The minutes of 2025 are slipping away. By the numbers, it's been a great year.
290 original paintings
202 gallery canvas prints found new homes
438 workshop participants created with us
With Heather's prolific production in the fall, we saw a healthy year-over-year increase in business at Birdsong Studios. We are thrilled. We are grateful.
I maintain a website that I use exclusively to display my paintings in chronological order. It's a useful tool for me, particularly as the years go along. Having a visual reference really helps me keep things in order. I rolled through 2025's paintings and picked 10 that jumped out to me.
Chinook Sundown at Big Rock
This painting was inspired by some incredible late afternoon light that we experienced in High River in February. As the chinooks rolled through a palette of colour emerged in the landscape, a palette that found its way into several paintings including this one.
Land of the Silver Birch
This was my favourite tree painting of the year. I used a Photoshop dry brush filter to create the reference for this project. Stripping out details allowed me to go down an impressionistic path. I loved the result and enjoyed having this painting in my sights for much of the year.
Sweet Colour of the Sisters
I painting the Three Sisters multiple times in 2025, but this rendition was extra special. A large 30" x 60" gallery canvas print was delivered to the Foothills Country Hospice yesterday. Its new home is the Three Sisters Childrens' Room at the amazing facility. Seeing the staff react to it in such a positive way was so validating.
A River Runs Through It
A private painting party was purchased through a local radio auction and the subject request was a river landscape scene. "A River Runs Through It" was created during this session and gave me the confidence to start to try more complicated nature scenes.
Home on the Range
I went out to BJ's ranch southwest of High River to spend a few hours photographing his herd of bison. I did so in anticipation of doing a live painting at an international Rotary event on the property. Unfortunately, massive rainfall forced the cancellation of that event. I decided to do a large painting of one of the bison anyway. I'm so glad I did as I was able to donate it to the Foothills Country Hospice where it sits proudly above the fireplace in the main living room, like it was intended to by there all along. It reminded me of where a painting is placed can absolutely enhance its visual impact. Watching the staff react to seeing it for the first time was a highlight of the year for me.
Keep on Rockin' in the Free World
At 80 years of age, Neil Young keeps making music and sharing it with fans around the world. I was struck by this photo of him as it captured him as he is today: still rockin' like he did in his twenties.
Cup Champions
I made a trip to Saskatchewan to do a live painting of Bryan Trottier and his fellow Islanders at a celebration of Indigenous NHL players in Regina. I'll never forget cleaning up after the painting was done and hearing directly from Bryan how much the painting meant to him. It was purchased to be permanently hung in a new sports lounge attached to the arena where the Regina Pats play.
La Catrina
Ima Moreno, the owner of El Papalote, dropped by the studio one day to invite us to attend his Day of the Dead Gala here in High River. I suggested the potential of doing a live painting to support the event. He generously accepted my offer and the result was La Catrina. It now proudly hangs in his new restaurant location.
Solar Bear
I enjoyed exploring this palette so much. This polar bear was sunning itself up in the arctic with such beautiful soft colours. It was hard to let this one go.
Paskwâwi Mostos
An old fellow dropped by the studio one day in late December to ask if a couple of paintings he found had any value. Sadly I had to tell him that both pieces had no collectible value. However, I offered by buy both as I thought I could repurpose them in some one. One turned into this piece. Painted on masonite hard board and placed back into the frame, it became my favourite painting of the year. I'm grateful to Jen for giving it a good home.
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