If you're reading this, I assume you've come from my 2026 calendar. Specifically, from the month of January. So, to you, I say, "Happy New Year!" If any of you have made resolutions, good luck to you! I make three resolutions each year and try to break them as fast as possible. Takes the pressure off :)
You're here for some behind-the-scenes action though, aren't you? This first piece is close to my heart. If you've been following my work for any length of time, you'll know I have fallen truly, madly, deeply for the Rocky Mountains since moving to Alberta several years ago. I can't get enough of them.
I've painted the Three Sisters a number of times (and I'll paint them a number more!) and it's always a fun challenge to find a new perspective—literally and artistically. I'm a strong advocate for plein air painting and believe every artist, every creative, every person, can benefit from getting outside and doing their thing.
For January, I wanted to show you the spot where I painted this month's piece. Just off a road in Canmore is a small area to pull off and park. Take a few (careful) steps into an old riverbed, through some sketchy tunnels, under a rusted bridge that looks as though it may fall on you, and a short jaunt through the woods (PSA: always be prepared for bears!), and you'll be treated to a lovely view of the Three Sisters. Throw in a lazy river at your feet, a few open patches of grass to catch a snooze, and you have yourself a lovely afternoon that isn't too much trouble to get to.
One thing that makes plein air painting so interesting is how your subject changes every second and the choices I need to make on the fly while capturing it. For this piece, I arrived with clear blue skies, but by the time I had set up my easel and mixed my paints, darker clouds had rolled in, not only creating a colder mood, but also flattening the mountains. Edges and crevasses became invisible in this light. I was suddenly staring at a big grey blob!
Of course, just as soon as I'd finished shaking my paint-dabbled fist at the sky, the clouds broke and the sunlight burst through, restoring all the drama this particular set of peaks brings.
Reflecting on it now, that moment was a good one to start this series with. Every year can provide drastic change at an instant, whether we're ready for it or not. So here's to all of our years being more sunshine and intrigue and less cloudy and flat.
See you next month!
Directions
Comments
Very cool. That bridge. Plopped there by aliens?
Very cool. That bridge. Plopped there by aliens?