Saturday, November 3, 2007

Three hours later, noon, AST

The storm centre has not moved much since 9 o'clock, but precipitation (shades of crimson) has already moved inland over New England and Maritime Canda. Our area of Nova Scotia is not yet bothered by rain. Weathermen say the storm is advancing at about 20 kilometres an hour but is expected to accelerate in the next 24 hours.

Winds were originally predicted to top out at 100 kilometres/hour but that has been elevated to 130, with gusts to 150 kilometres/hour. Here is the official word for Lunenburg County:

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

Satellite Shot of this storm this morning.

Strong winds started at dawn but so far only a few spits of rain. 1. Cape Cod; 2. Nova Scotia. Notice the broad front of this storm which has moved in more slowly than first forecast.

Here is the local word: "Basically, we're looking for it to reach the coast of Nova Scotia late Saturday evening," said Peter Bowyer, program manager of the Canadian Hurricane Centre in Darmouth.

"The winds and the rain will start moving into Nova Scotia long before that in the southwestern Maritimes (i.e. Lunenburg)... with conditions deteriorating throughout the day."

"We do expect there to be some significant ocean wave action along the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, probably eight to 10 metres, meaning individual wave heights can be upwards of twice that."

Here is where Hurricane Noel was this morning.

1, About 100 miles south east of Cape Cod with winds ashore in New England. Here is the official word there:











"930 AM EDT SAT NOV 3 2007
...DAMAGING WINDS EXPECTED ACROSS MOST OF SOUTHERN AND WESTERN MAINE
AND SOUTHEASTERN NEW HAMPSHIRE LATE TODAY AND TONIGHT
ALTHOUGH HURRICANE NOEL HAS LOST ITS TROPICAL CHARACTERISTICS...
THE SYSTEM REMAINS VERY STRONG. THE INTENSE LOW WILL TRACK FROM
OFF THE MID ATLANTIC COAST...TO EAST OF CAPE COD THIS EVENING...
THEN ACROSS NOVA SCOTIA (2) TONIGHT. THIS WILL BRING DAMAGING WINDS TO
MUCH OF SOUTHERN AND WESTERN MAINE AND SOUTHEASTERN NEW HAMPSHIRE
...WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS THIS EVENING. DOWNED TREES AND NUMEROUS
POWER OUTAGES ARE POSSIBLE."

Friday, November 2, 2007

Mark Rothko, 1957

What are the advantages and disadvantages of acrylic artists paints?

Exactly what is acrylic paint and how is it related to latex house paint?

On what continent did this modern medium arise, when?

On what continent was the acrylic medium first used? Where? when?

What paint company popularized this medium for use by artists?

Who is Mark Rothko?

See Rod's web site. Click link at right.

The fishing fleet comes ashore

In anticipation of the arrival of Hurricane Noel in Nova Scotia.

"Jack Beven, a hurricane specialist at the (National Hurricane Center, Miami) , said Friday that "we don't expect the center to cross the U.S. coast. The track would take the center of the system over Nova Scotia." But Mr. Beven also noted that the storm "is going to increase rather significantly in size"

Environment Canada weather warning for Lunenburg County

Easterly wind gusting up to 100 km/h Saturday. Post-tropical storm Noel will approach Nova Scotia Saturday and then track across the Gulf of St Lawrence on Sunday. The main threat with this system will be high winds and heavy rain. Gusty easterly winds to 90 to 100 km/h will develop Saturday afternoon over Nova Scotia. Along the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia winds could gust as high as 120 km/h Saturday night. Rainfall amounts of 40 to 60 millimetres are expected especially over the western half of the province. Conditions are forecast to gradually improve on Sunday.

Visitors in Lunenburg, November 1, 2007

As seen at one of the two French Doors loooking out on the Ocean.
A bright sunny day without much wind, but that is a state not destined to last.

The "Nirvana" five hours later

This little wall decoration has been completed.

I have now been working with acrylics to the extent of 10,000+ paintings. My first set of Golden Acrylics was purchased in 1953 and I have always preferred them over other mediums.

Other artists are not as fond of them. They dry almost instantly which is both a blessing and a curse. They don't carry pigments as evenly as oils nor do they spread them as neatly as watercolours.

They do have these advantages: They form a film surface which is virtually lightproof, flexible and will not yellow. In addition they are the least expensive medium on the market and can impart a saturation of colour not seen in either oils or watercolours.

My personal notes on using acrylic colours and dealing with the production of the above painting can been seen on my website. Click address at right.

Thursday, November 1, 2007

THe "Nirvana" at Chester, Nova Scotia

This painting is now underway.

There is a reason why plein air painting has more adherents in the south western United States than elsewhere. In a word climate. Here is Eastern Canada we have two months of summer and the rest of the year, which includes micro temperatures some would not would not credit.

Full time painters are cagey about the use of photographs. I am not certain why having been raised in the "Coke bottle lens, b&w era of photography. They are a great visual aid especially at the pit of the year, and sometimes a chance shot, like that above, left, is almost ready for interpretation as a painting. I always try it first as a small 8x10" canvas before committing to anything of larger size.

There is no essential merit in plain air work over studio painting, except that the setting is better in terms of sunshine and fresh air and there is a much greater chance of having a conversation with someone interesting. On the other hand, California does lack those crisp, cold, beautifully overstated clear days of mid winter, which can't ordinarily be recorded on the spot. If you are a painter, take pictures, take plenty of them: work for the night is coming. In my experience three in one hundred will have some merit as the subject of a December painting.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Seen at the samhuinn

Midnight, October 31, 2007, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. Using our sophisticated cold detection camera. For more on this Gaelic "end of summer" celebration see Rod's "druidheachd" under "Other Worlds" on his homepage. Click http://rodneymackay.com/. Consult "samhuinn" under the above general heading or "samh" (the English Summer) or go to the Gaelic Seasons article. Or the short html version, lower down the page.

Have a nice All Hallows Evening.