Saturna Island is the Spot
They found me, working as an fine-art painter on Saturna Island. The lead photo is the cover of a video of the same title that you can see here.
It's not that I didn't want to be found. It's just that I live and work in a very secluded, lovely little island in the Salish Sea. Never heard of it? Saturna Island is a little treasure (area totals only 31 km²) and is the southern-most among the beautiful Gulf Islands near Victoria, B.C. in Canada's Pacific coast. The Gulf Islands archipelago joins with the San Juan Islands, off Washington State in the US, and continues northward into scenic lands. Check out this site to discover more about these special islands: https://southerngulfislands.com/
A Regenerative Life and Culture
Life here is naturally regenerative. Visitors come to experience island life and island time very differently from wherever they've come. It's a pleasure meeting folks who come here. Most of the time, though, I'm working at my studio, a bit away from the buzz. So, it was a big surprise to have had two requests for interviews come my way this year. The first, shown above, came my way via a videographer for The Southern Gulf Islands travel and tourism who was Interested in the special nature of the arts and artists on these islands. Other videos produced by this group are worth exploring too (link included above).. Along with the super-natural scenery, boating, and orcas that swim close to shore, the culture (visual and other arts, artisans, food, history, and community events) of these islands is worth experiencing. Each island has its own unique features, and together they offer a tapestry of diverse island life.
Art on the Gulf Islands and Saturna Island
These islands seem to attract creative folk of all sorts. Those who appreciate nature, exploration and discovery, and a bit of adventure and freshness in the lives we lead. No wonder there are many artists and many kinds of artistry on these islands. On the larger among the Gulf Islands, art galleries may centralize local artworks, but on the smaller islands, individual artists typically maintain open studios welcoming visitors.
Saturna Island, being among the smallest of the Gulf Islands has a relatively large number of diverse visual artists and artisans. You can find fine-art paintings by artists whose work is collected on and off-island, as well as, drawings, printmaking ,fabric and textile art, ceramics, wood-working, mixed-media designs
Art2Life Visits Saturna Island
Earlier in the year I was very pleasantly surprised by an interview request from Art2Life, the hugely successful international organization, headed by Nicholas Wilton, for teaching and promoting visual arts. "Why?" of all their thousands of members? I asked Nicholas during our interview. I suppose it was because he saw something different in my artwork and in my story that might be inspirational to others. The interview took place over nearly two hours and was reduced to a succinct, professionally produced video of less than 2 minutes. You can judge for yourself if it's inspirational, though I hope it is.
So Am I Famous?
Now that I've had my 15 minutes of "fame" on a small screen, I'm grateful. I'm still working away at creating the paintings I make and the life I lead. It's a large world in a small space. But my feet are itching to be travelling again soon into the even larger world. This fall, I'm leaving this beautiful island for several months to explore again in Europe, if all goes well. New grounds to explore, diverse people to meet, new discoveries , new ideas and ways of seeing, thinking, and creating.
Travel News Coming Up!
I plan to keep writing monthly columns for Creative Life News about art, creative life, and adventures in Europe. So please Stay tuned. Here's a toast to further developments in creative life!
