By Chad Ingram

Sept.

It’s the play of light and shadow that attracts Gord Jones to painting wintry scenes.

The Kushog Lake resident and watercolour artist is part of the Haliburton County Studio Tour which takes place the weekends of Sept. 29 and 30 and Oct. 6 and 7. It’s his second year on the tour.

“I’ve been painting watercolours for about 40 years” says Jones who after years in the area as a cottager retired to the county from Stoney Creek. Over the years he’s done courses and workshops at the Dundas Valley School of Art and the Haliburton School of Art + Design.

“I tried other mediums I tried oils and pastels” Jones says explaining that watercolours have always remained his favourite. “The quickness of it . . . I paint very loose and quick. I just fell in love with the medium.”

The landscapes depicted in his paintings are typically based on photos he takes but Jones takes liberties of adding buildings and other features.

“It’s a combination of photographs and my imagination” he says. Many of his paintings are depictions of snow-covered rural landscapes.

“I love the contrast in winter the contrast of the lights and the darks” he says.

Jones has taught at the Haliburton School of Art + Design and earlier this year began holding watercolour classes in the bright and spacious studio above his garage.  They take place every second Wednesday.

“There’s no sign up” he says. “It’s just come as you are as you can. It’s fairly informal.”

During the tour Jones and his paintings will be set up at Cathy Taylor’s Mountain Lake studio at 1032 Sintonia Lane.

“I like meeting people who are interested in art” he says.