Winter In The Laurentian Mountains

I spent quite a bit of time living around Mont Tremblant in Quebec. The best part of it was not the skiing or even the après-skiing though that was good too. The best part of Mont Tremblant is the full moon in the dead of winter.

My Grandparents owned a small house near Mont Tremblant, and I have such wonderful memories of seeing the Northern Quebec sky. A folk hero of Quebec named JACKRABBIT JOHANNSEN called Mont Tremblant the gateway to the north. When I started Nordic skiing he was my hero and he still is.

There is something magical about the full moon when it’s below -40 and the air is biting your face. Crisp power snow all around as the northern lights glow in the sky and you can smell the pine trees but beware not to breathe too deep because you will lose your breath in the cold.

My 3 newest paintings celebrate all things associated with the Laurentian Mountains like the northern lights of Jackrabbit Johansson and the full moon. All these things will have a place in my heart forever.

The first painting is -40. According to Native Americans, the full moon in January is called the Wolf moon. Winter is at its height and the bush is frozen solid.

The second is Snow Moon. Native Americans named it this because this is the month for Massive accumulation of snow that falls on the rock-hard frozen land.

The third is called Spring Whispers because of a change in the air around late March. You can feel it after living with the cold and dark for so long. The edge of the cold is gone, and you can feel the warmth of the sun. In the still bush, you can hear spring whispering to you. Under the ice, the water starts to move and the frozen life is about to explode. You can feel the energy coming from every inch of the land. The Native Americans called this moon worm moon because life begins to stir again.