Some of you may recognize this spot on Dunlop Lake, just north of Elliot Lake. My kayak is pointed in the direction of a gorgeous island that happens to be a designated provincial government campsite. You can pitch a tent and spend the night camping under the stars! I never have… yet.
This is another painting in a series I’m producing now for the Elliot Lake Arts on the Trail 2023, this September 30. I’ve wanted to display my artwork here since I moved back to my hometown of Elliot Lake, and this year it will finally happen!
Peaceful Bay | 12 x 24 acrylic on gallery-wrapped canvas
An ideal escape for me on any given day is to be out on a lake in my kayak.
We are lucky to have a ton of bays just like this one on any of the hundreds of lakes that surround us here in Northern Ontario. Throw in a beaver dam, a cluster of water lilies, a turtle sitting on a rock, or a rotting tree trunk plus some grasses swaying in the wind and you’ve got yourself a peaceful bay just like this one to drift into. And here you can just take a deep breath and float for a while.
As for the painting… there’s a lot of contrast going on here. I had a lot of fun with the strong colors and the looser brushstrokes toward the bottom of the painting.
The Breakwater | 30′ x 60″ acrylic on gallery-wrapped canvas
You might look at this painting and think…it’s just a piles of rocks! But this pile of rocks was intentionally placed in this location to serve as a breakwater on Lake Huron, one of our amazing “Great Lakes” in Ontario.
Everyone needs some type of breakwater as we go through our lives. That wall of strength that we resort to during times of rough waters. The wall of strength that holds back the rough waters with the strong winds and waves that keep bashing in, and provide that calm protected space where we can find shelter.
It’s the largest painting I’ve completed to date! It seemed a little daunting to begin with but once I got the bigger brushes out it seemed to paint itself. A lesson to myself…don’t let “size” get in the way!
Seeing these bright-colored buoys on the water makes me smile!
They make me long for endless warm lazy summer days on the water… days that seem too far off on yet another gray spring day in Northern Ontario. The ice is still melting. The lakes will warm up. It all takes time.
Boaters, cottagers, fishermen, and just about anyone who spends time on or near the water are familiar with these buoys.
These buoys serve an important purpose though. Anchored to something under the water they are a marker, connected to a waterline perhaps, a mooring site, or a danger point to be avoided.
For me, they are a beacon of warmer weather to come, and oh, boy, I’ll be ready!
It was a strong and promising start and I felt really confident that it wouldn’t take me long to finish it. It was, however, a side piece. And it sat and sat.
Hope Blooms
12×12 Acrylic on canvas
SOLD
What is a side piece, you ask?
A side piece for an artist is one that you work on before and in between others, to loosen up and add some fluidity to your work process. I always feel a little freer with colors and techniques afterward.
There were times, I have to admit when I doubted myself. Would I ever actually finish it?
Well, I did and I really felt passionate about it. You see, the days lately have been long, cloudy and gray and the wintery cold weather has a way of hanging on extra long here in Northern Ontario. After a period of particularly gray and also emotionally heavy days, I knew I needed to throw myself into this painting to take my mind in a different direction.
Our world and all the people in it have been suffering under the weight of Covid 19. So many of us have been isolated looking for safety in our own home sanctuaries. It has left some of us detached from each other and sometimes, even ourselves.
Add to this, the stresses of families physically apart, yet trying to reach out to support each other, and sometimes it is more than we can bear.
The colors in this painting swirled around the canvas and really excited me and lifted my spirits! Black-eyed Susans have always been a favorite late summer flower of my husband and I’ve grown to really appreciate them too. Painting these flowers made a difference in how I felt that day and now going forward.
Have you ever wanted to just jump into a painting?
Well, this is one that I could literally jump into. It is the quintessential Northern Ontario scene along the shore of any lake. I can almost smell the dried pine needles on the ground—that wonderful earthy smell combined with the fresh breeze off of the lake. The sun makes its way through the trees and creates long afternoon shadows reaching out as though to grab your attention.
By the Lake’s Shore
18 x24 acrylic on canvas
I left this painting sitting unfinished on my easel while my attention was diverted with a journey away to a warmer climate. A family member that was minding our house and cat while we were away, was captured by it and claimed it on the spot!
These adorable mugs feature Elliot the Bear, the sweet black bear peaking out from behind a tree seen on one of my banner designs hanging from several lamp posts along the downtown streets of Elliot Lake and along the highway. Each mug makes a great souvenir or gift.
Only $20 each. Contact me via email at studio@corneliasvela.com
There are 2 designs. Mug #1 features the bear on both sides. Mug #2 includes the following text:
Notecards!
Order these attractive blank notecards, handy for everything from a personal thank you note to birthday greetings. A nice gift idea as well!
$4 each or 3 for $10.00 Add $2 to cover mailing costs. Contact Cornelia at studio@corneliasvela.com with your request today! More designs now available.
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