Contact David Mceown

Many thanks for visiting my web site. We are often on assignment  or on a painting trip but will try to reply to your messages as soon as possible!

Studio visits also  may be arranged in Vancouver and Richmond Hill - Ontario,  Canada through out the year. I  look forward to hear from you.

 

 

         

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Recent/Blog

News and blog posts about recent works, workshops, events, presentations, expeditions and exhibitions by Canadian artist David McEown.

Filtering by Category: en plein air

North East Passage, Russian Arctic

David McEown

Belkosvsky Island - New Siberian Islands

On this very rare trip with Quark Expeditions we traveled from Anadyr, on Russia's Asian shore to Murmansk, near the Finnish border.  Along the Northeast Passage we explored the Chukotka Peninsula, Wrangel Island, the New Siberian Islands, Severnaya Zemlya , Novaya Zemlya and Franz Josef Land.  This 26 day passage would have been very tough without the icebreaker Kapitan Khlebnikov and its skilled team to navigate through a very heavy ice year. More paintings can be seen on the NEP web page. 

Comment
categories Arctic, extreme painting, en plein air, Landscape painting, Northern Landscapes, watercolor, Watercolour, North East passage, Russian Arctic
tags north east passage, Arctic, reindeer hearders, ayon island, Paintings, watercolour, Russian arctic

Svalbard Journey by Sailboat

David McEown

Arctica , a 15 meter steel hull sailing boat customized for arctic conditions, was home and studio for 5 of us who chartered the vessel along with a skipper for 3 weeks.  This vessel, along with towing 2 zodiacs, gave us the flexibility and intimacy to explore the wonderful fjords and wildlife of a group of high arctic islands north of Norway called Svalbard.  Despite a very heavy ice year we managed to circumnavigate Spitzbergen, Svalbard's largest island, as well as explore many other islands.  Painting on location - either from the deck or on landings - was done around the clock , often in the glow of the midnight sun.

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categories Arctic, en plein air, Landscape painting, Northern Landscapes, watercolor, Watercolour, extreme painting
tags svalbard, spitsbergen, Arctic, Paintings, sailboat

The Far Side of Antarctica and South Georgia

David McEown

The Far Side of Antarctica was a 38 day expedition aboard the icebreaker Kapitan Khlebnikov.  Leaving from the Falkland Islands December 1, 2007, we explored South Georgia and South Sandwich islands and then continued southeast to semi-circumnavigate the eastern side of Antarctica - finally disembarking in Perth Australia.  Now my 3rd season painting in Antarctic, it is still like discovering a new world of unforgiving beauty, giant in scale, with shapes reduced to basic raw elements.  The colors of ice are so subtle, translucent and fragile thus making watercolour appropriate for expressing the soft and crisp edges of the pack ice.  Many thanks to Quark Expeditions who have made it possible to explore these impressive places.

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categories Antarctica, en plein air, Landscape painting, Watercolour, watercolor, East Antarctica
tags Antarctic paintings, Antarctica, Far Side of antarctica, emperor Penguins, Amanda Bay, Auster Emperor penguin rookery

North East Greenland

David McEown

Comment
categories Arctic, Greenland, Landscape painting, Northern Landscapes, Watercolour, Yukon, extreme painting, en plein air
tags Arctic, Greenland, Greenland National Park, Scorsby sund, Wordie Glacier, Watercolor

North Pole by Icebreaker

David McEown

Painting in July at the North Pole

"Going up north" has taken on new meaning since returning from a month long expedition to the North Pole and Franz Josef Land. 

There were times while painting on the trembling bow of a northbound atomic icebreaker that I was the furthest north human on the planet.  Truly on top of the world! 

The quality of seeing is often more important than the object however the power of a place can awaken the senses and erase preconceptions.  This formidable yet fragile wilderness of endless ice and great white bears is so inspirational that I will have to go back.

The following paintings were painted on the drifting ice within the vicinity of the North Pole or on deck while moving through pack ice.  The islands of Franz Josef Land also provided much reference and wonder through its wild life and geological features.  Studio works from this expedition will be posted on this page soon. Thanks to the fellow passengers and the Quark Expedition team that helped make this adventure possible.

Comment
categories Arctic, en plein air, extreme painting, Landscape painting, North East passage, Russian Arctic, Watercolour, watercolor
tags north pole, north east passage, Icebreaker, Franz joseph land, Yamal, en plein air, watercolour, quark expeditions

Semi - Circumnavigation of Antarctica

David McEown

Painting at the Dry Valleys , Antarctica

Antarctica is a painters dream. 
It's like discovering a new world of unforgiving beauty, a giant in scale, with shapes reduced to basic raw elements.  Colours of ice so subtle, translucent and fragile inhabited by innocent curious creatures that have no fear of us. 
The recent works on this page are inspired by a Semi-Circumnavigation Expedition by Icebreaker around Antarctica from November 2, (spring time down south) to December 12, and departed from the Cape Horn of South America and ending in New Zealand.  This spectacular and remote journey was made only possible by a polar class icebreaker, the Kapitan Klebnikov for Quark Expeditions. 
The visit to the historic huts of the Ross Sea is one of the highlights of our journey.  These were the expedition bases of the heroic age of Antarctic exploration.  In the morning we arrived at Cape Royds by helicopter from the ship parked 5 miles out on the ice edge.  This is where Shackleton's hut was built during his Nimrod Expedition of 1907-09, which included an attempt to reach the South Pole. See the Antarctica Project for more paintings!

Comment
categories Antarctica, en plein air, extreme painting, Landscape painting, Watercolour, Ross Sea, Dry Valleys, Sir Ernest Shackleton
tags Antarctic paintings, Antarctica, ross sea, dry valleys, Nimrod hut, Sir Ernest Shackleton, quark expeditions, Kapitan Klebnikov, Peter the 1st island