Michael Neelin —The Art of Appreciating Your Surroundings

Michael Neelin —The Art of Appreciating Your Surroundings - theHumm March 2022

By Sally Hansen

Art… and Soul

When you can’t decide which you enjoy more — creating your art or doing your job — you’ve made some exceptionally wise decisions in your life. Residential designer and illustrator Michael Neelin of McDonalds Corners would be hard pressed to pick between the two. Neelin capitalizes on his exceptional drawing abilities in both pursuits, and both tie in with his passion for sharing the natural beauty and rich architectural heritage of the Ottawa Valley.

As a gifted artist, Neelin celebrates his deep appreciation for the artistic gifts that surround us. His pencil drawings are heartfelt reminders of the rewards to be found if we expand our capacity to look and see. He uses a standard 4B lead pencil because he prefers to work in black and white. It enables the viewer to see things in a different way; colour has a tendency to obscure certain details, like shadows and textures. One look at his compelling drawings of gnarly roots, funky rock faces, or a venerable tree skeleton, proves his point.

His black and white portraits of tumbling down farmsteads and “farmscapes” are testimonials to his love of heritage buildings, as are his drawings of the heritage buildings in Almonte and other Valley townships. He traces his entire life’s work, both as an artist and a designer of houses, to an epiphany he experienced when he was thirteen years old and fortunate to spend a year in Alsace, France. His lifelong passion for drawing is a result of “falling in love with sketching historic architecture in the streets and alleys at the foot of Strasbourg Cathedral and visiting dozens of ruined castles on the slopes of the Vosges Mountains nearby.”

Michael started drawing when he was one year old and has never stopped. He remembers challenging himself to sketch the heritage castles in France in the same amount of time it took his dad to set up his old Leica camera with a handheld light metre and take a photo. Today he does rapid plein air sketches as he wanders and paddles in the backwoods, always looking for landscapes that bring him joy that he can share with others. He also does magnificent, detailed portraits — his recent pencil rendering of Strasbourg Cathedral, done as a nostalgic gesture from a photo taken long ago, is stunning.

Raised in the Glebe in Ottawa, Neelin earned his B.A. in History of Art and Architecture at Carleton University, where his dad was a professor of Biochemistry. An accredited architectural technologist, he is now president of his own residential design firm, RiverSong. He has designed over 300 custom handcrafted homes and renovations as an independent professional since 1984. His daughter Genevieve joined his practice in 2014.

After six years directing a summer camp in the Upper Gatineau where he met his wife Lyndal as a teen, the couple eventually settled in Pontiac County, Quebec, and raised four daughters there. Michael established himself as a member of the Pontiac arts community; he was a member of the Pontiac Artists’ Association, a board member, and participated in the Pontiac Artists’ Studio Tour for many years. He even recalls that they advertised their studio tours in theHumm. He still remembers the thrill of his first artist studio tour, and how much he enjoyed inviting the public into the family home to share his work and his inspirations. He couldn’t decide which he would give up — architecture, where he worked with people and helped them realize their dreams, or art. So he has arranged his life to be able to do both.

Throughout his childhood he was a camper and cottager with his family on a fourteen-acre piece of waterfront property on Patterson Lake, three kilometres from McDonalds Corners. When the couple inherited part of the property, they decided to build a home there; it was finished eight years ago. Lyndal has been very involved at MERA Schoolhouse, including past Chair of the Board, and Michael’s art will be on display there throughout the month of March in a solo art show at Dean Hall. The Schoolhouse is located at 974 Dalhousie Concession 9A in McDonalds Corners meraschoolhouse.org .

It is a true pleasure to open your eyes and share this artist’s enjoyment and celebration of the natural beauty and rich architectural heritage that surrounds us in the Ottawa Valley. You can do just that and meet Michael at the “Meet the Artist” event on Sunday, March 13 from 2–4pm. To see his exhibition at other times, it is necessary to make an appointment; details are on the back of his Artist Trading Card.

Another opportunity to enjoy his art is imminent. Michael’s daughter Gwendolyn Neelin is the proprietor and chef at Tea and Cake Catering in Almonte. As soon as her new location is open at 19 Bridge Street, you can enjoy Michael’s drawings while you enjoy Gwen’s renowned butterscotch pie (see the November 2017 issue of theHumm online for delicious details).

Radon Gas Warning

With Michael’s concurrence, we want to bring an important health issue to your attention. In 2020, while being treated for appendicitis, he was diagnosed with lung cancer. He has never smoked and has led an active outdoors life coupled with adherence to a healthy diet. It came as a surprise to me when he told me that that exposure to radon gas is the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. According to Health Canada, 16% of lung cancers are estimated to be from radon exposure, resulting in more than 3,000 lung cancer deaths in Canada each year.

Radon is a radioactive gas that comes from uranium in the ground which can get into your home undetected. You can’t see it, smell it or taste it. In confined spaces like a house, radon can build up to high levels and over time become a health risk. The health risk from radon is long-term, not immediate. All homes have some level of radon. The question is how much and the only way to know is to test, at a small cost of around $40. The Neelins recommend that you do so.