1000 Islands Scenery

In the spring of 2022, I moved to the village of Alexandria Bay, a resort community on the Saint Lawrence River in the 1000 Islands Region. The area is full of history, interesting architecture, tourist attractions, a vibrant night life, and the natural beauty of “The River”.

I found an endless supply of inspiration, painting from life by the water, and on the streets. At night I would paint nocturnes using a portable led lamp to illuminate my canvas. I was busy with work during the day, but I had plenty of time in the evenings to paint sunsets from various locations. I even set up to paint in the crowd during the popular 4th of July fireworks show over Boldt Castle. I’ve sold many of these paintings to locals from Alex Bay and the surrounding areas, and have been commissioned to paint special scenes of various buildings in the village.

Boldt Castle

One of the famous sights in Alexandria Bay and the 1000 Islands is Boldt Castle. The Castle is situated on Heart Island and can be clearly seen from certain points in the village of Alexandria Bay. One of my favorite parts about painting the castle is how different the scene looks depending on the conditions over the course of the day. Every sunset is unique, and at night the castle is lit with spotlights, creating brilliant reflections on the surface of the Saint Lawrence River. I’ve sold many of these Boldt Castle paintings during my time in the 1000 Islands.

Downtown Alexandria Bay, Nightlife Scenes

One of my favorite places to paint was right on the streets in the village of Alex Bay. I painted on the quiet nights during the week before peak season, and also painted during the middle of the season on weekends, when the streets were full of people. I enjoy painting these night time urban scenes, with the character of the old buildings, the various light sources casting multiple shadows, and social energy of the streets.