"Paint the Pits" : Party of two........

Changing light conditions	late afternoon	at the Steep Rock pits
Catherine Reilly painting the pits Getting toward sunset Another great view	Written by Shawn J. Allaire The weekend of May 11, 12 and 13 was to be an inaugural artistic event in Atikokan -- the "Paint the Pits" Party. What a great name for an event that was, very creative (I thought, of course I made it up). But, however great an idea it was, for whatever reason, it did not meet with wholehearted enthusiasm and registration. Maybe the timing wasn't right, maybe people were busy opening camps and stuff, maybe - a dozen different reasons why we had only one registrant. So, what to do….. Catherine Reilly, newly arrived in Atikokan from the Northwest Territories is a watercolour artist. She had expressed interest in the event and we had thought that, if the weather was decent, the two of us would head out to the Steep Rock pits in the late afternoon of the Saturday - our own "Paint the Pits" Party, of two. After a day that was mostly grey and overcast, the sun broke through at around 4:00. We loaded up with paints, water, brushes, sketchbooks and paper and headed out. What a great time we had!! There is a great joy at sharing the pits for the first time with someone, and especially with an artist who will be seeing the pits with new eyes. And I was so gratified that Catherine, like me, saw great beauty in the red cliffs and swiftly changing shadows. Watercolor artists, like most artists, find the play of light and shadow both intriguing and challenging to render on paper. The lengthening shadows, the scudding clouds provided an ever-changing view of the landscape spread out below us. We were in shadow, the pits were glowing in the vibrant early evening light. I sketched, Catherine painted and we chatted about moving to Atikokan, about the lives we had left behind and our new lives here. After about ninety minutes, we packed it in, but we did not leave without a trip around the pits, stopping at various lookout points. The day ended with supper at the White Otter Inn, and a promise to do something similar in the not-too-distant future. On Sunday, Mother's Day, I had two visitors from Thunder Bay. We had Mother's Day brunch at the White Otter and then paid a visit to the Walleye Hatchery and Little Falls. Another glorious day. And as my daughter's fiancé reminded me, that was exactly what had been planned for the Sunday of the original "Paint the Pits" Party plan. So, the party that didn't happen, really did. And all those involved enjoyed the experience, enjoyed visiting some totally unique venues in Atikokan. What about a "Paint the Park and the Pits" Party??? Goodness knows there is enough beauty around to attract artists to the Atikokan region.
Long rays on distant cliffs Striking evening sky