PAINTING JOURNEYS

PAINTINGS FROM ABIQUIU, NEW MEXICO

2011-10-12T11:45:00.000-07:00

NORTHERN NEW MEXICO

2011-10-09T18:24:00.000-07:00

PAINTINGS FROM NORTHERN NEW MEXICO

2011-10-07T11:56:00.000-07:00

TAOS AREA - NORTHERN NEW MEXICO

2011-10-07T11:55:00.000-07:00

New Mexico is not only the land of enormous natural beauty but also contains magnificent example of early Pueblo and Spanish architecture. For last two days I was inspired to paint the XVIII century churches on my way to Taos. The ambiance and feel of the mixed cultures is well preserved and attracts visitors from all over the world.

Mountains are already getting cover by fresh snow and aspens growths are turning yellow. The season is turning fast.

SANTA FE - NEW MEXICO

2011-10-07T11:53:00.000-07:00

From Toadlena I drove to Santa Fe to meet my art dealer and owner of Medicine Man Gallery. I was very impressed by the quality of the paintings in many galleries along the Canyon Road. On Nov 19^th I am having a group show in the Tucson gallery featuring paintings from Navajo Reservation.

PAINTINGS FROM MONUMENT VALLEY AREA - ARIZONA, NEW MEXICO

2011-09-29T12:35:00.000-07:00

MONUMENT VALLEY - ARIZONA

2011-09-28T18:44:00.000-07:00

SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS - COLORADO

2011-09-25T20:09:00.000-07:00

ALPINE LOOP - SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO

2011-09-25T19:59:00.000-07:00

My travels took north to Silverton and Quary mountain areas. It is one of the most spectacular alpine regions in Southern Colorado. The area is steeped in mining history dating back to 1600 and Spanish explorers. With quick look into Silverton which reminded me very much of Dawson City I drove high into the mountains following the 4x4 alpine route. There were some scary moments on some of the switch backs, since my camping van in exactly my Jeep Rubicon. But with enough off-road experience I have accumulated over the years I was able to navigate 2 wheel drive van into some extraordinary locations. Today I made it to Quary over a Million dollar Hwy, which equally spectacular as dangerous. There will be many locations to paint and explore tomorrow.

SOUTHERN COLORADO

2011-09-24T11:20:00.000-07:00

After visiting Mesa Verde I have changed my plans of going to four corners area and headed instead to southern Colorado. The colours have are changing fast, with yellow aspens creating beautiful patterns of gold against blue/purple mountains. I am following the scenic San Juan Skyway, exploring old mining roads and finding great campsites away from the rush of humanity.

PAINTINGS FROM MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK - COLORADO

2011-09-22T20:18:00.000-07:00

MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK - COLORADO

2011-09-22T20:12:00.000-07:00

PAINTINGS FROM TOADLENA TRADING POST - NAVAJO NATION

2011-09-20T09:18:00.000-07:00

TOADLENA TRADING POST, NAVAJO NATION - NEW MEXICO

2011-09-19T17:54:00.000-07:00

I have arrived at Toadlena Trading post on the Navajo Reservation in northern New Mexico. My art dealer Mark Sublette of Medicine Man Gallery arranged my stay in order for me to paint for the upcoming show at the Tucson gallery. The trading post was established in 1909 and is also a home a spectacular Two Grey Hills Weaving Museum. The post is currently run by Mark and Linda Winter who have great passion for the local Navajo weaving tradition. Mark buys rugs local maser weavers which he later sells to collectors from all over the country. Through his passion and dedication the weaving tradition is able to grow and support the local community.

Being on the reserve is like being back home in northern Canada with similar challenges, melancholy and of course the peculiar humor. I have made friends fast by painting in varied locations. The local native people often stop to ask me who I am, where I am staying and are very happy to hear that will be staying among them for a while.

PAINTINGS FROM GRAND CANYON

2011-09-15T10:17:00.000-07:00

GRAND CANYON

2011-09-15T09:59:00.000-07:00

Grand Canyon is defiantly one of the wonders of the world. I8 km wide in some places and over 1.5 km deep creates breath taking view. Painting in the canyon was challenging due to poor weather. Even so I persevered and painted through several thunder storms and hail the size of small walnuts. Finding solitude in this park is very difficult since area receives millions of visitors a year. But with little work I was able to find locations where tourists did not venture too often. The park consists of South and North rim, and the South is most developed and receives most visitors. The colours of canyon walls changed with each weather pattern creating dramatic setting of light and shadow.

ON THE WAY TO GRAND CANYON

2011-09-11T14:51:00.000-07:00

I left Reno yesterday morning and heading for the south rim of Grand Canyon. On the way I stopped in a turn of the century ghost town near Death Valley. Today is September 9 and all flags are half mast...

BURNING MAN, NEVADA

2011-09-08T11:30:00.000-07:00

The experience of Burning Man in my opinion should be experienced by everyone at least once during their life. Our day to day reality dulls the creative perception denying us fulfillment of our wildest creative dreams. At Burring Man, creativity has no limit and individual expression is a key to survival on the playa. The seven days of creative party is hosted on the Black Rock desert in the northwest part of Nevada. The surface is alkaline dust remains of the ancient lake. The heat reaches 45C in mid day creating very challenging living conditions. The dust storms wipe out any visibility, covering everything in even layer of gray sand. The playa is divided in many theme camps from serious to very playful and silly. Those camps and many individuals create and build art pieces and mutant vehicles which spill fire from propane tanks and play extremely loud house/techno music. The party is 24/7 and person can find any type of attraction and temptation that his or hers heart desires. But surprisingly with over 50.000 people the atmosphere is very peaceful, gentle with people extending helping hand at every occasion.

CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK, OREGON

2011-08-27T14:33:00.000-07:00

On the way to Burning Man we stopped at Crater Lake NP in southern Oregon. The park protects the deepest lake in the US which is only fed by rain and melting snow. The lake rests inside a caldera formed approximately 7,700 years ago when 12,000 foot tall volcano collapsed following major eruption. Today, old growth forests and open meadows blanket the volcano’s outer slopes. It is magical place to paint with the unreal blue colour of the water. After exploring the park for couple of days we are moving south to Nevada dessert and getting 7 days supplies for the stay at playa of Burning Man.

NEW JOURNEY-USA

2011-08-23T08:44:00.000-07:00

Off to Burning Man, Nevada.

Stopping first at Crater Lake to do some plain air painting.

GOLDEN GATE HIGHLANDS NATIONAL PARK

2011-06-05T08:06:00.000-07:00

KGALAGADI TRANS-FRONTIER PARK, KALAHARI DESSERT

2011-06-04T02:01:00.000-07:00

After camping at Two Rivers which is in the eastern part of the park I proceeded to Knossos camp in the central area of the park. The landscape of the Kalahari dessert is monotonous which makes up in the wildlife sightings a person may experience. Just as in Kruger NP my night at Nossob was interrupted by roars of lions along the electric fence and it defiantly makes it for more unique sleep pattern.

Following morning having only one more day in the park I made my way back to Two Rivers. The day was uneventful till the last 3 km before the gate where I spotted two male lions resting and grooming each other. It was a wonderful sight especially with the setting sun in the background. It was all worth it just for the 20 minutes of photography before the sun set. Now I am my way to Johannesburg where I will spend couple of days clearing up and repacking before I had to Amsterdam and back home to Canada.

KGALAGADI TRANS-FRONTIER PARK, KALAHARI DESSERT

2011-06-04T01:58:00.001-07:00

From the Atlantic coast I made my way to h Africa and the immense Kgalagadi Trans-Frontier Park which stretches over 34390 sq km. It is jointly managed by South Africa and Botswana. The park is unfenced and wildlife is free to migrate. After full day of driving I arrived at Mata Mata camp which is also a border of Namibia and SA. In order to cross the border I had to have valid reservations in the park made in advance. I was able to secure three different sites which covered over 400 km of park routes. The routes for most part follow the dry courses of Auob and Nossob Rivers. After spending a night at Mata Mata I made my way to Two River camp painting along the way. The only spot you are allowed to leave your vehicle is designated picnic sites which are unfenced. The animal sightings were good with a heard of giraffe being a highlight of my day.

WALIS BAY ATLANTIC COAST, NAMIBIA

2011-06-04T01:51:00.000-07:00

After leaving the Namib dessert dunes I headed towards the Atlantic coast and the immense stretch desert following the Namibian coast. The area is rather desolate with minimal vegetation. It is famous for great rookeries of fur seals, sand boarding and quad biking. The towns along this coast have distinct German character reflecting country’s colonial history. On the second morning I kayak with a local outfit to see the seal rookeries. The young seals were eager to play with us and it was a delight to be in such close proximity to those playful creatures.

NAMIB NAUKLFUT PARK

2011-05-28T12:42:00.000-07:00

The drive to Namib Naukluft Park took all day. The route took me along very sparcly populated areas with mountains a deserts stretching in every direction. The roads are unpaved here reminding me of my travels in Patagonia. The wild game is abundant reminding us how wild that country still is. The drive to the dunes to catch the sunrise started at 5:30 AM. As I was driving into the darkness only illuminated with countless stars I was trying to imagine what I should photograph. Since I never been here I did not want to miss the opportunity of the light which last for such a short time. The distance is 65 km ending at 4x4 trail. Here were great formations of incredibly shaped life and dead trees, which presented splendid foreground to illuminated sand dunes.

Rest of my day was spent at the little seasonal water hole which took some 4x4 skills to get through soft sand. It is a landscape where photographer and painter can easily spent days; the landscape offers countless abstract compositions with ever changing light. The following morning was the highlight of my Namibia trip, or one of them, a balloon ride over the desert. I was picked up at first light at my camp and taken few miles into the desert where two balloons were being prepped for the take off. There were few people from neighboring lodges and we enjoyed a spectacular sunrise flight over the mountains and dunes.

NAMIBIA, FISH RIVER CANYON

2011-05-26T04:31:00.000-07:00

After a 700 km drive along the western shore of South Africa I crossed into Namibia. The border crossing was uneventful but full of paperwork which I have to fill up. The Namibian authorities did not even checked for a permit to bring in a car into the country and after half an hour I was in Namibia. I spent the first night at the Ai-Ais camp which has thermal hot springs at the south end of Fish River canyon. The camp was incredibly luxurious with indoor hot swimming pools, restaurant, bar, individual cottages. The following day I moved north to spectacular series of viewpoints overlooking the canyon rim. The roads in Namibia are mostly gravel which reminds me a lot of the Yukon. The country is scarcely populated with endless horizon line and a beautiful blue sky.

CAPE TOWN, CAPE OF GOOD HOPE

2011-05-26T04:20:00.001-07:00

I have finally reached the most southerly point of Africa the Cape of Good Hope. I spent two days in Cape Town exploring the cape peninsula. The highlight of the journey was seeing the African penguins called locally Jackass penguin. Upon reaching the very tip of cape I painted in nearly hurricane conditions capturing the vista of Cape of Good Hope. Seating beside me I had three juvenile baboons seating in a perfect row staring at me with mild interest. Tomorrow the big push towards Namibian border.

TOWARDS CAPE TOWN

2011-05-22T11:20:00.000-07:00

Today I made it to Cape Town, driving and stopping along the famous wine route consisting of such wineries as Robertson. Just before Cape Town I stopped in a little French established town from XVII century which has a long tradition of growing and producing excellent wines and cheeses. As I drove on a spectacular highway leading out of town the both sides of the road were covered by shanty towns made entirely of found materials and no running water. The Cape Town itself is beautifully position with view of the ocean and a mountain backdrop. Tomorrow I am of to Table Mountain National Park.

FOUR PASSES ROUTE, KAROO REGION SOUTHER CAPE

2011-05-21T23:55:00.000-07:00

This route consists of four mountain passes and was the most challenging road construction undertaken in the end of XIX century. One 30 km section took over 7 years to construct and still remains unpaved scaling nearly a vertical walls linking two fertile valleys. The Karoo region is famous for orstrich farming and was boom industry during the Victorian and Edwardian periods

TSITSIKAMMA NATIONAL PARK

2011-05-19T08:50:00.000-07:00

Following the Garden Route to Cape Town I stopped for a couple of days in the famous Tsitsikamma National Park well known for its coastal trail and clawless otter. I hiked the first 6 km of the Otter trail to a beautiful waterfall cascading through series of pools to the incomings ocean surf

ADDO ELEPHANT NATIONAL PARK

2011-05-19T08:41:00.001-07:00

I have finally made it to Port Elizabeth, a major urban centre on the south coast. The main attraction of the area is an Addo Elephant National Park. After restocking in the PE I made my way to the park where I spent a wonderful couple of days photographing countless animals. I saw more game in this area than in Kruger NP. Defiantly the elephants were a great attraction and I was not disappointed with the sightings. Also for the first time I saw zebra, warthog and buffalo in the wild. The entire is surrounded by an electric fence with steel gates that closes to visitors at 5:30 PM and open 6 AM. The overall feeling is like visiting the set of the Jurassic Park. It is refreshing to see all the animals in the natural habitat with unrestricted movement and not as we see them in the zoos.

INDIAN OCEAN, SOUTH COAST

2011-05-19T08:36:00.000-07:00

I am finally on the Indian Ocean heading west towards Port Elizabeth. The coast is made of large golden sandiness cover by lush vegetation. I had a great pleasure of swimming in warm surf west of Durban. The condition of the roads has improved greatly and there is less noticeable poverty. It is the beginning of the famous Garden Route, one of the major tourist attractions of South Africa.

ORIBI GORGE, THE SOUTH COAST, INDIAN OCEAN

2011-05-14T01:37:00.001-07:00

The weather deteriorated in Drakensburg Mountains and I made my way to the South Coast west of Durban. I stayed and painted in the spectacular Oribi Gorge nature reserve. This impressive gorge is 24 km long and over 300 m deep. This morning I captured great sunrise with morning light reflecting of the rocky outcrop called baboon castle. The forest is tropical in nature full of monkeys and over 500 different tree species. I will travel west towards Cape Town and enjoy the warmth of the Indian Ocean.

CATHEDRAL PEAK, DRAKENSBURG MOUNTAINS

2011-05-12T01:12:00.000-07:00

CATHEDRAL PEAK, DRAKENSBURG MOUNTAINS

2011-05-12T01:11:00.001-07:00

After 10 days of sleeping in the tent, I decided that hot bath and normal bed was in order. I arrived in the Cathedral Peak area of Drakensberg Mountains and checked in into beautiful mountain resort build with traditional materials. I have never stayed in such enormous and luxurious place as this. The price was rather small in comparison to our standards and I am truly enjoying the glorious views. I took the opportunity of great location to photograph the sunrises on both mornings. The light last lasted for few minutes but I was able to capture the fleeting light.

PAINTINGS FROM ROYAL NATAL NATIONAL PARK

2011-05-10T02:42:00.000-07:00

ROYAL NATAL NATIONAL PARK, ZULU LAND

2011-05-10T02:39:00.001-07:00

For last few days I hiked and painted in the Royal Natal NP. It contains some of the South Africa’s most spectacular scenery the Drakensberg Mountains. The awe inspiring Amphitheatre, acre3sent shaped basalt wall 6 km wide soars to a 1500 m. The morning light illuminates the rock walls in the bright orange light and in the evening it turns it to beautiful blues and purples. The campsites are nearly empty now due to low season and upcoming winter. Mornings are cold but during the day it warms up to 25C. . My next stop is the Natal Drakensberg Park which contains some of the highest peaks in that mountain range.

PAINTINGS FROM KRUGER NATIONAL PARK

2011-05-05T23:35:00.000-07:00

KRUGER NATIONAL PARK

2011-05-05T23:28:00.000-07:00

The main attraction of the park is the animals, especially the big five. In the first hour I was fortunate to see the jaguar, which set beside by car for a moment and yawned. The only way you can travel is by car from which you cannot get out due the animal danger. The camps are surrounded by electrified fence and one has to be inside the gate by 5:30PM. They’re very luxurious by our Canadian standards; they include various types of accommodations, swimming pool, restaurants, cafes, internet, ect. The South Africans travel in style in big 4x4 rigs many times with very fancy off-road tent trailers. The strange thing is that the 99% of park’s guests are white. The working people are the blacks.
Animals are of course the biggest attractions of the park, and I was not disappointed. Even at one time I was charged by bull elephant. I never went into reverse that fast. But my main interest is of course landscape and not being able to hike and get out of the car is somehow limiting. Tomorrow I am heading to Dragon Mountains near the kingdom of Lesotho.

TOWARDS KRUGER NATIONAL PARK

2011-05-04T05:28:00.001-07:00

I am writing this at one of the campgrounds at the immense Kruger National Park. Arriving in South Africa has been a long journey, close to 30 hours of travel and is taking me few days to adjust to time change.

It is a country full of contrasts, a society who regain the sense of independence but full of corruption and still very much catering to the white majority. It is a somehow disturbing feeling…

After spending couple of days in Joberg I traveled NorthEast to Pilgrims Rest an old mining town near Blyde River Canyon. The elevation is at 1700m and at this time of the year the majority of the landscape is shrouded in a dense fog. On Monday morning I traveled directly to Lisbon falls, a spectacular twin falls surrounded by lush vegetation. I set me painting box on the edge of the canyon to get the desirable perspective. The colours of Africa are subtle with lots of blues and greens. The immense horizon line and unlimited sky diffuses everything with arial perspective. I imagine that the intensity of the colours will change as I travel towards the coast.

As always each trip has to have its own challenge and this one is no exception. On the first day in Joberg my little netbook has died, which means no communication no photo transfer, ect. The only solution was to upload the whole new operating system. In a little town near the Kruger National Park I found a cellular phone/ grocery store operated by East Indian people. The uploaded the whole new system but I was still missing lots of programs that I lost due to the crash. The following morning I was driving searching for photos and I encountered a sing advertising computers. The long driveway t through fruit trees plantation took me to a beautifully position house. The owner was commuter repair technician and farm owner who after two hours of hard work brought my computer to the life. Not only that my machine was fixed, but was also a valuable lesson on local economy and political system.

Still having the whole afternoon left I traveled to Kruger and entered it through the Numbi Gate. I will probably stay and ravel through the park for about 3 days.

NEW PAINTING

2011-04-24T13:32:00.000-07:00

" THREAD OF TIME " 33" X 72" oil on canvas

The painting represents the link between the past and present in the Japanese society and the nations' will to survive.
The kanji characters mean : Patience / Perseverance/ To Endure.
Enjoy!

AFRICA TRIP

2011-04-10T17:09:00.000-07:00

Preparing and packing for my trip to Africa. So many details...

YUKON RIVER

2010-10-06T12:52:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of August I canoed the Yukon River from Whitehorse to Dawson City. The distance of 780 km covers a spectacular range of northern landscapes. The Yukon is one of the largest rivers in North America reaching from northern British Columbia across Yukon and Alaska emptying into the Bering Sea. After painting and living in the Yukon for last 15 years I was ready to embark on this classic Canadian river trip. The meditative silence of water travel gave me unlimited time to reflect on the joy of being in the wilderness. The river offers travelers not only great nature experience but also a glimpse into the history of the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898. The river was the main root to get to Dawson gold fields and the route covered by the remains of cabins, wood camps and abandoned sternwheelers. Before to advent of sternwheelers and mad rush for gold, Yukon River was and is a home for the First Nations people who lived, hunted and fished there for centuries. The cultural remains of villages, which are still used to this day, old grave houses and fish camps create vibrant background to natural beauty of this vast wilderness.

I started in Whitehorse and after a day of paddling arrived at the great Lake Labarge. This stretch of water is the most challenging and dangerous due to strong winds and waves which caused many deaths on the water. The weather fair for majority of the trip with sunny days and calm skies. Each day I covered 40 to 80 km either floating or paddling depending on the direction of the wind. There are no designated campsites, so the choice for night rest was always wide open, from little sand island in middle of the river, to forested river banks and many time within the vicinity of abonded gold rush cabin. Upon reaching Carmacks I had a chance to restock on fresh food and take much needed shower. Weather continued to be sunny and I paddle the Five Finger rapids with out any problems. The northern part of the river becomes very wide and endless channels and islands. To this point the water is clear and drinkable. Upon reaching the White River junction the sediment from the glaciers turns the water milky white and one has to look for water from streams coming down from the mountains.

When I reached Dawson, I felt the huge sense of satisfaction. It was a time for a cold beer, shower and a night in the hotel.

GREAT BEAR RAINFOREST

2010-05-27T17:46:00.000-07:00

Check out this new video of my recent trip to Hakai:
YOUTUBE VIDEO

2010-04-12T01:53:00.001-07:00

Shibata

I am staying with Japanese friends and taking it easy today. I am so tired after non-stop sight seeing and painting on location.

JAPAN

2010-04-12T01:46:00.000-07:00

Mount Fuji

The weather forecast called for sunny and clear day. I woke up at 4 AM and drove to a viewpoint that provided a great panorama of Mount Fuji and the surrounding area. The sky was totally clear so unfortunately there was no dramatic sunrise. But just the ability to view Mount Fuji in crystal clear light and observe morning sun rising up over the mountains was a memory that will stay with me forever. I shot about 50 pictures and by 9 AM I was on the way to Fujinomiya to drop of my little Nissan. Around noon I boarded the train to Niigata in the northern part of Japan. The bullet train took me right under the mountains and sometime it rode through the tunnels for over 30 minutes. When we stooped mid island, all mountains were covered in snow and I just could not believe it since I still wore a t-shirt from Tokyo where it was nice and warm. I will be staying in Northern Honshu for next few days exploring the mountains and castles of the area.

2010-03-28T07:11:00.001-07:00

Kyoto

I spend the morning moving from Osaka to Kyoto taking Japan Railway. The trains are extremely efficient and always on time. I am staying in traditional japanese guesthouse which is slightly run down but it certainly has it own character. It is run by classic looking mamasan who is a character on her own. It is eight tatami room with nice flower arrangement but in the closets are stuff which has not been emptied since probable before the war.
After unpacking I hiked through Kinkakuji Temple which dates from 1220 AD. Not far from there I visited and contemplated at Ryoanji Temple which has the most famous rock garden in all Japan from 14 century.
Since Kyoto has so many treasures I decided to continued site seeing and photographed well into the night at the famous Gion district which is the center of the Geisha world of the last four centuries.

JAPAN

2010-03-27T09:19:00.001-07:00

Osaka

Osaka castle is the largest fortified structure in all Japan. It has a series of moats making the attack on the castle extremely difficult. The main tower consist of eight stories which house many exhibits from its violent history.
I painted the main view of the castle looking through spectacular garden with its reflections in the pond.