I love to paint foxes...do you want to know why? April 2026 update
- Apr 1
- 4 min read
March was a busy month for me. Lots of planning, lots of painting and lots of workshop preparation. Let's see what I’ve been up to lately!
In this update:
The rain-soaked story of why I love to paint foxes
Another art workshop complete and more coming up!
New work: Siblings!
The rain-soaked story of why I love to paint foxes
A few days ago, I hung three paintings of foxes in our local brewery.
Why foxes, you might wonder? Don't I usually paint bears, moose and bighorn sheep?
My love for foxes goes back to a hike my husband and I went on in August 2017. We were hiking the Spurwink Island Path on the East Coast Trail in Newfoundland, which leads to the Berry Arch.
We had been hiking on different legs of the East Coast Trail for several days, and the weather had been great. But on this day, it rained. And when I say it rained, I mean it poured. Like I had never seen before, and like I would not see again until a memorable storm a few years later in Hilo, Hawaii.
There are no words in the English language to describe how wet we were. Soaked, sopping, drenched…none of those words really fits. Yet we were serious hikers! We soldiered on, even as our trail became more of a waterfall than a path. Worst of all, with all the water it became hard to see the ground and stay upright. I fell down several times, never getting seriously hurt, but definitely getting wetter and muddier.
Eventually, we reached our limit. We turned back without reaching the famous arch. I felt bad about giving up, but there was really nothing else we could do.
On our way back to the trailhead we emerged from the woods onto a big head — a piece of land that juts out over the ocean. We stopped for a minute to take in the savage beauty of the Atlantic shoreline, the waves crashing far below us, the sky leaden and menacing. It was strangely beautiful.
We were nearly ready to carry on when I turned around and saw a small, red fox walk out of the woods. I nudged my husband. “Look at that!” We stood in silence, watching the little critter. He didn’t seem frightened and eventually I asked him, “well, are you going to move or are we?” The fox responded by sitting on his haunches and licking himself. Clearly, he was comfortable with us and with the nasty weather.
We finally resumed our sodden hike, but only after I made sure my husband took a photo of the fox.
When we got back to British Columbia, I painted the fox. In fact, I painted it twice! That’s how much I loved it. That fox was not one of the three I put in the brewery last week, but it certainly inspired those paintings.
And now you know why I love to paint foxes so much! What about you — do you love foxes like I do? You can see a few of mine here, on my website.
Another art workshop complete and more coming up!
In late March I led an art workshop named Spring Is For The Birds in Invermere, B.C. As the name suggests, the workshop was all about painting birds. I had a dozen keen participants, and as you can see in the photo above, they all did a great job! They were full of energy and enthusiasm and it showed in their paintings.
I’m leading another workshop focused on birds on April 18 at the Social District in Scotch Creek, B.C. This one is named Welcome Back The Birds of Spring and I would love to see you there! Information and registration are available here, on my website.
Looking a little into the future, I’m planning to hold one or two workshops in Williams Lake, B.C. in June. I’m still working on the details and I’ll keep you posted when I know more. If you’re going to be in that area, it would be great if you could join me!
New work: Siblings!
Last month I previewed a new group of paintings I was working on. They’re finished now and I thought you might like to have a look at them.
Playtime
Playtime captures the wild, boundless energy of siblings lost in their own world. These cubs are climbing, tumbling and testing boundaries, like kids who lose track of time when they’re together. It celebrates those noisy, joyful childhood moments.
Sneaky
Every family has a “sneaky one” (I won’t say who it was in my family…). In this painting, a mischievous cub pauses mid‑adventure, caught between “I shouldn’t…” and “I already did.” It’s a playful nod to childhood games and secrets brothers and sisters share.
You First
This painting is all about that moment siblings share when someone has to go first — but neither wants to admit they’re nervous. It’s a little story of courage, trust, and the comfort of knowing your brother or sister is right beside you.
Which cub feels most like the siblings in your life? Can you see one of these paintings having a home with you or with your friends and family? Let me know!
Thank you for reading my update newsletter! Get in touch if you have questions, feedback or want to talk.
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