Ontario
This view was found at the top of the Hwy 34 overpass while turning around from west to east. The opened back end of the truck being used as a message board with nature quietly working to take it over was a visual delight. I enjoyed the rigidness of what man imposed onto the softness of nature's surroundings. Alison
Although it was actually early afternoon and the sun was bright, when a cloud passed overhead all the tones became more muted. I thought it would be interesting to shift this scene to early evening, when a clear sky becomes jewel-like and transparent. This is actually the very first painting completed for the Trans-Canada 150 x Two project and is the closest stop heading west along the Trans-Canada highway from my home in Montreal. Carol
The weeds at the side of the road are so thick that they tangled around my feet several times, tripping me up, so I thought it might be interesting to incorporate the actual plants (weeds) and gravel from the side of the road into my painting. The final result is a very textural surface that is reminiscent of the actual gravel edge of the road onto which I stepped when I got out of the car. Carol
The shadows on the gravel caught my eye at this location. I saw the wavy lines that were created as the shadow went over and around the individual pieces of pebbles and enjoyed those lines juxtaposed with the rigidness of the guardrail. I also enjoyed how the guardrail brought the eye to the road in the distance, wondering what might be around that corner. ~ Alison
I became very focused on the space between the leaves at this site, allowing the pond itself to just disappear, though you can see ghosts of lily pads. Rather than paint a full landscape, in this one I wanted to lead the viewers eye from the red slash of colour down to the bottom right and between the stems of the leaves. ~ Alison
There is a long thin lake on the south side of the road typical of the Canadian Shield landscape of granite rocks and forest. It would have been easy to paint five or six images from this idyllic spot. I put a high gloss varnish on the water to make it appear more mirror-like before painting the plants over top using a matte modeling paste and acrylic to create a contrast. Carol
Just before the intersection with Highway 11, and just before entering the built-up and traffic-heavy populated area of North Bay, is this quiet, peaceful scene that reminds me that the natural state of the country is always close by. This is cottage country and one of my favourite places to spend time especially during summer holidays – preferably before or after the uncountable number of May flies passes through on their annual migration. If you stand in Alison’s Km 3000 painting at the end of the guardrails and look right, you would see the landscape in this one. Carol
Man verses nature seems to be an occurring theme in my images, which makes sense as the highway was created on top of the land. All the signs along the side of the road and the pavement lines set against the backdrop of the Canadian shield, intrigued me, as did the guard rail and shadow which was a subject in a previous painting. ~ Alison
Traveling across northern Ontario, you encounter signs pointing the way to Timmins, a place I have wondered about since I was a young girl. I have threatened to visit the town dozens of times and have yet to make the trip. This painting is my reminder that I will make the journey one day soon and the prospect of this impending journey both excites and terrifies me. Carol
Finding that piece of inspiration can sometimes be difficult. Not because there isn't anything to choose, quite the opposite, because there are so many images I would love to paint. This one was easy. Four years ago, on my initial journey to Saskatchewan, my sister joined me. She's a geologist. She LOVES rocks! I may love the colours and shapes of the rocks, but she knows why they are there, why the colours are what they are, and what they are made of. Did you know that sea fossils can be found in the Rocky Mountains!! She does! I loved hearing about the rocks at the side of the road, and I loved her passion. When I saw this wall of rock, I thought of her. Alison
This was a lovely location. Our stop was at a pond which we passed in order to turn around to park on the other side of the road. On turning around, I spotted this view out the passenger side window and knew I wanted to paint that old trestle. It reminded me of home, Galt Ontario. It reminded me of lying down with school friends on the bank of a stream to catch fish in our hands on our way home from school, and lying in the grass to see shapes in the clouds. For me, this spot speaks of earlier times.
Just past Blind River was a body of water completely covered with water lilies and across the expanse was a blue heron standing on one leg fishing. I was tempted to paint it until I looked across the road at the small stream on the other side and noticed the orange rocks sitting in the shadows of bushes and against the deep blues, greens and purples of the water. I left the heron to its fishing and became lost in the rocks and reflections. Carol
Being the passenger in the car allows one to study objects zipping past the window as the driver can't. This motel with its graffiti covered walls, broken windows and general decay fascinated me. It begged the question, "What happened to somebodies dream", for it certainly had been that - somebodies dream to own a motel along the Trans Canada highway. On returning home to Saskatoon,
I researched the hotel, first because I couldn't figure out the name on the motel sign. Then, because I had become fascinated with its decay. The photos of the interior are so sad to see. I hope the owners were able to pick themselves up from the fires that destroyed their property and were able to start again. Alison
I researched the hotel, first because I couldn't figure out the name on the motel sign. Then, because I had become fascinated with its decay. The photos of the interior are so sad to see. I hope the owners were able to pick themselves up from the fires that destroyed their property and were able to start again. Alison
I love the trees and rocks of the Canadian Shield, which are such a dominant element of the landscape throughout northern Quebec and Ontario. Although I grew up in the flat lands near Lakes Ontario and Erie in southern Ontario, the Shield is what always felt like Canada to me. The long stretches of forest, swamp and lake between small towns, the clear air and solitude of the land, all allow me to relax and ponder my place in this world. I cherish the time that I'm able to get away from the city and slow down in this great swath of peaceful country. Although there are real place names on the sign, it really represents any sign found along the highway and the feeling of excitement I get when the sign that indicates the journey is almost done comes into view. For this reason, the colours remain clear, bright and vibrant.
Carol
Carol
We often do not notice the small vegetation growing along the road’s edge and filling the ditches. Is it lack of time to actually look or are we just speeding by too quickly to focus on something so small? However, we do notice when the low growing vegetation is missing. I wanted to draw attention to this oversight and common behavior that most of us share. The daisy is a wonderfully delicate and beautiful flower dotting the roadsides from coast to coast. The bright yellow centres and elongated white petals brighten one’s mood due to their sunny appearance. So if they manage to be such a positive image in my life, I wonder why I don’t stop more often for a contemplative perusal? Carol
This was such a beautiful stop, Northern Ontario at its best. As a driver, intent on getting to the next destination, it would be easy to keep ones gaze on the pavement in front of the car, driving by this spot and not taking in the beauty. I bet the people that live in and around this location are very aware of nature's beauty here. In this painting, I focussed on the old and the new, the dead and rebirth of nature - both beautiful in line and colour.
I had this painting in the back of my mind since I took the photo. I loved the idea of the freedom this man must have felt zipping down the road in the fast lane, his curling pony tail whipping around his neck, maybe slapping the side of his face every once in awhile. It reminded me of when I was young and would put my head out the car window to experience the joy created when the wind pushes against my face causing tears to stream down my cheeks! - Alison
Northern Ontario is sprinkled with thousands of small ponds and swamps. I find the colours of the decaying, moss-clad trees beautiful. To get the textural feeling of the moss cloaking the branches, I used small pieces of sea-sponge dipped in green acrylic paint and painstakingly placed onto the canvas. The foreground is build up in layers of sea-sponge and modeling paste to bring those areas of the painting closer to the viewer. Carol
On my return trip from Banff, the skies around Marathon and this stretch of highway were living testimonials to Lauren Harris and his Lake Superior series of paintings. I was awestruck and captivated. I loved the stripes of clouds and the clearing skies as the evening approached. For me, the lone tree appeared like a sentinal overseeing his domain. Carol
Since moving to Saskatchewan, "Land of the Living Skies", I have become fascinated with clouds and am always on the lookout for them. We came around the bend that is on the right-hand side of the painting in the morning hours. Knowing that the clouds were going to soon burn off with the rest of the day going to be filled with sunshine and bright blue skies, I wanted to capture the layers of clouds and their formations over the landscape. ~Alison
There was a small orange granite cliff on the north side of the road and a wealth of bright green trees at this stop. I juxtaposed the two subjects onto the canvas one above the other, exaggerating the height of the cliff, but not the tree. I restricted my palette, used higher value colours and allowed the brushwork to echo the tall slender tree in silhouette. Often colour gets the credit, but tone does the work; in this painting colour really deserves the credit for creating movement in the background to the point where the colours almost dance within the senses. Carol
Growing up in Ontario, I got to see lots of red barns sitting in fields of green. I didn't know how much I missed the beauty of those red barns until moving away to a different province. Driving through Ontario, my eyes scanned right and left for "an Ontario red barn" and though I saw plenty, they were not where our markers were for this project. Imagine my delight when I found this barn just east of Thunder Bay! Although it wasn't the big red barn of my childhood, it WAS a red barn! I jumped out of the car and ran up the road to capture it knowing it was going to be my painting. ~ Alison
I have looked forward to painting this particular one since I took the photo. It was fun discovering the bulbous shadows crossing the Trans Canada Highway early in the morning. There were so many wonderful choices to be found at this stop with the rising sun, but these shadow giants captured my heart. ~ Alison
I've always been a great fan of pines trees and the way they maintain their shape from bottom to new growth at the top and along each branch. On one of our early mornings last summer, this pair of trees was caught at Km 4200, just west of Thunder Bay and where the Trans-Canada turns north from Highway 11. I have to admit that it's rare that I get up to see the sunrise in the summer, but this day made it worthwhile to do so. Carol
The bogs and swamps of the Canadian Shield are full of fascinating colours and textures. I used a intense yellow-green to create the lush grassy areas within the picture. I find it amazing how such putrid-smelling black mud can foster such fresh and brilliant greens. The scrubby thin pines that surround the swamp have a distinct character, making me wonder if it is the watery bogginess of the land makes them appear such forlorn and scraggily cousins of the more robust pines populating the Canadian Shield. Carol
To the left is a steep incline. Carol hopped out of the car and climbed that hill with her cameras to find out what could be seen from the top. I again, was intrigued with the idea of where the road itself led, the path that so many of us have taken. And of course, the clouds, those gorgeous clouds with all their formations and colours. I will never be able to look at images of this painting again without thinking of Carol meeting up with hundreds of black flies on top of that hill and me being thankful that my interest on that particular shoot lay closer to the pavement. ~ Alison
In the midst of road construction and dirt-filled air, I looked down over the edge of the road and found the necessary, and often overlooked, culvert and drainage ditch. The textures that came together piqued my interest. The rough stones and dirt were sculpted by the run-off water as it drains away from the road. I put layers of high gloss gel to make the water appear wet and I cut pieces of a straw broom into modeling paste to create the dry grass area in the top right corner. The culvert has layers of modeling paste painted with grey and silver acrylics, and the foreground has ground pumice and stones liberally infused in the paint and modeling paste to create the texture of the sandy foreground. Carol
Travelling through a construction site offers plenty of images of big trucks, men working, signs and traffic cones, but the surrounding area was so pristine, I couldn't paint any of those subjects. This old culvert spoke about a time gone by, no longer needed and soon to be covered by nature. I wanted to depict the idea of being worn out and forgotten. I used pumice mixed with paint to create the small stones on the top of the culvert and applied the paint thickly for the grass to emphasis the idea of it encroaching on the no longer required trench. ~ Alison
This was the very first photograph I took. I remember hanging out the window hoping my camera wouldn't fall out. A gentle rain had just begun giving the rock faces along the road a gleam and intensifying the colours on its cut face. That green spoke to me as did the height of the rocks so close to the road, making me feel cramped within its space. ~ Alison
A clearing of orange and pink granite surrounding by the evergreens are, for me, synonymous with the Canadian Shield. It creates an oasis of peaceful calm filled with bird song and gentle breezes. I love the contrast of the deep shadowed greens of the forest and the sun-lit outcroppings of rock so typical of the area. I never tire of the beauty of Lake Superior’s northern shore. Carol