Robert Achtemichuk

What I see becomes a sort of visual illumination, like a match struck unexpectedly in the dark, a gift, lighting my path into wonder -Virginia Woolf

Tag Archives: Kitchener


by Leave a comment

Orienteering Homer Watson’s painting sites 7

This painting is of a maple tree that was planted in 1857. It is missing a few limbs and has a few growths on it. The yellow house beyond the trees was Homer Watson’s birth place on Tilt drive in Doon. This watercolour painting is on Inshu gampi, about as thick as cigarette paper and looks a bit like wax paper but has much more sheen. Amazingly it holds paint, in a most wonderful manner. Come see it in the exhibition of this project, In Homer Watson’s Footsteps opening June 21 from 2-4.

May 16 2015 530pm May 16, 2015 5:30pm

I appreciate the support of the Region of Waterloo Arts Fund.
Square logo colour


by 1 Comment

Orienteering Homer Watson’s painting sites 6

Sandhill, Oregon Hill, Pinnacle Hill are names that I have found to designate the hill that is located at the corner of Homer Watson Blvd and 401 Hwy in Kitchener. There is a transmission tower located on it along with may fine homes. It is hard to get a view from the top because of the method used in the private property development. Climbing from the bottom on the east side maybe the only option to get up the hill without venturing on to private property. There is a painting of Homer’s that is from the hill looking over a pond in Doon. His view is probably north-west and there are a number of ponds that it could have been. It feels foreshortened to me and could be what used to be Mill Pond on Schneider Creek. I guess knowing which church that is in the painting would help us. The painting referenced here is in the collection of Homer Watson House and Gallery.

March 12 2015 3 pmMarch 12, 2015 3pm

Doon at Oregon HillDoon at Oregon Hill – Homer Watson
I appreciate the support of the Region of Waterloo Arts Fund.
Square logo colour


by Leave a comment

Orienteering Homer Watson’s painting sites 5

In Doon there is a wooded area called Tilt’s bush, a woodlot and a large marsh. It is surrounded by houses and is newly acquired by the City of Kitchener. I have enjoyed many walks here and love that there are no trails and there are old trees. Lots of hemlock fir trees that cast a wonderful light green glow on the snow. This first image was painted outdoors using vodka and water and the paint did not freeze until it was on the paper. It looked like an encaustic painting with snow flakes sitting on the paper when I finished. I brought it to the car and drove off only to see after 10 minutes that it had puddled and was moving around. When it dried it looked more like the snowing scene I was witnessing.
January 9 2015 315 pmJanuary 9, 2015 3:15 pm
January 2 2015 400 pm cJanuary 2, 2015 4:00 pm
January 4 2015 330 pmJanuary 4, 2015 3:30 pm
I appreciate the support of the Region of Waterloo Arts Fund.
Square logo colour


by Leave a comment

Orienteering Homer Watson’s painting sites 4

On November 23 and a few subsequent visits I garnered memories and sketches to paint the grey Ontario November skies and the yard where chickens scratch for food and splash in the creek running through the yard. In the background are included the beige townhouses that surround this pastoral for miles.
November 23 2014 2pmNovember 23, 2014 2 pm 43.3880,-80.4354
In Doon (Kitchener) Ontario, on Tilt’s Drive is a chicken farm where you can buy eggs. As I have not seen any cows in the landscape that I have walked so far, I decided to paint these chickens. The farm is across the street from Homer Watson’s birthplace. His family house is still there. In Tilt’s front yard is a maple that was planted in 1857. In this sketch you can see the maple and an outline of the house in the lower right.
January 4 2015 4pm1857 tree Tilt farm
As a person under six years old I lived on a farm, where animals and chickens were in the barn and around the yard. Tilt’s farm brought back many memories of watching chicks grow up, walking around or through them and staying away from the roosters until they were soup.
chicken 1
chicken 3
chicken 4

I appreciate the support of the Region of Waterloo Arts Fund.
Square logo colour


by Leave a comment

Orienteering Homer Watson’s painting sites 3

I found Tilt’s Bush in Doon and it is fabulously natural, has a short gravel trail into the bush. Then its just bush in hills and you can see why this area was first called Sandhills. Can see this element in some of Homer’s paintings. The old trees were easier to see as much of the leaves were gone, allowing you see well into the bush. Great fir trees. This bush is surrounded by new housing developments. They sure made ugly houses out here, over and over again. Beige is my new to-do. Another to-do is to paint the chickens at Tilt’s farm – brown ones and black ones.
This painting was the day after the first snow. The weeds were holding aloft the fine snow that had fallen on their seed heads, wind, a bit of blue sky and trees. You could see white and green stripes on the ground that were the grasses under a layer of snow.
Isabella, thanks for some of the thinnest washi yet.
November 13 2014 230pmNovember 13, 2014 2:30pm wc on washi 43.3877,-804393
Painting during October was very comfortable. No mosquitos at last.The fall colours were fantasitic as always. I spent a Sunday in Steckle Woods and this was one from that day. Had a few from this series at Tri-City Stopgap exhibition in Kitchener.
October 19 2014 430pmOctober 19, 2014 4:30 pm wc on washi 43.4086,-80.4636

I appreciate the support of the Region of Waterloo Arts Fund.
Square logo colour


by Leave a comment

Seeing wonder in the backyard

How great is it to read an article about one’s artwork in the region’s major local media. I want to thank writer, Barbara Aggerholm and photographer, Matthew McCarthy from Grand, Living Well in Waterloo Region for creating this piece and editor, Cathy Storring for supporting “Seeing wonder in the backyard”.

I will be participating in the art fair, Art in the Yard at the Elora Centre for the Arts. Art in the Yard takes place July 5 and 6 from 10 am to 5 pm at the Elora Centre, 75 Mill Street, Elora, ON. 50 artists will be participating.

Come visit us in Elora, see the gorge, have ice cream, see the shoppes and our artworks.

Read “Wonder in the backyard”:
JAGRAND14 artist