The Feeling of the Place

This was the first time I’ve painted from a photo that I didn’t take. In this case, it was a commissioned work, and I used the photo “Mount Rainier Spectacular” by Seattle Photographer, Chris Rusnak as a reference. I’m not sure I would have taken the commission if I wasn’t so struck by the photo. It was a different way of working, and I very much enjoyed the collaborative nature of this work.

The original painting has sold. At this time, prints are not available, but please get in touch at mike@thefeelingoftheplace.com if that is something you are interested in.

Elk lake sits aside the Patricia Bay Highway, and any time I am driving home to Victoria from that direction it is always a welcome sight. This time we knew we’d have to stop the car and watch the sun set for a while. We’d been watching the clouds turn yellow and pink before we approached, and as always, it was a sublime experience to see them turn to the deep navy blues, reds, purples and oranges as the sun sank slowly into the horizon.

Links to buy the original and paper prints can be found here.

I came upon this pond early in the morning. Its surface was like a mirror, revealing another world within. Mists were rising in the valley, but wouldn’t be for long in this dry mountain air. I’m always struck by this landscape, it is always in flux, but grounds me in its calm serenity.

The original painting is hanging at Moka House at 345 Cook St, Victoria, BC, and will be on display there until the end of October, 2019.

Links to purchase the original painting and prints are available here.

This was a commissioned work, and the third time I have painted this scene. I enjoy the opportunity to study the image from a moment again, and pick up on aspects of it that were previously overlooked, or to remember another facet of the experience of being there. This was the largest painting I’ve painted to date, measuring 72″ wide and 48″ high. Working big means I can paint with my whole arm in a very gestural way, or get very fussy and small with detail, or anywhere in between. It was a joy to come back to this image and express it on such a grand scale.

The original acrylic on canvas painting has sold, but links to buy giclee limited edition prints are available here.

There was a still, quiet mood this summer morning, long enough after the sun had risen for full daylight, but not so long that it didn’t bathe the Trial Islands just off Victoria’s southern tip in a warm glow of orange and yellow.

The original 24×48″ acrylic on canvas painting was a commission and has sold, but prints on paper or canvas are available here.