blog

In the face of rapid urban expansion, climate change and overwhelming changes in technology, I feel sorry for those among us who have never really experienced the joy of a simple walk along forested lanes at the height of the fall colour season. Living in largely rural areas of southern Ontario, I was always enchanted by those few days when the colour spectacle was at its peak. Those canopies of colour left one awestruck. As always I have reduced the multiplicity of details to decorative patterns in the belief that this heightens the impact.

When I was a kid winters were considerably more severe, especially in the Owen Sound area where I spent some time. I still remember the delicious feeling of being snug inside while a storm raged outside or, as in the case of "Enchanted Evening" had made travel briefly impossible. Despite the fact that there are fewer bad storms today, that feeling persists and I really believe it is part of our "Northern" psyche. My whole goal with this painting was to capture this feeling of warmth on a cold winter evening.