Contact David Mceown

Many thanks for visiting my web site. We are often on assignment  or on a painting trip but will try to reply to your messages as soon as possible!

Studio visits also  may be arranged in Vancouver and Richmond Hill - Ontario,  Canada through out the year. I  look forward to hear from you.

 

 

         

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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 Tag: Watercolor

Drawn to Africa

David McEown

vicfalls2web.jpg

In July I had the opportunity to paint and experience a slice of Africa. It will take awhile to process the immense wildlife diversity and the richness in possible compositions for larger paintings. It was very moving to be in the presence of rhinos, elephants and lions to name  just a few animals plus have time to sketch and ponder their behaviour , power and precarious existence in this age of habitat loss and the threat of poaching. 

I am in gratitude for the parks , reserves , photo safaris and conservation groups that are working so hard and with often great sacrifice to protect these amazing animals and habitats. Many thanks to Pangolin Photo Safaris , Jacki’s House at Sabi Sand ,  Madikwe Safari Lodge  and our dear friends in South Africa for guiding and teaching us so much about Africa! 

Posted here are a few drawings and paintings plus a 5 minute video of encounters with  the wildlife of Chobe National Park in Botswana, as well as Midikwe and Sabi Sand Game reserves plus Kruger National Park in South Africa . (Also with a side trip to Victoria falls in Zimbabwe) More paintings from Africa will be posted on the Africa page of this website.

5 Comments
categories Africa, Botswana, Travel, Safari, Landscape painting, en plein air, Wildlife
tags en plein air, Watercolor, drawing, elephant, lion, rhino

South Georgia

David McEown

Looking forward to working with reference gathered during our recent trip to South Georgia, Posted here are highlights and video of the process of trying to comprehend on paper the scale of these sub-antarctic islands.

King penguins line up to cool down and molt along side the glacial melt water rivers of St Andrews bay. The warm sunshine allows for washes to dry allowing for transparent veils of colour to be applied in an attempt to capture the feeling of backlighting over this surreal landscape.

There is not paper big enough to capture the vast display of life force present at the king penguin colony of Salisbury Plain, South Georgia! Canadian artist David McEown paints on location in watercolour some of this planets most remote yet fragile landscapes.

Comment
categories Antarctica, Baffin island, en plein air, extreme painting, Landscape painting, South Georgia, South Georgia Heritage Trust, St-Andrews Bay, King Penguins
tags Watercolor, South Georgia, St- Andrews Bay, Penguins

Falkland Islands

David McEown

We started 2017 off by camping for a few weeks in the Falkland Islands. The wildlife and landscape of Saunders island and  Volunteer point are very inspiring! Posted on this page is photos and a few  short video highlights of behind the scenes of the painting process. 

Video of king penguins merge with watercolours as David McEown paints on location during a visit to the king penguin colony and white sand beaches of Volunteer Point in the Falkland Islands.

This time lapse trailer is shot while painting the changing light on a colony of Black Browed Albatrosses located on Saunders Island.

Comment
categories Antarctica, en plein air, extreme painting, Landscape painting
tags Fakland Islanda, Saunders Island, Watercolor, Watercolours, Black Browed Albatross, albatross, Volenteer Point

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

Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands 2013 painting highlights.

David McEown

I am just unpacking paintings and backing up terabytes of reference materialfromthe recent expeditions to South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula.  The two videos in thispost share some of the painting highlights and wildlife encounters which Daisy  and I filmed. We were fortunate to go back in February 2013 at the end of the Antarctic summer and visited again this November through December in the austral spring to continue our long-term projectstudying this wilderness area.

The trips were not only successful in the wonders we saw but also for the charity auctions that raised much-needed funds to supportimportant conservation projects such as the South Georgia Heritage Trust and Oceanites. Thank you again to the generous fellow travellers that put forth a bid on my illustrated marine charts and Daisy's books. Also a big thank you again the the One Ocean Team for making it happen!

"Enter the Drake", 6 x 15 inchers, watercolour
"Enter the Drake", 6 x 15 inchers, watercolour
From Petermann Island, 12 x 22 inches, watercolour
From Petermann Island, 12 x 22 inches, watercolour
Painting From Petermann Island.
Painting From Petermann Island.
6 Comments
categories Antarctica, Elephant Island, en plein air, Paradise Bay, Peninsula, Point Wild, South Georgia, South Georgia Heritage Trust, watercolor, Watercolour
tags Antarctic paintings, Antarctica, en plein air, Frank Wild, Icebergs, Sir Ernest Shackleton, South Georgia Island, Watercolor, watercolour

The Northwest Passage

David 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.

MapNWP#1
MapNWP#1
Akademik Ioffe near Ilulissat, Greenland.
Akademik Ioffe near Ilulissat, Greenland.
Northwest Passage
Northwest Passage
Scott Inlet, Baffin Island
Scott Inlet, Baffin Island
Sea Ice n.2
Sea Ice n.2
Leaving Scott Inlet, Baffin Island
Leaving Scott Inlet, Baffin Island
Cuming Inlet n.2
Cuming Inlet n.2
Jakobshaven Fjord
Jakobshaven Fjord
Jakobshaven Fjord
Jakobshaven Fjord
6 Comments
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

Painting In The Great Bear Rainforest

David McEown

The following paintings were inspired from an amazing boat trip to the "Great Bear Rainforest ", in British Columbia's central coast.  Along with   several other colleagues and a wonderful crew aboard the Columbia III , we  were part of  a large gathering of artists working to raise awareness of the rich  fragile  beauty of this place that is threatened with   a new proposed oil  pipeline and supertanker traffic sailing through some of the most bio diverse and rich eco systems on the planet. For more information on the "Artists for an Oil Free Coast " project   please visit the Raincoast  Conservation Foundation Website.  A wonderful coffee table book of paintings and writings from the project is now available!

The Great Bear Rainforest
The Great Bear Rainforest
Fiord Lands
Fiord Lands
Fiord Lands
Fiord Lands
Receding Tide
Receding Tide
Fiordlands study n.3
Fiordlands study n.3
The Outer Islands
The Outer Islands
7 Comments
categories en plein air, Great Bear Rainforest, Landscape painting, watercolor, Watercolour, West Coast Rainforest
tags 140lb cold press, Arches, en plein air, great bear rainforest, rainforest, Watercolor, watercolour

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