9” x 12” Acrylic on canvas

Johnstone Strait is a 110km long channel on the north east side of Vancouver Island roughly from just south of Kelsey Bay to about Hanson Island to the north. This stretch of the coast is devoid of civilization, its frigid dark green waters are almost always rough, viewing its steep fjords and untouched wildlife is like going back in time. Common sights in the strait are tugs pulling log booms south or logging equipment to new sites, commercial fish boats putzing from here to there, whale watching boats zipping up and down and everywhere, and of course orcas. Spend enough time in the waters of Johnstone Strait and you’re sure to spot a pod of orcas cruising along, these sightings never get old. I tagged along as a baby as my parents commercially fished salmon in the strait. As a young man spent a couple summers as a deckhand for my grandfather on the Lynn Marie and I’ve commuted hundreds of times through the strait to and from our family homestead at Port Neville.

Here I wanted to depict a few whales coming up for a breath and a look around as they make their way north on a rare glassy day under misty skies.

Piece will be shipped within 5 business days.