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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.

Svalbard and the "Ice Bear"

David McEown

This past summer, I had the great opportunity to join One Ocean Expeditions in Svalbard for their Photo symposium and an “Art in the Arctic” program.  Along with  the accomplished UK artist Bruce Pearson, we organized art workshops and engaged with our fellow passengers, painting on the ship's outer decks and even during our Zodiac excursions. 

 We had some fantastic polar bear, walrus and bird encounters while onboard the Russian vessel Akademik Vavilov. More paintings from Svalbard and other dynamic locations in the arctic  are posted on my the Arctic page. 

 

Enjoy the following video of highlights from our voyage.

“Surfacing”, 30 x 22 inches. watercolour

“Surfacing”, 30 x 22 inches. watercolour

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Kings of South Georgia and Icescapes of Antarctica

David McEown

The following video clips and paintings were inspired by a pilgrimage to the Sub Antarctic  island of South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula in October through December 2017. It has been my long term project to record and raise awareness about the fragility of  these natural wonders as well as try to express their inherent  beauty. Many more paintings and video circumnavigating Antarctica can be viewed on my  Antarctica page.

Wildlife highlights and  the challenges of painting on location while painting in watercolour overlooking the big three king penguin colonies on South Georgia Island: St.Andrews Bay, Salisbury Plain and Gold Harbour.

Antarctica 

Painting and wildlife video time lapse highlights from Antarctica , including early season visits to Mikkelsen Harbor, Cuverville Island and the south shetland islands. Encounters with jumping penguins, breaching humpbacks and a weddell seal animate the contemplative process of watercolour painting.

"Sleeping Giant, Paradise Harbour" , 32 x 60 inches watercolour. (studio painting, available for sale)

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categories Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia
tags King Penguins, Antarctica, South Georgia Island

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

In Svalbard Ice

David McEown

While recently painting studies of the sea ice north of Svalbard on an ice strengthened research vessel we encountered Minke and Blue whales as well as Polar Bears hunting for seals. Here are   recent videos from the voyage as well as paintings completed on location. More paintings from Svalbard and other dynamic locations in the arctic  are posted on my the Arctic page. 

Many thanks to the team at One Ocean Expeditions for guiding us there. I look forward to  be on the team next summer as part of the "Art in the Arctic" trips" . There is still availabilty for those that may want to paint or draw in the arctic plus brush up on photographic skills!

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categories Arctic, en plein air, watercolor, Watercolour
tags Svalbard, spitsbergen, Arctic, Polar Bear

Antarctica

David McEown

Once again we visited the antarctic peninsula  as part of the team at One Ocean Expeditions. However this time we arrived later in the season and saw lots of seal and whale action including many adolescent  and energenic penguin chicks! Posted here are video journal highlights , and a selection of Antarctic paintings completed on location.

A collection of video impressions from the Antarctic Peninsula , including David painting the dramatic glacier at Neko Harbour.

This short video is shot while painting on Petermann Island, a special place to observe the variations of penguin species nesting and the changes in populations due to climate change. In this case David encounters 2 young adelie penguin chicks walking into the foreground in front of a dramatic backdrop. 

During a voyage in the Antarctic Sound aboard a Russian research vessel , David paints in sub zero temperatures to allow chance effects and interplay of the weather and the mark making process, all the while trying to convey the scale and mood of immense tabular icebergs appearing through the advancing storm. On the way north , the ship surveys the shores of Elephant island and David has a chance to work on a few paintings of "Point Wild", this is were the members of Shackleton's party were rescued.

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categories Antarctica, Elephant Island, en plein air, extreme painting, Landscape painting, Point Wild, Sir Ernest Shackleton, Antarctic Peninsula
tags Antarctic paintings, Antarctica, Elephant island, Penguins, en plein air

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.

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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