The Friendship Tour - part one

Ontario and Quebec May 18th to June 12th, 2016  

The purpose of The Friendship Tour to reconnect with friends and family we hadn't seen in a number of years was its own reward. We flew from Calgary to London, Ontario where we were met by Lori McCluskey, with whom we have a precious, long history. In Hamilton, Bill attended high school with her husband, Ed, who departed this world much too early, eleven years ago. We enjoyed Lori's hospitality, plus her son and his wife made us most welcome at both their Turkey Point cottage and their home. Bill is Eric's Godfather.

Lori, at Eric's and Roseanne's Thames River side home, May 23rd

The McCluskeys were who saw us off at Tobermory when we permanently left Ontario for Alberta, August 31, 1972

Lori has been west a number of times, with and after Ed's death, but it had been years since we'd visited her home. What a thrill it was for me to be reacquainted with several antiquated Saltiel paintings, none of which I had a photographic record of ...

Tug Boat Sunset 1971 oil on canvas 18" x 24"

Miniature oils 4" x 5" - Mount Rundle 1973, Cascade Mountain 1974, The Three Sisters 1973

Cougar 1972 pencil drawing 9" x 12"

Lynx 1972 pencil drawing 10" x 8"

A few short months after we were settled in Banff, the McCluskeys came west and spent Christmas with us - actually two Christmases in a row. Upon seeing and being gifted the two drawings above, it was Ed who suggested we make prints of my Rocky Mountain wildlife. In 1973 we started, and gradually enlarged our successful business of reproducing my art.

Leaning Shed 1976 watercolour 8" x 10"

Our next stop was Grimsby, Ontario to spend a couple of days with our Best Man, Bob, and his wife Christine. Bill and Bob went to high school together, also with Ed. At the time of our wedding Bob had not yet met Christine.

 The East Chapel, Timothy Eaton Memorial Church, Toronto, September 13th, 1969

May 19th, at Christine and Bob's exquisite home and delightful yard

Niagara Falls with Christine and Bob, May 20th

The Matoteks indulged us and honoured my request to visit nearby Niagara Falls and Niagara on the Lake. Bob and Christine didn't have a painting of mine but I rectified that on this trip with a thank you gift ...

Psychedelic Iris 2010 acrylic 14" x11

 To be continued ...

Linderman Law Studio

From the last week of February through mid March the Linderman Law Art Studio got a healthy workout. Judy Dahl and I resurrected tandem paintings that had, for a couple of years, sat in the acrylic underpainting stage. 

February 24th, Judy and I get the first layer of oil down

In order to get back working in the oils while they were still wet, I insisted that we return to the studio the very next day ...

February 25th, Judy defines tree branches

This was when we had a visit from Rob Vogt, reporter, writer, and photographer for the Claresholm Local Press, who kindly saw to it that the following was in the newspaper's March 5th issue ...   

February 27th, young Tess was back for the Van Gogh Lesson. As a reference, we used a painting of mine (from a few years back) to begin a sunflower in acrylic. 

Tess, with her sunflower at the acrylic underpainting stage

It's awfully easy to go into overtime during these painting lessons ...

Helping Tess paint the sides of her canvas while her mom waits!

On March 14th, the paint was really flying around the studio as we covered the acrylic sunflower with a thick layer of luscious, oil paint!

Tess loved working in oil!

Tess was especially happy when it was time to carve out, using a rubber tipped tool, Van Gogh-like swirls, into the blue sky. 

On March 3rd, the Linderman boys took the winter watercolour painting lesson ...

Dan and Tom got right into splattering on the blizzard snow

Tom and Dan with their finished watercolours

March 10th was the day Judy Dahl brought her granddaughter, Jackie, to the studio. With my friend in town it was a given that we'd enjoy an afternoon of mixed media which Meg Nicks is so incredibly adept at it. Generous in sharing her knowledge and materials, you'll always learn something new when Meg is in the room!

Judy with Meg ... a master of mixed media with no fear when it comes to paint, colour and texture!

Judy, Jackie and yours truly. As is often the case, there were a lot of pieces started that afternoon!

Things have been a bit quiet in the studio these past couple of weeks, but it's about to rev up here in a few days!

Myself and anyone who enjoys time at the Linderman Law Studio have art patron Karen Linderman to thank for making it all possible! 

   

My Fascination With Bighorn Sheep

With Bighorn, west of Banff , February 1973 

In September 1972, with some of our meager possessions in storage and the rest in our old Renault, Bill and I drove west (I call it immigrating from Ontario) thinking Kamloops would be our destination because it was halfway between the Rockies and the Pacific coast.  Falling in love with Banff and the mountains saw us cut the journey short.  We have remained in Alberta ever since.

I trust you'll enjoy seeing some of my favourite bighorn paintings ...

My first Bighorn painting   1973 oil   8" x 6"

Coming from the east I was familiar with deer and moose but the bighorn sheep is only a western  herbivore mammal and new to me. I was fascinated by their compact muscular bodies (only about 40 inches at the shoulder) and their wide-set peculiar shaped, rust coloured eyes.

The Ruling Monarch   1985 oil   14" x 18"

The rams are famous for their large, curled horns. These impressive growths can weigh up to 30 pounds.  They are a symbol of status and a weapon used in epic battles fighting for dominance or mating rights when males face each other, rear up on their hind legs, and hurl themselves at each other in charges of some 20 miles (32 kilometers) an hour.  Ewes also have horns, but they are smaller and much less curved.

Baby Bighorn    1986 watercolour   10.5" x 13.5"

On Golden Hill   1988 oil   12" x 16"

It had been a long time since I last painted them, and well, wildlife in general.  But in the past couple of years I've felt the urge again.  Here is my latest effort ...

Wild Thing   2011 oil   9" x 12"