Recent/Blog

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

Haida Gwaii

July 20, 2024David McEown

It is so inspiring to be back in Haida Gwaii, sketching the magnificent Sitka spruce and cedar trees, and learning more about the Haida people and the diverse wildlife that have thrived here for a very long time. I am thrilled to be invited as a Royal Canadian Geographical Society Travel Ambassador with Maple Leaf Adventures.

Sunrise painting aboard Cascadia with Maple Leaf Adventures.

Before a busy day filled with inspiring natural and cultural excursions, I start painting at a calm 5:30 am, attempting to capture impressions of the sky, land, and sea. The Maple Leaf Adventures Cascadia catamaran is an incredibly stable platform to paint and photograph from in all weather conditions, and certainly more comfortable than the kayak trip I did on my first trip 29 years ago! The climate is perfect for watercolour, allowing time to blend edges. When it's really saturated with rain, I use very little water in the watercolour wash and let the mist make its mark on the paper.

"SGang Gwaay," 7 x 9 inches, watercolour
It was a dream come true to visit the extremely remote SGang Gwaay, a village site of the Haida people often known as Ninstints, in Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site on Haida Gwaii on the North Coast of British Columbia. Guided by a Haida watchman interpreter, our small group had permission to take photos and sketch.
The beautiful moss-carpeted trail led to a protected cove that features a large collection of Haida mortuary and memorial poles in their original locations, facing the water and backed by weathered, moss-covered house frames that the Haida allow to succumb to the natural decay of the temperate rainforest climate.
Once, this place was a thriving community of 300 people, but by the 1880s, disease had decimated the population of SG̱ang Gwaay. Only remnants of the houses and poles, which are considered art masterworks of the Pacific Northwest, remain. The site is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and protected by the Haida watchman program.
Once back on board the ship, I finished a small sketch I drew from the beach, looking at the poles reflecting in the water. Having stepped foot in this place, I will never look at a pole in a museum the same way. Thank you to Maple Leaf Adventures for taking us there and to our Haida interpreter, Gaajiiaawa (Linda), for making us feel welcome and teaching us so much.

Galapagos Islands

June 04, 2024David McEown

I just returned from an inspiring trip to the Galapagos Islands organized and led by Daisy Gilardini Photography. Where else can you swim with penguins, marine iguanas, and sketch giant tortoises and courting waved albatross? We're excited to share video from below and above the ocean's surface, with many more images and paintings to come!

We have organized a trip for 2026. (trip is now full taking waitlist)

Workshops and Presentations, April -May 2024

May 14, 2024David McEown

Watercolour and the Art of Seeing on Cortes Island

Sunrise painting from the beach at hollyhock.

Many thanks to the wonderful artists that joined my 4 day workshop/ retreat at Hollyhock on Cortes Island recently, I am still glowing from such productive sessions. We were fortunate to have great weather, 4 sunrise sessions, delicious food, the spectacle of northern lights plus the opportunity to paint together and make new friends in such a beautiful setting. Many thanks also to the friendly staff who helped host this event. Here are a just few photos , I will share more soon once I complete some of the demos. Looking forward to another session penciled in for May 7-11, 2025, Watercolour and the Art of Seeing

Artists presentation at the McMicheal Canadian Art Collection

Thanks to everyone who attended my sold-out presentation and painting demonstration at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Ontario! It was wonderful to share new work, penguin stories, and the premiere of the making of my “Spirit of the Forest” mural. After intermission, I began a full-sheet watercolor demonstration inspired by trips into the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary and the Great Bear Rainforest. I have included the finished demo here, titled "Entering Khutzeymateen," 22 x 30 inches. Special thanks to the McMichael staff and volunteers who helped out with another successful show

Great Bear Rainforest Impressions

September 15, 2023David McEown

"I am delighted to share some of my video and watercolor painting impressions from a recent adventure in the Great Bear Rainforest. Among the places we visited were on the traditional territories of the Haisla and Gitgaat people. In late summer, salmon gather at the bottom of streams and rivers, waiting for water levels to rise so they can begin the journey upstream to spawn. We photographed and sketched many grizzly and black bears as they searched the intertidal zone for food. We also explored the outer islands and heard the calls of 'sea wolves', following their tracks along long white sand beaches. Many mornings began with the sound of humpback whales surfacing around our catamaran.

Returning to this incredibly rich temperate rainforest ecosystem was a true privilege, and I'm eager to work in the studio using the references I gathered, including photos of ancient trees and moss arrangements, for a large watercolor project I am currently undertaking. I extend my heartfelt thanks to Maple Leaf Adventures and Canadian Geographic Travel for inviting Daisy Gilardini and me as RCGS travel ambassadors aboard Cascadia, allowing us to explore the stunning wilderness of the Great Bear Rainforest on British Columbia's west coast.

We are happy to announce our upcoming expedition on this amazing vessel as we venture to explore the Islands of Haida Gwaii from June 7-15th, 2024

Pacific Sunrise

Great Bear Rainforest

Misty Islands

Whales in the Distance

“Receding Tide, Campania Island”, 15 x 22 inches, watercolour

Mural in progress inspired by the Great Bear Rainforest.

Workshop and Presentations 2023

May 15, 2023David McEown

Watercolour and the Art of Seeing on Cortes Island

"Gratitude to the wonderful 19 artists who joined me for a 4-day workshop/retreat at Hollyhock on Cortes Island in May 2023. We were blessed with stunning weather, four beautiful sunrise sessions, and enchanted forests. After hours of painting, we enjoyed wholesome organic meals and had the option to join nature walks, bodywork, and explore the beaches. Thanks to the warm and accommodating staff who helped make this event possible. I eagerly anticipate returning on May 8-12, 2024, for another 'Watercolour and the Art of Seeing' retreat!"

McMicheal Canadian Art Collection

Thank you to all who joined me for my presentation and workshop on Earth Day, April 22, 2023, at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection!

It was a wonderful experience sharing videos, stories, and a collection of new paintings from the Great Bear Rainforest and the inspiring polar regions.

I was truly delighted to have a full house and to reconnect with dear friends. Your presence made the event even more special.

Great Bear Rainforest

March 26, 2023David McEown

Watercolour impressions from the Great Bear Rainforest by David McEown with additional Video and Photography by Daisy Gilardini.

Many thanks to Maple Leaf Adventures and Canadian Geographic Travel for inviting us as RCGS travel ambassadors on board Cascadia, a small expedition catamaran, to explore the beautiful wilderness of the Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia’s west coast.

It was a privilege to return to this incredibly rich temperate rainforest ecosystem. While sailing among the outer islands we had amazing encounters with humpback whales, sea lions and eagles and followed the salmon’s path along spawning channels into the rainforest. There, under the guidance of our expert Gitga’at First Nation Guides we were so lucky to even witness the rare Spirit Bear! Through the dramatic landscape, deep into the coastal mountain range, we sailed towards the Kitlope River and learned about the culture and historical significance of this sacred watershed.

As I review the many sketches, videos and images shot during the voyage I feel full of inspiration for new studio paintings.

We are thrilled to return to this mesmerizing part of world in the fall with Maple Leaf in September 2023 for another expedition focused on photography, sketching and watercolour.

Sketching along the River

Spirit Bear named "Warrior"

Our Gitga’at First Nation Guides provided a safe viewing area for our small group. We sat quietly for hours along the river, under a light rain when finaly a Spirit Bear magically appeared from the deep forest. Without even acknowledging our presence she fished the salmon right in front of us for a long time, before magically disappearing back into the forest.

While on location I often take lots of reference photos and video material. When time allows, I however, never miss the opportunity to sketch and/or paint with my watercolour. In this instance I would photograph and video when the bear was fishing then switch to sketching and painting while she would go into the forest to eat the freshly caught salmon.

“Enter Spirit Bear #2”

Plein Air Painting in the Rainforest

“In the Great Bear Rainforest”, 28 x 40 inches, watercolour

This large watercolour was inspired while bear viewing along a pristine salmon spawning river in the Gitga’at First Nation territory. In this unique ecosystem, everything is interdependent. Salmon which come back in cycles to spawn, are the connection between ocean and forest and provide essential nitrogen for the tree to grow old and strong. The spirit bear, or Kermode has a whitish, cream-colored fur, due to a unique recessive gene, and is a subspecies of the more familiar North American black bear. Local Gitga’at First Nation guides have named this female “Warrior”. She is the daughter of “Ma’ah,” a spirit bear in which I was fortunate to have photographed and painted many years ago.