Studio

Paint In & Summer Art-ivities

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This Saturday (AKA tomorrow), is my favourite art event of the year! The Art Gallery Paint In! During this event, over 180 artists bring their “studios to the street” and set up tents lining both sides of Moss Street all the way from the Art Gallery to the ocean. It really is a spectacular event to see so much creativity all at once. I am so grateful to be able to participate again this year and I can hardly contain my excitement! This year I will be set up near the corner of Moss Street and Oxford Street (tent #65). If you are able to come by it would be amazing to see you there. Yes, there will be lots of beautiful artworks to buy if you are inclined, but it is also such a great way to discover new artists that you haven’t heard about, collect their contact cards, follow them online, hear about their processes and give them a word of encouragement (this is so meaningful and can really help energize and uplift artists). So please, make your way over, enjoy the crowds and the atmosphere, get a snack along the way (its an impressive walk to do the whole street, and you can even visit the art gallery for free).

Here is a screenshot of where I will be located (you can view the entire map, which lists all the artists, here):

I like to use the Paint In as a motivatorto create new works, so this year I have been creating little 5″x7″ collages that each feature one of my watercolour paintings of whales and a bunch of other interesting pieces of ephemera. I love the idea of accessible art, and so this is a fun way for me to create small original pieces that are playful and low pressure. Here is a sneak peek of a few of the 30 I will be bringing along with me tomorrow.

I have also been creating a new collection of wire whale sculptures that contains more variety than I usually bring to markets. The species I am bringing include: humpbacks (including a calf), orca (including a calf), fin whale (recently spotted off Sooke and the 2nd largest whale in the world), dall’s porpoise, harbour porpoise, sperm whale, humboldt squid (not a whale), northern Pacific right whale (also recently spotted in BC waters and extremely rare), minke whale, narwhal, grey whale and a few harbour seals (yes, also not whales). And of course I will have some oil paintings, some drawings, and stickers (including 4 new designs), totes (including a new design), bookmarks, etc.

Art Retreat in Metchosin

Next weekend I am off to a stunning waterfront location at Pearson Collage to instruct one of my favourite workshops called Imaginative Nature Drawing. This is part of the Metchosin International Summer School of the Arts (MISSA) program. My class is full but I believe there are a few spots available in other workshops (here is the link). They also have some public events that you are welcome to check out, here is a list.

What’s Happening in August

I will be participating a few summer markets: Tofino Market August 1 (10-2pm), Ucluelet Market August 2 (10-2pm) and Market on the Green (Craigdarroch Castle lawn) August 15th (11-4pm).

Stay Tuned

In October I will be instructing an afternoon workshop at the Vancouver Island School of Art. Registration for this workshop will be live very soon. They usually fill up really fast so if you want to be notified when you can register, please send me your email address using my Contact Form and let me know you would like to be on my Workshop Notification List.

Cutting Up Books is Good for the Soul

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Have you ever cut up a hardcover book? It goes against everything we are taught about how to treat books. We are supposed to care for them, tucking them carefully away on a shelf. We become more familiar with it’s spine than what’s between its covers.

I think there is something to be said for re-thinking how we use books, especially older books that have been read and re-read and are falling out of date. We don’t know what to do with them. They find their way into used book stores, free book libraries or the recycling. This is why I think that after a book has loyally served its purpose (often for many decades), maybe it’s time to give it a new kind of life.

Decadent Diagrams Workshop

Yesterday I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon with a room of quality individuals doing just this. We began with a collaborative drawing project. The end results were fantastic! Here are some pictures of them below.

We then moved into sorting through stacks of book pages, collecting diagrams we found interesting and then took scissor to paper. 🙂 I often consider collage as “thinking with my hands,” because you get into a rhythm of shifting objects in front of you, making decisions instinctively. Trying things. Seeing how pieces want to go together. Your hands start to move quicker than your mental decision-making.

The participants also created monochromatic (single-coloured) ink drawings inspired by their collages. We discussed how you can find easy pathways to abstraction by using methods like these (but we will always know they aren’t truly abstract 😉 )

I wish I took more photos at the end of the class! The juxtapositions between the ink drawings and the black and white collages were stunning. I have been looking forward to seeing these artworks for weeks because there was no way of knowing the end results! This is the magic of creation: it can surprise you!

It’s easy to over-think life and take it too seriously. There can be a lot of weight, which is why I think we need to give ourselves a little breathing room and space for playful exploration and creation. This is why it’s important to gather with like-minded people, put on some baroque music, cut up a book together and make something decadent. Let’s break the rules, give yourself permission, do something out of your comfort zone, find the “best” diagram and turn it into something completely unique. Why? Because it’s good for us.

Studio Update

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Since my last update, it’s been a season of change and fresh perspectives.

In the fall my husband and I had the opportunity to celebrate our anniversary by going to Azerbaijan and Georgia. This was our first time outside of Canada since attending the NES Iceland Art Residency in early 2020. These countries are not only beautiful in landscape but have such beautiful people as well. It is so inspiring to see art from different parts of the world, and to see the connections and similar themes that are woven throughout art history. I love how history and art can’t be separated. They always come back together and intertwine. It’s interesting to think that artists today are also contributing to documenting and commenting on our current times, which quickly become history.

We came home to the busy holiday market season and I also lead a watercolour workshop. It was funded by a Neighbourhood Small Grant for my local community. This workshop was so fulfilling and I loved seeing people come together and build relationships while exploring painting leaves and flowers. The paintings created were wonderful and the company was great!

In the spring I instructed a workshop in partnership with the Tofino Arts Council, Pacific Rim Arts Society and the Ucluelet Aquarium. It was a dream-come-true workshop for me! I loved working with these amazing non-profits, bringing art, science and community together. The aquarium even delivered a touch tank of live specimens for us to draw before we made our way over to the aquarium for the final part of the workshop.

Having the opportunity to be in Ucluelet was a blessing. It’s been a full season with lots going on and I was happy to have a little time by the sea. After the workshop we went to the beach to explore and I was able to do some sketching as well (I drew a limpet, one of my favourite animals). It was still stormy-ocean-season (my favourite season) and there were many treasures to find. The first couple photos above show a small amount of the probably millions of velella velellas that were washed up on the beach. These creatures are also called by-the-wind-sailors (which is equally as good a name). They are not jellyfish, but they are jellyfish-like and they are also planktonic, meaning they rely on the ocean to move them around. They are shaped to have a sail that rises just above the waves, which catch the wind and help them travel great distances. They must have gotten stranded on the beach during a storm. They fade from bright blue to clear as they dry.

The second treasure I found was a mermaid’s purse (also known as a skate egg casing)! Inside this rather science-fictional-looking object would have once housed the embryos of a skate. I have wanted to see one of these for years and was very excited to find it. The baby skates had already hatched and just the casing was left behind. It probably washed up in one of these winter storms.

Amidst all this activity we also found ourselves moving into a unit that will allow me to have a dedicated studio space. I am still settling into the space but here is a picture of the first wire orca to be created here 🙂 Having a fresh space to create in is already filling my mind with ideas of what I want to work on next. I find it interesting to see how environment plays a role in the type of work one creates and I am looking forward to seeing what ends up coming out of this space.

Upcoming Markets & Events

You will find me at the following events around Victoria (and beyond). For more details, check out my events page.

Vic West Fest June 6th, 12pm-6pm

Community-Lead FernFEST June 13, 12pm-7pm

Gorge on Art July 1st, 9am-4pm

Art Gallery Paint-In July 18, 11am-4pm

Ucluelet Market August 1st, 10am-2pm

Upcoming Workshops

I have two workshops coming up and both are almost full (just 1 spot left in each).

Decadent Diagrams Collage and Drawing Workshop (Afternoon of May 31)

In just over a week I will be instructing Decadent Diagrams. This workshop focuses on finding creative ways to use diagrams from old textbooks to create something new and quiet extraordinary. Together, we will be “dissecting” a beautiful, 1960’s copy of ‘Invertebrate Zoology’ and using the informational figures to create extravagant collages and coloured ink drawings.

For more information and to register, click here.

Imaginative Nature Drawing (Full weekend: July 25 & 26)

Due to popular demand, I am bringing this workshop pack to MISSA! But this time, we will be located at Pearson College in Metchosin. This is a retreat-style workshop, so lunch comes with your registration and you also have the option to sleep over and stay for breakfast and dinner. Themes in this workshop include pseudo-scientific drawing, observational drawing, and using nature as a starting point for your creativity to flourish.

For more information and to register, click here.

Upcoming Art Installation

If you happen to be heading to the Saanich Municipal Hall in June/July, take a peek in the Window Gallery by the entrance. I will be installing Soundwaves, an installation I created for my Orcaphilia exhibition a few years ago. This installation will contain double the amount of salmon and can be viewed from all four sides. I still have a little work to go on figuring out how to hang large sheets of black and white paper from the centre of the display and I am excited to see it all come together!

Scientifically Inspired Whimsy

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I imagine you have probably heard the phrase, ‘variety is the spice of life’. However, I would prefer if the saying went, “curiosity is the spice of life.”

Variety often depends on outside factors, but curiosity comes from within. I think curiosity is a skill that we can nurture and develop and, when you do this, you will reap great rewards. Curiosity means to engage with the world and not just take things at face value. To question things and ponder.

Curiosity is something that starts off strongly when we are young because there is so much that we don’t know. Although it’s intrinsic, it is something we can loose. As we go through life we can slip into a pattern of accepting things as “just the way they are” and loose that attitude of engagement with life. This is why I think it’s important to stretch out those curiosity muscles and exercise wonderment.

Do you need a little curiosity kick-start? Here are a few places that I find inspiration:

One of the main topics that stirs my curiosity is whenever art mixes with scientific elements. Add a pinch of imagination and I am hooked! Speaking of which, I thought I would share a few photos from the Watercolour Animal Pop-up workshop that I instructed last weekend. These are just a sample of the incredible and intricate creatures that the participants created.

And here are a few creatures in more detail:

Upcoming events:

This Sunday (tomorrow) I will be participating at Apple Day, an event at Sea Cider from 11-4 as part of the market inside the pavilion. For more information about this free event as well as a list of my upcoming holiday workshops, please click here.

Summer Rain & Dreamy Whales

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It’s hard to believe that summer is starting to wrap up already. The individual days have felt full but as a whole it’s flown by very fast! A few highlights for me have been instructing a drawing workshop at the Sidney aquarium, participating in the Paint-In and summer markets (including last weekend in Tofino and Ucluelet), ocean dips, kayak camping, community kids’ craft activities, adding a new whale species to my whale ‘sightings list’ (a minke!), working on drawings for my calendar and getting to volunteer again with Straitwatch.

It’s felt like I haven’t had too much time to process everything that has been happening as I have been moving focus from one project to the next. This is why that day helping Straitwatch stood out for me this summer. Not just because I was able to connect with the team and support this important work (and get to see whales) but because it was a day that absolutely BUCKETED rain! I don’t know about you, but summer rain is one of those special things that make me feel refreshed and recharged. Because of the weather, it ended up being a fairly quiet day on the water for vessels. Surrounded with fog and dripping with rain we kept a watchful eye on a distant pod of Bigg’s killer whales as they forged the coastline of Salt Spring Island. As boats passed we checked in with them, let them know about the orca and asked them maintain a safe distance/alter course so as not to interfere with them. We stayed back much further than needed so as to give the whales as much space as possible. Blanketed with fog, soaking with rain, the majesty of seeing their stark fins break the surface and the white puffs of breath reminded me of why I love to create art about these mysterious and wonderful creatures. It was also a good reminder to slow down and rest in nature. I thought you might want to see a few photos, so I will include some here for you (taken with a telephoto lens). I hope you enjoy them too.

2026 POSTCARD CALENDAR

My most recent project has been working on a 2026 postcard calendar called ‘Whale Dreams’. I am almost ready to print, so I am taking pre-orders until Sept 15. If you would like to read more about it, please click here for images and info. If you would like to pre-order a calendar and pick it up locally in Victoria, please send me a message directly. If you want one mailed to you, please order through my online shop.

Coming Up: Apple Day At Sea Cider

I will be participating again this year at the Apple Day event at Sea Cider in Saanichton. This family friendly event is the perfect way to celebrate the beginning of fall: cozy up, wander the orchard, check out the local artisan booths and enjoy a class of cider. Sunday September 28 from 11-4.

Drawing Under the Salish Sea & Upcoming Activities/Events

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Life gets busy and its easy to forget to pay attention to what we see—especially when it comes to nature. We see things we’ve seen before and automatically catalogue an object or creature, ticking a check box in our mind. Seen it.

This is the big hurdle when it comes to drawing from life: trying to teach your brain to slow down and try to look at something with fresh eyes, like its something you’ve never seen before. If you take time to draw what you see, as you see it in front of you, you will discover so much about it! Trust me, your brain and eyes will thank you for doing this. We humans are curious creatures, so do yourself a favoure and indulge yourself in watching nature.

I was recently asked to instruct a scientific drawing workshop supported by a grant from Early Career Ocean Professionals Canada (ECOP)…..which is why I found myself with an amazing group of curious humans at the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea last Monday. This grant provided the opportunity, support and tools to offer this workshop, making it accessible and inviting to people who consider themselves early in an ocean-related career/studying ocean-related fields/interested in learning about our local marine ecosystems.

Photos from the Observational Drawing Workshop

Photo credit: Rosie Poirier & Natasha van Netten

My heart-felt thanks to Rosie Poirier , ECOP Canada, the Victoria Foundation and the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea for making this event possible.

Upcoming Events

Watercolour Animal Pop-Ups Workshop: Saturday Sept 20

This quirky and whimsical workshop is inspired by historical zoological illustrations, such as those from the Encyclopedia of Nature, where the images are created in layers that you can lift to discover the anatomy inside. We will use watercolour, collage, drawing and paper cutting during this workshop. Happening at the Vancouver Island School of Art, downtown Victoria.

For more information and to register, click here
(it’s already over half full)

Cadboro Bay Fest: Sunday August 10

Come check out the live music, community drumming, delicious food, engaging kids’ crafts, and informative interactive booths! Connect with ocean sports enthusiasts, learn about marine wildlife and discover how you can enjoy and support our oceans. 
If you know any young humans, bring them by to the craft tent! I have prepared a fun craft activity and will be facilitating it between 11am-3pm.

This is a FREE, family-friendly event 🙂 Find more info here

Ucluelet Market: Sunday August 31

At the end of August I will be participating in the Ucluelet Sunday Market. If you are in the area, come by and check it out! There will be loads of amazing vendors, live music, food and it in such a beautiful location 🙂 10am-2pm

For more info, click here.

Field Sketching & Summer Activities

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A couple weeks ago I found myself somewhere new (for me). I was on Galiano Island, instructing a field sketching workshop to a class of students. But they weren’t art students… they were a university class studying marine biology..

Ferry switch at Mayne Island (BTW this is my favourite way to commute)

If you have spent any time around me, you’ve likely heard me talking about the importance of drawing. It’s good for our mental health, increases our observation skills, develops empathy, enhances our memory and can help connect us to nature. It is also practical (not that those other points aren’t practical). Have you tried explaining something complicated to someone—like the directions to a secret beach or your plans for how you are going to build a cupboard—and you find yourself searching for the words and end up grabbing a pencil and sketching something on a scrap of paper. Drawing is important for communicating. This is where science comes in. Art and science have been closely linked for hundreds of years because there is a need to be able to communicate visually as well as through words.

So I found myself ferry hopping my way to Galiano Island. I am so grateful to have been invited to lead this workshop to a group of marine biology students. A large part of their program involves maintaining an active field journal, where they record their observations and include sketches of the organisms they observe. During our time together I shared a slide show about the connection between art and science, provided them with practical tips for observational drawing and offered support as the students spent the afternoon exploring the low tide and documenting their observations. This was such an uplifting day for me—spending time doing what I love, talking about subjects I care about and hopefully encouraging a desire in these future researchers to spend time drawing. Despite the easily accessible phone cameras in our pockets, no technology has been able to replace the quality and clarity of field sketching, which is why it is so exciting to see these students spending time to build and develop observational drawing skills.

Waiting for the ferry & doing a little field sketching myself
Active Pass
I picked up a butter clam shell on the beach to draw on the ferry

Also, not pictured here: 5-6 orcas that I saw on the ferry ride home. A perfect ending to the day! (and the students saw them the following day)

Thank you Dr Z. for inviting me to take over your class for the afternoon!

Upcoming Events

This Sunday, June 8th . . . . . . . . . . . The Cook Street Village Block Party
First up, and coming up fast, is this super fun event happening in Cook Street Village. I am thrilled to be joining an amazing group of local artists and makers. At my booth you will find my sweater whales, wire whales, prints etc. and I have 100 special humpback tail postcards that I will be GIVING AWAY! So come by to pick one up 🙂 You will also find a variety of food and bevy vendors, music performances, a magic show and the “Fastest Dog in Cook Street” races.
For more info, click here.

Tuesday, July 1st . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gorge on Art at the Canada Day Gorge Picnic
This is a super fun, family orientated event full of celebration, patriotism, pancakes, strawberry cheese cake, street hockey, a community parade, vintage cars, food, music, a lot of art and more! Here is a list of the artists participating this year. And here is more info on the Canada Day Picnic event.

Saturday, July 19th . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The AGGV Paint In
I am honoured to be participating in the Paint In again! Did you know, this is one of the largest art festivals of its kind in Canada? It’s true! This event features artists, activities, music, food and fun lining the length of Moss Street, from the gallery to the ocean. This beloved festival draws 50,000 visitors annually to explore art along Moss Street and brings Vancouver Island artists together in celebration of art! For more information, click here.

September TBA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a workshop at the Vancouver Island School of Art
Oh! Something very fresh is cooking up for the fall. I have an exciting watercolour workshop brewing. Here are a few hints: sciency…. small creatures… whimsical… cutaways. Details will be coming out when VISA publishes their fall schedule. These workshops tend to fill up fast, so if you want me to send you an email when it goes live—let me know. I can add you to my workshop notification email list. Just send me a quick message on my Contact Form and let me know.

Sointula Art Shed Residency: Week Four

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Things are wrapping up now as we have come to the end of the fourth week. The main change is that I have stopped painting (to let it dry a little before we leave) and reorganized the studio for non-painting activities. The first thing I wanted to do, now that my little linocut orcas have had time to dry, was to cut them out. For this project my goal was to create an installation that counted the Northern Resident killer whale population. Up until this point, I have created multiple works about the Southern Resident killer whale population, which currently numbers 73 individuals. I have been wondering about the Northern Resident population and finally had the time to do some digging. Thanks to my amazing marine biologist friends and their engagement with this project—I learned that the Northern Resident population is more challenging to update because it is a larger population and it can be longer between sightings. Based on the most recent photo ID census (2023) the best population estimate is 345 individuals. The final artwork has some prints that are lighter and some that are darker, this is to reference the fact that this number could be changing without human knowledge. I also added some extra orcas as the number is based on data from a couple years ago. I am not going to tell you how many I added (I don’t even know… and that’s the point).

I have also been working on a series of gouache paintings to donate to MERS’s annual fundraiser auction. Gouache is similar to watercolour, but has an opaque and velvety finish. I have been spending a lot of time thinking about whales as individuals and I wanted to make something that focused on this. I am grateful for access to the MERS Humpback ID Catalogue, which was such a helpful resource for this project, and assistance by MERS staff in choosing which individuals to paint (three of the ‘regulars’ that are often seen along the north island: one with a mainly white tail, one with a mainly black tail and one with a tail that is a mix).

First layer of gouache
Adding more layers
Close-up of details

Click here to view these paintings on the MERS auction website. You can also visit the main auction page and view all the items (including two more of my donations). And here is a page with information about MERS and what the funds are used for, how the auction works and bidding tips. The auction will be live from April 10-13.

BCY0729, AKA “Argonaut”
BCZ0339, AKA “Inukshuk”
BCX1566, AKA “Stitch”

It was also time to change the installation in the front window of the art shed. I left the most complicated installation for last. It took about two hours to install “Feeding Giants”, an installation I created for the Yukon Art Centre in 2021. Other than prepping this artwork in my kitchen, this is the first time I have installed it. I am so glad I had left detailed notes/diagrams in the box for the gallery, as they proved very helpful! This installation depicts humpback whales participating in a cooperative feeding strategy called ‘bubble net feeding’. The artwork shows the various states simultaneously, focusing on the visual pattern and activity that happens hidden below the surface of the water. I learned a lot while I was researching and working on this project. For example, did you know that when the whales swim around the fish and make their bubble net, they always swim in clockwise rotations?

On Saturday I hosted an Open Studio inside the art shed. It was such a lovely opportunity to visit with people, show them what I have been up to and share whale tales. I full of gratitude to this warm community for being so welcoming and taking time to come look at my art. It was a good way to start wrapping up for my time here at the Sointula Art Shed and processing the past month. It was also a good excuse for me to tidy up the space and take a little time to step back, look at the work and consider which direction I might want to continue to work on at home.

Matt arrived on Wednesday—which was the best part of this week! It has been wonderful to have this time together at the end of the residency and we have enjoyed kayaking between studio sessions. I am so grateful for this time to relax my mind and spend time in nature.

We saw this rainbow-puff-cloud appear and disappear the other evening as we walked along Bere Point.

Thank you so much to Kerri, Tyler & Teddy for the opportunity to do this residency and for your warmth, kindness and wonderful conversations. It has been such a joy to get to spend this time focusing on art, looking for whales and exploring this magical part of the world ♡ 

Sointula Art Shed Residency: Week Three

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I have one week left here at the Sointula Art Shed Residency and I feel like since the halfway point, time has really started to pick up speed. If I had to pick a theme for this past week, I think it would be: relationships.

The week began over a lovely visit with Kerri, co-director of the Sointula Art Shed Residency, and Jai Sallay-Carrington, a ceramic sculptor who was also doing an art residency in Sointula. It was great to chat art and share stories before Jai went back to Vancouver.

On Monday I decided to go for a walk and I ended up talking with a man about his large wood pile. This man’s name is Stewart Marshall. I mentioned that I was staying at the artist residency and he said he likes to make art on kayaking trips. One thing lead to another and he asked if I would like to see the wooden kayaks he built. We walked down through his garden to a large wooden outbuilding. When my eyes adjusted to the darkened interior I realized I had just stepped into a magical world. A beautifully crafted kayak was propped up in the middle of the building. It was 23 feet long and had gorgeous inlay work. Stewart showed me the two hatches. One was for him and was big enough that he could sleep comfortably inside (at sea!). There was even a plexi window so that he could see under the water. The other hatch was for his art supplies. Then he brought me to a cozy room in the corner of the building and flipped through a book that documented his work and his travels. He would head out kayaking in the spring and come back in the fall—his objective: to paint. I felt like I was talking with a member of the Group of Seven. His work so poetically captured the pure wildness of the places he visited. We both enjoyed our unexpected meeting. I am a quiet person but often when traveling during residencies I have found myself wishing I spoke the national language and could interact with people I met. That’s what I was thinking about before striking up a conversation about a wood pile… a good reminder to be open in life. Maybe you have already heard about Stewart. There are some articles online and an interesting documentary that he directed me to that I highly recommend watching. Here is a link.

The next day my parents came over for a little visit! This is there first time visiting me at an artist residency, and my first time having visitors. As I was preparing for them I received a text that there were orca in the area, so I quickly finished what I was doing, packed my camera and headed for the beach to watch for whales and wait for the ferry to arrive. No orca. I enjoyed showing mom and dad the cottage that I am staying in and then we went for a walk down the road to Rough Bay. When we came back I showed them around the studio and what I have been working on over the past few weeks. After lunch we walked back down to the ferry dock to say good bye. As I was heading back I was sure I saw a couple blows, so I ran home, got the binoculars, then ran back to the beach. Nothing. Later that evening I received another text that orcas were rounding the point on the far side of town. *phew* These whale alerts are keeping me active! I stayed till it got too dark to see. Oh, and I made friends with a dog who also wanted to see orcas. Its at least nice to know that whales are around, even if I don’t see them.

The rest of the week involved lots of studio time, looking for whales and two long beach walks. I also changed the installation in the Window Gallery! Here are a few pictures.

The week ended with a lovely forest walk with Kerri and her son. They wanted to show me “The Big Tree”. Based on the name, I already had grand expectations before setting out, but I was not disappointed! It’s hard to capture scale on a camera (and even in person sometimes), so please just take my word for it, this tree is massive.

Thank you for reading my musings of the week and coming along on this journey. Matt comes back in a few days to join me for the remainder of the month, which I am very excited about! It’s been strange being here by myself, but it has heightened my awareness of the time I spend with people and the gratitude I have for spontaneous conversations.

Sointula Art Shed Residency: Week Two

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Today closes week two of my residency here on Malcolm Island at the Sointula Art Shed and officially marks the halfway point of my time here. This week I have been able to get some solid studio time and I’m starting to feel like I’m gaining momentum on my residency projects. The weather has been gloriously unsettled, swinging from golden sunshine, to melting-grey clouds, pouring rain and even hail. It must be spring! Even though I have only been here two weeks, there is already a visible difference in the plants. Leaves are budding and little flowers are popping up everywhere!

Me taking advantage of a studio where I can pin things to the all and leave projects on go

I started the week by working on a project about counting the Northern Resident killer whales (as seen in the image above, hanging from the horizontal lines). I am representing each member in this pod by making a linocut orca print… this work is still in progress and I am now in the problem-solving stage trying to figure out how I want it to all come together.

Someone recently gave me some mylar charts and before I left for the residency I dry mounted pieces of it to shaped matboard offcuts. This combination has turned out to be quite an inspiring surface for oil painting. I am working on a series of small paintings based on my experiences of seeing whales exhale and the way light often catches their blows. The surface of mylar is velvety and smooth—lending itself perfectly for the removal of paint. So, in away, these are anti-paintings because the subject matter is represented by a physical absence.

Yesterday I hopped on a ferry to Port McNeill and instructed a workshop inside the office of the Marine Education & Research Society (MERS). I wanted to do this workshop as a way to connect with the community and also to help support the important conservation work MERS. Three lovely researches were there to help set up for the event and offer whale knowledge during the workshop. The main theme of the workshop was to not make perfect drawings but rather I wanted people to think about the individuality and quirkiness of whales. And yes, apparently there are whales out there with some pretty hilarious underbites—point made! We began by making blind contour drawings of whales, finished it by using pieces of cedar as drawing instruments, and did a bunch of projects in the middle. My heartfelt thanks to MERS for being such welcoming hosts and to each of the 11 participants that made this afternoon special.

Before installing
WHALEFALL during the day
WHALEFALL during the night

And this brings us up to today! This morning I installed my first of a series of three artworks that I will be displaying inside the Window Gallery that is adjacent to the studio. This is now the fourth time that I have exhibited WHALEFALL, and every time it looks different because it is comprised of a collection of individual orca sculptures that need to be assembled and disassembled. Depending on the size of the plinth, the shape of the artwork changes, but also the amount of orcas is slowly growing. I had to add four orca since I last showed it in June of last year. This installation shows all of the Southern Resident killer whales that have passed away since we started counting and naming them in the 1970’s. There are now 147 orcas. I don’t know if this link will work, but I made a video showing the setup with me talking about this installation (probably the most high tech thing I’ve ever done): WHALEFALL video. You may have to unmute it by clicking the symbol at the bottom.

This is a view from the beach that only takes 2 minutes to walk to from my studio

Okay, I think I will leave it there for now. Thank you so much for reading along.