It is hard to believe that a week has already gone by since arriving at the Sointula Art Shed Residency on Malcolm Island. I will be here for the month of March, spending time working on my art practice and focusing on the local whale species along the northern cost of Vancouver Island.

It’s a 25-minute ferry ride to access Malcolm Island from Port McNeill. The village of Sointula was created in 1901 by a group of utopian-minded Finns. Sointula does have a different feel from other villages in the area and its Finnish roots can clearly be seen through the architecture. My favourite part of the village (so far) is a narrow stretch of road that follows the winding shoreline towards Rough Bay old. It is lined with wooden boat-houses and net-houses built on wooden pilings along the shore. Each one feels like it has a unique personality and history. Speaking of history, according to the Art Shed Residency website, the cottage that I am currently staying in was “originally located near the beach . . . and was known to the Finnish speaking Aro family of Sointula as “mummun talo” or grandmother’s house”. There is nothing more welcoming than visiting grandma’s house, so that explains a lot about this cozy cottage. The inside of the cottage reminds me of those “I Spy” books we used to get from the library as kids. I am finding new little tableaus everyday: a little carved boat on a piece of driftwood, collections of rocks and shells, handmade mugs and quilts, a vase of dried flowers, etc. A pair of binoculars sit on the living room windowsill ready for whales to swim past. The studio is inside a shed next to the cottage. It’s comfy, heated and also has windows that face towards the sea.

For my first week here I am focusing on exploring the island, collecting ideas and taking pictures for potential paintings. It has been a fairly active week with lots of beach walking and kayaking. I have also been settling into the studio and starting to play around with ideas. I have a feeling that I am going to be spending next little while oil painting and printmaking. It’s nice to take advantage of having a studio that I can pin stuff up on the walls and leave projects partway finished without having to worry about space shortages and tidying up.

Here is a list of animals I have seen so far:

• a sea otter
• sea lions (one was sticking its fin in the air to thermoregulate)
• a bunch of deer
• possible dolphin blows (but unconfirmed)
• orca blows! About 6 or so of them.
• and seals

Next Saturday I will be heading back across the ferry to teach a drawing workshop in Port McNeill. I am doing this workshop as a fundraiser and all proceeds go to supporting the Marine Education & Research Society. As they are based just a short ferry ride away (and because I love all the beautiful humans involved and agree wholeheartedly with the work they do), I wanted to prioritize getting involved while I am here. I came up with the idea of a drawing workshop about whales and registration is already full.

Well, the sun has set and my incredible husband is just about finishing dinner (homemade bread and lentil soup) so I think that is my cue to wrap up here. I am so grateful for all the support and encouragement that I have received to be able to do this. It feels like a dream to be able to do a residency here—my first art residency in Canada! Sending love to you all. 🙂