October 5, 2022 Torrance Barrens
Mother nature gave us a beautiful send off for our last plein air of the 2022 season. The day was reminiscent of summer weather with the added fall explosion of colours. A real treat driving here with leaves at 100% colour glory on route.
September 28, 2022 Muskoka Lakes Cranberry Farm & Winery
September 21, 2022 – Purk’s Place, Bala
September 14, 2022 – Sherwood Inn
A cool morning, with fall in the air. Painting around the Resort was followed by a nice lunch together at the Sherwood Inn. Fun to chat about art and check out the art on the walls by local artists and meet the chef at the Inn. Small world – we discovered one of our group’s artists was a former Sherwood Inn Chef.
September 7, 2022- Muskoka Steamships, Gravenhurst Wharf
The Muskoka Steamships first launched in 1866. They carried the Royal mail, and many passengers to Muskoka resorts. Today they provided inspiration at the dock for artists from the Bala Plein Air Group. Nice work everyone!!
Aug 24, 2022 – Wahta Mohawk Territory
Aug 17, 2022 – Moon River Point Ridge Road
Temperature was just right. No wind, no bugs, and a dozen artists together coming in from Orillia – Severn Falls – Huntsville and nearby to paint en plein air. With a point of land there are so many directions to look. Moon River near Jaspen Park in Bala was our destination at a private cottage of one of our group members. Thank-you Heather!
August 10 –Bush’s Watersports Park, Bala
August 3, 2022 – Three Birds Flower Farm
Sister duo Jackie and Leslie invited the Bala Plein Air group to their farm. The sky opened up and rained heavily at times, but we managed to find cover under porches, umbrellas and a shed roof for the sake of our art. Three Birds Flower Farm on Falkenburg Road between Port Carling and Bracebridge grows large volume of flowers for events in Muskoka.
July 27, 2022 – Muskoka Lakes Farm & Winery – Home of Johnston Cranberries
July 20, 2022 – Roselawn Inn, Bala
July 13, 2022 – Torrance Bay – Sunset Beach
July 6, 2022 – Muskoka Lakes Museum, Port Carling
Watercolour and acrylic the mediums of choice among the six artists that assembled on this Wednesday near the Muskoka Lakes Museum in Port Carling. It was a bit cool with the breeze, but many choices to paint. Thank-you to ML Museum for allowing the artists to have a tour of the extensive collection of artifacts in the museum afterwards. Very cool.
June 30 – Bala Falls Bridge
Rushing water, speeding trains, and quick drying paint = a quick plein air for a few of us ahead of the scheduled bridge repairs (July 2022 to Dec 2022).
Our first season of Bala Plein Air in 2021 took us to many memorable places…
October 6, 2021 – Torrance Barrens
We set up on the rocks as it warmed up to 18C at Torrance Barrens Conservation Reserve for our weekly plein air. This location is an important ecological link between Lake Muskoka and Severn River on Crown Lands protected by the Ministry of Natural Resources (Ontario). Interspersed with wetlands, treed uplands, and bedrock the Barrens is habitat for 150 species of birds, mammals, reptiles and 500 species of flowering plants, and now …. a favourite spot for artists of the Bala Plein Air Group.
SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 – Cranberry Harvest
We took our canvases and paintbrushes around the trails at on the Muskoka Lakes Farm & Winery. Cranberries need the cooler nights to turn red. Fun Fact: Most of the cranberries harvested here are used to make wine.
SEPTEMBER 15, 2021 – Ragged Rapids Road near Moon River Bridge
One of the greatest joys of Plein air is painting together, inspired by a shared scene of light and objects, but all having different observations and artistic interpretations. Just 7.5km from Bala off of Hwy #38, Ragged Rapids (aptly named) with a plethora of trees leaning into the rapid flowing Moon River over shores of granite.
SEPT 8, 2021 – Bush’s Watersports Park
The shore of Lake Barrett provided a great backdrop this Wednesday morning after rainy night. Thank-you to Bush’s and the What Wake Park, a water-ski cable park 2km north of Bala on Hwy 169. Hundreds of cottagers learned to wake board and water ski here this past summer, Rick Mercer filmed a segment here (2015), owner/operators Micky and Pete won Amazing Race Canada (2014) and now BPAG artists (2021) have painted here too!
SEPT 1, 2021 – Town Dock (Wharf) Bala Bay
We gathered under the railway bridge in the historic spot formerly known as the Government Wharf in Bala where the steamship terminal and train station connected summer passengers at end of summer vacation in Muskoka. We imagined then and now in our art.
Followed the footpath underneath the railway bridge around to the red Muskoka chairs on Bala Bay Dock and sketched, did water colour, acrylic and shared our work on the red Muskoka chairs.
AUGUST 25, 2021 – Torrance Barrens
A productive day a the Torrance Barrens – oil, acrylic and watercolour.
The Torrance Barrens Conservation Reserve What an awesome place to immerse in raw nature. Flat rocks and trails overlooking ponds, colourful fauna, unusual trees are a plein air artist’s treat. It is a popular spot for astronomers, hikers, and snakes!
AUGUST 18, 2021 – Moon River Bala Generating Station
Where Lake Muskoka meets the Moon. 3105 Hwy 169 – North side Bala Falls Generating Station viewing platform. Thank-you to Swift River Energy Ltd for the hydro plant tour and use of deck and chairs!
AUGUST 11, 2021 – Kee to Bala
Bala Falls Road is home of the iconic Kee to Bala, formerly Dunn’s Pavilion. Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Chuck Berry played at this famous Muskoka Dance Hall. Next door, the Bala Falls Pub, Jack and Stella and Second Life Restoration (furniture) now fill out the Bala Falls Road streetscape.
August 4, 2021 – Bala Falls, Margaret Burgess Park
3115 Hwy 69 in Bala. The historic park is adjacent to the Bala United Church beside big Rocks and waterfalls where Lake Muskoka pours into the Moon River. This is a well known spot in Bala where artists can go down on the rock shelves and feel the fresh air with the sound of the rushing water.
For more artworks completed by participating artists at past BPAG events check out our Instagram Account of visit us at the Art Exhibition at the Bala Cranberry Festival (October 15-17).
