Author Archives: Linda Denis

Kamouraska, Québec City, Île d’Orléans are some of my favourite places to visit and sketch in Québec.The village of Kamouraska is well known for its bakery, fishery, eateries, heritage buildings, and scenery. The light is airy even on a rainy mist filled day. I decide to paint the stone house looking out towards the islets at high tide.

House on the Edge, Kamouraska, QC, watercolour, 2015

Vignoble, 1A Chemin du Boût de I’île, Ste Pétronille, QC, watercolour, 2015

We visit the  Vignoble de Sainte-Pétronille on Île d’Orléans. It sits high above the St Lawrence River giving a spectacular view of the grape fields descending towards a Normandy farmhouse, the Montmorency Falls and the bridge to the mainland. We sip a bottle of white wine , enjoying friends and a world class view.

The Musée Nationale des Beaux-Art in Québec city presents  Japan Inspiration until September 27, 2015 – a visit is a must on my list. Firstly, the location on the Plains of Abraham is a present day grand park filled with greenery and flowers sandwiched between a spectacular view of the St. Lawrence and the Grand Allée. We forget the past battle fought between Montcalm and Wolfe. Within this park sits the museum comprised of three pavilions; a 1933 neoclassical building by architect Wilfred Lacroix, a old prison from 1867, a central transparent pavilion of glass, granite and a rooftop garden. The recently completed glass entrance on the Grande Allée by the Netherlands architectural firm of Rem Koolhaas and Montréal architects Provencher Roy gives the modern touch to this site filled with our history. Inside, the exhibition is well worth the visit. I see first hand the direct influence of the Japanese woodcuts on the Impressionists; the light tonality and large bold masses filled with colours.

To finish my month of sketches, I looked to my garden and pick some August flowers.

Garden Flowers, watercolour, 2015

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Our usual Tuesday sketching group met, July 21 at Coteau-du-Lac at the Canadian Historic Park. The sky is loaded with dark rain clouds ready to unload upon us. We decide to stay and paint under the big tent near the parking lot. Out of an open space I see workmen inspecting the underside of the bridge. I try to sketch quickly the scene. Soon the rain and thunder begins and the work crew head to safety. The skies clear and we find many subjects to paint.

Old Mill, Coteau du Lac, Qc, watercolour

Blockhouse, Coteau du Lac, Qc, watercolour

On July 28, the Tuesday group met at another Canadian Historical site, Saint Anne de Bellevue Canal. Lots of choice to paint here but we decide on the left bank. The weather is sunny and 34 degrees celsius.

Locks, St. Anne de Bellevue, Qc, watercolour

Canal, St. Anne de Bellevue, Qc, watercolour

Bicycle and Pedestrian walkway, St. Anne de Bellevue, Qc, watercolour

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Linda Denis, Three Fisherman, Coteau Landing, watercolour, 2015

I continue to sketch at the Soulanges Canal. Early morning and late afternoon the

one of four on lawn of St. Clet Church, Qc

fisherman take up their favourite spots.They tend to be still for several minutes, making them ideal models. The next best models are the four stone angels on the front lawn of the Catholic Church at the junction of Cité des Jeunes and the #201 highway.

Linda Denis, Abandoned Light House, Pointe des Cascades, watercolour, 2015

Yesterday at Pointe des Cascades, a few daring souls where jumping off the locks into the pool of water below. I looked only after I heard the big splash.

Linda Denis, West Point, watercolour, 2015

Earlier in the week I sketched the west point of the canal looking towards the great expansion of sky in the far distance. I was thinking about Jeff and I know he made the journey. It was a sad day Tuesday; we said our final goodbyes. His religion was to live and die without regrets.

The Soulanges Canal (1891-1958) bypassed the rapids of Cascade, Rocher Tendu, les Cédres and les Coteaux which made it a major shipping lane between Upper and Lower Canada. In 1958 the St. Lawrence Seaway opened and the canal closed. Many locals want to rehabilitate the canal to be used as a throughway for pleasure crafts. For now, the bicycle path  following the canal is very popular and many use the water to fish and others to dive for relics underwater at Point des Cascade.

Linda Denis, South side of Electric Power House, watercolour, 2015

The red brick electric power house designed by Alfred Arthur Cox (1800-1950) often called “le petit pouvoir” was built between 1899-1900 to supply the locks and lights on a 24 hour basis. No longer in use, it is located about midway on the canal and can be seen from highway 338 on the north side or the south side from chemin du Fleuve. To see it close up, the bicycle path is the best choice.

Linda Denis, North side of Soulanges Canal Electric Station, watercolour, 2015

Linda Denis, Derelict Canal, watercolour, 2015

Linda Denis, Water Passage alongside Locks, watercolour, 2015

Linda Denis, Lock at Pointe des Cascade, watercolour, 2015

Every spring for more than twenty years Linda Drewry sends out a list of tuesday plein air painting locations. This week, May 26, we met at the small Quebec Village of Pointe des Cascade in the Parc des Ancres (over 100 anchors). Here is the starting point of the abandoned Soulange Canal built in 1899 and closed in 1958 stretching westerly 14 miles to Coteaux Landing. Now the waterway is closed to watercrafts with all locks in various stages of disrepair and decay.

Canals St Lawrence River, map by drawn by A.U. Almon, 1909

A watercolour sketch, completed later in the week at the westerly entrance to the Soulange Canal.

Linda Denis, Lock Coteau Landing, watercolour, 2015