Travels on the Road
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Paintings from this trip will be featured in an upcoming Fall 2026 Exhibition
The trip to the Long Range Mountains started with a fishing trip. In mid July, Peter did a family trip on the Torrent River to fish for salmon and trout. The fishing trip was a success with total of 4 salmon kept, filling out the tags for the trip, in addition to the salmon, the trout fishing was also successful.
In July 2026, after spending quality time with family and friends, Peter was primed to start painting the northern Peninsula.
They stayed for a total of 6 nights, spending 3 in Gunners Cove, and the other 3 in Roddickton. During this Journey, Peter plein air painted the following towns and communities of the Long Range Mountains: Lance Aux Meadows, Cape Onion, Great Brehat, Englee, and Conche
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Lance Aux Meadows is home to a famous Viking settlement, with the settlement being established 1000 years ago. It was on the same beaches that Peter painted, where the Vikings would have landed centuries ago.
Day 2 Cape Onion,
Cape Onion sits at the northernmost point on the northern peninsula. I chose to set up my easel in a grassy field looking out at Great Sacred island with the Straits of Belle Isle, and Labrador a few dozen km away.
In the foreground of this painting is the Adams family Residence. The old Lighthouse Keeper's House is one of the longest standing structures on the french shore, and has been lived in by the Adams family since the 1890s. I was privileged to have met the Bessey family who are the only permanent residents of Cape Onion today.
Day Three: Great Brehat
A small village just north of St Anthony. The composition captured my attention, the houses perched up on rocks with the church at the focal point. The boats that clung to the wharf, sheltered from the North Atlantic. This scene felt quintessential to the things that can be found in a rural village in Newfoundland.
Day 4 - Englee
Englee is one of the more remote places in Newfoundland. It's located at the end of the road south of Roddickton - the east side of the Northern Peninsula. I captured the morning with this view from Green Island looking across the harbour, enjoying the weather as the clouds broke and the day warmed up.
After painting we headed back to our new home for the night, Roddickton. And over the next few nights we would eat at the "Lumberjack Diner" each day!
It is in the small towns and communities around the island, where in lies the heart of Newfoundland. Going around and painting them is a beautiful way of experiencing the island, and also honours these communities
As towns grow smaller and shrink, capturing their beauty and bringing it to wider audiences is one way of preserving their culture, and hopefully inspires others to go out and experience these gems for themselves.
By sharing the beauty and culture of these towns, we celebrate their history, their quiet resilience, and help keep the irreplaceable culture of Newfoundlands outports alive. And hopefully inspire others to do the same, to keep these gems of Newfoundland, and their cultures, alive for future generations to experience them as we can today.
Day 5 - Conche
Our final plein air painting day on the French shore was Conche. I found this composition high on a hill, while Liam went hiking. The scene was looking over most of the town of Conche with a beautiful beach, a few houses, and wild flowers in the foreground.
And after the day was done, we went back to Roddickton and prepared for the drive back across the province the next day
I love the Northern Peninsula with its remoteness, peacefulness and rugged wilderness. So much more to see and paint. I will be back!
These paintings will be included in a 2026 fall exhibition. Stay tuned for more posts on Travels on the Road as Peter continues to plein air paint communities in Newfoundland and Labrador for the fall exhibition.
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