Canadian Landscape Artist Shelley Leach

 "Inspired by the land, shaped by the Journey"   

Contemporary Narrative  

Shelley Leach © 2025   

Mazinaw Rock is, located within Bon Echo Provincial Park in Southeastern Ontario. My time at Bon Echo and Mazinaw Rock will always be extremely important in my artistic journey. During an artists residency in the area in 2024 I completed a project highlighting Mazinaw Rock & Bon Echo. While my artists residency was not hosted by Bon Echo Provincial Park itself, the park was the subject of my work. It’s worth noting that Bon Echo has not offered an artist-in-residency program in over a decade. 

Art plays a vital role in culture, serving as a means of expression, reflection, and connection. It fosters engagement, conversation, and deepens our understanding of our immediate surroundings. Through my 2024 project it gave me time to explore and reflect upon this area, part of Canada’s unique landscape. In 1982, Mazinaw Rock was designated a "Historic Site of Canada" because: it is the largest rock art site on the southern Canadian Shield and the only major pictograph site in Southern Ontario. 

My narrative embodies a interdisciplinary approach that I hope fosters deeper connections, adds to the provenance of the original work by providing cultural relevance, and a unique perspective to the story of my time at Bon Echo. The series includes paintings, on-location watercolours, photographs, journal entries, and this written narrative. Together, they represent an evolving creative process that unfolded throughout the development of the project. Painting is my expression of creative exploration of the outdoors.

 This project was exhibited in full or in part at:

• Art Factory, Renfrew, Ontario (Nov 2024)
• Ottawa Outdoor Adventure Travel Show (Apr 2025)
• Fulford Place Museum, Brockville, Ontario (May 2025)

Mazinaw Rock rises approx. 330 ft above Mazinaw Lake and it approx. 1.5 km in distance. Mazinaw Rock is known for its indigenous pictographs and the imposing size of the cliff. Mazinaw rock was opened as a public Provincial Park in 1965 and is the largest indigenous rock art site in the southern Canadian Shield in 1982 it was designated a National historic site of Canada.  

This area has a colourful past engraved on the cliff is a very large quote from a poem by poet Walt Whitman. In 1919 this was commissioned by early feminist, and business woman Flora MacDonald Denison who though advocacy for women's rights contributed to gender equality in Canada. Stone masons carved this poem into Mazinaw Rock. Denison was a proponent of the arts, especially writing. When she and her husband owned the Bon Echo Inn it was turned it into a haven for artists and thinkers, an artistic and intellectual retreat in the Ontario wilderness. Flora MacDonald Denison died in 1921. In September 1936, lightning struck the Bon Echo Inn. The whole building burned within 1 to 2 hours, and the Bon Echo Inn was no more. 

In 1959 Approx. 1200 acres of the land for what would become Bon Echo Provincial Park was donated to the Ontario Government by Merrill Denison the son of Flora MacDonald Denision. Merrill Denison (1893–1975) was a Canadian playwright , journalist, and historian. One of his most famous published works was " The Barley and The stream".  Merrill Denision had a longstanding dedication to conservation with deep values for appreciation of the natural environment.  The initial 1200 acres of land was donated by Denision specifically to become a provincial park.  The poem quote says in part... “My Foothold is Tenon'd and mortised in granite I laugh at what you call dissolution and I know the amplitude of time” 

Lake Mazinaw has a permitter of 49 km and an astounding depth of close to 500ft. making it one of the deepest lakes in Ontario. Mazinaw Rock, rising 330 feet above the waterline, means likely it extends a similar distance below the surface. The lake is located in the headwaters of the Mississippi River watershed. Mazinaw lake is also a habitat for Lake Sturgeon, they are a "species at risk" and considered threatened. Lake Sturgeon are bottom feeding fish, with the depth of Mazinaw I was told it would be rare to see one, it was explained to me when at the park by park staff the largest one recorded at Lake Mazinaw to date was 9ft, 500lbs and approx. 103 yrs old. I think this size could be more legend and possibly a bit exaggerated. However, they are extremely large fish and I would expect with the depth of Mazinaw indeed there are some very large sturgeons lurking in its depths. Most certainly the dinosaurs of Mazinaw. 

The lake is divided into two basins and is home to Bon Echo Provincial Park. The Boundaries of Bon Echo Provincial Park protect is approximately 20,000 acres of this diverse ecosystem with its natural rugged beauty. The park really has what I refer to as two sides, the Lake Mazinaw side of the park is actually the smallest area of the park at approx. 2000 acres, its also the most visited for obvious reason... Mazinaw Rock. However there is 18,000 acres beyond Lake Mazinaw and Mazinaw Rock ...18,000 acres is approx. 72 sq km in comparison to the approx. 8 sq km of the Mazinaw side of Bon Echo. In this larger part of the a park the lakes are smaller, there are numerous backcountry hiking trails and more rustic camping areas. The entire park is within the boundaries of both North Frontenac and Lennox & Addington county. 

Bon Echo was named for the acoustic properties of the rock surrounding the Lake. Mazinaw, comes from Algonquin words “Mazinaabikinigan-zaaga'igan,” meaning “painted-image ,picture” or “writing,” The Rock ( Cliff) on Lake Mazinaw, and the surrounding area, is significant for the region’s Indigenous Peoples, evidenced by the more than 250 pictographs. The pictographs were painted on the rock (cliff) at or close to water level with red ochre , pigment made from clay rich in iron oxide. The creators of these pictographs used animal fat or plant material as binding agent to adhere the paint they created to the rock surface. 

Out of the almost 260 pictographs, one stood out to me: a turtle depicted in an orange tone, contrasting with the deep red ochre of the others. It was explained that the ochre may have originated from different locations, with only two known sources in the area. I questioned whether the colour difference might instead be due to the binding agent used in the pigment. As an artist, this was my initial thought. I found it intriguing that this one orange tone pictograph represents a turtle, a significant symbol in Indigenous cultures, embodying creation, wisdom, protection, nurturing, and balance. Mazinaw Rock holds profound meaning, interpreted in our own ways, the essence of its captivating presence. 

Something else about the pictographs and why in some respects I believe my project is timely. Many of pictographs have faded over the years, especially when compared to the vibrant colours they once had. Many of the images found online show them as a deep oxide red, but in reality, the colours have dulled significantly. This deterioration isn’t due to natural weathering or environmental factors; rather, it’s primarily caused by human interaction when touching the pictographs. As visitors touch the pictographs while exploring the area, the oils and dirt from our hands contribute to the fading leaving some barely visible today.  

Despite the heritage designation of Mazinaw Rock thousands of visitors engage directly with the pictographs each year, leading to accelerated deterioration. These pictographs are estimated to date back anywhere from 300 to 1,000 years, but in under a century of human interaction, many have become barely noticeable. This observation underscores a crucial point about our curiosity—it can lead to unintentional harm. It's essential to consider the impact of our actions and encourage more respectful engagement with these cultural treasures, ensuring they can be appreciated by future generations. It’s inevitable that there will be some human impact when we’re out in nature that can be concerning. I believe that the deterioration of pictographs is concerning.

For me, the pictographs are essential to understanding Bon Echo and Mazinaw Rock. They have been part of the area for an estimated 300 to 1,000 years or more, depending on who you speak with, the Bon Echo Inn existed for about 36 years yet I left Bon Echo in October 2024 knowing more about the Bon Echo Inn days than the indigenous heritage of the area. I appreciate all aspects of Bon Echo’s history and I really wanted to know more about the indigenous heritage, as time would have it I did learn a lot more about the indigenous heritage of Mazinaw in April 2025. 

Although most of my time was spent on the Mazinaw side of Bon Echo Provincial park in 2024 there are in fact two sides to the park, Bon Echo features: Mazinaw Lake, Bon Echo Lake, Abes Lake, Essens lake, and Joeperry Lake, alongside numerous trails leading to smaller bodies of water and lakes. I spent some time in these areas of the park, Bon Echo Lake is a smaller lake within Bon Echo.

As you go beyond this to the other sites on this side of the park the areas get more distant and rugged from that of Mazinaw Lake. Exploring these less-traveled areas deepened my appreciation for the entire park, highlighting the balance between its popular attractions and the serene, untamed beauty of its wilderness. This side of the park as mentioned is approx.18,000 acres of the over 20,000 acres Bon Echo Protects. In 2022, a storm called a "derecho" devastated this area of the park, characterized by widespread, long-lived winds from rapidly moving thunderstorms, producing winds exceeding 100 km/h (62 mph) and altering landscapes.

 I found this areas transformation similar to the beauty found in wetlands, where change and renewal are essential to the ecosystem's vitality. Just as wetlands serve as vital habitats for species like frogs, turtles, dragonflies and countless others, the weathering of this forest reflects a dynamic process in which beauty emerges not in permanence but in the evolution of the land. While wetlands often serve as a living classroom for many, this area offers similar insights into biodiversity and ecological interconnections, I think this rugged landscape reminded me of the lessons in the complexities of nature much like ourselves. To look beyond immediate visuals and appreciate the underlying processes at work. As a landscape artist, I thought this area in particular is a reminder that nature’s artistry goes far beyond what meets the eye, revealing complexity and wonder. 

My “official” project is now finished. While my time in the area wasn’t part of an official residency program, I like to think of it as my own personal, "unofficial residency" at Bon Echo—a period that has deeply shaped my work and will continue to influence my artistic journey. I’m hopeful that this experience can inspire visitors to reflect on the importance of supporting arts and culture in public spaces. 

In November, I spent some time at Bon Echo after the end of the camping season. I returned again in Dec, 2024 where I volunteered for the third annual Bon Echo Bird Count. Beyond the park in February 2025 I requested a tour at the National Gallery of Canada to see all the artwork in their collection of Bon Echo. This included 3 original works by Group of Seven member Arthur Lismer and one work by A.Y Jackson. This tour included artwork in the galleries vaults and curatorial notes. I was provided a tour by one of the galleries curators with a vast knowledge of these works. It really gave me a truer understanding of the more famous artwork created of Bon Echo and Mazinaw Rock. To see the artists sketches and finished works in the collection was something I truly took inspiration from as I finished my own work at Bon Echo.

After my visit to the National Gallery, I realized that, to the best of my knowledge, I may be the only female artist to have undertaken a "large-scale, dedicated project focused on Bon Echo Provincial Park". While other women have certainly created individual works inspired by the park, this realization made me reflect on the importance of this projects contribution by adding a more sustained female artists perspective to this landscape.

Much of Bon Echo’s visual legacy has been shaped by male artists, and I hope my work offers a meaningful addition to that story. 

April, 2025 I once again returned to Bon Echo, this time to meet with Tim Yearington. Tim is a Metis writer/author, artist and traditional wilderness guide (Thunderbird Mountain Tours). We decided to meet at Bon Echo, I was hopeful he could help me feel more balanced with my understanding of Mazinaw Rock from an indigenous perspective as mentioned earlier my narrative. He certainly did make me feel my work at Bon Echo was worthwhile. I’m very thankful to Tim for his time and sharing his knowledge and experiences at Mazinaw with me. 

All of the artwork I created for this project is available for purchase. Each piece includes a description of its inspiration, along with excerpts from my personal journal entries where applicable. While developing the project in 2024, much of the creative process was on my social media pages, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how the work evolved over time. Now that the project is complete, those materials are no longer available online, but I’m always happy to talk about the inspiration behind the paintings and how the project took shape.  Through this project I tried to create art that invites you to celebrate the beauty, complexity and multifaceted stories that makes Bon Echo such a artistically captivating area. 

Since this projects completion I've been overwhelmed with how well my project was received. While all of these works have exceeded my hopes its 'The shapeshifter' that seems to strike a unique chord with people:  The Shapeshifter feels like the painting that goes beyond, inherent to Mazinaw Rocks storytelling energy. Whatever the reason knowing art still matters and continuously offers new perspectives makes me feel that my time and work at Bon Echo wasn’t just worthwhile—it became a meaningful addition to the evolving artistic narrative that surrounds Mazinaw Rock and Bon Echo. 

 I hope you enjoyed reading about my creative exploration of Bon Echo and Mazinaw Rock.

 Thanks for visiting!

© Shelley Leach 2025