Status of Original Painting – For Sale

All prices are in Canadian dollars

Size: 13.25 x 20  inches

Price: Inquire

Medium: Watercolour on 300 lb Arches

Description:

A broken bridge must come as a surprise for those using this hiking trail through Lockston, a settlement area in Port Rexton, Newfoundland. It’s known for summer cabins, hiking, and the nearby Lockston Path Provincial Park. The long trail is shown on google maps but missing is the essential detail that the bridge over the water of Northwest Arm is gone. The scene was very quiet and peaceful, with sounds of wildlife around. After I was finished taking photos from several angles, and dodging some attentive black flies, I noticed someone had begun fishing off one of the bases of the bridge.

This was originally a railway bridge, constructed around 1910 and part of the single line that crossed Newfoundland. The railway and this bridge were decommissioned in 1984, with the rails removed several years later. Much of the line became walking and hiking trails. Hurricane Igor destroyed the bridge in 2010.

The scene captivated me when I first saw it and so I knew I had to paint it. But then when I was underway, I cursed myself at times for picking it. The endless trees and fine details throughout made it very tedious and long at times. It was a challenge to be painting almost entirely in green and to distinguish among different trees. Nevertheless I’m pleased with the result.

Lockston and Port Rexton are near Bonavista, Trinity, and Elliston. In a recent trip I took a lot of photos from those areas, giving me subjects for many paintings to come.

My thanks to Lisa Samways, whose eagle eyes spotted the bridge I’d overlooked; she also suggested the apt title for the painting.

Also thanks to Geoff Budden who responded in a  tweet to explain the origins and fate of the bridge.