Chris Kovacs Fine Art

Newest painting depicts “Front Row Seats”

Chris Kovacs — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 18:40:08 +0000

This painting “Front Row Seats” is a companion to the last one, depicting another scene in Happy Adventure, the outport village whose name comes from the flagship of a pirate’s fleet.

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Front Row Seats

Chris Kovacs — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 18:33:12 +0000

Status of Original Painting – Sold All prices are in Canadian dollars Size: 13.25 x 20 inches Price: $1,000 Medium: Watercolour on 300 lb Arches Description: This painting is a companion to the last one, “Happy Adventure,” named for a small outport village in Newfoundland that in turn took its name from Happy Adventure, the seemingly unlikely name for the flagship of pirate Peter Easton‘s fleet (see the last painting for the full and true story). My wife Lisa wanted me do a painting as a gift for her friend Arlene, who had provided Lisa with several references photos that she thought might be suitable for me to use sometime. And then Arlene’s husband Tom picked out the one he thought Arlene would like the most, which is the backyard scene depicted in “Happy Adventure.” But as the artist, I preferred the scene depicted in this painting, which was found in two other photos of the home in Happy Adventure. The brightly coloured bench and chair poised with a panoramic view of the natural surroundings, the aging wood in the platform, the reflections in the water, the flowers and greenery. All of these were elements that called to me to paint this scene, but I was overruled. And so after I completed the prior painting, I set out immediately to paint this one. The image wouldn’t leave me alone otherwise. It’s common for people in Newfoundland to gaze at its beautiful, rugged landscape and say that they are in “God’s country.” Contemplating this scene, I can feel the heat of the sun and the cool breeze, hear the songs of the birds and the intermittent splashing of fish and ducks in the water, and anticipate a spectacular sunset provided that the clouds behave themselves. I’d be there reading a book. The entire time I was painting this, I had no idea what to call it. Nothing came to mind. But as I was signing my name, the very last act that signals I’m done with a painting, I thought to myself “so what shall I call it?” It seemed that a voice in the my head immediately responded, “Front Row Seats.” I don’t know where that came from. Maybe it was my muse, satisfied that I’d done this scene at last. But as soon as I heard it, I knew that was the title, no arguments about it. I heard and obeyed.

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New painting “Happy Adventure” named after a pirate ship!

Chris Kovacs — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 21:19:39 +0000

My latest painting was completed July 25th but not posted until today, August 3rd, due to it being a surprise for someone. As to who and why, and how a pirate ship could have been named Happy Adventure, you’ll have to read the full text on the painting’s web page.

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Happy Adventure

Chris Kovacs — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 21:14:33 +0000

Status of Original Painting – Private Collection Size: 20 x 15 inches Medium: Watercolour on 300 lb Arches Description: This is another special request painting. My wife Lisa asked me to do a painting for her friend Arlene. She told Arlene that I was simply looking for something to paint and did Arlene have any photos of scenes that might be suitable to paint from? Arlene’s husband Tom then helped select which image would be extra special to Arlene for the memories she has about the place. Because this is intended as a surprise gift, I’m having to wait to post this until the painting has been framed and Arlene has been surprised with it. I’ve called the painting “Happy Adventure” because that’s the name of the small outport village where this home is located. Originally this area was where Tom’s sister-in-law’s father grew up. It became Arlene and Tom’s Happy place too, that they visit as often as possible. They spent so much time at this location that their kids also developed a great fondness for the house and coastline. Happy Adventure is located at the end of the Eastport Peninsula in Newfoundland. As to its unusual name, the most popular theory is that it was named for a pirate ship! In the 17th century, Peter Easton was originally commissioned by Queen Elizabeth I as a privateer to protect the Newfoundland fishing fleet from Spanish raiders. His flagship was Happy Adventure and carried St. George’s Cross on the masthead. When James I became King, cancelled the commissions, and sued for peace with Spain, Easton decided to carry on with his activities and in so doing, he became a pirate. In 1612 he had a fleet of ten pirate ships and headquarters at Harbour Grace in Newfoundland. He raided and plundered English, Spanish, and other foreign vessels on many successful raids. He hid and sheltered during storms in various coves as needed, and perhaps a cove in what became the village of Happy Adventure. In one famous incident, Easton plundered thirty ships in St. John’s, captured Sir Richard Whitbourne, and released him with the condition that Whitbourne get him pardoned by the king. Despite the successful pardon, Easton moved on to harass Spanish vessels more exclusively, later reappearing with treasure and four Spanish ships that he’d captured. In 1613, the Duke of Savoy offering asylum and safe conducts to all pirates, and that prompted Peter Easton to retire and enjoy his wealth. There were a lot of aspects that made this a fun painting to do, especially capturing the aged aspects of the bench, the textures on the stones in the frame of the fire table, and the bright cheerful colours. Happy Adventure, indeed.

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New painting “Pop’s Last Boots”

Chris Kovacs — Sun, 05 Jul 2026 17:30:40 +0000

It’s been unduly long since my last painting was posted, but here is “Pop’s Last Boots,” a painting done by request as a wedding present for Amber and Stephen, coming up next month.

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Pop’s Last Boots

Chris Kovacs — Sun, 05 Jul 2026 17:26:57 +0000

Status of Original Painting – Private Collection Size: 20 x 15 inches Medium: Watercolour on 300 lb Arches Description: My wife Lisa asked me to do a painting for the upcoming wedding of her cousin Stephen and bride-to-be Amber. It was Amber who provided photos of some favourite places and scenes, and we chose this colourful image from her grandparent’s house. When Amber’s pop retired, her nan used his last pair of work boots to create a planter in the garden. Hence, “Pop’s Last Boots” as depicted here. In Newfoundland, a grandfather is typically called Pop, while a grandmother is Nan. Not being native to this province, I’m used to Pop being a term for one’s father, and nan for an aunt or even a nanny. After all these years I am still learning the lingo, and I occasionally have to refer to the Dictionary of Newfoundland English for clarity or to settle disputes. I’ve learned the hard way that the simple word lunch, which always meant the midday meal to me, can mean almost any meal of the day, including a bedtime snack! And then there were the workers who confused me by saying they wouldn’t be back until after dinner, but they meant after the midday meal, and not in the evening… Every painting has its challenges, and in this case it was the endless grass and clover that seemed so daunting at first. But in the end it was easy. I quite like all the textures and varied bright colours, as well as the yellow light of the sun glinting on the house.

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Newest painting is of a “Quiet Wharf”

Chris Kovacs — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 18:31:27 +0000

My latest painting “Quiet Wharf” depicts a peaceful scene of a boat tied up at a dock in Trinity, Newfoundland.

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Quiet Wharf

Chris Kovacs — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 18:26:29 +0000

Status of Original Painting – For Sale All prices are in Canadian dollars Size: 10.75 x 20 inches Price: Inquire Medium: Watercolour on 300 lb Arches Description: This quiet, peaceful scene of white boat with cerulean blue trim tied up at the wharf caught my eye in Trinity, Newfoundland. I’ve painted a lot of scenes of boats and wharves despite the fact that I’m not a boating person. There’s something that appeals to me about boats, wharves, reflections in the water, ripples on the surface, and so forth. Plus you can’t escape such scenes wherever you go in Newfoundland; it’s not a land of skyscrapers like in downtown Toronto or New York. I’ve written before about how I enjoy contrasts of textures, objects, and colours in the scenes that I choose to paint, and this one has it all. Contrasts of light and dark; smooth versus rough and paint-peeled surfaces; the battle of nature vs. manmade structures; a variety of colors, and so forth. The wharf’s losing battle against nature is revealed by its warped and broken planks and beams, and the creep of colors near the waterline. The water shows several shades of blue and is almost completely still with intact reflections of the boat and the wharf; there are some ripples on the surface.Importantly, the scene should convey a sense of peace and calm to the viewer, just as it did to me while painting it. I’ve done multiple other paintings of scenes from Trinity, which include Duo in Trinity; Rising Tide; Filleting the Catch; and Calm Reflection.

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New painting “Andy & Meadow”

Chris Kovacs — Sun, 22 Mar 2026 20:19:23 +0000

For a change of pace, my latest painting depicts two young cockatiels, a male and female pair, with their contrasting plumage.

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Andy & Meadow

Chris Kovacs — Sun, 22 Mar 2026 19:39:41 +0000

Status of Original Painting – For Sale All prices are in Canadian dollars Size: 20 x 15 inches Price: Inquire Medium: Watercolour on 300 lb Arches Description: Meet Andy and Meadow, two young cockatiels. Andy is the brightly coloured yellow male on the left; Meadow is the gray female on the right. As is typical of birds, the males are more brightly coloured and attractive than the females, rather the opposite of the human condition! The discerning female chooses a male with bright colorful plumage as a signal of health, virility, and good genetic background, whereas the more drab plumage of the female may help to camouflage her on the nest. There tend to be more males around than females, and so the males must compete in order to win a female and pass on their genetic code. Andy is seven months old and very talkative, while Meadow is two years old, quiet, and likes to cuddle (this sounds like a dating app profile, but I wanted to say something about them!). I’m often asked how I decide what to paint. In this instance, while I was finishing the prior painting Shore Life, I had a hankering to paint some birds, either parrots or cockatiels. I don’t know why, it’s not something I can explain. Call it inspiration or the muse striking me. A family friend, Rimsha Siddiqui, has some 37 birds in her home, and she obliged by providing a half-dozen photos of different birds. I seized on the cockatiels right away; cockatiels and cockatoos have been a favourite of mine ever since seeing the talkative white cockatoo on detective Baretta’s shoulder (anyone else remember that TV series, starring Robert Blake?). I also learned that while cockatoos and cockatiels are in the same family, cockatoos are larger and live about 70 years, whereas cockatiels are smaller and typically live about 10 years. I used aspects of two different reference photos provided by Rimsha, one for the upper half of the birds and the other for their tails. This is because I liked their expression in one photo but the tails were best shown in another one. I was undecided about what to do for the background and I left it blank until near the end, when a splash of blue seemed sufficient. I wanted to keep the focus on the cockatiels. It’s always harder when the background is done later.

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