Bruno Côté’s Deer Island, N.B. presents a dramatic and atmospheric view of one of New Brunswick’s most evocative maritime settings. In this painting, Côté captures the quiet grandeur of Deer Island—a place known for its rugged shoreline, small fishing communities, shifting tides, and the ever-changing moods of the Bay of Fundy.

The composition opens onto a broad inlet at low tide, where scattered rocks and shallow pools stretch across the foreground. These reflective surfaces catch the muted sky above, creating a shimmering pattern that guides the viewer’s eye toward the distance. On either side, two dark, rounded headlands rise like natural sentinels, framing the calm waterway that leads out toward a band of soft blue hills.

Along the right shoreline, a small row of humble coastal buildings—typical of Deer Island’s fishing culture—nestles at the foot of the hillside. Their quiet colours and simple forms reinforce the island’s reputation as a working, close-knit community shaped by the rhythms of the sea.

Above it all, Côté paints a sky full of movement: swirling grey clouds rendered with vigorous brushstrokes, echoing both the physical power of Fundy weather and the expressive language of the artist himself. The interplay of dramatic cloud cover, reflective tidewater, and darkened landforms is a hallmark of Côté’s East Coast landscapes.

Deer Island, N.B. ultimately conveys the island’s blend of rugged isolation and serene beauty—its tidal flats, small settlements, and dramatic skies coming together in a scene that feels both intimate and expansive, true to the character of this distinctive maritime place.