Author Archives: Linda Denis

Now we are green coded for COVID-19. I have started to sketch in the surrounding area of Vaudreuil-Soulonges.

First stop, Soulanges Canal built from 1892-1900 to provide a safe shipping lane to avoid Cascade, Cedar and Coteau rapids. I sketched the abandoned locks at Pointe-des-Casacade. Free parking and entrance.

Then, Coteau-du- Lac, a National Historic site, a place to enjoy the history of this encampment used as portage and military station in the past. Free entrance now for 2021, picnic tables, toilettes, parking and lots of shade to rest under.

Time to put forth a new outlook on my artistic life. The COVID-19 is still here in Quebec- we are in the red zone as many areas in Canada. Staying home is strongly advised so I will miss plein air here and in Mexico.

Today, this is a watercolour of waxed Amaryllis I received this Christmas. Sadly, this is a one time bloom and will not bloom again.

This watercolour will be my souvenir of this crazy pandemic year and I have understood the bulbs are heading for the compost when they stop blooming in about three weeks.

My best wishes for 2021.

The Covid-19 is with us still and persists into our daily lives. Luckily for visual artists, we are use to working alone in our studios and although we enjoy company on plein air excursions this too can be accomplished solo.

Here are two recent oil paintings completed from memory in my studio. One is my sister’s garden which she tends to daily cleaning out old vegetation and feeding her fish. Below this is my memory of fog lifting on a warm fall day as I painted with my friend and artist Margo Rivard on the road leading into Les Éboulements, Qc.

Ruth’s Water Garden, oil on canvas, 30×24, 2020

September Fog, oil on canvas, 36×24, 2020

The summer like no other is here. The pandemic has changed our lives here in Quebec. As working artists, we continue our usual routine of spending hours in our studio. At this time, I am making slight changes to some paintings because of a gift from Arovita Paints, Aylmer Qc. In the box were oil tubes of King’s Blue Deep, Violet Grey, Vaucluse Gold Ochre, Arovita Red, Arovita Vermillion and Vert Monte-Carlo. Thank you Fred, these colours compliment my landscapes.

Birds of a Feather, oil on canvas, 30×30, 2020

The above painting has been in my studio for sometime. The blue and grey violet paints were an incentive to complete it. The motto is to ” be strong, be confident and be kind”

A few pictures of my studio 2020.

studio, summer 2020

studio wall 2020

I enjoyed daily sketching in Mexico this winter and returned without incident and before the serious threat of Covid-19 in Canada. Since then I have found it difficult to sketch or paint in my studio. Quickly, I realized I need to feed my imagination by sketching outside my home studio.  I did sketch daily in Mexico at the market, beaches or the urban area. Here are some of my watercolour on paper.

Bicycle Vendor, Enjoying a drink at the beach, Dry dock for boats, watercolour, Puerto Escondido, Mx

Local church, Fish Market, watercolour, Puerto Escondido, MX

Boat for rent, Butcher shop, watercolour, Puerto Escondido, Mx

My gallery wall, watercolour sketches, Puerto Escondido, Mx

Since returning home these are paintings I retouched and changed in small or moderate ways. I tried painting new canvas but nothing was happening so I looked at some painting in my studio and found ways to improve them.

Sunset, oil, 30×30, 2020

Spring along the ridge, oil, 36×24, 2020

Low Tide, oil, 30×30, 2020

Here in Quebec we are slowly returning to some normality with some schools opening later in May and other businesses slowly being introduced gradually It has been a sad time with covid-19 high fatality rate in our senior homes, our health workers and staff endangering themselves to this virus and the restriction for us to stay home.