Plein Air Painting in Winter: Charles Spratt Comments

As an artist, I count myself blessed to live in Canada where we celebrate four distinct seasons.
A Canadian winter is special. It’s a time for Mother Nature to pause and gather energy for the renewal that begins each spring. When temperatures plunge, it provides artists, like myself, the opportunity to retreat to our studios to paint, to reflect on the direction of our work and to make plans for the coming year.

And winter landscape has its own special beauty of course. Picture sun’s rays dancing through a snow-laden forest, blue purple shadows stretching out as the shortened days retreat to evening glow and chimney smoke from snow-covered houses rising straight up into a clear Cerulean sky.

That is reason why I keep returning to Algonquin Park each winter: To experience winter in all its beauty surrounded by the silence and solitude. But it’s more than that. It’s a time for introspection and renewal - to rediscover my place in that frozen landscape, as an artist, and to rekindle the sense of wonder and peace that I find there.

Hopefully, my paintings reflect this creative journey that lasts a lifetime.

Charles Spratt
January 2009
Charles Spratt is an award winning painter whose best loved subjects are rural Ontario and Quebec. The ships and harbours of the East Coast, cityscapes and portraits are also a passion for him. With over twenty-five solo exhibitions in Toronto and Ottawa since 1980, his masterful works are in high demand.The artist has taught portrait and landscape painting for Ontario colleges and appeared on television numerous times. He is author of the book "From Oils to Watercolour". Charles Spratt's new works will be featured in a major solo exhibition at Tay River Gallery in June 2009.

Winter Thoughts: Paulette Marie Sauvé comments

"A most exhilarating view of sparkling snow in the countryside
surrounding my home is what I find delightful.
Barns and silos capped with white bonnets shielded by spruce and pine
trees form a lovely contrast with the warm sky at dawn."

Paulette Marie Sauvé
January 2009

Paulette Marie Sauvé studied architecture and painting at the Institut des Arts Appliqués in Montreal, and received her Master of Fine Arts degree at the Université du Québec. She was awarded Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 50th Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002 by The Governor General of Canada. Paulette Sauvé has created commissioned works for government and corporate buildings, and lectured in the USA, Canada and Israel. Her work is displayed in galleries, museums, private and corporate collections in several countries.

Painting in Winter: Tricia Savoie Comments

Winter is not my favourite season, although I love painting winter scenes.
Getting out ‘Plein Air’ painting in winter is a bit of a challenge – I suffer from the cold with my feet and especially my hands getting cold extremely quickly due to rather poor circulation.
I find our Canadian winters just a bit too long. I certainly do not mind the snow, in fact like it, as it seems to warm things up – but I dislike the frigid temperatures. I would like winter to start mid December and end around the end of March, and have the temperature not go below –10C during that period. Do you think I am pipe dreaming? Probably.

I have been out painting in the winter, but usually have to stay in my car to do so and just paint small ‘sketches’ due to the above mentioned reason of hands freezing quickly. I dislike painting with gloves on, but find it an absolute necessity when it gets close to 0 degrees. My best outdoor winter experience is not being completely outdoors.
When going to the E.C.O.A.A. winter paint-out at Bark Lake (near Irondale), the cafeteria has windows around its 3 sides, and you have a view of either the lake, or the swamp, or the road to the cabins to paint, but in the warmth of inside. You can also paint inside the studio, which has windows on two sides with other wonderful views.

There are occasions in winter when we have a warm spell, with no biting winds, and you can get outside to paint for short stretches of time, which I have enjoyed greatly. Sometimes with the sun shining, reflecting off of the snow, you are almost too warm. But no complaints here.

With regards to studio painting during the winter, again – I don’t mind as I have at least 2 groups that I paint with indoors so there is comraderie and friendship going on through-out the winter months, as well as painting alone in my studio. With one group, we put up slides (mostly winter scenes in the winter) and depending on where you stand (or sit) depends on your perspective of the scene – not unlike being outside, but with more comfort.

Tricia Wilmot Savoie
January 2009


Tricia Savoie is a prolific landscape painter with a passion for colour and light and painting outdoors,"en plein air". Savoie has received many awards for her paintings and is a member of a number of area art associations. She teaches art for the City of Ottawa in various locations. Her works have wide appeal with frequent art buyers in Ontario and also hang in private and corporate collections in the United States, Great Britain, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Germany and across Canada.

Winter Gestures/Beacon Whispers

Along a similar vein as our current obsession with snowbound thoughts and snowbound creations, is Fieldwork's current winter installation called 'Winter Gestures/Beacon Whispers' by Susie Osler now in progress.

Fieldwork is a rural, public art project that presents site-specific art installations each season in a field in Eastern Ontario for passers-by to stumble upon, discover, journey to, and explore. A new installation is created each season by one of the 'fieldworkers' (artists) addressing ways of relating to the space - conceptually, spiritually, formally, economically, playfully, etc.

Winter Gestures explores the psychological and physical realms of winter. The field of snow acts as both the canvas for, as well as the subject of gestures or suggestions. This part of the project responds to winter as it unfolds both on the land, and in the artist's psyche. The dead tree erected in the field is the beacon or receiver of inspiration and gratitude. Throughout the winter, the Beacon is accumulating objects representing gratitude and inspiration.
The field site is located 15 minutes west of Perth in Brooke Valley and is open to the public year round to visit. This installation also has opportunities for the public to participate. See the fieldwork blog site at www.fieldwork.blogsome.com for further details.

Soprano, Donna Brown performs at National Gallery Sunday February 1st

Celebrated Canadian soprano, Donna Brown will be performing in the National Gallery Auditorium at 2 p.m Sunday afternoon with pianist Jean Desmarais and four NACO players as part of the orchestra's Sunday chamber series. Brown will perform songs by Brahms and Schubert and folk songs arranged by Haydn.

Earlier this week on Wednesday and Thursday evening at the National Arts Centre,in Southam Hall, Brown was soprano soloist in the National Art Centre Orchestra performance of Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass.

Donna Brown became a leading soprano in Europe in the 1980's and has performed in some of the world's great concert halls and opera houses with many world renowned conductors, including Helmut Rilling, and John Elliot Gardiner. She studied music at Mc Gill University and in Paris and has made numerous music recordings. She is renowned for the "floating golden-hued quality" of her voice.

For the concert today at the National Gallery, Call 613-755-1111 for ticket information. The auditorium is a more intimate space and seats 400 .Tickets are $29 general and $14.50 for students. What a wonderful way to spend a dull winter day - and forget the weather, enchanted by Donna Brown's floating, clear soprano voice. Besides, this diva divine is my beloved sister and I for one won't miss this concert!

Lisa Brown

Preview of New Work by John Alexander Day Available Today at Tay River Gallery

Attention art collectors. A selection of new larger sized paintings by John Alexander Day has just arrived at the gallery. For your interest, we are providing a preview online of new paintings available for sale. Don't delay. Details are provided below. All paintings are framed in quality contemporary floater frames.
1. Winter Tamaracks $1600 24 x 36 oil on canvas framed
2. West Coast Afternoon $2000 30 x 36 oil on canvas framed
3. Nature's Palette. $3200 48 x 40 oil on canvas framed
4. Mackenzie King Winter $1475 24 x 30 Winter, oil on canvas framed
5. Reflections of a farm $1200 24 x 24 Oil on Canvas
6. Reflections of Autumn $2350 36 x 36 oil on canvas framed
7. End of the Day $1175 20 x 28 Oil on Canvas
8. Georgian Rock $2200 40 x 30 oil on canvas framed