Canadian Maple Syrup Flask

 

14 x 11", acrylic on cradle aluminium panel

painting #307, 2026, black floater frame

In May of 2023, Suzanne and I spent a weekend in Thunder Bay, Ontario. We flew there specifically so I could take part in the Fire Fighters 10-Mile Road Race, which was founded in 1910. Along with the Around the Bay 30 km Road Race in Hamilton, ON (1894) and the Tely 10-Mile Road Race in St. John's, NL (1922), it stands as one of the three oldest annual road races in Canada. I’ve now had the pleasure of running all three.

While in Thunder Bay, we visited the Terry Fox Monument. The memorial statue marks the place where Fox was forced to stop his Marathon of Hope on August 31, 1980. It is located approximately four kilometers west of the exact spot where he ended his run, which is marked by a road sign. We also visited Fort William Historical Park, which, starting in 1815, served as the inland headquarters of the North West Company—the largest fur-trading enterprise of its time, with posts stretching across North America. While peeking inside their gift shop, I spotted a row of pure maple syrup in flask bottles, produced by a local enterprise from Northern Ontario maples. I was instantly smitten by the graphics of the red label and fascinated that the syrup came in a bottle shape most often associated with hard liquor.

I knew right away that I wanted to paint it. However, because we were traveling light with only carry-on luggage, airline restrictions prevented us from bringing fluids over 100ml on the plane. Instead, we had our fill of maple syrup the next morning at our hotel, which featured a waffle maker at the complimentary breakfast.

This past winter, while not the best for accumulation, still allowed me to cross-country ski some 500 km before the snow melted. I did the photo study for this painting on a footbridge along the Porc-Épic trail at Centennial Park in Moncton. I waited for an overnight snowfall so the trees would have a fresh dusting of snow. Many of those trees are slanted and being uprooted, victims of severe bank erosion along Jonathan Creek.

When I started the painting in late March, I decided to send an email to the maple syrup producer to ask for permission to reproduce their label. Perhaps they thought the request was some kind of hoax, because I never heard back. By June, the entire painting was finished except for the label. Against my better judgment, I decided to try ChatGPT to act as a studio assistant for the very first time. I uploaded my original reference photograph and asked it to design a brand-new label based on specific instructions: "Pure Canadian Maple Syrup, 200ml, featuring a rustic sugar shack, a maple tree with a sap pail, and a large red maple leaf—all rendered in sepia tones with retro red lettering." To be completely honest, I was blown away by the two options it generated. I felt the AI design was actually superior to the original commercial label I had initially intended to paint. However, I did make a few changes to simplify it a bit.

I know that using AI in fine art can spark debate, and some might view it as a shortcut. However, I see it as a modern evolution of an age-old tradition. For centuries, master artists—from the Renaissance workshops to modern icons like Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst, Andy Warhol and Dale Chihuly—have employed studio assistants to help bring their visions to life. In this instance, my assistant just happened to be digital.

Furthermore, as a hyperrealist painter, I am no stranger to the misconception that my work is merely "copying." But if capturing this level of depth were that easy, everyone would be doing it. The AI gave me a flat blueprint for a label, but a computer cannot paint. It cannot layer acrylics on an aluminum panel, it cannot replicate the human eye's understanding of winter light, and it cannot feel the texture of the New Brunswick snow. Translating that digital concept into paint required thousands of deliberate, skilled brushstrokes. The concept may have had a digital assistant, but the artistry is entirely human.

With the political turmoil and rhetoric making headlines south of the border—ranging from proposed tariffs to casual threats of Canada becoming the "51st state"—this imagery stands proud as a defiant symbol of Canadian identity. After all, Canada produces approximately 75% of the world's maple syrup.

This painting will be part of my two-person show with Jon Wilkinson entitled- 

''Still Lives  Silent Places'' 

held at the Fog Forest Gallery 

from October 16 - November 6, 2026.
Opening reception - Oct. 23, 2026 - from 4:30 to 6pm

Gallery hours - Thursdays and Fridays from 10 am to 5 pm or by appointment. 

To acquire this painting, please contact the gallery. 
Fog Forest Gallery
14 Bridge Street
Sackville, NB, Canada
(506) 536-9000
website- https://www.fogforestgallery.ca/