Recycle

Recycle
15" x 11"
140lb watercolour paper

Martin and I had decided to take our chances on finding a place to stay as we pulled out of Montreal. A nice bed and breakfast would be good, not too far from Québec City where we had chosen to spend most of our time. About twenty kilometers out the B&Bs disappeared. A highway sign indicated that there was a campground nearby with some cabins. Why not? The chalet was exquisite with a large front window overlooking Lac St. Augustin. Lovely. The leaves glowed. I could spend the five days just here. We bought groceries and I set about the challenge of cooking without the usual abundance of pots and pans or ingredients. Did I mention? I love a challenge. Fun fun. Our first visit to Québec, many years ago, had involved four children and a very different camping routine. As we had walked past the cafes and bistros I had promised myself that we would return when we could enjoy them. It was raining the following day so we decided to stay and enjoy each other’s company in hopes the weather would improve. I set up my paints and began to draw the scenes out the window. The very next day we set out in the rain, exploring old Québec, revisiting the Artist Alley with time to stop and talk. I was thankful not to be manning a post there. It was cold. Occasionally I really wonder about my passion and what keeps us going as artists. We explored ruins, a café and ate some sandwiches under a leafy canopy. The rain did not abate. On the subsequent day during our trip to the Charlevoix region, fog set in with the rain. There is a grandiose viewpoint overlooking the St. Lawrence where we stopped to stretch our legs. I noticed that we could not see the parking lot below but the pictures on the wall were lovely. At Baie St. Paul we explored some galleries and decided to call it quits. I was anxious to get back to the paintings I had started. We spent most of our last day in the cabin painting and reading. A blessed repose. The sun came out and we went for a walk. I would finish my paintings in the morning….There is a lesson in this. Something about blooming where I am planted and filling each present moment with joy. Sometimes why I am an artist is no mystery at all.