Description
Peaceful Waters, LaSalle Lake is an 18x24 oil painting that captures one of our favourite places to visit and paddle in the canoe. On the day we took the reference photo, the lake was especially calm and quiet—it felt like we had it entirely to ourselves. I wanted this painting to reflect that peaceful stillness, with soft colours and gentle transitions guiding the eye across the water and into the distant mountains. The clouds and clusters of lily pads add to the serene, almost dreamlike mood of the piece.
In this piece, I was drawn to the soft atmosphere of the scene and tried to capture the way the mountains gradually fade into the distance, almost dissolving into the sky. I spent time building up gentle layers and blending tones to create that sense of depth and quiet. I began by toning the entire canvas in alizarin crimson, which added a subtle warmth that ties the whole painting together. The larger canvas gave me space to work more patiently with the brushwork—especially in the water and shoreline grasses—and to really settle into the mood of that peaceful afternoon. This painting feels a bit different from some of my others, maybe because I associate it so strongly with the stillness we felt out there on the lake.
