"Plein Air Painting" is just you, your easel, and a dedication to painting a painting in a relatively short period of time-five or six hours-outdoors and utilizing the scene before you.
We were in Ottawa a few days ago and I decided to once again utilize my outdoor portable easel while Casey went to Parliament Hill for National Aboriginal Day celebrations. So, here we are at the Ottawa Municipal Campground, Cluster 5, Site 12 with our 2000 Pontiac Grand Am and our Coleman Stove...more camping in a few days near Lake Ontario means more of the same. This is a painting I am working on now. This is a painting of Robert Hyndman (1915-2009)...In 2007, at the age of 92, Robert visited his boyhood home on Judges Row in Qualicum Beach (his father was a judge). Robert Hyndman was a Spitfire pilot in World War 2, and an Official War Artist. He was still teaching art in Ottawa at the age of 90 at the Ottawa Art School. He was my friend, and I have a painting that he did on that trip of the beach just below the house.
You may recall Peter Hyndman, an MLA in B.C. in the 1990's. That was one of the many talented people in Robert's family. Another nephew was the Attorney General of Alberta. Robert was our friend. We miss him. I learned much from him, and I hope that someday somebody will paint a picture of me when I am 92; still painting, and visiting my boyhood home in Chilliwack. This is the Chilliwack Drive-In, as it looked fifty years ago. My paintings are intended for people who, like myself, have memories of a place like this. Chances are that they live in Western Canada. For the present, I am still here in Toronto, so "long distance communication" is needed. In this age of Skype: unlimited long distance phone time; and electronic media, distance is no longer an issue. If you see something you like, and want more information about that work of art, send me a message, or you can email me at dean[email protected]. After that, the exchange of ideas and suggestions will be simple. We'll figure it out! I look forward to hearing from you. All communications and discussions will be strictly confidential. This will be easier than you think. Just remember that if you desire a painting based on a photograph, that photograph has to be of the highest resolution or of an object that I can find other images of on the internet.
A. J. Casson, the last surviving member of "The Group Of Seven", died in 2002. He was 94 years old and lived a very full life. Like other members of the group, the advent of the 1960's had not brought them material wealth. With the exception of Lawren Harris, who lived in Shaughnessey Heights in Vancouver, and was an heir to the Massey-Harris farm equipment fortune, to the best of my knowledge, the other men were in rough financial shape. I remember watching a NFB video about Fred Varley living in a roominghouse on Queen Street for about fifty dollars a month. His paintings are now worth a fortune.
Casson mentioned in an interview that he never made a living from his artwork until he was in his sixties. In that way, and in many other ways, I would like to emulate Mr. Casson...however, his chain smoking will be avoided. He may have lived to be 94, despite the chain smoking, but I don't think I will see if I have the kind of endurance that allowed Casson and George Burns to smoke until incredibly advanced ages. This website is a step in that direction...at least, in terms of seeing if I can interest enough people in what I do to want to own my artwork...let's see how that works out! |