I have been fortunate through my work over the past 15 years. As a research scientist in forest ecology at UBC, and as a resource assessment coordinator in the wind energy industry, I had the opportunity to travel and develop both a scientific understanding of, and an aesthetic fascination with, the most remarkable ecosystems, landscapes, and climates of the Pacific Northwest.
The sensation of one-ness, I believe, is the most precious phenomenon. Everything is connected on some level and every religious or spiritual quest pursues this state of being and realization. For me, it is deep in the forest, on an exposed weather beaten mountain peak, or on the sea, where I feel most free, connected and alive. And it is in front of the easel where I revisit these experiences.
All the subjects I’m presenting are of the sea; visions and memories of much time spent working, sailing and kayaking in BC’s pristine and primeval archipelago – Gwaii Haanas.
KELPBull kelp are of particular interest and always draw me close. Bull kelp and giant kelp, found in relatively shallow inshore waters, can form dense forests providing shelter to many creatures. To me, kelp forests reflect the many moods and state of the sea and are a testament to the tenacity needed to endure. I see the kelp as giggling girls, passively bobbing in a gentle swell, or as mature women, mostly submerged, near horizontal in the grips of a strong tidal current.
Like the fate of spawning salmon, these glistening and vibrant forests succumb to decay and all but vanish in the winter. They remind me of the intricate complexity, delicate balance and seasonal cycles of the ocean. The vast extent, immensity and great depth of the sea often give the illusion of a stable, immutable and resilient system. However with the near extinction of the sea otter the balance of urchins, abalone, and kelp forests has been upset.
TIDE POOLS
Not many can peer into a tide pool without being completely overwhelmed by these marvels of nature and their brilliant colours. In this piece the colour has been removed, leaving these odd creatures in the utter eeriness of their subsurface world.
JELLYFISHMassive jelly fish blooms, due to over fishing and other human related activities affecting nutrients and oxygen levels, are being reported around the world. These blooms are viewed as signs of an ailing sea. One doesn’t have to be know this to be filled with wonder and a haunting sense of doom when immersed in a bloom so thick in breadth and depth its edges cannot be found.
FUTURE PERSUITS AND OCARINA I do miss the sojourns into the wild but am currently on a different path. Immersed in the age-old craft of wooden boat construction, I spend my days at the Silva Bay Shipyard School on Gabriola Island “messing about with boats”. I’m full of inspiration, anxiously waiting my next opportunity to sail north, this time in my own boat, the intrepid little ship “Ocarina”.
