18” x 24” Acrylic on canvas

As mild, warm, and sunny summer weather starts to fade winter begins to tighten its grip on the coast. The rainforest slips back into grey darkness, succumbing to its annual wet fate and the ever present breezes rise to uncontrollable furies. The pacific rim is the roughest, most dangerous coastline in North America. Countless vessels and countless lives have been swallowed by her frigid waters in horrific ways giving her the name Graveyard Of The Pacific.

Yet there is still something magical about the coast in winter. When the clouds break enough for light to poke through to transform the pacific rim from her menacing demeanour to a mystical land of colour and beauty. Millions of visitors flock to her shores to bask in her glory every year. The suns light along with with rocky shores, glimmering beaches, mist and crashing waves is truly an artists playground.

One January morning I decided I wanted to paint the south end of South Chesterman beach, backed by Rosie bay, and Cox bay to the far rear. I arrived a couple hours before sunrise and walked the tideline as the gulls do before setting up my camera to wait. Little by little sunshine cleared the hillside pouring light into these bays turning the hillsides to a golden misty silhouette as waves crashed through.