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I didn't join the plein air group last Tuesday – cold and powerful winds – upwards of  50 km or more, threat of heavy rain,  (it didn’t actually pour until evening) convinced me to stay home. An exhausting decision. I spent the better part of the day  questioning the sky which seemed a wash of unremitting  gray.

This sketch is from last April. Although it too, was a rainy day,  we were able to luxuriate from within  the shelter of an old  sheep barn. 

oil on panel 9"x12"

Beverly Swamp

Last week I was the last person  to pack up and leave at Paddy Green’s Road that runs between Jerseyville Rd. and Slote Rd. That’s ok – I came late. 

A truck from the conservation authority pulled up just as I was getting into my car (very foggy by this time) and the driver rolled down his window and spoke to me asking if I was planning to return next week. Actually ‘yes’ I replied – one more time next Tuesday. 

Then he explained that starting next Monday Native people had a license to hunt deer in this area for the next four weeks. We talked about that. They’d be using bows and arrows and shotguns - their target was to kill about eighty deer. They were from Six Nations and would be hunting Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays right through to December 21^st.  I thanked him for telling me.  That left Thursday through Sunday open.  Nevertheless today we met at Beverly swamp on Middleton Rd between 5^th and 6^th concession – a significant distance from Paddy Green’s. 

oil on canvas 14"x11"

2nd sketch 9x11 night photo with intention of reshooting

above rendered as black and white

More from the previous...

It will be sad to see this model leave, particularly since I can never do him justice. After all a five finger exercise is mostly just that, a five finger exercise which of course is what it’s meant to be.

click to enlarge

compressed charcoal on bond 18"x24"

pastel and compressed charcoal on bond 18"x24"

chalk strathmore 18"x24"

chalk strathmore

charcoal manilla 18"x24"

From previous, previous week

An appearance or I should say reappearance two weeks ago from a favorite model who will be with us for a total of three Sundays. He spends three months most summers cycling in South America with his girlfriend – the two of them cycle with only what they can carry in panniers from Colombia to Ecuador where he visits a friend. His tires stand up to back roads and most terrain but of course he carries tools.

chalk on manilla 18"x24"