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Carmichaels Rock

31/3/2019

The next trip in pursuit of The Group of Seven was to paddle into Grace and Nellie Lakes. The first day we drove five hours to Widgawa Lodge where we put in and then paddled the 12 K (3 hour) trip to the Grace Lake portage. The portage is 1660 metres long and climbs 60 metres in elevation. The group of very tired campers found a site on Grace Lake right across from the mountain with the rock that Franklin Carmichael sat and painted on in 1934.

Franklin Carmichael 1934 - photo by Joachim Gauthier

John Christie 2018 - photo by Martin Kotyluk

We only had the one night on Grace so the plan, for day two, was for Martin Kotyluk, the other artist on the trip, and I to climb to Carmichael's rock and paint while the others hauled the gear over to Nellie Lake. I had researched the trip to the rock and Jim and Sue Waddington kindly helped me with directions so finding the rock wasn't difficult for us but there is no trail so bushwhacking up to it is a bit of a chore.

It was thrilling for me to sit and paint on the exact same rock in the exact same place as Franklin Carmichael did all those years ago. We could see why he picked that location. The view across Grace Lake was magnificent as was the one looking south out of the mountains towards Georgian Bay. There was only time for one quick painting and we both chose Grace Lake.

After painting we climbed back down and paddled to the portage to Nellie Lake. This is another tough trek. The portage is 2010 metres and climbs 78 meters in elevation before dropping back down 72 metres. I was already tired from the climb to paint and about half way across the portage I told Martin, who is much younger and fit than I am that it was a good thing that we didn't have a tent with us or I would be pitching it right there. We did managed to get across and to the campsite just as wine and supper were being served. I do love my job.

I didn't have enough time painting to create a masterpiece but oh what a memorable day. I have certainly gained a new admiration for the toughness of the Group of Seven members who did these trips without kevlar canoes and high tech gear.

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Lawren Harris and Pic Island

17/3/2019

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Debbie and I planned on spending 5 days in Neys Provincial Park and I was excited because there were a few Group of Seven possibilities in the area.

The first location was in the park. Research showed me that there was a hike that went up to a spot very close to where Lauren Harris painted the sketches for his Pic Island paintings. I was told that it was 4.5 kilometers each way and although uphill all the way to the lookout it was good footing and an easy walk. I was also told that there was a storm heading our way but it wouldn't arrive until about 5 pm. It was only about 10 am so I knew that I had lots of time to hike up paint and hike back down.

When I finally arrived at the top I found another one of the Algoma Group of Seven installations with images of paintings of Pic Island by Harris, Arthur Lismer and A.Y. Jackson. I also found a vew that made the long climb well worth the effort.

An image of Pic Island taken from the lookout in Neys Provincial Park

Here too I came across the only other people that I met the whole afternoon. A couple of Americans and their very friendly golden retriever. We didn't chat long because we could hear approaching thunder and they were in a hurry to get off the mountain. I knew that I had lots of time so I settled in to paint. I soon realized that the storm was approaching much faster than I had anticipated so I started rushing to get my painting done before it got crazy.

This was painted in bit of a panic and I am not especially happy with it but considering the massive storm front rushing at me while I was working I probably should be. The view was incredible and I would have loved to have spent more time up there. As it turns out the storm passed over when I was almost down off the mountain and all it did was sprinkle a little. Arrgh!

We are heading back to Neys this summer and I plan on painting from up there again as well as from other Group of Seven locations such as Port Coldwell and Jack Fish if they are still accessible. Does anyone know how to get to either of these ghost towns?

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In Search of A.Y. Jackson

23/2/2019

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Last summer Debbie and I spent a week in Agawa beach campground in Lake Superior Provincial Park. I had seen a painting by AY Jackson that I know was painted on a beach near Wawa. It was used on one of the Moments of Algoma interpretive installations on Sandy Beach. It is a good thing that I researched the location before I went because the painting location is not on the beach that the interpretive installation is on. Using topo maps and google maps satellite view I figured where I thought the most likely location was.

This first image is of a painting done on Sandy Beach which is just south of the highway near Wawa Ontario. Apparently A Y Jackson spent many a summer in a cabin at this end of the beach and I have no doubt that he would have painted this rather unique point.

On the left is AY Jackson's "Shoreline, Wawa" which I believe was painted in 1955. I knew that it was painted somewhere near this location and my research paid off. I had to walk a bit and climb over a rugged rocky point to get to the small cove where he painted but the very distinctive lone rock on the shore told me that I was there.

This is my interpretation of the same scene. I met Jackson at the McMichael Gallery back in the early seventies but I wasn't an artist at the time and I had no idea the impact that he would have on me in later years. He was signing reproductions of his paintings and I elected not to purchase one. Oh if I had only known.

I am very excited about this painting. I think that it is one of my best however it may be the story behind it is biasing my opinion of how good it is. Does anyone have any thoughts? How about you Mary?

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Painting with the Group of Seven - OSA Lake

20/2/2019

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I have fallen in love with painting at Group of Seven locations. It started out as one or two but now that I am searching them out I decided to organize my results in a blog starting with two summers ago.

It all started in October 2017. Every year my son and his friends plan a fall canoe trip to a location where I want to paint and in 2017 it was OSA Lake in Kilarney. Shortly after we got back Jim and Sue Waddington (In The Footsteps of The Group of Seven) posted an image of a painting by A. Y. Jackson on Facebook and they asked if anyone knew where it had been painted. I did because I had unknowingly painted the same scene from the same location as Jackson. I was thrilled. My painting is very different from his but I now felt a personal connection to Jackson and his art.

The image to the left is A. Y. Jackson's "Trout Lake" and the one on the right is mine. I'm sorry about the red line but I don't have permission to post the image of his painting. My painting isn't one of my best but what a thrill.

I became hooked on painting where members of the group painted. The next fall trip was planned for Grace and Nellie Lakes and I had some research and planning to do.

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Carmichaels Rock

Lawren Harris and Pic Island

In Search of A.Y. Jackson

Painting with the Group of Seven - OSA Lake

John Christie

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