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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.

Virtual online workshops by David McEown

David McEown

The following clips are a selection of time lapse videos edited from recent 2020 online watercolour workshops given over “Zoom” to an international audience. Looking forward to new classes soon!

Watercolour inspired from the Pacific Spirit Forest.

 
Inspired from a young leopard in the trees during a trip to Botswana.
 

Watercolour Demonstration, 22 x 30 inches on 140lb Cold press rag paper. Inspired by a trip to the Okavango Delta.

 
 
Watercolour demonstration by David McEown inspired by an elephant encounter on the Chobe River in Botswana.
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Polar Adventures

David McEown

I was very pleased to see a 8 page feature published in Artist Magazine (December 2020), highlighting my polar paintings from the North Pole to Antarctica. The article describes in depth the process of “extreme” plein-air watercolours and the translation into larger studio works. The magazine is found in many countries and stores and can be subscribed to at ArtistsNetwork.com if you are interested!

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Return to the River, Grizzly Bears of Northern British Columbia.

David McEown

Return to the River, 40 x 36 inches, watercolour.

“This painting was inspired while observing grizzly bears fishing for salmon. I had several days sketching this bear in particular which had a striking pattern. It was amazing how much weight he put on in just 2 weeks of feasting. It was a good sign to see the salmon arrive on this river where so many other watersheds have seen diminished salmon runs.”

The following paintings and videos was inspired by a recent trip in the Taku River watershed in Northern British Columbia. It was emotional to return to this landscape that I painted back in 1996  as part of a conservation effort and then  revisited again in 1999 to stay with a Tlingit family at their traditional  camp. I was reminded just how rich, rare, pristine and sacred this place is. Most of our work was done from a remote camp on the Nakina river, a tributary of the Taku.

Our bear viewing guides led us to locations that ensured our safety while respecting the wildlife’s habitat and foraging routines. This allowed us to work  and be inspired by the ancient life cycles and interrelationships of the salmon, bears, eagles and forest.

Full version of video highlights from a painting trip observing Grizzly bears in the Taku watershed of Northern British Columbia. (6 Minutes)

Painting on location while bears fish for salmon.( 45 seconds)

This painting, “Upstream”, 15 x 22 inches watercolour, was done in a 3 hour session starting with a light wash underpainting. In between filming the bears I loved to observe the light and shadow move across the old trees that reflect in the rich river. (45 seconds)

“Fishing Bears”. 15 x 22 inches, watercolour. I loved to watch the bears “snorkel” under the water for salmon. Thankfully some fish are making their way upstream to spawn, including pinks and lots of chinook. So much of the ecosystem is dependent on the salmon’s return including the many eagles and gulls.

Working on location in the rain, while waiting for bears!

Water is life. Quite a bit of it is falling now on the west coast. I love how the rain can bring out the richness of colour in the landscape and separate the layers of trees and mountains. While recently painting in the sacred Taku watershed, I had a chance to wear and use my rain painting kit. I prefer not to use a tarp or umbrella as they can flap and blow around, scaring  off the   wildlife we are trying to film like the grizzly bears that roam the river banks. For this coastal weather I wear fishing chest waiters and a Goretex fishing jacket which is much more waterproof than my regular hiking gear made more for movement. Neutral grey reflects neutral light on to white paper and does not attract bugs as much. The paper is clipped inside my partly open painting board/ folder that is tilted against the rain direction. It is held open by a bulldog clip. This folder, made of display board (plastic corregate), has a custom made quick release on the back that can snap into my tripod. I tend to work in this micro shelter in smaller sections and use less water in the washes, as it is so humid.

Many Thanks to Nakina Adventures for guiding and Phil Timpany and Daisy Gilardini for addition video.

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Tropical Impressions from Costa Rica

David McEown

Painting on location in the tropical rainforest , Corcovado Park, Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica.

In December 2019, I returned to Costa Rica to revisit sites i painted many years ago when I began a series of large watercolours involving some of this earth's rare and rapidly changing ecosystems. After painting polar subjects over the last 16 years it was refreshing to change the pallet and bring along new camera and video technologies to record these special places.

“ Rainforest Encounters”, 22 x 15 inches watercolour

“ Rainforest Encounters”, 22 x 15 inches watercolour

Most of this trip focused on painting on location in the tropical rainforest , Corcovado Park, Osa Peninsula. This is one of most bio diverse parts of the planet and the senses are just wonderfully overwhelmed. Polar painting in the cold seems more challenging but the tropics has its own adjustments. Besides dripping sweat on to the paper , the humidity was so saturated overtime it dissolved the papers surface sizing thus causing some funky things on the paper . In this case i worked shape by shape (instead of soaking the whole sheet) and followed the quickly changing interior rainforest shadows. Such is paradise but one has to be mindful of snakes, as we saw earlier in the day a young highly venomous fur de lance. The flanged buttresses of these massive trees are decorated with lichen and moss patchwork. Sleeping bats were nestled in the cracks while butterfly’s would sometime stop and have a taste of the wash in my pallet. On a perfect day one can loose track of the time, which should be noted that once the sun sets it quickly gets incredibly dark and lots of the “fun” stuff comes out to play. So grateful to be back and learn from this place. 

Night walks in the tropical rainforest was a real highlight. Having excellent guides also made possible unique sitings of several frog species. I did attempt a few night sketches in the light rain by flashlight, but we focused on photography for reference. I have been working on a series of paintings celebrating these delicate creatures to add to a body of work on rainforests.

“Red -Eyed Tree Frog” 11 x 15 inches, watercolour- Costa Rica

During this painting and reference gathering trip in Costa Rica last month we had a wonderful 2 day visit at the Toucan Rescue Ranch in San Jose. 
We were so impressed by the professionalism and dedication of the people that work at the clinic and rehab centre. Their mission is to rescue, rehabilitate, and release Costa Rica wildlife while focusing on conservation, education, and research. 

Sketching wildlife at the Toucan Rescue Ranch.

“Two-Toed Sloth”, 16 x 16 inches , watercolour. This painting was inspired while sketching a curious young two-toed sloth that was out for exercise with a few others. It won’t be long before she gets stronger and bigger before being released on her …

“Two-Toed Sloth”, 16 x 16 inches , watercolour. This painting was inspired while sketching a curious young two-toed sloth that was out for exercise with a few others. It won’t be long before she gets stronger and bigger before being released on her own in the wild. Rescue centres are of great importance in highly populated areas where animals get injured because of human activity. In 2019 the Toucan Rescue Ranch rescued and released more than 120 animals, including 15 sloths

“Rainforest Edge”, 72 x 132 inches watercolour triptych

“Rainforest Edge”, 72 x 132 inches watercolour triptych

During a recent visit to Toronto i was able to revisit a large painting that was commissioned a few years ago. This painting was inspired by a trip to the pacific coast of Costa Rica. From the many studies done on location, i worked out this design and painted on 3 pieces of A’rches, 140 Lb cold press cotton rag paper cut  off the roll. 

“All the elements participate in the dance of life in the tropics where this planet's life force reaches its utmost expression. From transpiration the water gathers in pools from the dripping lianas and bromeliads and starts to flow among living sculptures, the flanged buttresses of ancient trees. Water then carves its way through clay and volcanic rock downward to the ocean. The water then arrives again to the forest from the rain clouds. The music continues through the symbiosis between flora and fauna. Decay is quickly transformed in the forest floor shadows into nutrients that are then resurrected to the light of the forest canopy.”

The process of painting starts by immersing into the landscape and painting many on site sketches of the area. Then back in the studio the experience is recollected and a synthesis of the various interactions of forms and species experienced are envisioned into a organic whole. The large scale of the painting combines the complex microcosm with the distant macrocosm to celebrate in colour the relationships and patterns;  ocean to forest, forest to light.

Visiting the home where “Rainforest Edge”, commission is installed.

Visiting the home where “Rainforest Edge”, commission is installed.

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categories Landscape painting, Travel, Watercolour, watercolor, Wildlife, Costa Rica
tags costa Rica, Rainforest, en plein air, landscape painting, landscape painting, sloth, tree