New Horizons Collection (Paintings 1-7)
The first paintings in the collection – and their stories
The New Horizons Collection is a collection of original paintings that capture the beauty and variety of the coastal landscape I now call home. All paintings in this collection are from around the little village of Broad Cove, where I live next to the Atlantic Ocean on the South Shore of Nova Scotia (Canada).
As original paintings, the intimacy of materials and act of creation is held within each piece. Feel the gesture of putting brush to paper, the glide of bristles as layers of paint are built up, the clink of the jar as a brush is wiped clean before mixing a new colour…
See the nuances of mark, the subtle texture of the watercolour paper, the transparency or thickness of the paint itself. Each element adds to a visual experience of the subject and also recalls the tactile act of painting by hand.
These paintings were made with wide, soft brushes, and a looseness of movement to express the changing weather, shifting clouds, reflections of sky and water… and the quiet moments of homes within the coastal landscape.
Here, are the first seven paintings in the collection and a little bit of the story behind each… (view paintings 8-14 and paintings 15-22)
You can also go behind-the-scenes of how I created the paintings in this collection!
Raincloud with Ocean Pools
This painting is of open ocean and sky along Nova Scotia’s South Shore. On this day, an enormous stormcloud was beautifully illuminated by the hidden sun with just a snippet of blue sky peeking through. There was a patch of rain on the horizon, but the overall effect was that of a wonderful, calm, and majestic glow.
Light bounced off shallow ocean pools on the rocks and sparkled on the ocean waters. A slim glowing band spread across the horizon.
Stretching above, the cloud shifted and changed in a mesmerizing, gradual swooping movement as the storm slowly moved past, revealing glimpses of soft pinks, warm whites, and rain-soaked blues.
Original painting in gouache on watercolour paper.
Fish Shacks at Low Tide
This painting is of the wooden fishing shacks near the beach in Broad Cove, Nova Scotia, where I live. This is a view I see often as I walk through the village, along the beach, and out past the breakwater to the open Atlantic Ocean.
There are often seals bobbing in front of these shacks which are now seasonal cottages. At low tide, the retreating water leaves beautiful patterns in the sand, and you can walk out to the rocks. At high tide, only the tops of the largest rocks are visible.
On this day, a swoop of pink and purple tinted clouds contrasted beautifully with the warm golden light of the late day sun as it began to dip behind the trees.
Original painting in gouache on watercolour paper.
Coastal Trees
As you venture out past the stone breakwater of Broad Cove, the gravel road curves sharply around a bend between these tall evergreens. The ground is rocky with only the sparsest bits of soil. Ocean waves crash on the shore.
The trees are spindly and weather-beaten but resilient and undaunted by their exposed location. Resolutely upright, they form a striking contrast to the long stretch of sky meeting water along the horizon.
At land’s edge, the rocks are covered in a brilliant yellow mossy seaweed, often set off beautifully by the grey-blues of clouds, water, and rock.
Original painting in gouache on watercolour paper.
Nightfall in the Cove
This painting shows the old fish shacks at the Broad Cove Beach. This moment was just past dusk, as darkness began to fall and lights flickered on for the night.
The air was quiet and clear, the water making only the smallest sound as it lapped against the shore. The dark silhouettes of trees and streetlights reflected in the calm waters.
It has that slightly obscured blue haziness of nightfall when details begin to become lost in the shadows, and you find yourself no longer quite sure what you are seeing.
Original painting in gouache on watercolour paper.
Coastal Mosses
As you walk out past Broad Cove’s rocky breakwater, an expanse of ocean and sky open up before you. The air is filled with the smell of salty ocean air and seaweed.
The light glints off the many tidal pools that are scattered amongst striking yellow moss and seaweed covered rocks on the shore.
On this day, there was a downpour moving across the long stretch of horizon. The air was warm and humid, the clouds laden with moisture. Whitecaps broke on jutting rocks, and lightning flashed on the horizon.
Original painting in gouache on watercolour paper.
Broad Cove at Midday
These weathered fish shacks are remnants of a past lifestyle on these shores – one that relied on sourcing food and commerce from the ocean’s waters.
Standing on the damp sand of the beach at low tide, you can walk fairly close to these shacks, now turned into seasonal cottages. It is beautiful to see their reflections and the rich greenery of trees in the cove waters.
On this day, a swooping band of cloud moved down toward the horizon where dense white clouds reflected hints of the afternoon sun. A few seals bobbed about, enjoying the warm mid-summer air.
Original painting in gouache on watercolour paper.
Living Oceanside in the Snow
This painting shows an old house perched next to the open Atlantic Ocean on Nova Scotia’s South Shore. When you walk out past the stone breakwater, you quickly come upon this weathered, slightly forlorn, but still charming old house.
Shrubbery is low and sparse, brittle yellow grasses line the road, and the bare branches of a lilac are visible near the house. Tall evergreens are beginning to encroach upon the house and land.
On this day, the sun was just beginning to glow through the overcast sky, while snow continued to fall. There was a damp coldness to the air, and steely ocean waters met the jagged rocks of land’s edge.
Original painting in gouache on watercolour paper.
The New Horizons Collection is a collection of twenty-two original paintings. They capture the beauty and variety of the light and weather of the coastal landscape I now call home. While many are of water and sky, I have also included some of the houses that I pass on my daily walks to the ocean. All paintings in this collection are from around the little village of Broad Cove, where I live next to the Atlantic Ocean on the South Shore of Nova Scotia.
You can read the personal story behind the collection and view the full series of paintings, on the collection page, below.
Artist’s Note:
If you know of anyone who would enjoy these paintings and stories, please share this post with them! 🙏 Thank you, it really helps to get the word out about my work 💙
If you missed it, here’s the link to go behind-the-scenes of the collection!
