Boldt Canal Wellesley Island NY 1000 Islands Region

Spring Marsh Cattails

 Still confined to the studio for painting by the coldest and snowiest winter  in years I searched  my photo files  for some inspiration In the spring of 2013 I took an early morning walk in the vicinity of Boldt Canal on Wellesley Island, just a few miles west of  our home and took a lot of photos. George Boldt (1851-1916) is known to many for Boldt Castle on Heart Island in the St Lawrence River, Alexandria Bay NY. As the story is told, George  had his beautiful residence on the island demolished to begin construction of a castle. Work was halted upon his wife Louise's death.  The Castle is currently owned by the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority and has been undergoing continuous restoration and completion since the early 1980's. It is a popular tourist site and several boat lines bring visitors to the Island. It is also a popular wedding site. George owned the Waldorf-Astoria  Hotel in New York City and the Bellevue-Stafford in Philadelphia PA. He had a large farm on Wellesley Island that was a vegetable farm and also raised chickens, ducks, turkeys, geese, and an assortment of livestock.

Reflections in the marsh

 George had a canal system built on Wellesley Island to get the produce, eggs, etc,, from the farm to the St Lawrence River and and  then US Mainland where trains where used for shipping to his hotels.. A picture of the  main section of the canal is shown below at the bottom..Bullhead fisher persons can  be found along the bank and in small boats in the April time frame.
My painting is of a marsh section near the canal and is based on the sites and sensations accumulated on the early morning walk. In the 1980's I rode my mountain bike over some back roads in the area and  in the 90's I walked our red Doberman (untrimmed ears as is the practice or law in England).  The painting is a composite inspired by the three photos below the painting, in  particular the one with the early morning  back light causing edge lighting on the cotton like seed balls of the spring cattails.

Edge Lighting  Effect of the sun low in the Sky

Cattails in the Morning Sun

Main Section of Boldt Canal