"View from Hay Island"   

12 x 16 inches, oil on canvas mounted to hard board 

  I painted this one en Plein Air . . . outside with the bugs and the wind. Despite that, this painting developed better than I had expected.

It was the summer of 2005 and we were visiting Hay Island in Oliphant, which is near Sauble Beach and the town of Wiraton of Wiraton Willy fame - a gopher that comes out in February, sees its shadow, or not, and folk then make prediction as to how many more days of Winter are remaining. Not exactly a science to be sure, but more like soothsaying and a much needed distraction from the winter blahs.

 

Anyway, I was out painting on a lovely summers day when this picture was taken . . . did not see any gophers around.