The Feeling of the Place

These two chairs have been here for decades; as long as I can recall anyway.

The story goes that a man was asked by his wife to get rid of the blue Aidrondack chair he’d built for a previous girlfriend, and so he decided to put it out on the rock at Kitty Islet to look over the view of Trial Island and the Olympic mountain range beyond. When it was destroyed by the weather and time, the community was upset, and so he decided to build chair another to replace it; this time he painted it red. Soon after, another family attempted to restore the original blue chair, but found they couldn’t, so they built a replacement. Then, there were two.

I’ve been back to this spot several times over the years. I’ve noted these chairs coming and going. There was a yellow one there too, for a while. I recall the temporary absence of the blue one. I am not sure who is taking care of them, but they’ve been there long enough I don’t think it’s just one person. They are now part of the landscape. When one needs work, the community can’t accept this landscape without them, and someone rises to the occasion, or so I presume.

It’s hard not to ascribe human qualities to these chairs; to imagine them as an old couple, comfortably in love, relaxed and looking out at the sea. Nearly everyone in town knows them.

Links to purchase the original 30×40″ acrylic on canvas painting and prints are available here.

Summit park is a meadow at the top of a hill, populated by long grasses, ferns, bedrock and garry oak trees. It’s a little oasis I’m lucky enough to leave near by. You can walk through the whole thing in a few minutes, but even though it’s right in the middle of Victoria it’s a place that offers a feeling of seclusion in nature. This painting is based on a photo gazing through the trees, towards the Northwest.

The original 30×40″ acrylic on canvas painting is available here.

Coming out of the woods and into the meadow, we were greeted with a field of purple, indigo, and blue camas, under the watchful authority of garry oak trees and exposed ancient bedrock further uphill. It was a rich bounty for the eyes. These plants in bloom were so colourful, it felt decadent.

Prints, cards, and the orignal 18×24″ Acrylic on Canvas Painting are available here:
https://thefeelingoftheplace.com/portfolio/camas-in-bloom-at-uplands-park/

I can’t help but to be aware of my insignificance in the Rocky Mountains. The mountains themselves are so immense, but that’s not what makes me feel small and vulnerable. The skies are in constant flux – it’s hard to know what’s coming, and never feels wise to get comfortable with the current weather. The summer is short, and seeing flowers in bloom on a hillside is a special occasion. This terrain is so imposing, so majestic and so grand. I am a guest here so long as my host is willing to be hospitable, but when I leave, it will take no notice. This place, where the mountains meet the skies, is preoccupied in the relentless choreography it has been dancing for millennia.

Giclee prints on paper are available here.