WINTER SCENES
The Canadian winter no longer needs to be emphasized for its reputation for being long and cold – and snowy, with all potential scenarios for sleet, freezing rain and blizzards included.
The area in Québec where artist Clémence St. Laurent spent a good part of her life, Abitibi (or Québec North-West), is located south of James Bay. That region has a continental climate and, given the latitude, bitter colds in the winter.
Over the last several decades, snowmobiles and winter sports technology drastically changed life in the winter. Before use of the snowmobile became more common in the 1970s, transportation conditions in the winter were difficult and at times risky.
It is no surprise that many of Mrs. St. Laurent's paintings reflects scenes from winter. Some of them are presented here into three categories
THE WATERMARK ON THE PHOTOS DOES NOT APPEAR ON THE ACTUAL PAINTINGS.
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WINTER SCENES
Winter in large cities like Toronto or New York looks starkly different than the same season in the countryside.
There is not much to be fond off in the middle of drab, icy concrete and asphalt with brown salty slush being splashed over pedestrians by passing traffic.
One has to go outside the big centers to be able to enjoy the white, soft, peaceful blanket covering Nature. Life is not completely still – many animals, including birds, are active year round.
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| On a May 3rd, 20 x 24 |
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| Winter White Blanket, 12 x 16 |
On a May 3rd, in Front of Our Cottage in Montbeillard - oil, 20 x 24, 1974 - $5,545
Winter White Blanket - oil 12 x 16 - $3,505
WINTER ACTIVITIES
Aside from shoveling snow, many activities can only be performed in the winter. One is the tradition, in many families, of cutting down their own Christmas tree in a nearby forest (preferably on someone else's property).
Horse-drawn sleigh rides are making a comeback in some areas, especially during the winter holidays. Then in March, for the regions where sugar maples are plentiful, there’s the sap season.
And April, in Abitibi and many other areas in Canada, is usually the season for opening up the cottages for the summer.
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| Before the Holidays, 14 x 18 |
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| New Year Sleigh Ride, 8 x 10 |
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| Christmas Vacation, 16 x 20 |
New Year Sleigh Ride in Gaspésie - oil, 8 x 10 - $1,305
Christmas Vacation - oil, 16 x 20 - $4,355
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| Re-opening the Cottages, 12 x 16 |
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| Sap Collecting Season, 11 x 14 |
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| The Family At the Cottage, 11 x 14 |
Re-opening the Cottages in Abitibi - oil, 12 x 12 - $3,505
Sap Collecting Season - oil, 11 x 14 - $2,670
The Family At the Cottage, oil on canvas, 11 x 14 - $2,625
WINTER SPORTS
The winter sports industry has drastically changed the way sports are practiced in the winter.
Equipment for skiing and skating-related sports is more sophisticated and safer - and more expensive.
The paintings featured here evoke times of some fifty years ago, when kids would skate on a frozen pond after school and chairlifts were rarely found on smaller ski centers.
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| Downhill, 12 x 16 |
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| Lone Skier, 8 x 10 |
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| Winter Sports, 11 x 14 |
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| A Great Slide - 8 x 10 |
Downhill - oil, 12 x 16 - $3,305
Lone Skier - oil, 8 x 10, 1984 - $1,295
Winter Sports - oil, 11 x 14 - $2,655
A Great Slide - oil, 8 x 10 - $1,305
Below are some more paintings of winter-related scenes.
The ‘Cat from the Sky’ painting was a gift to one of the artist’s nieces.
Clémence St. Laurent even wrote a little story about this cat, which can be read here.
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| Abitibi Winter |
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| The Cat From the Sky |
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| Kent Gate, Quebec City, 1962 - ink |
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