Knarr Gallery

05/02/2024

01/24/2021

"𝐿𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑎 𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑟𝑜𝑎𝑑
𝑊𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑎𝑛 𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡'𝑠 𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑒
𝑊𝑒 𝑚𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑢𝑛 𝑠𝑢𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑓𝑢𝑙
𝐹𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑒"

"𝐵𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑆𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑟, 𝑇ℎ𝑜𝑢 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑔𝑢𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑢𝑠
𝑇𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑤𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑒
𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑙𝑠 𝑤𝑎𝑖𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑗𝑜𝑖𝑛 𝑢𝑠
𝐼𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑦 𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒"

ᴿᵘˢˢ ᵀᵃᶠᶠ
ᴸᶦᶠᵉ'ˢ ᴿᵃᶦˡʷᵃʸ ᵀᵒ ᴴᵉᵃᵛᵉⁿ ˡʸʳᶦᶜˢ © ᵀᵒʳᶦ ᵀᵃᶠᶠ ᴹᵘˢᶦᶜ

Friday nights will no longer be the same in my youngest sister Jen's home as the "Gaither Gospel Hour" will not be blasting along with my Mom's singing from her sitting room. Mom passed away a couple of days ago and although there is a deep ache that comes from missing her, there is a joy to know she's is in a better, safer place.

There were only 4 things brought true joy to Mom...
..The first was family, immediate and distant, there was nothing that could stop her if she had the opportunity to spend time with her kids or grandkids. The smile that lit up her face as she would sit in our loud Knarr family gatherings said it all. Her unconditional love for us was amazing and it's this example that keeps the 4 of us a siblings so close. This was a trait that she inherited from her Mom. Mom cared for and loved each of her brothers and their families. She was often found kneeling at her bedside bringing her concerns for her entire family to her Saviour.
..That brings us to her faith. An unwavering faith that she loved to share. Her Bible was never far from her and she was often found reading and anticipating being with her Saviour in glory. This past year was so difficult for Mom, not being able to attend services due to CoVid. But Sunday mornings she would be beside her radio, hanging on every note during worship and every word from the pastor.
..She cherished her friendships, some of them lifelong. Her friends came from many avenues of her life. From the ladies of "Victoria St.", to my Godmother Shirley H, to her many friends on Rodney St., Ron and Theresa H., and her many friends from First Baptist. Her face glowed as she would share stories from her past and treasured her times with them.
.. and finally that brings us back to the "Gaither Gospel Hour". Friday nights could not come fast enough for Mom. The anticipation of being able to sing like no one was listening to her. Singing her favourite Hymns and Gospel Songs lifted her like nothing else. Although the decibel levels could reach incredible levels as her hearing failed, these will be special memories that will stay with the Mantel family for ever.

Mom's journey was "successful, from the cradle to the grave". Her unconditional love for her family and friends is a strong testimony to her faith. Well done Mommy, well done!

01/02/2020

The past few months have been riddled with sickness in our household. From flu bugs to sinus infections, trying to get out of the house to do any photography has been either not an option or just not a desirable action. Over the past week I've finally been able to get out a couple times and today was fortunate to be able to find a Cooper's Hawk down in Cambridge. He was very cooperative and I was able to do a short study on him. The "Coop" is a medium-sized hawk native to the North American continent and found from Southern Canada to Northern Mexico. As in many birds of prey, the male is smaller than the female. Hopefully you enjoy my art.

If you like, please share!

12/08/2019

Since our daughter and her husband moved up to Muskoka, we have driven past this old driving shed a hundred times or more. I knew I wanted to shoot this relic but I needed to wait for just the perfect light and timing. Then three years ago, there it was; snow-covered, and great lighting. All I needed to do was get to it. Unfortunately there were no unobstructed viewpoints from the road so I needed to get in behind the bush surrounding it. Grabbing the camera and making one step towards the shed on the even snow, i realized I forgot about the deep ditch and I was chest deep and stuck. Disappointed & frustrated I pulled myself out, and lost my chance for that year. Fast forward last December; woke up on sunny Sunday morning to a beautiful 10 inch snowfall from the night before. Generally 10 inches of snow brings nothing but mean-spirited words under my breath, but today I had a mission. Borrowing a set of old rawhide strung snowshoes, I headed for the shed. Just as I hoped, the setting was perfect and the rest is history. This image "𝐒𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐲 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫" is certainly a favourite of mine, probably because of the adventure taken trying to capture it. As always...

𝑬𝒏𝒋𝒐𝒚, 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆!

12/06/2019

I love old barns. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's the Old Order Mennonite background that is in my bloodline. Maybe it's growing up in Waterloo County with rural activity constantly surrounding me. Susan and I often drive around on Sunday afternoons, taking in Amish country. The trip back in time seems to help bring restoration to the soul. Older barns with fieldstone foundations and weathered pine or hemlock boarding always catch my eye. I think they make a beautiful focus for images. The subject of this image actually comes from the Algonquin area on the north side of Lake of Bays. Taken late in the day last winter, this rural landscape "𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐲 𝐄𝐯𝐞" captured my attention with it's snowy roof and white framed doors. With multiple textured layers, I feel this has that Christmas card warm feeling.

𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞!

11/22/2019

While hiking along the edge of a woodlot alongside a field left fallowed for more than a generation, I came upon a long "𝑨𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒅" piece of farm equipment. It made me think of the difficulty the farmers must have endured to prepare the rocky clay soil in the Muskoka area before tractors and front-end loaders. The soil that was found in the area, was usually only inches deep before hitting the bedrock of the most southerly part of the Canadian Shield. Generally the land provided these hard working farmers only enough crops for subsistence. Once logging and tourism became clear that they could provide a better living, many farmers traded their plows for storefronts or hotels. When we think of Muskoka today, we envision the beautiful lakefront properties, the tourist driven towns, and the vacation hot-spots. It's hard to imagine the trials, blood, sweat and tears that went into developing this beautiful part of Ontario.

𝑬𝒏𝒋𝒐𝒚, 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆!

11/15/2019

This premature winter, with the unprepared snowblowers and rush to get snow tires on, has caught us all unprepared. Many trees still have their leaves left on them. It's messed up the bird migration patterns. Many landscapers who were still in yard preparation mode, hurried to get their trucks converted over to plow and salt mode. What was supposed to be an autumn tree planting today in our back yard turned much more difficult as I needed to snow blow a path for the planters to reach the location.

Once again, getting motivation to go out in the cold and shoot white snow is difficult for this warm weather old coot. I'd much rather be out shooting in the fall with the beauty of the Master Painter everywhere. This image named "𝑨𝒖𝒕𝒖𝒎𝒏 𝑾𝒆𝒕𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅" was taken in on a dull day in Hastings County. With it's reflections and dead tree trunks against the popping colours of the maples, birches & conifers, I am attempting to show the beauty in a location that is usually perceived as just an old swamp.

𝑬𝒏𝒋𝒐𝒚, 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆!

11/05/2019

𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗸𝗼𝗸𝗮 𝗜𝗻 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗺𝗻, There's no place on earth that can boast more beautiful fall colours. Lake Vernon in Huntsville is surrounded by forests, cottages, camps, restaurants and even farmland. Right across from my Daughters home, this old barn peaks out amongst trees that appear to have enveloped it in through the years. The rusty roof and old stone foundation give us a hint to the age of this relic. As stated in an earlier post, old barns and structures always catch my eye.

𝑬𝒏𝒋𝒐𝒚, 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆!

10/28/2019

Late September, the sinking sun bounces off the high whispy clouds. Farmer's fields have been harvested and turned. Cold nights and warm shorter days. Bird migration is at it's peak and we start preparing for the onset of winter. The pallette of oranges, blues, purples and yellows paint the sky behind a rural silhouette. The beauty of the sky during sunsets are the focus of many of my images as no one can create a scene like the Master Designer. Enjoy and please share!

10/21/2019

Over the past couple of years, the primary focus of my photography has been on nature. Honing in on my birding, it has amazed me at the number of species that can be seen on a single evening hike. The diversity of colour, size, habitat, and behaviour creates a wonderful pallete for the camera. Interspersed with my landscape postings, I will also be sharing some of my nature postings, such as this set of images taken this past Saturday, where I met up with a friend, Julie Seiler . It focuses on the red-bellied woodpecker. Let me know what you think and feel free to share!

10/09/2019

𝑆𝑢𝑛𝑠𝑒𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑙 𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑔
𝐻𝑜𝑙𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑎 𝑏𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑑𝑦 𝑠𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑
𝑁𝑜 𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝐼 𝑠𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑛𝑡 𝐼 𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑜𝑡
𝑀𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑡'𝑠 𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑑"
𝘗𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘨𝘦
𝘉𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘯

Many of my friends who are following my postings will not only know this place, but understand why I named this piece "Holy of Holies". It holds many memories for me. Both with friends and alone, this is one place where I have genuinely felt God's presence. Not an emotion. Not a warm fuzzy feeling. Not some kind of a trance. God. Unlike Bruce's lyrics where he has trouble making out where the sun's pointed reflection points, in this location it always points to the cross. A reminder of the grace I experience and faith I grasp on to, the older I get. Although the surroundings have changed, trees have grown, grass is sparser, sitting area smaller; much like myself (although my sitting area has grown :-) ) the Son and the cross are steadfast and always remain the same.

"𝑯𝒐𝒍𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝑯𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒔"
𝑉𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑃𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡
𝐶𝑎𝑚𝑝 𝐻𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑜𝑠𝑎

10/01/2019

Dorset, ON located just south of Algonquin Park is a small town that holds many memories for me. Since I was a teen, few years have past that I haven't visited it at least once. From it's fire tower that overlooks the beautiful Lake of Bays, especially beautiful during the fall colours, to Robinson's General Store, once voted Canada's best Country Store. Owned and operated by the same family since 1921, this famous general store has become a major tourist attraction and is a "must see" for any visitor to the Haliburton or Muskoka area. It's also the home dock for the small steamship the SS Bigwin. It has carried guests such as Clark Gable, Louis Armstrong, Winston Churchill, Greta Garbo and many other famous people out to the luxurious Bigwin Inn on Bigwin Island. This image was taken a number of years back during an autumn visit. Enjoy and share.