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"When a snowmobiling adventure took us over the Petawawa River, near its confluence with the Ottawa River in northeastern Ontario, our group stopped briefly so I could take a snapshot of the raging river.

When I got home and had a good look at my photos from our trip, I discovered I had inadvertently captured this dramatic scene in one corner of my river photo. I loved the contrast of the delicate, white, frost-covered sapling against the dark, powerful river. I knew it would make a stunning, large painting.

I titled the painting 'February Flow' because I am becoming more aware of how truly precious our fresh water is, how lucky Canadians are to have an abundant flow of clean water in our rivers and lakes, and how important it is that we protect our fresh water resources for future generations."

Whether she and her husband are exploring by RV, motorcycle, snowmobile, kayak, or on foot, professional artist Karen Richardson records memories with her camera and uses these images as reference for watercolour paintings. Having grown up in a rural village near Algonquin Park in northern Ontario, Canada, it is no wonder that Karen loves to paint dramatic, rock-filled scenery and intimate studies of nature. Her art captures realistic moments, to encourage viewers to pause and reflect on the astonishing but fragile beauty of our world. Since she began selling her artwork in 1986, more than 700 paintings have been acquired by private and corporate art collectors in 20 countries, and currently her work is represented by four galleries...