Lavender Moon, In Bliss, Orca Current. Water Chi, Octopus from the Stars.

My Sea series are painted from beloved experiences boating on and living by our Island waters. Most experiences are unexpected surprising in the moment, timeless in quality, thrilling in memory.

One whale encounter a few years ago while on our trawler DreamTime we slowed to a sloppy stop as two kayakers approached with a swimmer between all Singing chanted song that felt ancient. What alerted me was just behind them a small orcas was clearly following them on their watery course! As they neared I called to them a whale was following them. They stopped their song to respond saying they knew and they were sing their whale song and this is how it is to be with them. Later I learned this young indigenous women was swimming round our island to celebrate newly erected totem poles on their land on Salt Spring Island.

Another amazing experience was with a wildlife friend in her small open skiff. We speeding through Samson Narrows in dazzling summer light, I spy orcas’ fast approaching us, they surfacing close, breaching and playfully thrilling in the fast current and sparkly waters. We quickly stopped our motor bobbing in the turbulent sea as a half dozen mighty whales charged past us scooping up the excitement in full purpose truely in blissful swim to some destination beyond.

Our seas around Salt Spring Island are varied. The Narrows to the south west offers incredibly deep depths. So deep it’s a natural habitat for octopus some the largest in the world. Rarely surfacing, it’s the stories that gift us sight. However recently a large tentacle mass was found on a quiet shore near by my active imagination conjures a painting or two.