Lake

The Whistler Arts Council hosts a series of Art events called Workshops on the Lake.  I was pleased to teach an advanced three day  watercolour session. The venue at the old station House on Alta lake is a perfect location. Inspiration is found working right from the outside deck and also in the comfortable creatively ambient studio setting for our challenging studio works. The volunteer and coordinator did a fine job making sure we were all taken care of and were flexible in our start time to catch the earlier morning light. The weather was stunning, almost to good however for painting outside. The pure blue skies and a heat wave made for challenges. Thus we painted the early morning light outside and moved inside to the cool cabin to work on a large full sheet sustained mountain demo in the afternoon. Would really look forward to doing more workshops again in 2011!

Critique
Critique
Demo
Demo
View From Station House Studio.
View From Station House Studio.
2 Comments
categories Art Workshops, en plein air, Landscape painting, Watercolour
tags art workshops, en plein air, Watercolor, Whistler

Welcome to the Art and Journeys blog of David McEown

David McEown

Painting the emperor chicks
Painting the emperor chicks

It has been wonderful to show paintings and adventures on the world wide web. This blog hopes to complement my website and  continue the journey through paintings, muti-media presentations and hopefully some shared thoughts! A work of art is not complete until it is shared.

Antarctic Shoreline
Antarctic Shoreline
4 Comments
categories Antarctica, Art Workshops, en plein air, Landscape painting, Watercolour
tags Paintings, Journeys, arctic artist, polar artist, Watercolor, en plein air