Preparing for a Trip by Farquhar McGillivray Knowles is a 14 x 22 inch oil on canvas produced in 1895 and signed and dated in the bottom left corner. The painting depicts a sandy coastline on an overcast day. Men with horses and trollies collect seaweed and shellfish along the shore. A flock of seagulls flies in a frenzy next to the workers as they toil in the sand. Mountains can be seen in the distance, across the water, painted in soft hues of blue and grey. Tidal pools collect water on the beach, reflecting light from the sky. Knowles uses loose brush strokes with finer details in the figures and forms of the horses that draw your eye into the piece.

Preparing for a Trip was on display at Waddington’s and Consignor Canadian Fine Art in Toronto before being added to the Rookleys collection.