The Wonderful Winding Road

In one of my recent blogs, I tried to explain my preoccupation with painting outdoors. I love it, still do, after forty-five years. On looking back, the road I travelled was not easy, there was some tough going, mixed with many enjoyable times, always with the goal to be a better painter. As my mentor, Grant Tigner, would say “Charlie, keep painting – acres of canvas”. Grant was a close friend and a wonderful painter, instructor and artist. We had some wonderful times together painting at Cape Ann, Mass. Algonquin Park and the Eastern Townships.

But after 10 years painting in oils, I had to discard them due to an acquired allergy to solvents. So I parted with Grant and his oil painting friends and took up watercolours.

In short order with my artistic background I moved up the Ottawa Watercolour Society levels and began to teach and demonstrate my skills. And what fun it was. I taught in Nova Scotia, Ottawa, Bridgewater, Fort William and Calgary. Every session was enjoyable, meeting new people, seeing them improve over a week of lessons. And I made friends with other instructors and learned a great deal myself. One high point was acceptance in the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour.

Together with two artist friends, Andy and Pierrette, we started an artist painting with artist program: no teaching, just enjoying each other's company and learning from each other. The program was incredibly successful. Twenty artists travelled to a different location each spring and fall for three days of painting. Some artists brought musical instruments and we would have music in the evenings. The program continued for thirty years under stewardship of other volunteers.

It’s been a winding road, for sure. I feel like I’m still learning. Seeing artists improve from one year to the next, over the eight years that I organized the Manotick Art Association Plein Air outings, has been a great source of satisfaction. What’s next?