Finding inspiration while everyone else is asleep! July 2026 update

That's me, standing high above Farwell Canyon in B.C.'s Chilcotin with my painting, Standing Strong. There were no moose in the area, so I brought my own!

Happy Canada Day, everyone! June was a good month for me: I sold a lot of paintings! I also led a workshop in a brand-new city and found time to gather some artistic inspiration. Read all about it in this month's update.

In this update:

• Finding inspiration on a cool, calm lake while everyone else is asleep

• A fulfilling workshop painting bears in Williams Lake!

• I painted Boobs! A dog named Boobs, that is

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Kayaking on beautiful, calm Hathaway Lake fills me with artistic inspiration...as you'll read below.

Finding inspiration on a cool, calm lake while everyone else is asleep

The early morning air was cool, the lake beneath my kayak as smooth as polished glass under a pale-blue sky. In the air, I smelled the faint aroma of pine needles. On the shore, I saw a deer folded in on itself and sleeping, its tawny sides rising and falling with each breath. From afar, a loon’s haunting call floated over the water.

It was 6 a.m. on June 25, and my husband and I were paddling on Hathaway Lake, in British Columbia’s Cariboo. One hour earlier, my bed had been warm and comfortable, but now that I was on the lake, I couldn’t imagine a better place to be or a better way to explore the lake.

The discoveries didn’t end with the deer. Paddling close to a tree that had fallen in the lake years earlier, we disturbed a juvenile bald eagle. The eagle, more than two feet tall, fixed us with his yellow, gimlet eye, decided we were too close and took flight toward a higher perch.

Farther up the shore, Great Blue Herons ate breakfast, their heads lashing toward the water with stunning speed and returning with flopping, desperate fish. One heron decided the spot should be his alone, and chased off the other, smaller herons. The heron flapped his blue-grey wings — a span of more than six feet — and uttered guttural, prehistoric cries. The smaller herons fled to the tops of nearby trees to sit and mutter in a language only they could understand.

When the need for coffee intruded, we paddled reluctantly back to our campsite. For me, the best part of the day was over, but most of our fellow campers hadn’t even woken up yet. That’s often the case: the best hours of the day, the hours that fill me with artistic inspiration, are in the quiet, calm time before the rest of the world has gotten out of bed.

What art will I create as a result of my early morning paddle last week? I haven’t decided. But you can bet that in coming months, you will see paintings that feature herons, juvenile bald eagles and maybe even sleeping deer. That’s just how my mind works.

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Here I am with the participants in my June workshop in Williams Lake. They all did a great job and had fun while learning!

A fulfilling workshop painting bears in Williams Lake!

In mid-June, I travelled to Williams Lake, B.C. to lead a workshop at The Station House Gallery.

Williams Lake was a new workshop destination for me, and it turned out to be a good one. The painters were keen, the location was ideal and the afternoon flew by. I even had fun exploring the city. I’m looking forward to going back one day to lead more workshops.

I thought you might be interested to read the feedback some of the workshop participants provided. Not to brag, but to show you how some of them felt:

I enjoyed [the workshop] very much. I look forward to taking part in another class. I appreciate you taking time to help and encourage others to feel free to just paint. — Shelley

Thanks for all your encouragement and advice. I really enjoyed the workshop. — Janice

I loved the workshop. I’ve mentioned it to a few of my art society cronies and we’re interested in you giving us another class. — Anne

As you can see, the participants got a lot out of the workshop, and I'm grateful they provided such positive feedback. If you have a group of people who are interested in taking a painting workshop — whether they’ve painted before or not — please get in touch. I love to teach and it’s wonderful to meet new people who love art as much as I do!

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The folks who ultimately received the painting commission I did of Boobs, their recently departed puppy. It was an honour to paint Boobs.

I painted Boobs! A dog named Boobs, that is

In early June, I was invited to give a short talk to a senior’s group in Scotch Creek, B.C.

I was nervous, but I shouldn’t have been: The seniors were a great bunch of folks who were engaged and interested to hear about my life and my history as an artist. They asked lots of questions about how I paint, why and how I choose my subjects and much more. One fellow, a man named Keith, asked me if I painted commissions of pets. Well yes! Of course I do!

One thing led to another and I was soon working on a painting of a small dog named Boobs that had recently gone over the rainbow bridge. He was a cute dog with a lot of personality and I enjoyed painting him.

I presented the painting to Keith, who was quite moved. He, in turn, presented the painting to Boobs’ owners in Manitoba a few days later. They loved it!

What fun it is and what an honour it is to do pet commissions. If you’re interested in one, just let me know!

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Thank you for reading my update newsletter! Get in touch if you have questions, feedback or want to talk.