GETTING READY

Just getting all the pictures ready for our show in Callander. I still have to finish some matting and framing then ready to hang the show next week. I will post more detailed information in acouple of days.

NEAR POWASSAN, ONTARIO

I could not resist posting another wildflower image. I wonder what Vincent van Gogh would have made of this view.

WILDFLOWERS

Finally I spent yesterday afternoon taking pictures. This time of the Summer is very beautiful with the landscape fulls of colour from all the wildflowers. My wife gathers a large bouquet of grasses, goldenrod, tansy and asters, which, when dried, will be a reminder of Summer in the long Winter season.

HARLEQUIN

This Summer has been a very busy time for me. First the renovations downstairs followed by a variety of visitors and to top it off I am working on a show at the Alex Dufresne Gallery in Callander Ontario. This picture is actually for our friend Linda. The little sculpture was made by an old friend Mieke Coppens Frehe. My sister brought it for me from Holland where I had left it. Mieke made this harlequin after a trip we had made with a group of fellow students through France in the Summer of 1958.It was a very memorable trip and this piece was made after we visited Vaison la Romaine in the south of France. The harlequin was the "master of ceremony" at the finale of a great festival in the town, which ended in the old Roman amphitheatre.

SUMMER REFLECTION

I took this picture a few days ago along a trail close to my home. Looking at the image on the computer I started to just play around with it and here is the result. Hope you like it.

EARTH ART

I took this picture yesterday afternoon at the catchment pond at the end of the new parking lots. I don't know the function of the small dam but it reminded me of work the earth land artist Robert Smithson, who made some very famous "landscape as an object" art in the seventies.

PUPPETS UP!

Well, I promise, this is my last puppet image for this year. I can't say I won't post another one next year because I enjoyed the festival so much that, the next time, I will go back for the full weekend. I would like to thank Highton Ridley for becoming a follower of my blog.

AGAIN THE ALMONTE PUPPET FESTIVAL

I decided to visit the International Puppet Festival in Almonte. It looks to be a fun weekend.

ELORA GORGE

On Saturday we visited Elora. It is of course very much a tourist destination but definitely worth visiting. We had a drink on the deck overlooking this spectacular gorge.

WHEAT FIELD, ST.JACOBS, ONTARIO

I just returned from a trip to Southern Ontario. This picture was made just outside the famous farmers market in St. Jacobs.

LAKE NIPISSING BOAT TRIP

Yesterday afternoon I went with my wife and my sister on a Lake nipissing cruise. The weather was not the greatest but it was very enjoyable. Actually, in all the years we lived here in North Bay I never went on a cruise aboard the Chief Commanda but I certainly plan go again.

ALMONTE PUPPET FESTIVAL

This weekend I visited Almonte, a town near Ottawa. It is a very picturesque place and I noticed that all the stores displayed puppets as a promotion for their upcoming international Puppet Festival, which will take place on the ninth and tenth of August. Here is an example of these puppets. Canadians will recognize Don Cherry a very popular hockey commentator on Canadian television.

GATHERING STORM

The Summer, so far, has been rather wet and cold. Today we had a little bit of sunshine but across the lake a big thunderstorm was rapidly approaching Sunset Park where we were enjoying the afternoon. Yesterday my sister arrived from Holland and I hope the weather will become more Summerlike so she can enjoy a very pleasant Canadian Summer holiday.

DELPHINIUMS

Just photographed these beautiful white delphiniums in my wifes garden. I made the picture in black and white because this garden stillife reminds me of the Victorian era gardens.

LA VASE RIVER PORTAGES, NORTH BAY

Time for a new posting. Again it was a busy week with preparations for next weeks course and other chores. I had to post a landscape along the Lavase portages. On Monday evening, the city council will approve a 60-metre buffer zone between the historic La Vase portage and a proposed quarry operation rather than the 120-metre zone recommended by the council’s community services committee. This of course wil destroy much of the natural environment of the historic portage because of noise, dust and an unsightly skyline. Obviously the mediocre minds of the members on city council are far more impressed with short term financial profits than with the long term gain of a pristine natural setting, which would enhance the enjoyment for this and future generations.

CAROUSEL, NORTH BAY WATERFRONT

This weekend our nine month old grandson came for a visit. We took him on his first carousel ride, which he greatly enjoyed. North Bay has two carousels designed, carved and constructed by a group of volunteer carvers and artists. This carousel is the smaller of the two but shows a variety of typical Canadian animals. It is truly a community effort and great fun for the children and adults too by the way.

PARKING LOTS, NORTH BAY

The picture show the holding ponds for the run off water coming from the newly built parking lots at the Educational Centre here in North Bay. I think creating huge parking lots show a lack of foresight. It simply destroys the natural setting around the complex. Instead they could have built a parking garage or better still develop a bettre transit system.

GARDEN

A few weeks ago, a former student asked me if I still had the slides of a bizarre and somewhat disturbingly decorated garden I photographed many years ago. So I looked through my old files and yes I found the slides. The problem is that at the time I used AGFA slidefilm, which did not age very well but with the help of Photoshop I am able to rescue them. Looking at them again I think that the pictures are still quite disturbing but also interesting.Here is a sample image of this series. If someone is interested in seeing some more just let me know and I will post some additional images.

STRIP MALL, NORTH BAY

In the last few years I have really become interested in the urban landscape. This little strip mall here in North Bay is a subject I like to photograph. It intrigues me how these businesses can be profitable.

ASPHALT MANDALA WITH YELLOW

I just like to thank Kuluth for joining my followers list. I am glad you enjoy my pictures. I called this image asphalt mandala because that is what it is but I could have named it cosmic mandala, which would be a little more mystical and pretentious.