A new series of paintings are evolving in my studio. Returning to the beautiful landscape of the Southcoast where I first started painting in earnest, I’ve connected with those solitary trees that somehow survive all manner of harsh weather and topography to rise above the grass and low brush. They appear to me as sentinels the shore, steadfast and sturdy, hardy and headstrong. They are gnarled and twisted by the elements, yet have a resolute beauty all their own, rising above the sweeping dunes and leaning against the wind.

Sentinel #1 - 2021, oil on cradled wood panel, 12 x 18

In these turbulent times of global pandemic, threats to common decency, common sense and common good, we all need to stand watch, I reckon. Things of importance to us, both collectively and personally, need careful and measured observation, lest they disappear. Maybe that’s what these vigilant trees are telling me - don’t take for granted that which we hold dear, lest they leave us before our very eyes.

Or perhaps I’m channeling an important influencer of my landscapes, Tom Thomson. If you don’t know of him or his “posse” of fellow Canadian painters, The Group of Seven, please look them up. Thomson’s most famous work is The Jack Pine (see below) and it is a strong example of a confident painter at home in his element.

Whatever the reason, I love these trees and will keep on painting them until they tell me to stop. Pax vobiscum.