Beautiful Places in my Neighbourhood – Part 4

Spring in Ottawa, acrylic, 11" x 14"

Blog 35

This is the last blog of beautiful places in my neighbourhood. There are so many picturesque spots in the Ottawa area that I could write about them infinitely. Unfortunately, I have not spent too much time in the Western part of the city. Most of my painting buddies are from the East area of town. When we go on a day trip, we think about whether we want to spend an hour and more in traffic before reaching our destination. As a result, we usually do not venture farther than downtown.

The Park Across the Street, acrylic, 14" x 11"

I've always wanted to paint in the Byward Market but so far I have been intimidated not only by the number of people moving around but also by the many sensations that make it difficult to concentrate on a fixed area. I have sketched in some of the small passages in the market area and even captured the big pumpkins that were decorated for Thanksgiving a couple of years ago, but as far as painting on site is concerned, the closest I came is Major's Hill Park.

I have also painted in the gardens of the National Gallery of Canada but have to admit that I was not happy with the results. I don't even think I kept the paintings. Nevertheless, both the Taiga Garden as well as the Sunken Garden that leads to a path that zigzags up the hill toward Nepean Point are quite interesting. From Nepean Point you have a great view towards the Ottawa River, the Parliament buildings, and the Canadian Museum of History. Right now there is a competition going on for the redevelopment of Nepean point. The winning concept will be announced at the end of 2017. Did you even know that there is a garden inside the National Gallery containing trees and seasonal flowers? The Garden Court is especially lovely in winter when it is a small green oasis in an outside world that is covered in ice and snow.

All the above mentioned sights are worth the visit and offer lots of views to paint and sketch. Last winter, I sketched part of the Parliament Building from the warm shelter that the building of the Canadian Museum of History offered. I also spent time sketching part of the Parliament Building at different events at Parliament Hill.

The Ottawa Locks and the Rideau Canal offer further spots to spend time whether it is to reflect, watch the boats passing, bike, stroll or paint.

Victoria Island, acrylic, 11" x 14"

Then there is also Victoria Island, a place that is often missed when thinking about sights in the capital. The little island is on the Ottawa River between Ottawa and Gatineau. Not only do you have a great view towards Ottawa and Gatineau, you can also get a unique look at First Nation's culture at the Aboriginal Experiences site.

I am not sure whether you have been at the Mosaica horticultural event. It is still on my list of summer outings, but from the photos I have seen so far, it would also be a great venue to paint.

Fall in Gatineau Park, acrylic, 14" x 11"

There are also the many spots in Gatineau Park. Some of them would be hard to reach with my regular equipment but make great spots for watercolour sketches or even to just enjoy and take photos.

Writing this blog for the past four weeks has reawakened my memories of the spots that I fell in love with when I first visited Ottawa in the summer of 1995. It is time to be a tourist in my own neighbourhood again. I hope that by next summer, I will be able to recommend some new found treasures to you.

Thank you for reading my blog. If you enjoyed it please share it with family and friends.

Peacefulness, acrylic, 16" x 20"

Are you looking to add some original artworks to your home to bring you continuous joy every time you look at them? Right now, I am selling one of my paintings every week with a reduction of 15% off the original price. Shipping and handling fees are added, except if you pick up the artwork or live in the Orleans area. I usually do not discount my artworks, so this is a great way to buy an artwork you like while saving some money.

This week's painting is the "16 x 20" acrylic painting "Peacefulness", an image of the beach at Petrie Island at sunset. The painting is framed in a black frame. The original price is $420. You have until next Monday, August 28, 2017 at noon to purchase it for $357.

To buy the painting, please send me an email to kpeters@domingoinformatics.ca. Payment can be made in cash, by check or e-transfer. Photos of each new painting are posted every Monday on my website www.KerstinPeters.ca as well as on my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/KerstinPetersPaintings/.

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Beautiful Places in my Neighbourhood – Part 2

Late Summer Day at Petrie Island, oil, 8" x 10

Blog 33

For the month of August, I will write about some scenic spots in the Ottawa area that I have visited for plein air painting but that are also worth the visit. Hopefully, my blog inspires you to go out and explore or pack a picnic and relax.

Every day when I go to work, I drive along the Ottawa River and can admire the beautiful area around Petrie Island. I love this little gem of nature. I love looking at the smooth surface of the water on a calm and bright summer day, but I also enjoy watching the scene when the fog is rising or when frost has covered everything in a coat of white glaze. Then, there are the spectacular sunsets and the activity on the ice in the winter, when many fishing huts are creating a small village on the ice.If you go onto the island, you will find beautiful spots to watch the turtles, frogs, and birds. I am not so interested in the beach side of the island (except for having a picnic), but enjoy the wild vegetation on the west side of the island.

Lily Pads, oil, 8" x 10"

I have painted on the island in every season, but prefer the last summer and early fall days, when the colourful leaves are reflected in the water. Even though I have painted many Petrie Island sunsets, I had never painted them on site. A couple of weeks ago, I went with my watercolours but brought mixed media paper instead of watercolour paper. The result was not satisfying: the colours were rather dull as the paint was absorbed quickly into the paper, so quickly that washes were impossible. The colour basically stayed where it first touched the paper. Blending was not possible. I had planned to go back a week later to give it another try but the weather thwarted my plans. Hopefully, I will have another chance before the end of the summer. I had wanted to paint a sunset on site for such a long time. I am really excited to try it, because it will be a challenge to work so quickly as the changes in the sky and on the water happen in fast motion.

If you continue along the Ottawa River, there are many spots that are very picturesque. In May, my friend Janis, Helene, and I went to the end of Champlain Street in Orleans, where I painted the small swamp on the south side of the pathway.

 

Crisp Fall Morning, acrylic, 8" x 10"

Further to the south from the parkway is Mer Bleue, which is the largest bog and natural area in Canada’s Capital Region and the second largest bog in southern Ontario. It has a northern ecosystem that is more alike the Arctic than the Ottawa Valley.There are many nice trails in the Mer Bleue area where you can walk or go cross-country skiing and snowshoeing during the winter. I have painted several scenes from the boardwalk as well as at the beginning and end of the trail that leads to and from the boardwalk to the parking lot. The changes of the season and the weather make always make it an interesting outing for our painting group.

If you enjoyed my blog please share it with family and friends. For the next two weeks, I will present you with some more ideas for a staycation, if you are from the Ottawa region. I hope you make the most of the sunny summer days. Because of the amount of rain we had, the vegetation is especially lush this year.

If you are looking for original artworks to bring you continuous joy every time you look at them, I would like to let you know about my painting sale that I have in preparation for our move next year. Every Monday, one of my paintings will go on sale for a week, with a reduction of 15% off the original price. Shipping and handling fees are added, except if you pick up the artwork or live in the Orleans area. I usually do not discount my artworks, so this is a great way to buy an artwork you like while saving some money.

This week's painting is "19 3/4" x 27 1/2" acrylic painting on canvas "Quiet Country Life". The original price is $500. You have until next Monday, August 14, 2017 at noon to purchase it for $425. The sides of the painting are painted in the colours of the painting. This painting is from my early plein air painting days, when I still painted outside with acrylic paints. The fast drying time had the big advantage that I could work on a big painting like this without having to worry about any transportation issues.

To buy the painting, please send me an email to kpeters@domingoinformatics.ca. Payment can be made in cash, by check or e-transfer. Photos of each new painting are posted every Monday on my website www.KerstinPeters.ca as well as on my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/KerstinPetersPaintings/.

As promised here is a photo of my finished painting from the Humanics Institute Sculpture Park:

"Luscious Greens", acrylic, 12" x 9"

Nature's Force

Ottawa River, Whitewater Region, acrylic, 12" x 16"

Blog 20

I had planned to write about painting at the Tulip Festival this week, but the recent flood in Ottawa and Gatineau made me realize once more how fragile our world is. The rivers that once provided beauty, fun and relaxation to so many suddenly have turned into an uncontrollable force that lets us feel helpless and desperate. I am sure many of us have envied those with properties along the banks of the rivers for their view. I certainly did from time to time, but now I am more than relieved that we live far enough away from any source of water. I cannot imagine how desperate all of the people must feel who worked so hard to save their houses but were not able to stand up to the water, and who have lost so much in the last couple of days. They lived in a beautiful house and are now homeless with no idea what the future holds for them and how they will build their lives up again. It has hit close to home. I am sure all of us know someone who has been affected.

I cannot believe the destruction that I see everywhere. I look at Petrie Island where I loved to spend time, have a picnic, watch the sunset, and more than anything else paint. I am not sure the island will ever be the same. All the sand from the beaches will probably have been swept away. I am sure that the geese and ducks have a great time but what about all the other animals and the vegetation? We take things so easily for granted. I hope once the waters recede, people will work together to rebuild the community. We are all challenged to help find solutions so that living along the rivers will be a place of beauty, fun, and relaxation again. It is worth fighting for our beautiful world.

After all the saddening and just unbelievable photos we saw from the Ottawa-Gatineau area in the last couple of days, I hope that nature recovers and that the victims of the flood will get the so desperately needed financial help and ongoing support from volunteers.

May we - despite everything - not forget to see the beauty and kindness in the world around us. The crisis has brought many people closer together and created new bonds. Unfortunately, it often takes a major crisis for us to reconsider our priorities.

Here is one of my favourite paintings of a Petrie Island sunset called “Peacefulness”. I hope all of us will find a place of peacefulness in this stressful time.

Peacefulness, acrylic, 16" x 20"

November Paintings

Ottawa River, Rockland

Blog 44


We are already at the end of the first week of November and the weather of the last couple of days was just spectacular. When I made the schedule for 2015, I had planned to write about a different painting for this week, a painting that is part of my “Winter Wonderland” exhibition which I will hang this afternoon at Tyros Shawarma Lebanese Restaurant at 5929 Jeanne d'Arc Boulevard South, Orléans, ON K1C 6V8. The exhibition runs until January 8, 2016.

However, the warm temperatures reminded me of November 12, 2012 when I spent a very mild late fall day in Rockland with some of my painting buddies. From the grounds of the retirement residence Jardins de Belle Rive, we painted the beautiful view of the Ottawa River. I worked on the 14” x 18” oil painting “Ottawa River Islands” and the 11” x 14”oil painting “Ottawa River, Rockland”.

Ottawa River Islands

When I started painting “en plein air”, I took every opportunity to paint outside, especially when we were on painting trips. My friend Janis and I went outside even if the temperatures dipped below 20 degrees Celsius. Nowadays, I am not going outside anymore when the temperatures are below -15 degrees, even if it is one of the brightest and most beautiful winter days.

As I drive my daughter to dance school to Rockland most of the year, I pass the little islands in the Ottawa River regularly. It is one of the places where you can see some of the most magnificent sunsets. I always wanted to paint those little islands, and on that mild November day in 2012, I finally got a chance. We all were really excited because we do not get out too often in the late fall and winter months.

In November, the landscape often starts to look rather monochrome and sad after the last leaves have fallen and before the snow puts a crisp white blanket over the land. The rainy and grey days do not help to lift the mood. On the day we were painting, however, the sun brought out the warm golden reds and ochres of the vegetation on the islands and the purple of the distant Gatineau Hills on the other side of the river make them seem even brighter.

Unfortunately, I was not able to paint outside this week but I am glad I created those two paintings. They are so much more than just two paintings of the site I saw and always wanted to paint. They contain all the memories I have of that day. I would probably not have remembered this particularly mild November day otherwise. No matter whether my plein air paintings turn out successfully or not, every painting I created is like a journal entry. The ones that do not turn out the way I had hoped are a memory of the struggles I faced. Maybe, I was tired that day or my mind was not fully engaged in my painting process, maybe the cold or heat distracted me. The successful ones help me relive the glorious feelings I had on site.

Which means do you use to keep your memories alive? Do you enjoy filling scrapbooks with photos of precious moments or do you write down special moments in a diary? Do you collect souvenirs that remind you of a special day or place? I am sure there are many other ways to keep your memories alive. If you would like to share yours, please leave a comment.