'Tree Trunk' Paintings Sent to Nikola Rukaj

Recently I sent some paintings to the Nikola Rukaj Gallery in Toronto.  These particular canvases are abstractions derived from images of tree trunks and they were painted at the Emma Lake Professional Artists Workshop in 2009.

'Tree Trunk 2'  30x24" 2009 

'Tree Trunk 10 (Birch)'  30x24"  2011

'Tree Trunk 9 (Velvet)  30x24"  2010

'Tree Trunk 5'  3-x24"  2009

This is me having fun painting them:

Memories

Yesterday there was a memorial gathering at the Art Gallery of Alberta for the artist Douglas Haynes, who passed away unexpectedly two weeks ago.  I wish I could have been there to join the others in remembering the many ways in which Doug was a part of our lives.  He gave me so very much encouragement when I first met him at Emma Lake in 1980, and in subsequent years. Even today when I am working on a painting, I wonder, what would Doug think of this?

In those days we used to have great studio visits.  This is Doug, myself, and Scott Plear  on Thormanby Island studying some watercolours painted that day.  The photo is a bit fuzzy, but it was 35 years ago!