Barren Canyon, Petawawa Gorges
I had spent a few hours paddling up and down the length of the barren canyon trying to locate several Thomson painting sites that I knew were here. Quite a few times I was fooled into believing I had found this spot. One can easily convince oneself that they have found a location, the excitement overpowering reason at times. But as I challenged myself to say where could he have sat I often realized the angles don’t usually work out. Eventually I came across what I felt was right, and had it confirmed when I found this nice round indentation in the rock that was quite comfortable to sit in. Those are the moments I loved. If you are going to paint a scene here why wouldn’t you look for a nice comfortable place to sit! I found exact spots a few times based on this principle. I am very confident that this is where Thomson sat in to paint Petawawa Gorges. I spent quite a while painting this little scene. I was in now rush to leave. I could quite easily have fallen to sleep here as it was so comfortable.
I should add, the rock ledge high up on the left is where people often stand at the top of the canyon to take in the beauty of the river below. Such a breathtaking place to visit.