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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.

A.J Casson Medal and the Royal Canadian Geographical Society

David McEown

A.J Casson Medal

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 I am humbled to have been awarded the prestigious A.J Casson Medal, from the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour, at the 93rd annual “Open Water” juried international exhibition held in October 2018. 

The awarded painting, “Surfacing” (30 x 22 inches) , of a swimming polar bear among iceberg remnants was inspired by a recent painting trip to the arctic in which I has been studying for many years. It is rewarding when the elements come together  to make  a successful  and effective composition thus can  reach out to larger audience to communicate issues of  climate change and conservation.

Here is some more information about  the CSPWC;

 “The Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour (inFrench: La Société Canadienne de Peintres en Aquarelle), founded in 1925 is considered to be Canada’s official national watercolour Society. The nation's oldest medium specific arts organization has had an illustrious history. Membership is looked upon as a mark of achieving peer recognition in one of the most difficult and demanding visual arts form.

The Annual "Open Water" show, open to all artists, continues to be the focus of the Society's work, which can be hosted anywhere in the country. The most prestigious award is the "A. J. Casson Award", a commissioned medal given "for outstanding achievement in watercolour painting" to the best work in the show. The medal is accompanied by a cash award.”

Royal Canadian Geographical Society

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In November 2018, I was deeply honoured to have been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. For the past 30 years my paint brush has led me to travel the earths 7 continents and bring back impressions and stories. When coming home after painting abroad I am always reminded how incredibly diverse and beautiful Canada is and how fortunate I have been to paint the landscapes of every province and territory in my home country. I look forward to promote the Society’s mandate “to make Canada better known to Canadians and to the world.”

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Kamchatka

David McEown

I finally made it home after an intense and inspiring camping/painting trip to the wild and remote Kamchatka region in Russia's Far East.

Two weeks were spent painting, photographing and videoing the beauty of this powerful land of volcanoes and bears, in the company of 12 adventurous photographers, and with the protection of two rangers.

We observed brown bears on the shore of Kuril Lake in the Kronotsky Nature Reserve, during the bears' ancient, annual ritual of fishing for sockeye salmon. At this time of year, salmon return to the lake from the sea, where they gather before heading upstream to spawn.

The stunning volcanic landscape and abundance of bears provided  great opportunities for productive sketching and plein air painting. It was easy to be  distracted by the bears walking by just a few metres from my easel, despite the majestic Ilyinsky volcano as a backdrop .

I look forward to starting work on some studio painting!

 Bear behaviour and the process of sketching and painting in this challenging, heart-thumping environment are highlighted in the following  video.

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Svalbard and the "Ice Bear"

David McEown

This past summer, I had the great opportunity to join One Ocean Expeditions in Svalbard for their Photo symposium and an “Art in the Arctic” program.  Along with  the accomplished UK artist Bruce Pearson, we organized art workshops and engaged with our fellow passengers, painting on the ship's outer decks and even during our Zodiac excursions. 

 We had some fantastic polar bear, walrus and bird encounters while onboard the Russian vessel Akademik Vavilov. More paintings from Svalbard and other dynamic locations in the arctic  are posted on my the Arctic page. 

 

Enjoy the following video of highlights from our voyage.

“Surfacing”, 30 x 22 inches. watercolour

“Surfacing”, 30 x 22 inches. watercolour

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Kings of South Georgia and Icescapes of Antarctica

David McEown

The following video clips and paintings were inspired by a pilgrimage to the Sub Antarctic  island of South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula in October through December 2017. It has been my long term project to record and raise awareness about the fragility of  these natural wonders as well as try to express their inherent  beauty. Many more paintings and video circumnavigating Antarctica can be viewed on my  Antarctica page.

Wildlife highlights and  the challenges of painting on location while painting in watercolour overlooking the big three king penguin colonies on South Georgia Island: St.Andrews Bay, Salisbury Plain and Gold Harbour.

Antarctica 

Painting and wildlife video time lapse highlights from Antarctica , including early season visits to Mikkelsen Harbor, Cuverville Island and the south shetland islands. Encounters with jumping penguins, breaching humpbacks and a weddell seal animate the contemplative process of watercolour painting.

"Sleeping Giant, Paradise Harbour" , 32 x 60 inches watercolour. (studio painting, available for sale)

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categories Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia
tags King Penguins, Antarctica, South Georgia Island

Drawn to Africa

David McEown

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In July I had the opportunity to paint and experience a slice of Africa. It will take awhile to process the immense wildlife diversity and the richness in possible compositions for larger paintings. It was very moving to be in the presence of rhinos, elephants and lions to name  just a few animals plus have time to sketch and ponder their behaviour , power and precarious existence in this age of habitat loss and the threat of poaching. 

I am in gratitude for the parks , reserves , photo safaris and conservation groups that are working so hard and with often great sacrifice to protect these amazing animals and habitats. Many thanks to Pangolin Photo Safaris , Jacki’s House at Sabi Sand ,  Madikwe Safari Lodge  and our dear friends in South Africa for guiding and teaching us so much about Africa! 

Posted here are a few drawings and paintings plus a 5 minute video of encounters with  the wildlife of Chobe National Park in Botswana, as well as Midikwe and Sabi Sand Game reserves plus Kruger National Park in South Africa . (Also with a side trip to Victoria falls in Zimbabwe) More paintings from Africa will be posted on the Africa page of this website.

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categories Africa, Botswana, Travel, Safari, Landscape painting, en plein air, Wildlife
tags en plein air, Watercolor, drawing, elephant, lion, rhino

In Svalbard Ice

David McEown

While recently painting studies of the sea ice north of Svalbard on an ice strengthened research vessel we encountered Minke and Blue whales as well as Polar Bears hunting for seals. Here are   recent videos from the voyage as well as paintings completed on location. More paintings from Svalbard and other dynamic locations in the arctic  are posted on my the Arctic page. 

Many thanks to the team at One Ocean Expeditions for guiding us there. I look forward to  be on the team next summer as part of the "Art in the Arctic" trips" . There is still availabilty for those that may want to paint or draw in the arctic plus brush up on photographic skills!

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categories Arctic, en plein air, watercolor, Watercolour
tags Svalbard, spitsbergen, Arctic, Polar Bear