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

Filtering by Category: Antarctica

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

Painting in Antarctica

February 22, 2012David 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!

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.

categories Antarctica, Art Workshops, Elephant Island, en plein air, Landscape painting, Peninsula, watercolor, Watercolour
tags Antarctica, en plein air, Frank Wild, Icebergs, Paintings, Watercolor

Painting South Georgia

February 20, 2012David McEown

For all around wildlife and scenery, a visit to the sub antarctic island of South Georgia is incomparable. The video above captures some of the painting highlights and wildlife encounters from a recent trip in late 2011.

Imagine being dropped off at a beach to paint and be surrounded by more than 200,000 King Penguins, this is truly an exciting problem to have!

Painting with Elephant seal pup at Gold Harbour

After taking some photo and video reference I find a place to sit without obstructing the wildlife highways and be still to observe the cycle of life displayed within meters. On one landing a real highlight was when an elephant seal pup came out of the surf and decided to curl up underneath my easel thus slowly nudge me off my chair.

With only a few hours ashore before heading back to the ship, the main landscape contours and mood is recorded in wash as well as inspiring groupings of wildlife interaction rendered. These on location works are really useful as reference for future studio paintings as photos can come with unnecessary details.

We really look forward to go back to South Georgia and Antarctica next season!

categories Antarctica, Elephant Island, en plein air, Landscape painting, Point Wild, South Georgia, Watercolour
tags Antarctica, en plein air, Fakland Islanda, Fortuna Bay, Gold Harbour, South Georgia Island, West Point

Commander Frank Wild Returns to South Georgia

February 19, 2012David McEown

It was a privilege to witness the return of the great polar explorer, Commander Frank Wild , back to South Georgia. It was Frank Wild’s wife’s wish to have him buried in South Georgia and it was fitting to have his ashes reunited along side his friend Sir Ernest Shackleton.

The attached video captures some of the highlights we shotfrom the service that was attended by relatives of Frank Wild as well as Alexandra Shackleton, Sir Ernest’s granddaughter.

This historic event became a possibility when Frank’s ashes were discovered by the efforts of Angie Butler during her writing of the book “The Quest for Frank Wild”. It is a fascinating and informative read about this great but unsung man. Also it includes his unpublished memoirs from the “heroic” age of polar exploration.

After filming the morning service I spent all afternoon pacing along the shoreline of Grytviken trying to find a composition that would capture the significance of the day. In late afternoon light I found a perch just above the cemetery overlooking the bay. The scene was overwhelming to paint in the few hours left so after several tries I simplified the composition using only the top part of Shackleton’s grave stone in lower right as well as one cross. These suggestions give room for directional lines to pull the viewer across to the church and the last light on the abandoned whaling station. Thanks to One Ocean Expeditions formaking this event possible.

Frank Wild wrote of Shackletons’s grave site (from Angie Butlers book):

“Grytviken is a romantic spot. All around are big mountains, bold in outline and snow covered. Below lies one of the most perfect little harbours in the world, at times disturbed by the by the fierce winds from the hills and lashed by gusty squalls to a mass of flying spume and spindrift. Often it lies calm and peaceful, bathed in glorious sunshine and reflecting in its deeps the high peaks around, whilst the sea birds, “souls of old mariners,”circle in sweeping flights above its surface and fill the air with the melancholy of their cries. An ideal resting place this for the great explorer who felt, more than most men, the glamour of such surroundings”

categories Antarctica, Elephant Island, en plein air, Landscape painting, Point Wild, South Georgia, Uncategorized, Watercolour
tags Antarctica, en plein air, Frank Wild, grytviken, ocean expeditions, polar exploration, Sir Ernest Shackleton, South Georgia, Watercolor

Return to Antarctica and South Georgia

November 03, 2011David McEown

In November 2011 I will be returning to Antarctica and really look forward to visit South Georgia again. This special expedition will be taking the ashes of explorerFrank Wild to South Georgia where he will be buried besidehis “boss” and loyal friend Sir Ernest Shackleton. Mr Wild was Shackleton’ right hand man and played a huge role in the 1914-1916 Imperial Trans-Antarctic expedition . As secondin command he was left in charge of 21 men on a desolate rock on Elephant island while Shackleton and crew of 5 made the epicrescue mission to South Georgia in a lifeboat. From April 24th to August 30 (winter in antarctica) , Wild and men waited until rescued on a rock now called Point Wild. They all survived. Attached on this post issome short video clips from a previous trip to Elephant Islandand a taste of theincredible wildlifeand painting-photography opportunities at St. Andrews Bay on South Georgia Island.

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Last week I was honoured to receive the Curry's , Da Vinci award, in recognition of the painting "Paradise Bay, Antarctica' . For several years now I have painted on the great white continent and always find inspiration in its natural beauty and endless abstractions of form. Witnessing climate change among the massive ice shelves, and glaciers, I contemplate this melting flow of water that effects us all. Watercolour is an ideal medium for attempting to capture the light and flow of this journey and i am grateful to share this painting at this Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour open international juried exhibition in Toronto.

categories Antarctica, cspws, Elephant Island, Paradise Bay, Point Wild, South Georgia, St-Andrews Bay
tags Antarctica, cspwc, Elephant island, Frank Wild, Imperial Trans-Antarctic expedition, Paradise Bay, Point Wild, Sir Ernest Shackleton, South Georgia Island, St- Andrews Bay

Antarctic Peninsula

June 05, 2011David 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.

"Lemaire Channel Sunset" 7in x15in watercolour

categories Antarctica, Art Workshops, en plein air, Landscape painting, Peninsula, Watercolour
tags Antarctica, art workshops, en plein air, Watercolor, watercolour

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