The Perfect Day - acrylic on canvas, 30in x 40in, $1750 unframed

The Perfect Day (aka “Shauna’s Visit”) acrylic on canvas, 30”x40” $1600 unframed

$1,600.00

For enquiries, please contact Dawn
dmcartoriginals@gmail.com
647-233-3848

Imagine a perfect day, when you, those you love, and all of nature seem aligned- when magic becomes real. This painting represents one such day. It is named for a dear friend, Shauna, whose gentle presence seems to invite the trust of the wild. During her cottage visit, we experienced an unprecedented abundance of wildlife sightings, culminating as a majestic buck swam directly toward us while we sat contentedly on the dock.

In The Perfect Day, the swimming buck serves as the focal point, embodying that unforgettable encounter. To convey the thriving lifecycle of the lake, a multitude of fish are shown manoeuvring seamlessly past the buck’s pumping legs. The animals are treated with physical realism, blending into subtle surrealism through the use of shimmering metallic paints that reveal their fully submerged bodies below the water line.

Set against a pulsing mosaic sky and patterned, rolling hills, the composition utilizes a bold, graphic rhythm to transform a personal memory into a timeless celebration of natural connection.

Out of stock

SKU: the-perfect-day-aka-shaunas-visit-acrylic-on-canvas-30x40-1750-unframed Category:

Related products

  • Waiting, acrylic on canvas, 24″x36″, $1750

    Solo Exhibition at Galerie LaFab Oct 17 – Dec 6, 2026   https://lafabsurmill.ca/visual-arts/gallery/

    In Waiting, I wanted to focus entirely on the silent, suspended tension that governs survival on the frozen tundra. This canvas captures a massive polar bear leaning over a seal breathing hole cut into the sea ice, its powerful hind paws anchored on a textured ridge of turquoise ice. In the High Arctic, a bear may wait for hours or even days at a single hole for a seal to surface - a focused posture that embodies extreme patience and represents the fine line between life and starvation.

    To transform this heavy stillness into a pulsing environment, I emphasized the profound contrast of scale across the endless plain of sea ice. I constructed the landscape using a meticulous grid of pale grey, blues and white blocks, introducing two separate breathing holes to highlight the tactical chess match of the hunt. Together, the polar bear, the deep indigo hole in the foreground, and the seal hole far in the distance form a distinct triangulated geometry. With the number three representing balance and interconnectedness, this dynamic trio maps out the calculated risks of a shifting landscape.

    Add To Cart

  • Watching from the Treetops, acrylic on canvas, 12"x12", $480 unframed

    Watching from the Treetops, acrylic on canvas, 12″x12″, $550 framed

     $550.00

    Not everyone appreciates the wild turkey, but I loved having this shy bird unexpectedly visit me every day for one week at the lake. I’m amazed at the beautiful patterned browns, oranges and greys of the feathers, and am surprised at this large bird’s quickness and agility- as it ran and flew away at my slightest movement.

    In Watching from the Treetops, the trees’ lines and their bold, vibrant reds frame and support the turkey, both literally and symbolically. The Wild Turkey is the focus, standing alert atop a branch.  The scene is autumn, leaves having already fallen- a potentially dangerous time for this particular game fowl.

    Add To Cart

  • Ice Bear- acrylic on canvas, 20x16, $950

    Ice Bear- acrylic on canvas, 20×16, $950

    Solo Exhibition at Galerie LaFab Oct 17 – Dec 6, 2026   https://lafabsurmill.ca/visual-arts/gallery/

    In Ice Bear, I wanted to remove all physical distance between the viewer and the Arctic wilderness. This intimate portrait frames the bear’s direct, soulful gaze as it emerges from deep blue, pattern-mosaic waters. Behind the bear, the stark architecture of an ice cave- adorned with long, three dimensional icicles and geometric glacier formations- acts as a sanctuary that feels both monumental and intensely fragile.

    By anchoring the bear prominently in the foreground, my goal is to strip away the abstractions of climate data and confront you with an undeniable presence. This direct look is not a passive moment, but a silent challenge from the bear itself - forcing us to look closely at what we stand to lose and transforming a global environmental crisis into a deeply personal dialogue.

    Add To Cart

  • Making Tracks – 24" x 24", acrylic on canvas, $1300, framed in walnut

    Making Tracks – 24″ x 24″, acrylic on canvas, $1350, framed in walnut

     $1,350.00

    In Making Tracks, I wanted to capture the invigorating magic of a crisp winter day, where a deer and a skier briefly share a synchronized path through the snow. The composition is built on a dynamic tension of direction: the horizontal stride of the deer and the bright red tips of the skis create rapid movement across the canvas, which is grounded and held still by the rigid vertical lines of the birch trees and their long, angled blue shadows.

    The realistic form of the leaping deer is set within a stylized, slightly surreal woodland environment. I built the dense background forest out of a mosaic of pastel pinks, yellows, and blues, contrasting sharply against the stark white terrain to give the scene a fairytale-like luminosity. While the ski tracks cut directly through the deer’s natural habitat, the composition deliberately shows both subjects traveling side-by-side in the same direction. Rather than representing a conflict between human recreation and wild spaces, the shared lines suggest a rare moment of harmony- a portrait of a skier moving completely in tune with the rhythm of the woods.

    Add To Cart