Our family used to go camping around Ontario including at the well known Balsam Lake. One day, we were paddling and the weather turned rough. I remember the whole sky was grey, the water was churning and we were going against a stiff wind and strong rain. The four of us paddled at full force to get through the gale as fast as possible. We made it, no worse for wear but a little wet. I remember feeling the power of the canoe moving though the rough water, it was the power of the family unit. With the weather equally poor recently I've not had the chance to paint outdoors much, so I made this painting from memory. I was going to copy another Maud Lewis painting, but instead I tried to copy her strategy. Perhaps not by choice, she painted in her small cabin from memory, and her paintings seemed to evoke scenes of nostalgia and happiness. Was my family paddling through bad weather a moment of happiness? Not at the time, but in retrospect it was a triumph of sorts.
The Family Unit, watercolour 8 x 10" cold press, October 2023 (No. 3631b)
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