Recent/Blog

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

2012 Whistler and Gibsons Summer Workshops

August 04, 2012David McEown

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!

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.

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.

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

Pacific Spirit Forest Series

August 03, 2012David McEown

One body of work that is evolving over the last few years is a series of large watercolours depicting the subtle seasonal changes in the temperate rainforest of Pacific Spirit Regional Park. These large works are done on 140lb Arches roll paper in which I can cut large format sheets, and have room to interpret the experiences inspired from daily walks in my “back yard”.

categories Landscape painting, Pacific Spirit Regional Park, Vancouver, watercolor, Watercolour, West Coast Rainforest
tags 140lb cold press, Arches, large watercolor, Pacific Spirit Regional Park, rainforest

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

Contact David Mceown