X marks the location where this painting began

"Superior’s beautiful rocks break through lucid waters at many places along its varied, rugged shoreline. Every time I see their intricate textures and diverse colours, I’m drawn to look closer. Surrounded by jade-like waters, the clarity allows for a view into a mysterious and cold underwater world. These are some of the thoughts that inspired this midday painting. As the visibility through the surface of the lake is greatest at this time of day, I perched myself upon the nearby shore in an attempt to capture this alluring aspect of the great lake. So it happened that while I was setting up to begin work on this piece that a little bit of serendipity took place right before my eyes.
For this stretch of the coast we were joined by friends, and while our girls were playing together, and the ladies were about their business, James was roaming the waters with his lovingly rebuilt canvas covered canoe. I had eyed this work of art since he first put it in the water. I have always had a fondness for canoes and they way they can silently transport you to magical places. Hearing the deep, yet gentle, hollow thump caused me to look up. Oblivious to what I was working on, James had brought the canoe to shore for a break. And, no word of a lie, it was right where you see it in the painting! Although I love canoes, I had no intention of pursuing it in one of my canvases on this trip. However, looking at my composition, which I was already pleased with, and then looking back again at the freshly altered scene, I just couldn’t resist the focal point that it brought to the scene. As it was by canoe that I learned to truly appreciate these waters in the first place, it seemed proper to have it be part of the landscape in which it belonged."
Cory Trépanier