Growing up in Ontario the largest body of water around is the Great Lakes. Many hours were spent along the shores of the lakes playing on the shores or in the water and waves but nothing the lakes could offer prepared me for the visual effect of the tides of the Bay of Fundy.
We were camping a few days at Fundy National Park in New Brunswick and went to the town of Alma to pick up groceries and do laundry. While waiting for the wash to finish we took a walk behind the building to the beach and watched the water recede. The sun was setting and the stars came out. the experience took on a magical quality, mystical in some sense. The effect is something that continues to amaze and stir the emotions.
Five Islands in Nova Scotia is another site on the opposite side of the same bay we became aware of to watch the twice daily phenomenon.
Bringing paint and canvas to the site is something that I would not have considered all those years ago but luckily my painting practice has grown to include working on site, in situ or as the french describe plein air painting.
