Lichen-Covered Rocks and Windblown Pine, Kejimkujik Seaside, Nova Scotia
“And now we welcome the new year, full of things that have never been.”
~ Rainer Maria Rilke
Tag Archives: Landscape
Magical Winterscapes by Group of Seven
A. J. Casson, Rooftops
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As the chill of wintry winds, snow and ice continues, a compilation of Canadian winterscapes by the Group of Seven artists seems in order. As always, the scenery by these talented artists is captivating! (Click on image to enlarge)
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- A.Y. Jackson, Winter in Quebec
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- Lawren Harris, Snow on Trees
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- Arthur Lismer, Forest in Winter
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- A.Y. Jackson, Winter, Charlevoix County
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- Lawren Harris, House on Gerrard Street
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- Lawren Harris, Lake and Mountains
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- Lawren Harris, Pine Tree and Red House
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- Lawren Harris, Snowfall
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- Lawren Harris, Winter Sunrise
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- Lawren Harris, Winter Woods
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- Lawren Harris, Landscape With Pink House
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- Tom Thomson, Early Snow
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- Tom Thomson, Winter Thaw
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- Tom Thomson, Wood Interior, Winter
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- Lawren Harris, Winter in the Northern Woods
Similar posts on O’Canada:
Quiet Autumn Sunset, New Brunswick
Near Sunset, Looking Across the Lubec Narrows, Campobello Island, New Brunswick
“The future enters into us, in order to transform itself in us, long before it happens.”
~Rainer Maria Rilke
Crisp Maritimes Morning
Rusted Tiller Wheel, Annapolis Valley, N.S., Along the Bay of Fundy Coast
“I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Early Fall, Kejimkujik Seaside, Nova Scotia
“Make each step with intention and surrender and you will move forward on your path. Be kind to others. Honor the mystery and wonder that surrounds us at every moment.” ~ Nicola Barsaleau*
(*Nicola Barsaleau is a talented artist I recently met at an art fair who makes exquisite linocut prints, several of which incorporate wonderfully inspiring words of wisdom such as the above and can be seen on her site here.)
Robert McAffee — Artist to Appreciate
Robert McAffee, The Foot of the Falls
Toronto-based Robert McAffee’s contemporary landscape art is striking in many ways. His lush scenes of the Canadian wilderness pay homage to the influences of several Group of Seven artists — notably Lawren Harris, Tom Thomson, A.J. Casson and Arthur Lismer. McAffee seems to have internalized aspects of each with a resulting style that is wonderfully distinct from any one of them. More about McAffee’s beautiful artwork and links to galleries that carry his pieces can be found at his website here.
Robert McAffee, The Three Sisters
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R. McAffee, Fishing By the Rocks
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Robert McAffee, North Shore Twisty
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Robert McAffee, Waterfall
(Image credits: Artist’s website)
Similar Posts on O’Canada:
> David Silcox’s Exquisite Book on The Group of Seven
> The Group of Seven’s Landscape Explosion
> Amazing Landscape Artistry of Philip Buytendorp, Jennifer Woodburn and Steve Coffey
Bridges As Depicted on Vintage Postcards
Steam train crossing as onlookers leisurely enjoy the vista. Postmarked 1921.
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Even with sophisticated modern equipment, bridges are marvels of engineering skill. Bridges from earlier periods, such as the array of Canadian ones featured on these vintage postcards, built without the benefit of such conveniences and often at the cost of many lives and injuries, are that much more impressive!
Heading into Canada from Detroit. About 1940s, when cars featured many curves.
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Love the simplicity of this image and the partial reflection. Postmarked 1906.
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A singular Canadian achievement when built around 1913.
Another bascule bridge with a small boat passing under.
Early 1900s. This bridge is close to the one photographed in an earlier post on my blog near Clementsport, N.S.
About 1951. This is an amazing suspension bridge!
Lots of boaters around this one. Postmarked 1921.
About 1920s. Nice old water tower at other end.
Early 1900s
The Princess Elaine was built in 1928 for the Vancouver Ferry System and was a jewel of the ferries at the time. Postcard is about 1930s.
About 1940. Non-traditional focus for a bridge image. Neat old auto coming toward the viewer.
About 1920. Less well-known and more secluded than the Capilano Suspension Bridge several miles away in Vancouver.
Lovely simple scene in New Brunswick.
Early 1900s. Horse-drawn carriages can be seen crossing.
Postmarked 1941, addressed to Shirley Meador in Milrose, Massachusetts. Back of card reads, “My dear sister, How can you ever get along without me there? Ken”
Another view of the Pont Gouin in St. Johns, Quebec. Postmarked 1939.
Reverse of the Victoria Gorge card in this group. Postmarked 1921. Like the line: ” . . . if I only send cards please don’t be cross. It’s hard to write letters.” Only a name and a town were needed for an address.
Similar posts:
• Beautiful Old Railway Bridge, Near Clementsport, N.S.
Pam Hall’s “Apron Diaries”
Aprons in the Wind, Port Rexton, Newfoundland, From Pam Hall’s “Apron Diaries”
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Pam Hall is among the highly imaginative artists showcased at a current exhibition (through June 1) of contemporary art from the rugged province of Newfoundland at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Ontario.
That exhibition led me to Hall’s “Apron Diaries”, a series of installation works around the Trinity and Bonavista areas of Newfoundland in which she displays collections of aprons at worksites (such as upon fish flakes for drying salted cod or hanging at a local bakery or at a fisheries plant) as a celebration of the often unsung labor of women. Images of wind-fluttered aprons affixed to weathered fish flakes are particularly colorful and moving (literally) tributes to women’s essential work roles in their communities. 
Aprons on a Fish Flake, From Pam Hall’s “Apron Diaries”
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Aprons Festooned at a Fisheries Plant, From Pam Hall’s “Apron Diaries”
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Baking Amidst Aprons, From Pam Hall’s “Apron Diaries”
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More Colorful Aprons on a Fish Flake, From Pam Hall’s “Apron Diaries”
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More about Hall , her siteworks and other art can be found at her website here.
(Image Credits: Pam Hall)
Artist to Appreciate: Christopher Walker
Christopher Walker, Devotion (2008)
Christopher Walker is a Canadian contemporary realist painter whose subject matter reflects a distinct sense of the grand and the awe-inspiring as well as his wide ranging travels throughout many remote areas of Canada. His style is evocative of the work of Alex Colville and Andrew Wyeth, among others. Walker’s artistry is truly stunning and beautiful!
Christopher Walker, Acceptance (1993)
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Christopher Walker, Canadiana (2013)
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Christopher Walker, Fortitude (2008)
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Christopher Walker, Interface (2007)
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Christopher Walker, Patience (2009)
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Christopher Walker, Transient (2007)
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More of Walker’s gorgeous work can be seen at his website and at the White Rock Gallery site.
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Similar posts on O’Canada:
— Artist to Appreciate: Mary Pratt
— Artist to Appreciate: Christopher Pratt
Low Tide on the Moose River, Clementsport, Nova Scotia
“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Shore Marshes and Big Sky in Early Evening, Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia
“Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful,
we must carry it with us or we find it not.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Beautiful Brisk Day on the Lake
Kejimkujik Lake, Kejimkujik National Park, Nova Scotia
“The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful.”
~e.e. cummings
Gentle Waves Near Capstick, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
“If you will stay close to nature, to its simplicity, to the small things hardly noticeable, those things can unexpectedly become great and immeasurable.”
~ Rainer Maria Rilke
Fort Amherst and The Narrows, St. John’s, Newfoundland
“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in,
where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.”
~ John Muir
Peaceful Seaside Inlet in Newfoundland
A Quiet Fishing Village, Newfoundland
“This world is but a canvas to our imagination.”
~Henry David Thoreau
A Peek at the Annapolis Valley
View Across the Annapolis Valley and Minas Basin I, Nova Scotia
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View Across the Annapolis Valley and Minas Basin II, Nova Scotia
“This is what you shall do: Love the earth and sun and the animals . . . .”
~Walt Whitman
Moonlit Views of Yesteryear Canada
While thumbing through a large group of vintage Canadian postcards at a local antique shop a half-dozen or so among the thousand-plus cards stood out because each featured a highly stylized moonlight view of their subjects, giving each card a dark and moody feel. Most were from about 1906 to 1908, with one as late as 1919, and all but one were marked as being printed by Valentine & Sons, a noted Scottish postcard publisher of the time with offices in Toronto and Montreal. A little online research revealed that the cards were collotype photographs taken in daylight with a full moon, clouds and lighting effects layered on top, after which the images were hand-tinted.
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Similar posts on O’Canada:
• Vintage Postcards: Canadian Churches
Artist to Appreciate: Louis Helbig
Louis Helbig, Highway 53 Bitumen Slick, Alberta (2009)
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The aerial photography of Ottawa’s Louis Helbig provides a reflective pause for the disquieting natural and industrial vistas that are this artist’s principal subject matter. Many of his images possess an abstract quality and bring to mind the similarly striking industrial landscapes of fellow Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky.
Below are a few of Helbig’s stunning images. More of his impressive photography can be found at his homepage here.
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Louis Helbig, Alluvial Fan, Alberta (2009)
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Louis Helbig, Sulfur Pile, Alberta (2011)
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Louis Helbig, ATV Tracks in Frozen Snow, Quebec (2011)
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Louis Helbig, Pumping Vessel, Alberta (2009)
Image Credits: Louis Helbig
Other Posts About Notable Canadian Photographers:
• Edward Burtysnky and Industrial Landscapes
• Todd McLellan: Taking Things Apart
• Manu Keggenhoff’s Photography of the North
Beautiful Old Railroad Bridge, Near Clementsport, N.S.
Near Sunset and Low Tide, Old Railway Bridge, Clementsport, N.S.
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This rusted old iron railway bridge near Clementsport / Upper Clements in the Annapolis Valley area of Nova Scotia held my fascination one late Fall afternoon as the sunset slowly crept in. The point at which the forlorn bridge and its ancient wood trestle crosses the tidal river bend is both scenic and serene. On this occasion, the deep chipping orange-brown rust and the weathered blue-greens of the bridge’s structure harmonized perfectly with the complementary tones in the cloudy sky, the cool water and the distant hills.
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Barns and Cottages of the Maritimes — Part 2
Rusted Roof Barn, Evangeline Beach, N.S.
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Following Part 1 on this subject, here are some more scenic views of barns, cottages and sheds of the Maritimes. (Click image to enlarge.)
Seen Its Better Days Cottage, Parkers Cove, N.S.
Rustic Barn, Near Lequille, N.S.
Early Evening at the Tired Cottage, Parkers Cove, N.S.
Cute Bay of Fundy Cottage, Parkers Cove, N.S.
Seaside Red Cottage, Near Youngs Cove, N.S.
Rural Red-Doored Barn, Near Cape North, Cape Breton, N.S.
Colorful Cottage, Campobello Island, N.B.
Bright Yellow Shed, Youngs Cove, N.S.
Fishing Shed, Near St. John’s, Newfoundland
Barns and Cottages of the Maritimes — Part 1
Rustic Red Barn, Near St. Croix Cove, Nova Scotia
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Scenery does not get more picturesque than a rustic barn or cozy cottage situated against a body of moving water or a lush green field. While hues of red seem to be the color of choice for barns and barn doors along the maritime coast and nearby farm fields, shades of grey, blue, yellow and a few other colors sometimes sneak in. These barns, sheds and cottages from around Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are typical of the serene coastal and rural scenery throughout the region. (Click on image to enlarge.)
Majestic Working Barn, Near Woodville, N.S.
Weather Worn Cottage, Parkers Cove, N.S.
Farmyard Barn, Gaspereau Valley, N.S.
Small Barn with Birdhouse, Near Phinney’s Cove, N.S.
Secured for the Coming Winter, Capstick, Cape Breton, N.S.
Riverside Shed, Near Clementsport, N.S.
Historic Warehouse / Barn, Shelburne, N.S.
Shipyard Shed, Annapolis Royal, N.S.
Cozy Shed, Shelburne, N.S.
Scenes of Campobello Island
Toward Sundown, Campobello Island Lighthouse, New Brunswick
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Campobello Island is nestled in a scenic pocket of southeastern New Brunswick and is accessible on the U.S. side from the charming village of Lubec, Maine. The island’s Roosevelt Campobello International Park is jointly administered by both American and Canadian authorities, making it unusual for that reason among parks on either side of the shared border. It’s quite a trek to get there but its tranquil scenery is well worth the effort. These are from a recent brief visit.
Colorful Cottage, Campobello Island, N.B.
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Fall Sunset, Campobello Island, N.B.
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Rose Hips, Campobello Island, N.B.
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Floating Cottages, Campobello Island, N.B.
Stanley Park — Non-Traditional Views
Blades of Grass, Stanley Park
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Many photos from Vancouver’s Stanley Park are of the more traditional sights there, such as the native American totem poles about which I posted earlier. I certainly have taken my share of those but I also like less customary images of off-the-beaten-track details from a location such as Stanley Park. These images I captured from the Park are examples of ordinary details that convey a different sort of majesty for that place.
Weathered Mooring, Stanley Park
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Bush and Rock Minimalism, Stanley Park
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Along the Seawall, Stanley Park
Artist to Appreciate: Michael E. Glover
Michael Glover, End of the Line, Hines Creek, Alberta (2010)
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Michael Glover’s realist artwork conveys a deep appreciation for the stark and forlorn rural and industrial landscapes that hint at the hardscrabble existence of the hardy folks who settled such remote areas long ago. His sense of place is strong — even to the point that the titles of his paintings denote the specific towns depicted — and I like that much of his work focuses on the often overlooked Canadian heartland regions of Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta. However, Glover is the rare Canadian painter whose work embraces images of virtually all the country’s provinces, reflecting his wide travels across Canada’s vast expanse.
Michael Glover, In The Heartland, Aneroid, Saskatchewan (2006)
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Michael Glover, On the Crowsnest Line, Pincher Station, Alberta (2012)
Michael Glover, Forgotten Timber, Wawa, Ontario (2007)
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Michael Glover, Once Proud, Still Strong, Fredericton, N.B. (2004)
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Michael Glover, Standing Proud in the Eleventh Hour, Mossleigh, Alberta (2006)
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Michael Glover, The Final Days of Fleming, Fleming, Saskatchewan (2012)
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Michael Glover, Alexandria Falls, Enterprise, NWT (2012)
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Michael Glover, Nightstop, Grenfell, Saskatchewan (2012)
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Glover has a much-deserved exhibition opening in late November 2013 at the Art Gallery of Northumberland (Ontario), appropriately entitled “The Lost and Forgotten: Canada’s Vanishing Landscape.” More of Glover’s exceptional art may also be viewed at his website here and at the Quinn’s of Tweed (Ontario) gallery.
Image Credits: Michael E. Glover
Head in the Clouds in Nova Scotia
Clouds Near Grand Pre, Nova Scotia
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While I love all manner of landscape photography, over and over I come back to clouds in all their variety — whether cirrus, cumulus, stratus or any of their many variations. Clouds add drama and moodiness to an image and, for me, help balance a scene. I always notice cloudy days and frame pictures with their billows and wispiness in mind. During my last couple of visits to Nova Scotia, there were quite a few days when the clouds were exceptional and I’ve posted a handful of examples here. I look forward to catching more special cloudy days across the great plains of Saskatchewan, against the reigning heights of Banff and beyond the soaring cliffs near St. John’s, Newfoundland, among many other places across Canada.
Sunset, Gaspereau Valley, Nova Scotia
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Windswept Sky, Near Cheverie, Nova Scotia
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Boat Prow with Cloudy Backdrop, Lunenberg, Nova Scotia
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Stratus and Cirrus Clouds, Near Aberdeen Beach, Nova Scotia
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Art Doors, Near Evangeline Beach, Nova Scotia
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Barn Scene, Near Grande Pre, Nova Scotia
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Dockside Scene, Chester, Nova Scotia
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Cloudy Day, Capstick, Nova Scotia
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Cat Tails, North Grand Pre, Nova Scotia
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Statue of Evangeline, Grand Pre, Nova Scotia
Breathtaking Kejimkujik Seaside
Seaweed and Rocks, Kejimkujik National Seaside, NS
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On the south shore of Nova Scotia about 110 miles (175 km) southwest of Halifax sits the amazing Kejimkujik Seaside, which is an extension of the much larger inland Kejimkujik National Park. Its remote hiking paths along windy shores offer breathtaking views of Nova Scotia at its natural best. These pics are from a memorable hike there on an overcast day.
Windswept Spruce, Kejimkujik National Seaside, NS
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Color Amidst the Rocks, Kejimkujik National Seaside, NS
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Rocks Among Tall Grass, Kejimkujik Seaside, NS
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Wildflowers, Kejimkujik Seaside, NS
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Lichen-Speckled Boulder, Kejimkujik Seaside, NS
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Edward Burtynsky and Industrial Landscapes
E. Burtynsky — Nickel Tailings No. 31, Sudbury, Ontario (1996)
The Summer issue of Canadian Art just arrived and includes a feature (written by Daniel Baird) about recent projects of Toronto photographer Edward Burtynsky. Looking at Burtynsky’s oversized images of industrial landscapes, it’s difficult not to appreciate their sublime beauty while also being astounded by the impact humans have on the environment.
More about Burtynsky and his amazing work can be seen at his website and at the just-opened exhibition “Edward Burtynsky: The Landscape That We Change” at Kleinburg, Ontario’s McMichael Canadian Art Collection Gallery, which runs through September 29, 2013.
E. Burtynsky — Inco-Frod Open Pit, Sudbury, Ontario (1985)
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E. Burtynsky — Oxford Tire Pile No. 9a, Westley, California (1999)
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E. Burtynsky — Rock of Ages No. 1, Barre, Vermont (1991)
Old Farm Tractor Along Charlevoix / St. Lawrence Shore
Quebec Month / Installment 12
Driving a couple of hours north of Quebec City in the beautiful Charlevoix region, we came across this bright red tractor along a scenic stretch of the St. Lawrence coast. Farm tractors are rarely situated this close to a shore line, so its rustic charm beckoned the camera.
O' Canada 