"A Pocket of Time"
newest oil painting journey Part 1
Nature is not only all that is visible to the eye... it also includes the inner pictures of the soul.
~Edvard Munch
Beginnings
The inception for this piece began on August 12th, 2024 while on location. On a warm humid afternoon, I ventured out to one of my favorite haunts, Powell’s Point Park, Nova Scotia. Life interruptions had interfered with my flow of working on location. Oh how I had missed the solitude of being immersed in nature!
The park was quiet with billowy clouds hovering over the inner harbor. A myriad of cloud shapes appeared constantly while I painted. Pinkish, orange clouds ribboned their way along the horizon, stirring joyful emotions. It felt so good to be immersed in nature again with paint and a quiet mind.
Encounters While On Location
One of the highlights of working on location is the interesting encounters I have not only with nature, but with individuals as well. After I had completed my study a visitor came along with his dog. Funnily, I discovered I had taught with his sister and knew of him from other acquaintances.
During our chat, he mentioned that this was his second time visiting the park that day. He went on to explain that he had been in the park around four o’clock in the morning! I looked at him incredulously asking why he came to the park so early.
Well it turns out he is a big fan of the Northern lights. He explained that he uses a phone app to help view Northern light activity. We were experiencing a time where activity was more prominent in our area. We had such a fun and enjoyable chat!
These encounters as well as my own personal experiences on location are incredibly important to my work. The memories created trigger an emotional connection to my subject. If I didn’t have these experiences and only photographs, my work would feel hollow—like I was missing something.
Back In My Studio
With the use of all my collected field work: written notes, color notes, plein air sketch, photos and videos I created a studio study. This small study allowed me to work out the best composition and also aided in choosing my palette.
I actually completed two small studies for this piece, one in my sketchbook and another one on arches oil paper. The larger 8x10in study served as a great resource as I scaled the work up into a larger 24x 30in.piece.
Having my study handy while I worked on the larger painting helped lead the way. It brought to life the vision I had in my mind’s eye, while triggering my thought process on how I wanted to tackle specific areas such as the larger cloud masses.
I worked in several passes allowing drying times between layers. These layers enabled me to capture the vaporous nature of the clouds. I often focused on translucent layers to mimic the layering in clouds. Not always an easy task, but a fun challenge overall.
Written Reflections After Plein Air Experience
When time permits, I often record my thoughts and observations after my experience. Usually this occurs with a nice cup of tea and snack I toted along with me. It is such a beautiful peaceful time—one I’m always truly grateful for. Nothing like spending time in nature to trigger truth and what your true desires are.
Here is an excerpt of one of my jottings I wrote the day I painted the first study in this post.
August 12, 2024
“I love sitting here writing/thinking as I quietly observe bits of nature around me. A lone seagull just drifted by, crows are cawing in the distance. The clouds and light are changing constantly.
I’m savoring my Earle Grey tea with honey and lemon while snacking on fruit, cheese, crackers and nuts. It is a most enjoyable stress free experience. Alone in nature always fills my emotional tank! Grateful! "
Part Two
Stay tuned for my next post where we will take a closer look at the finished piece, along with a few more insights.
A Gift From Nature
In early spring my husband noticed a robin landing in a birch tree on our property. We immediately noticed that Mrs. Robin had built a lovely cup shaped nest in the crook of the tree.
Happily, the tree is a few yards from our bedroom window. I was absolutely ecstatic to have a nest so close to our home and within viewing distance! It seemed to have gone up quite quickly and initially she was continuing to add material to her nest.
I kept my eyes on the nest and at one point noticed a blue jay had ventured close to it. At the time Mrs Robin was not in sight—-I thought oh no, she had abandoned the nest due to unexpected visitors. Then one day I spotted her sitting in the nest. All that could be seen was her head and tail sticking out over the edge of the nest. She sat day and night and I knew small baby robins were being incubated! So exciting!
After days of watchful eyes, I noted that the male robin would relieve her from nest duties to obtain food. She wouldn’t go far from the tree, but foraged worms etc. on our lawn. Once she arrived back to the nest, the male left. He often stayed close by, guarding when necessary.
After a couple of weeks I am happy to report, baby robins appeared in the nest!! We think there were three. We had been taking photographs, but of course did not want to get too close. They appeared to become familiar with us and seemed to trust that we were not a threat.
Both Mr. & Mrs. Robin shared the responsibility of feeding and guarding of their babies. As a matter of fact, I watched Mr. Robin aggressively chase a black bird away who alighted on a tree branch in “their” tree. He was definitely not welcomed in their homestead!
We were hoping to see the young robins in their early days of flight training, but sadly the whole family disappeared overnight! It would seem that maybe a predator arrived through the night. I really wish I knew what happened. Later we saw a couple of robins together around the same area. I continue to wonder if they might be the parents.
I am grateful to have witnessed their nesting stages over a few weeks. It really was joyful to watch. Undoubtedly, I would have loved to see the baby robins in flight. I really hope they did not meet their demise. Nature always reminds me how impermanent things are and how important it is to live in the moment!
P. S. If you have any nesting stories, I would love to hear them!
Warmly,
Debbie xx
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The same thing happened here with some mockingbirds. I kept hearing the babies chirping as they were fed, and suddenly they were gone. I hope your robins made it. The painting is gorgeous and you know I always love reading what you're up to!
Beautiful painting! I enjoyed your thoughts on the day at PP Park. Sometimes there are no words for the beauty of nature… but art can say so much!