Painting the Ontario Landscape: A Practical Guide to Working in Watercolour on Location

Patricia Morley is a professor of English and Canadian Studies at
Concordia University, an associate fellow of the Simone de Beauvoir
Institute, and author of Margaret Laurence: The Long Journey Home.

There are “how-to” books that rise above the general level of their
genre, and Jane Champagne’s clear, concise Painting the Ontario
Landscape belongs in this category.

Champagne writes with wit and humor, qualities all too often lacking in
those who give advice. Both text and illustrations, in the form of
scores of small black-and-white sketches, reflect her lively point of
view.

The commentary ranges widely, from a consideration of why some artists
love to paint outdoors to a careful description of basic materials,
basic techniques, good locations in the Toronto area, Ontario art
schools, and an annotated bibliography of the best books on colour and
painting.

Champagne calls her book “a manual for painters of all stripes,”
from beginners to experienced studio painters who would like to paint on
location. She herself experiences painting in the open as “a direct,
spontaneous rush of feeling for the landscape and all that goes with
it—sun, air, smells, sounds, colours, shapes.” Painting outdoors is
fun, and it’s euphoric.

This practical, well-planned guide delivers what the author promises.
It should be of great interest to outdoor artists, naturalists, and even
collectors. Champagne helps us to understand why landscape has continued
to fascinate generations of art lovers.