Hawks Hollow 2002

In November of 2002, I had completed a hike around Deas Island Regional Park. Sometimes when there's a deluge of rain and the park becomes flooded, I'll still paint by using the straps of my paint bags. While I'm standing, the water dish and the watercolour trays will hang against my body. With the pad of watercolour paper in front of me; the painting is completed quite efficiently. The results are surprisingly nice and this small composition at Hawks Hollow is quite appealing.

Domesticity Doesn't Suit You Black-Eyed Susan 1993

(the ode)
I wonder sometimes when I glance at your intrepidity,
Hope your pleased and happy in your indoor land,
You posed stoically,
And one week now,
Please don't sprout legs and walk back off,
To that wildflower field,
That earth tone carpet with its lushes weave,
May satisfy you into believing,
It is the dark soil of the earth in which you came from,

I don't like seeming selfish,
But isn't all Art derived from that feeling?,
Otherwise nothing would be created,

All those wonderful paintings from your life,
Then time,
And the light,
Made even more,
Oh,
That dreaded change which is inevitable,

And on that certain morning,
Your dessicated blossoms and falling petals,
Now left that indication,
Sorry Black-Eyed Susan,
You may have faded into the bow of defeat,
But her vivid beauty on this canvas,
Still provoked a revision and immediate respect,
I will always see in my mind's eye.

Our Lodgings Near Grice Bay 2003

All the weary travellers,
Safe in this structure so sparse but practicable,
The bay is so serene,
Even the ravens call out to us in an invitation to rejoice,
On this sojourn,
With this eclectic group of artist,
We trooped all over Long Beach and the forest coves,
Agreeing later to part ways and paint,
Our visions so different,
But this Pacific Rim Park so appealing,
And the end result those works similar,
I hope all is sated,
At the highway diner we greeted again,
Our feelings of the day displayed in paint,
Meares Island has seen the tears of the disheartened,
Mighty protesters fending Meares's sanctity against those callous loggers,
The greedy only leave a selfish legacy and the savaging of that beautiful land.

Tulips and Pansies 1996

Your premier surprised my vision that morning,
When your delicate shoots sprung to life,

The soft tilled soil nurtured and hardened your inevitable arrival,

Many skunks in their black and white coats gleamed in the moon light,
Timidly leaving those plants bulbs unscathed,

And the warmth of the strengthening sun released you,
To another spring and you sprung surprisingly,

Perhaps the quarrelsome racoons had a deal with you,

To leave the artist in that dreamland space,
Within those glass enclosures some beauty,

Oh, yes I'll paint that,

I will paint anything,

For the need to express is one of the joys of life,
I would like to believe for the living,
And the feeling of those wonderful hands,
The time is now in which they will create,

Now the sumptuous petals of the tulips,
Caress the dainty; almost butterfly like ones of the pansies,

And keeping with tradition a coin for luck,

The fresh water lovingly poured,

And two weeks of your flourish for all to enjoy.

Spring Flowers of Manning Park 1997

Those early birds greeted me in a chorus of song,
Quite a fetching tribute to another early morning visitor,
I painted elsewhere but gathered and loved the selection,
Wildflower fields brimming with the wild geraniums,
Harebells,
And lupine,
Off in the distance,
Meadows shimmering with yellow buttercups,
I couldn't reach for the stream was fast moving,
The warmth of the sun would send those chills from winter back to that place unknown,
Now the butterflies and insects from their night time torpor,
Would begin to warm back to life,
On the perimeters of the meadows,
The wild deer would shyly graze,
On the sweet grasses and shepherd's purse,
And at the cabin,
My familiar glass vase made a sturdy home,
For that days harvest,
I almost worshipped and praised for their beauty,
And the painting; which soon followed.

Fruit and Veggie Station 1979

We unloaded the fixings to the kitchen tent,
Meat station waved over to the fruit and veggie ones,
The bugs paraded below the pretty wicker tables and sent,
Sweet wishes something would drop in fun,

Animals outside could smell the food,
Some squirrels would play with our minds,
The racoon would mosey on in always in a mood,
And look frightening with their dark gazes in search of a find,

Everything looked paintable one could say,
And so much to choose from but never a real labour,
That still life looked more alive today,
Accompanying the salmon and steaks with all its simple flavours,

That bay at Porteau Cove swarmed with more campers seeking fun,
Ants would line up expecting to be rewarded by someone,
Burners are all on and the cooking has just begun,
Caramelize and basting the fish and meats almost done,

While everything on this make shift party had taking place,
What hours of fun and everyones completely fed,
We will stay till the dusk shines no more light for us to trace,
This oil painting of fruit and veggie station all has been read.

Tranquility on Long Beach 1986

This open-air watercolour painting I did at Long Beach in Pacific Rim National Park is still memorable. After my long hike from one edge of the beach straight across the firm sand to nearly the other side. On exploring that area I came upon lots of sanddollars, starfish and even jelly fish; which unfortunately never made it through the last storm. One can collect shells and check out the tidal pools. For stranded fish and marine creatures, waiting for the next storm to release them back into the Pacific Ocean. The logs strewn about the higher grounds close to the forest, made a great place for me to paint and relax.