Recent/Blog

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

Filtering by Category: Northern Landscapes

Northwest Passage, Canada and Greenland's Arctic in Watercolour

October 10, 2016David McEown

Greenland

In August 2016 I returned to the arctic and continued to work on the long term study and documentation of the arctic's incredibly beautiful yet fragile changing landscape. Also i am hoping to soon publish a book of arctic paintings and have some fine reference to work from and thus add to the large collection of studio paintings and plein-air works completed. A selection can be viewed in the arctic wonders galleries and its links .

Ilulissat Ice  fjord - Jacobsharvn glacier, 15 x 44in watercolour, diptych  - Greenland (available for sale) — Ilulissat Ice fjord - Jacobsharvn glacier, 15 x 44in watercolour, diptych - Greenland (available for sale)

Northwest Passage

"Arctic Poppy, 15 x22 inches, watercolor

Many thanks to One Ocean expeditions for navigating us through the arctic's waterways, and to view its wildlife. Always special to visit the wonderful folks that have lived on this land long before the age of exploration. History and stories are written and preserved across the tundra and beneath the surface of water and ice. It is my hope that i can bring a few of them to light on paper.

Baffin Island

categories Arctic, Baffin island, Beechey Island, Devon island, en plein air, extreme painting, Landscape painting, Northern Landscapes, Northwest Passage, Nunavut, Watercolour, watercolor
tags Arctic Paintings, Greenland Paintings, Watercolours, Northwest Passage artwork

Svalbard 2016

October 09, 2016David McEown

"Surfacing Ice", 20in x 30in watercolour Svalbard - Norway (available for sale) — "Surfacing Ice", 20in x 30in watercolour Svalbard - Norway (available for sale)

These painting were Inspired by a recent trip to Svalbard, Norway. We witnessed massive glaciers calving and ancient ice revealed from shattered icebergs. More paintings from Svalbard can be viewed in the arctic Svalbard web gallery.

categories Uncategorized, Arctic, Northern Landscapes, watercolor, Watercolour
tags Svalbard, Sptizbergen, Svalbard paintings

Polar Wonders at the McMichael Canadian art Collection

March 20, 2015David McEown

It was again a great privilege to be invited back presenting at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection. Also it was special to present our polar body of work to complement the traveling exhibition "Vanishing Ice".

Thanks to everyone that came out to make it a "full house" !

Ancient Ice #2, 28 x54inches , watercolor

categories Antarctica, Arctic, Baffin island, Devon island, en plein air, Greenland, Landscape painting, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, North Pole, Northern Landscapes, South Georgia, Watercolour, watercolor
tags McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Arctic, Greenland, polar exploration

Hollyhock Watercolour Workshop

June 18, 2014David McEown

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.

"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."

"Painting the shoreline grasses, an excersise in negative shape reading, and staying cool in the shade!"

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"

January 10, 2014David McEown

"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.

"White Pine", 30 x22inches , watercolour

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

The Northwest Passage

October 09, 2012David McEown

Many thanks to the team at One Ocean Expeditions for a great voyage and enabling me to continuethe long term study and documentation of the arctic's incredibly beautiful yet fragile and changing landscape. A selection of paintings from this trip are now on my website as well as a few on this post. Also many fine photographs from this voyage can be found on Daisy Gilardini's recent blog post.

Akademik Ioffe near Ilulissat, Greenland.

categories Arctic, Baffin island, Devon island, en plein air, Greenland, Landscape painting, Northern Landscapes, Northwest Passage, watercolor, Watercolour
tags Arctic, arts, Aurora Borealis, Baffin Island, Beechey Island, Devon island, en plein air, Greenland, Icebergs, travel, Watercolor, watercolour

Denali, Watercolours from Alaska

September 25, 2011David McEown

In early September, autumn is well on its way in Denali National Park, Alaska. While hoping to capture a glimpse of Denali, North America's highest mountain, i focused painting on site trying to capture the mountain light and weather played out on the multi-hued tundra. The following 3 minute video highlights the painting process.

The main base to work from was at the Wonder Lake Campground where one is dropped off by park bus as there are no cars permitted in the Park. However, for a different view and excellent food, rest, and knowledgeable guides, we also stayed at the beautiful Camp Denali for 3 nights.

categories Alaska, Arctic, en plein air, Landscape painting, Northern Landscapes, watercolor, Watercolour
tags 140lb cold press, Camp Denali, Denali, Denali Nationl Park, en plein air, Reflection pond, Watercolor, watercolour, Wonder Lake

Lake Superior Paintings

September 23, 2011David McEown

The painting is one of a few recent large commissions inspired by Lake Superior’s coastal trail in autumn. The complexity and technical challenges are exciting to take on and are sometimes over the top!

This 26 by 62 inch watercolour was painted on 140lb Arches cold press that comes on a roll of 44 inches by 10 yards. Cutting off the roll allows custom sizes in which in the past I have done watercolours up to 72 by 176 inches. Not cheap, but when framed with non-reflective UV90 museum glass the results can be wonderfully rare and transcendent.

Often large works have some sort of plan going, and being a studio piece photo reference is used. However I like to leave room for the image to evolve and use memory and imagination, thus I do not pre draw to much. When it comes to rocks, each one is a portrait interrelated to another by wear and reflection if wet, so they have to be well seen to be believable. I love the natural spirals and inner rhythms of a boulder beach. Even though it is a representational painting I basically just paint a dance of light and dark coloured shapes that grow and interlock with each other that hopefully create a hierarchy of entertaining focal points that sing a reverent song of place throughout the illusion of space.

categories Algoma, en plein air, Lake Superior, Landscape painting, Northern Landscapes, Watercolour
tags 140lb cold press, Arches, en plein air, Group of Seven, Lake Superior, Lake Superior Provincial Park, large watercolor, Watercolor, watercolour

Contact David Mceown