Mary McBride

Mary McBride 10 x 16 oil on stretched canvas  SOLD

It's a great source of pride to me that I have eight historical portraits permanently installed in the town hall of Gravenhurst, the small Muskoka town where I now live.  Among them is this painting of Mary McBride (1880-1965). She looks a bit stern here, but was apparently much-beloved by her students. Born in Muskoka, Mary taught for 50 years, beginning in 1899 and continuing until her retirement in 1948.

Gravenhurst's first schoolhouse was built in 1864. It was a one-room log building and its seventeen students sat on rough wooden planks.  The young women who taught in such schools were pioneers indeed.

Thomas Greavette

Thomas Greavette 16 x 20 oil on stretched canvas  SOLD

Before joining DPW I had spent a good deal of time on portrait work. This is one such example. Thomas Greavette was an internationally-renowned builder of classic boats. His portrait is one of a group of eight that I painted from small, grainy, black and white archival photos. The paintings depict individuals who shaped the early history of Gravenhurst, which is the Muskoka town my husband and I moved to several years ago. I'm very proud to have these portraits permanently installed in the town hall.

James McCabe

James McCabe 20 x 16 oil on stretched canvas  SOLD

This is a historical portrait now residing in the Town Hall of of Gravenhurst, where I now live. It is one of eight portraits that I painted using only small old black and white photos as my reference. James McCabe is believed to be the very first settler in what is now the Town of Gravenhurst,Muskoka, Ontario. For a time, in fact, the town was named McCabe's Landing.

Muskoka General Store

Muskoka General Store 24 x 20 oil on canvasboard  NFS

This painting is based on one of several old general stores to be found around Muskoka's cottage country. Over the years since we moved here, many of these wonderful stores have disappeared or been modernized. Those that have endured are a charming reminder of a bygone era. Selling everything from sunhats to soda, and detergent to dew worms, they remain a popular attraction for summer visitors.

Re-enactor

Re-enactor  20 x 16 oil on stretched canvas  SOLD

This is a portrait of a local history buff and U.S.Civil War re-enactor, who would actually ride his horse daily through town, dressed in either Union blue or Confederate grey. Definitely one of our town's more colorful characters, he often surprised townsfolk and tourists alike when he rode through the McDonalds "drive thru."

A. P. Cockburn

A. P. Cockburn 20 x 16 oil on stretched canvas  SOLD

This blog is primarily a chronical of my daily paintings, but I thought I'd occasionally include a larger work.

Alexander Peter Cockburn (1837-1905) is one of a group of eight portraits that I painted from small, grainy, black and white archival photos. The paintings depict individuals who shaped the early history of Gravenhurst -- the Muskoka town my husband and I moved to several years ago -- and I'm very proud to have these portraits permanently installed in the town hall.

A.P. Cockburn founded the Muskoka Lakes Navigation Company. His steamships opened the entire region to the settlers, lumbermen, sportsmen -- and ultimately to the tourists who remain vital to its present-day economy.