Bill Stephens Watercolours

In 2014, my wife and I were fortunate enough to spend a month in France on vacation. One of our first stops was the medieval village of Chateauneuf-en-Auxois, located near Dijon in the Burgundy region. The Chateau de Chateauneuf is a castle built in 1132 by Jean de Chaudenay for his son, Jean de Chateauneuf. The reign of the Chateauneufs ended in 1456. In 1457 the Duke of Burgundy offered the fortress to Philippe Pot, a Knight of Saint Michael. From the 14th to the 17th c...enturies, wealthy merchants built houses around the fortress at Chateauneuf - many of which survive today. A quaint restaurant called L'Auberge du Marronnier is located in the village square. I found this beautiful stone building to be a perfect subject for my most recent watercolour and ink painting. If you'd like to see more of my artwork, please visit www.billstephenswatercolours.com See more

My latest original watercolour and ink painting features the former Canadian Pacific Railway Station in Goderich, Ontario. The Canadian Pacific Railway station was built in 1907 at the terminus of the Guelph & Goderich Railroad. CPR ceased passenger service to Goderich in 1956, and freight service in 1988. Eight of the original stations on the Guelph-Goderich line remain, but few remain in their original condition. In 2013, after 3 months of preparation, the 400 ton, triple... brick landmark was raised up and moved 250 metres to a new location closer to the shore of Lake Huron. The station was completely refurbished inside, while maintaining the historic architecture of the building. It was opened in 2015 as the Beach Street Station Restaurant, and still serves in that capacity. Visitors to Goderich can see this historic building located right on the waterfront. If you're in the Goderich area, check it out - but call first to check the hours due to Covid-19 restrictions. Information courtesy of Beach Street Station website. This painting was created in a 16 x 22 inch format, and is being matted and framed into a 22 x 28 inch dark wood frame. If you'd like to see more of my watercolour and ink paintings, please visit my website at www.billstephenswatercolours.com See more

My latest watercolour and ink painting features the original Woodstock Fire Hall, which was constructed in 1899. It was painted in a 18 x 24 inch format. The Woodstock Fire Department was created in May of 1881. In 1899, under the leadership of W.A. Karn, a new fire hall was constructed on Perry Street in Woodstock. The original cost of the building was $7500., but installation of the latest alarm systems increased the cost to $10,000. Horse drawn equipment was being used ...when the fire hall was constructed. Four horses had stables on the ground floor, and the firefighters were located on the second floor. The bell in the tower was engraved with the names of the council members. The original Fire Brigade consisted of 15 men, with 3 on duty at all times. It was not until 1920 that motorized fire equipment completely replaced horses. In 1975, the original 1899 Perry Street fire hall became a sub-station. In the late 1980's, the fire hall had deteriorated to the point it could no longer be used. The original 1899 fire hall still stands today at 12 Perry Street. It was purchased by a private enterprise that restored the exterior of the building to its early condition. The building currently houses the Perry Street Medical Centre and the offices of Ernie Hardeman, Member of Provincial Parliament and Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs since 2018. Information courtesy of City of Woodstock website. If you'd like to see more of my watercolour and ink paintings, please visit www.billstephenswatercolours.com City of Woodstock, Ontario Ernie Hardeman Tourism Oxford Oxford County

My most recent watercolour and ink painting features a very unique home that I saw while visiting the Finn Slough (pronounced "slew") in Richmond, British Columbia last October. As soon as I saw this unusual house with all of the outboard motors on display out front, I knew that I wanted to paint it. The Finn Slough is a Fraser River fishing community located at the south end of No. 4 Road in Richmond, BC. The community has about 30 residents who live in wooden houses, both... floating and built on pilings, along the marshy riverbank. Many of the buildings were built between the late 19th century and the 1950's and many have decayed severely. The Finn Slough was founded by Finnish settlers who came to Richmond in the 1880's. Finn Slough has been repeatedly photographed, and appears on numerous postcards sold throughout Vancouver tourist shops. (information courtesy Wikipedia) This artwork was created in a 18 x 24 inch size, and when matted, it will fit into a 24 x 30 inch frame. If you'd like to see my other artwork, please visit www.billstephenswatercolours.com See more

It's unusual for me to have four of my framed original watercolour paintings at home at the same time, but two of these are sold and will be delivered to their new owners soon. A shout-out to Leslie at Reflections Art and Framing in London for the great work that she does with the matting and framing. She is amazing! If you'd like to have a closer look at these paintings, or see some of my other work, you can go to www.billstephenswatercolours.com

My most recent watercolour and ink painting features the historic Oxford County Courthouse located in Woodstock, Ontario. This impressive building was constructed in 1889 to serve as a Courthouse - the same purpose that it still serves today. After a series of setbacks and disputes about construction, it opened in December 1892. The Courthouse is a beautiful example of Victorian architecture, and was built in the Richardsonian Romanesque style. It was constructed of red san...dstone. Among the many features on this building are eight monkeys! You can see one of them at the top of the painting near the roofline. The bust in front of the building features Colour Sergeant George Leonard, a Boer War hero from Woodstock. This is a beautiful building to look at, and if you're out for a ride - you should drive by this amazing historic building located at 415 Hunter Street in Woodstock. The painting is my largest to date, and was created in a 20 x 28 inch size. To view my other paintings, please visit my website at www.billstephenswatercolours.com @tourismoxford.ca City of Woodstock, Ontario See more

My most recent watercolour and ink painting features a beautiful Victorian style home located on Highway 3 (Talbot Line) west of Tillsonburg in Oxford County. This home was built between 1867 and 1876 by George Best, an associate of E.D. Tillson (who owned the Annandale House). It has many beautiful architectural features, and was a pleasure to paint. It was created in a 18 x 24 inch size, and will be matted and framed to fit into a 24 x 30 inch frame. If you'd like to see more of my watercolour and ink paintings, please visit www.billstephenswatercolours.com

My most recent watercolour and ink painting features the Annandale House - a national historic site located in Tillsonburg, Ontario. Annandale House was built in the 1880's by Edwin Delevan Tillson, the first mayor of Tillsonburg and son of the town's founder, George Tillson. It was part of a 600 acre farm called Annandale. When it was built, it utilized the latest technology including steam heat and gas lighting. It took seven years to complete at a cost of slightly more t...han $30,000. The interior of the house is a monument to the Victorian style of design, known as the "Aesthetic Art Movement", which was popularized by Oscar Wilde. In 1882, Mrs. Mary Ann Tillson attended Oscar Wilde's lecture on "The House Beautiful" in Woodstock, Ontario and applied much of what she heard when decorating her new home. (Information courtesy of the Town of Tillsonburg website) After the Covid lockdowns are over, you should consider a visit to Tillsonburg, and tour the house and the attached Museum. This painting was created in a 18 x 24 inch size, and when matted, will fit into a 24 x 30 inch frame. If you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit www.billstephenswatercolours.com See more

My most recent watercolour and ink painting features the Tillsonburg Station Arts Centre. The Arts Centre is located in the former Great Western Railway Station on Bridge Street. Built in 1879, it is one of the oldest buildings in Tillsonburg. The builder followed a Gothic Revival style in the construction. You may have noticed that Tillsonburg is spelled wrong in the picture. There is a reason for that: The area was settled in 1825 by George Tillson and other immigrants ...from Massachusetts. In 1836, the village was renamed Tillsonburg in honour of its founder. When the papers were sent to register the new name of Tillsonburg, a clerk in Toronto misspelled the name by dropping an "L". Rather than protest, the town adopted the name Tilsonburg - which remained for many years, until it was changed out of respect for the founding family to Tillsonburg. The shingling on the roof of the Great Western Railway Station reflects the way "Tilsonburg" would have been spelled at the time the station was first built. The red building to the right is the Tillsonburg Lake Erie & Pacific Railway Staion. (Information courtesy Station Arts Centre website) The photo I took to work from reflects the spelling "Tilsonburg", however, my wife and I took a drive out there a couple of days ago...only to find that the building is having a new roof installed! Who knows if the name will go on to the new one... The buildings are beautiful, and worth a visit after things return to normal. The Tillsonburg Station Arts Centre is one of the stops on the Oxford Art Tour. This painting is a large one, created in a 18 x 24 inch size, and when matted it will fit into a 24 x 30 inch frame. If you'd like to see more of my paintings, please visit www.billstephenswatercolours.com See more

My most recent watercolour and ink painting features the Puddicombe House in New Hamburg, Ontario. Built in 1868 in the elegant Italianate architectural style, it first served as the home of Samuel Merner, a prominent New Hamburg businessman and politician. Merner spared no expense, adding decorative details like Italianate gables and heavily ornamented windows. In 1888, Merner sold his house to Robert Puddicombe. Over the next 8 decades, members of the Puddicombe family li...ved in the home. In 1969, it was sold and turned into rental units. In 2004, the Cressman family of New Hamburg purchased the Puddicombe House and converted it into a restaurant, Bed and Breakfast, and spa. The facility along with the Puddicombe Banquet and Event Hall, welcomes weddings and other celebrations for up to 250 guests. If you're in the New Hamburg area, check it out. (*information courtesy of www.puddicombehouse.com) This is the third in my series of paintings featuring some of Ontario's Finest Inns (www.ontariosfinestinns.com) This painting was created in a 18 x 24 inch size, and will be matted to fit into a 24 x 30 inch frame. To view more of my paintings, please visit: www.billstephenswatercolours.com See more

My most recent watercolour and ink painting of the Elm Hurst Inn seemed to generate a lot of interest, so I thought I'd paint another of these grand homes. The Idlewyld Inn and Spa is located on Grand Avenue in London, Ontario. It has 21 unique hotel rooms, a spa and a fine-dining restaurant. The Idlewyld mansion was built in 1878 as a private home for Charles Smith Hyman. A successful businessman, Mayor of London and Federal Cabinet Minister under Prime Minister Wilfrid Lau...rier - Hyman was a highly successful cricket player, and seven times Canadian men's singles tennis champion. He is also credited with introducing the game of bridge to Canada. The home was sold in the 1930's, and has served as luxury apartments and a nursing home before being converted into the Idlewyld Inn in the mid-1980's. (information and photo credit: www.idlewyldinn.com) This watercolour and ink painting was created in a 18 x 24 inch size, and will be matted to fit into a 24 x 30 inch frame. To see more of my original watercolour and ink paintings, please visit: www.billstephenswatercolours.com See more

My latest watercolour and ink painting features the Elm Hurst Inn, located in The Town of Ingersoll. We recently took a short drive to get out of the house, and drove by this impressive facility. The historic mansion is located adjacent to Highway 401 at Exit 218 (Ingersoll Exit). The Elm Hurst mansion was built in 1872 as the personal residence of James Harris and family. A fine example of the Gothic Revival style, it remained a stately family home for more than a century.... A popular fine-dining establishment opened at the mansion in 1979, and nine years later - the Elm Hurst Inn and Spa was opened. It is a popular boutique hotel with 46 elegant guest rooms, and 3 luxury suites. (information courtesy of Elmhurst Inn and Spa) This painting is one of my largest to date, at 18 x 24 inches. It will be matted to fit into a 24 x 30 inch frame. You can check out some of my other paintings on my website at www.billstephenswatercolours.com

I spent my day today finishing work on this watercolour and ink painting of a red barn with a unique silo. I've driven by this one very often, and took a picture of it last summer. This barn is south of the village of Belmont, in the 13000 block of Belmont Road (Highway 74). It is located at the south-east corner of Yorke Line. I love the way that the silo is cracked and broken in so many places...its very cool. This painting was created in a 8 x 10 inch size, and has been matted to fit into a 11 x 14 inch frame.

For my most recent watercolour and ink painting, I went back to an image that I originally worked on back in July of 2018. At that time, I painted the entire barn with the wagon inside. For this painting, I focused on just the wagon. I worked from a photo that I took at El Rancho de las Golondrinas in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The image was created in a 8 x 10 inch size, and is matted to fit into a 11 x 14 inch frame.

Another small watercolour and ink painting completed this morning. I took a photo of this duck in Stratford last summer while we were sitting out by the river. This painting was created in a 5 x 7 inch size, and is matted to fit into a 8 x 10 inch frame.