Plein Air Painting in Winter: J. Allison Robichaud comments

Winter painting is not any different than any other time of the year. It requires a few more preparations than the warmer climate. The first requirement is to compel yourself to go out and paint. On the 31st of Dec 2008, I went out to do the last painting of the year - the temperature was -16 with a 20km wind giving a wind chill in the -20s.

To go out and paint in this extreme means one thing and only one thing, you win over yourself and the next time it is easier to go and do the thing you love best, painting! Weather stops being a challenge when you challenge yourself.

Prepare and set your palette before you leave the house, if not, you will have an much difficulty squeezing tubes of paint with gloves and if you use your bare hands, it won't be long until your fingers are stiff and difficult to use. At sub zero it takes very little time until your fingers are not working right which then leads to all sorts of difficulties, quitting then rages in your mind. Think of canvas size, every second you save, is that much time less out there. Check every aspect of your equipment, the least little discouragement throws you off your creative exuberance. Canvas size, to me doesn't make any difference, the big ones take as long to paint as the smaller ones.

It is best to have a general idea where and what you are looking for so as to not waste any time, since in winter it is often easier to quit the whole idea because of the intense cold. -3 or -10 is not cold. just slightly uncomfortable. REMEMBER ONE THING, IF YOU FEEL COLD SEEPING IN YOUR BODY CORE, GET OUT OF THERE IMMEDIATELY!

Each person has their own preference for clothing, it is not a time to be stylish. Layers of woolen clothing, topped with windproof ski pants and a windproof down/exceptional fill jacket, heavy winter boots and wool socks, a toque which is meant to keep the heat in. Gloves and mitts, I use both, the hand with the mitt is my rag hand (I use only rags, paper towels are too difficult to manage, for me in extreme cold ) this hand has a wool mitt in a leather mitt). Most of the time I do not use a glove on my brush hand, because from early November I start to condition my left hand to be tough to the cold, by not wearing a glove on my walk or shoveling snow, or anything else I may be doing outside.

Hand warmers are available at Canadian Tire where the hunting gear is - they are good, I have one and I also have a heat sink belt, activated in the microwave, which in very, very cold January days I may put on. All of the above is before you leave the house, so it requires a bit of thinking to ensure you have forgotten nothing. You can take a thermos, but I never do, I find I really don't have time to drink, since speed in execution of the painting is the primary goal.

Painting outside in the winter is not noodling time, it is fast broad strokes, paint loaded with medium for maximum slide, lots of rags for wipe outs, little or no drawing, suggesting large shapes and the search for complete simplicity. It really is a dance; you ! the universe, all your equipment ready for the absolute joy of being there doing what no one but you can do, creating a masterpiece of our Canadian landscape, and winning over yourself. It is an honour to be out there on a good nose running cold Canadian winter's day. That's what painters have always done.

J. Allison Robichaud.
January 2009


J. Allison Robichaud is an accomplished plein air painter who has earned the respect of fellow artists and fine art collectors alike, across Canada. He has had 24 solo exhibitions and has participated in some of Canada's most prestigious art symposiums.Allison Robichaud is an elected member of the Institute of Figurative Arts (IFA) and author of "The Reflective Stepping Stones of a Painter. published in 2002. His landscapes and still life paintings are highly collected.

Painting in Winter: James E. Pay comments

Since arriving in Nova Scotia 18 months ago, I have painted outdoors more than ever before, although I have always enjoyed it. Mostly, the en plein air painting is in the summer and early fall. For me, winter is studio painting time. Since I'm older now, the hands no longer can hold a brush in cold weather so all my sketching and painting is done through summer and autumn when the warm ocean tides moderate our temperatures. My wife, Eileen, a great photographer, can still add to my resources in winter with our treks outdoors here, so whatever season, there is never a lack of images to paint. Actually, winter inspires most artists. It is when most art clubs meet and mingle and when lots of paintings are accomplished. There is still something cosy about being inside in winter, looking out, hearing the wind, seeing the coldness and trying the capture it all on canvas. That is what inspires me.

James E. Pay
January 2009

James E. Pay trained as an artist in Canada, UK and USA and lists the late A.J. Casson as his mentor. James is a signature member of the United Society of Artists, (UA)London, England and former vice-chairman of Central Arts, Scotland. He is known for his loose style of watercolour painting,acrylic landscapes and florals. He is a skilled art teacher and conducts painting workshops in Nova Scotia.

Painting & Winter: Mary Nunn comments

When I first heard of hibernation in grade school; I thought it was a brilliant idea and always wanted to adopt it for myself.

I’m a studio painter, my work starts from a word, a mental picture or idea or something that I like the look of. From that point the process becomes an intimate one of honest dialogue between me and my art tools. There are rapid periods of intuitive work, play with colours, line and shapes; much longer periods of reflection and evaluation of the next step in the process to a finished piece.

The winter weather keeps me grounded to my home and studio so there is often a breakthrough to a new place in my WINTER WORK.

Mary Nunn.
January 2009
Mary Nunn is an accomplished watermedia artist and gifted teacher who has conducted watercolour/media workshops throughout Canada and the United States since 1984. Vibrant colour is a strong bias in her expressive works. She has exhibited widely in both commercial and public galleries. Mary Nunn is an elected member of the Society of Canadian Artists (SCA) since 2003.

Painting in Winter: Debbie Milling comments

"My studio has large windows that allow me to enjoy a wonderful and often fairylike view of the Rideau River. The winter is the most productive time for me as I have very little desire to be outside and love to sit in my studio by my woodstove cocooning and painting at the same time. The light that floods my studio is magnificent simply because of the way it reflects off the snow and the way it changes as it moves through the day. I spend the rest of the year primarily doing research and collecting a vast number of open air sketches and photos which provide me with the material to paint in my studio during winter. As most of my work is of spring to summer subjects, I can often place myself in the warmth and the sun just by painting the subjects even though it is 20 below outside!"

Debbie Milling
January 2009
Debbie Milling paints views of remote Canadian landscapes captured in her travels on horseback and by boat. Her studio overlooks the Rideau River near Ottawa. Milling has participated in several group and solo shows in Ontario and her works have been gaining recognition and can be found in public and private collections across Canada.

Winter Painting: Martha Markowsky comments

Snow and winter, my favourite season and reason for painting. In winter the leaves
have left the trees thus exposing the hidden treasures which cannot be seen during summer. Houses with balconies, laundry outdoors, staircases. Also, the "whites" of winter add high contrasts that cannot usually see in summer. Although most people relate to snow as white, as an artist I see a complete rainbow of colours in the snow.....gentle yellows, soft peach, lovely mauves and blues and then there are the shadows leading the eye throughout a painting, patterns dancing over the mounds of
snow.

Painting outdoors does present the challenge, working quickly before the fingers freeze, capturing nature without getting too complicated....a spontaneous happening, not much time for playing in the paint. This will happen later in the studio.

And the studio. Winter keeps me indoors painting when I am not doing plein air. The song "lazy days of summer" ..... and that's what it is and I will find any and every excuse to go outside, but winter keeps me at the easel, finishing paintings started outdoors. There is the rush to capture as much as possible before the snow melts and the whites turn to browns.

Martha Markowsky,
January 2009
Bottom right photo - Martha sketching on her paper placemat while dining in a restaurant. Photo at left is new winter painting, "Down the Lane."



Martha Markowsky is an accomplished artist well known for her impressionistic paintings of orchestral musical ensembles with brightly coloured depictions of tuxeoded musicians. Other painting subjects include her vibrant nostalgic cityscapes of children at play in old Quebec neighbourhoods, and introspective bar room scenes. She teaches classes in oils and acrylics and conducts workshops in the Charlevoix region. Martha Markowsky recently received the Award of Excellence in the Arts for 2008 from the City of Lachine in recognition of her achievements in art. Martha Markowsky is a highly respected and highly collected Canadian artist and elected member of the Society of Canadian artists (SCA), with works in many prominent private and corporate collections across Canada.

Thoughts on Winter Painting: Kathy Haycock comments

The Season of Snow! It is my favourite time to paint. Busy details in the foreground and beyond are covered with a gently rolling blanket, revealing patterns, shapes and lighting that can be interpreted with any colours of the palette. The weather changes constantly, the character of the landscape is refreshed daily. I can step out my door and never have to walk far for new material. Freezeup and thaw seasons are the most interesting on creeks and ponds. In January shadows are at their most delightfully longest and can stretch right across a pond. Compare that to painting in the harsh midday light of summer….. For winter painting I have a dedicated and unsightly painting outfit of warm clothes that is completely unfit for any other season or event. Oils are the only paints for winter, consistent through all temperatures, and in sleet, rain, snow and wind. In fact that’s one reason I use oils, because winter is my favourite time to paint.

Kathy Haycock
January 2009

Kathy Haycock's oil landscapes are painted on site in all seasons. Early Arctic trips with her father Arctic artist, Maurice Haycock introduced her to the lure of the North and inspired a sweeping and graceful rhythm in her work. Her subject matter is the wilderness around her – near her home close to Algonquin Park, the Canadian Arctic, and the American Southwest. Kathy Haycock is an elected member of Society of Canadian Artists (SCA) and is represented in private, public and corporate collections in Canada,USA, Europe, China and Australia.

Winter Painting: Ernest Labelle comments

Well… let’s just say, for this artist, being snowbound can be a blessing. Most of the paintings attached were painted while stuck in the house.
I remember way back when, as salesman, I travelled for Sico, out of Moncton, New Brunswick, that snow country… I was snowbound and/or stuck somewhere many times. Sometimes when stranded in small village motel, with a bunch of salesmen and colleagues, I wished I had had my brushes rather than play poker for a few days! - that’s how we occasionally passed the time – when stranded. And you know, when at home and unable to travel because of snow, I was automatically pushed toward my studio. Still works that way.
Lately, we’ve been stuck in the house and I took advantage of this situation to produce paintings I had promised, and (or) for Xmas gifts. "Spice bottles" (painting below) is one of those, and no – there is no snow on it.
I also agreed to do a scene of Wakefield Train Station – this one is a winter scene (painting top left).

When I look out my window and see the City bogged down by snow and in addition – the bus strike – it gives me good reason to stay indoor and paint.
Painting is my “private evacuation route”.
It doesn’t matter what reason I might have to want to evacuate… weather, bad news, market, illness in family, or just plain “being down”, as soon as I start painting, I forget the world. I just take a plunge into my canvas and forget all the nasty little things that flew my way when I got out of bed, including bad weather. Time goes by so fast and my paintings turn out OK. Guess I’m fortunate.
“Bring on the snow – lock me up – but don’t take my brushes away!”
There is nothing in the world that will distract me or make me paint negative things when I need to “evacuate”. And it does not have to be a winter scene.
I remember – speaking of evacuation – back in Florida, when we used to spend winter in the South – the complex we dwelled in was evacuation-free. It had been built to resist hurricanes – and it did very well. So I managed to round up a few artists of the complex and meet in the “Party Room” and paint…while everyone else “ran like fools and went nowhere…!” we watched the wind from inside tossing garbage cans, plastic lawn furniture, palm tree branches… and gradually forgot all about it and just “painted”..!

So.. bottom line… “Being snowbound, hurricane bound, or just plain immobilized… are just good excuses to pull out brushes and paint…!” I welcome snow storms! I don’t wish for them but I do welcome them. Provides opportunity to “evacuate”. I love watching it fall from a window. In my younger days, I used to go walking in winter storms.
I have pictures of the Sparks Street Mall with a whole lot of people walking around. It’s a summer scene. I think I will turn it into a happy winter shopping spree! Why not? Beats moping because weather is bad!
Stressful moments are not welcome… - but – they can be overcome and turned into productive activities for a painter or artist, or anyone, for that matter. Stressfull moments do, however, pop up, so let’s use them.
My advice to all artists
“Don’t let winter storms stop you or even slow you down – use them to your best advantage – you will be surprised the benefits you will draw… from peace of mind to great paintings!”

Ernest F. Labelle
January 2009

Ernest Labelle is a guest artist featured at Tay River Gallery. Ernest Labelle paints a variety of subject matter including old architecture, street scenes and rural landscapes with primary attention to colour and contrast in a loose style and pleasing earthy palette.He has directed workshops, teaching art in Ottawa, Gatineau, Montreal, Baie-St-Paul since 1990.