Crescent Beach, located on the south shore of Nova Scotia, is truly a classic beach with miles of soft sand and few people. On this particular visit the weather had deteriorated rapidly and the dark, swirling cumulus clouds soon began to form the classic anvil shape, precursor to a very nasty storm, which it was. None the less, no lives were lost and the bars did a dandy business. Also in this seascape painting reddish seaweed may be seen floating on the incoming waves. I’m sure an old-time sailor could tell you something from this but I couldn’t find one in the rain.

Often in the winter forest after a fresh snowfall the sleeping trees and bushes take on new form, accentuated by the snow laden branches. Formerly unnoticed flora change into spectacular subtle sculptures with the very form and flow of their branches depicting a kind of internal music, hence the title of this landscape painting - Frozen Music.

Hirtle’s Beach is another of the many fine beaches on the south shore of Nova Scotia offering miles of sandy beach culminating in a forest trail out to the very tip of the land. Contrary to the stormy skies of the Crescent Beach image this seascape painting offers summer sun reflected off every facet of the incoming waves and sparkling unceasingly to the mesmerizing music of falling waves.

This next landscape painting from Banff National Park depicts a winter mountain creek viewed at sundown with the last soft light of the day reflecting on the slow moving waters, aptly named Whiskey Creek. (Single malt, I believe.) The heavy snow on the trees has weighted their appearance drastically into almost abstract shapes. A very peaceful and pleasant discovery to stumble upon returning from a day snowshoeing.

This landscape painting entitled ‘Northern Rock Cairn’ is actually one of two rock cairns that make up an Inuit kayak stand. You won’t find these outside your average Woolworth’s store next to the bike rack, however, they are not totally uncommon north of sixty. The drama created by the clouds creates a perfect backdrop for this lonely stone sculpture far from the reaches of civilization.

Bridge Through the Clouds is a seascape view from a small island just off mainland Nova Scotia at Stonehurst near Lunenburg. The perfectly still waters of the Atlantic quietly reflect the late afternoon clouds and the small foot-bridge giving the whole view the almost ethereal feeling of two asteroids connected in space. (If you can’t quite visualize this then you haven’t watched enough Star Trek.)

Lastly and certainly not leastly (There’s a new word fer ya) is a landcsape painting from my own ‘backyard’, Quiet of the Forest, a late afternoon image where the forest has suddenly become very dark and supremely quiet, a harbinger of the snow storm that will arrive within the half hour. While appearing to a certain degree ‘spooky’ the reality of being there was one of ultimate peace and ‘oneness’ with the forest and brook. If I hadn’t run out of wine I’d still be there...