Canada 150 Art Project – Newfoundland Labrador

Welcome to the third in a series of ten watercolor paintings to honor Canada’s Sesquicentennial – this one featuring Newfoundland Labrador. Read on for more about the backstory behind this painting, and to learn how you can make this painting yours.

The Backstory: You’ll find this fishing stage along the edge of Quidi Vidi Harbour in St John’s, Newfoundland. It’s where I recently spent a delightful afternoon sketching while soaking up the September sun. On that same visit to this capital of Newfoundland Labrador, I also explored The Rooms, a recently opened museum and art gallery high on the hill overlooking the Narrows.

My earliest and most memorable experience on ‘The Rock’ was a 1981 Lobster Fest in Pippy Park just west of St John’s proper. Our ‘Come From Away’ group members were seated on stools around upended barrels covered in newspaper and populated with hammers, picks, and tubs of melted butter. Throughout the evening, fresh cooked lobsters were deposited repeatedly on our makeshift tables while our Newfie hosts moved through our crowd of newbies giving lessons on how to attack and devour. It was a riot of fun and a tasty introduction to Atlantic food and Newfoundland hospitality.

I’ve also enjoyed the music in the pubs on George Street and been screeched in – twice! Apparently the first time didn’t take – or at least the ceremonial officials didn’t believe I had actually kissed the cod!

Over the years, I’ve returned several times to the Avalon Peninsula and enjoyed exploring these sights:

• St John’s Signal Hill, the Battery, the Narrows, and the colorful rows of Jelly Bean Houses
• Cape Spear (Newfoundland’s most easterly and oldest surviving lighthouse)
• Scenic Petty Harbour
• Brigus South (towards Cape Broyle), an ancient fishing village settled in the 1600’s with a most colorful array of dories lining the banks of the inlet

Our son-in-law, Marc, was born and raised in Pasadena, a small town near Cornerbrook along the beautiful Humber Valley in the western part of Newfoundland. I have yet to visit his home territory, but hope to do so sometime soon.

How You Can Make This Painting Yours: In honor of our country’s 2017 anniversary celebrations, I’ve created one watercolor painting to honor each province.

One unique provincial landscape, seascape or streetscape will be featured each week throughout the summer. Ten paintings are up for grabs – one for each province – and one each week.

Each original painting is 8” x 10” in size and each one will arrive mounted in a double white mat bringing the outer dimensions to 11” x 14” – ready to pop into a standard frame of your own choosing.

The price for each painting will be $150 (taxes included) plus $15 for shipping to anywhere in Canada.

If you are looking for a unique remembrance of Canada 150, and you’ve always wanted to buy an original watercolor from the Pauseworks Studio, here’s your chance.

Just send me an email message with the words ‘Canada 150 – I’ll Take It’ in the subject line. The first reader to call dibs on each week’s masterpiece takes it. Good luck to all!

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