Susan Tooke at Long Branch Studios

A lily pond at midsummer:  how do you paint this subject without the cloying sweetness that florals often have, and yet maintain the feeling of 'pond'?  The dominant blue green suggests a gentler landscape; in the stillness of dawn wet grasses and lily pads balance in damp air and pond water.

My trip to Sable, and friendship with Zoe Lucas has moved my studio painting into fresh ground with room for imagination and experimentation.  Discovering the feeling of a place, and examining my own emotional response while experiencing an environment has led me to a new way of seeing the world. 

Richard and I spent a week on Sable Island in August, 2009.  While there, we spent all of our time painting the landscape en plein air.  This was to be a pivotal experience for me.. I was pressed to find a way of expressing the landscape in a more immediate way.  Working on illustrations for Free as the Wind, written by Jamie Bastedo, Red Deer Press, I came to know Zoe Lucas.  Her friendship has opened up the world of Sable Island to me, and I am grateful for this.

Large canvases are crowding the studio.  Enormous skies, open views are demanding space.  So much action above affecting the earth, the earth reflects the activity in the sky, the sea pulling back and rushing in--the Fundy shore near Great Village, Nova Scotia.

When I was in Goose Bay, Labrador, at the Arts Festival, I did get out briefly into the country.  The red canoe, stashed above the tideline, the driftwood angled against the solitary stone, the November snow and far shore made a lasting impression.  The silence of winter.

My latest in expressive landscape painting.  The dynamic movement of the tides in the Bay of Fundy near Great Village, Nova Scotia is a subject of epic proportions.  The sky and the water of the bay are constantly changing with the ebb and flow of the ocean as it is funneled into the valleys of the stream beds and rivers.  The challenge is to paint this energy.

Richard and I were driving on the highway, when we decided to take the back roads.  The land was covered with snow, the stubble poking through the icy crust.  An isolated farmhouse stood on the hill against a late afternoon grey sky.  There was something iconic about it as it stood on its pedestal of last summer's cornrows. As I painted, the feeling of the land and enormous sky enveloped me.  I was drawn into the universe by the mystery surrounding the old homestead.

It has been a while since I have posted, but here at Elm Street Studio, we have not been idle!  We had a wonderful time with the Studio Rally Weekend, and have even more plans for the upcoming year.  Meanwhile, I would like to share one of the pieces just finished based on my plein air work on Long Island, this past September.  Lines of energy, surging power of the tides and the brilliance of the light made for a wonderful painting experience.  Come by to Elm Street for a studio visit.

Looking out into the back yard of bare branches and crusted snow, it is hard to believe the transformation that spring brings to our garden.  Seeing Richard's photo, I can smell the fresh scents of the flowers and feel the soft breezes of the gentler season to come.

Today I put the final touches on the illustrations for my next book with Shauntay Grant and Nimbus Publishing called The City Speaks in Drums.  I have been working on this in one form or another since last July... a long haul, but I am happy with the illustrations.  Once again, I was working with members of our community on this book based in Halifax, following the adventures of two boys as they explore the city. Thanks to Dante and Chris, two very patient young men, and the stars of the book.

Richard Rudnicki and I share our painting studio.  It is a pleasure to be able to look up and see him deep in thought, working away at his latest painting.  Here he is painting an illustration for Groundwood's upcoming book on Viola Desmond.  We are lucky, in that this would not be possible with just anyone!  It is good to have a second eye ready to comment when needed.