I've gone off-grid — will it change my art? May 2026 update
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
What happened to April? One minute I was looking at snow out the window, and the next I was digging out my shorts because it was getting too hot! Crazy weather. Let's see what I was up to during all of that.
In this update:
Going off-grid and how it feeds and inspires my art
Continuing a great workshop season
On my easel: Two cheeky bears!
Going off-grid and how it feeds and inspires my art
If you’ve been reading my newsletters for a while, you know how much I like being outdoors. I love to hike, I love to camp and I love to get close to nature.
In April, I went one step further: I relocated to my off-grid getaway, Timid Turtle Pond. Which is where I’m sending this newsletter from!
Timid Turtle Pond is a wonderful place, surrounded by trees, meadows and mountains. The pond is home to dozens of species of birds and on sunny days, its shores are covered with basking Western Painted Turtles. I even see the occasional fish or muskrat swim by. Deer meander through the fields and the other morning I saw a moose! We have hiking trails to walk on, a dock to get close to the water and even a stream through the forest. At night we fall asleep to a chorus of frogs croaking, and in the morning we awake to a symphony of birds chirping.
The things Timid Turtle Pond does not have are electricity, running water or a sewer system. For the last few years, my husband and I have been building (with a little help from others) off-grid amenities to make life here easier. So far, we’ve built a bunkie (a cosy little cabin) with a loft and a wood-burning fireplace, a cookhouse, a storage shed, a bathroom with a composting toilet and a deck that overlooks the pond. Our power is solar, and each year we get a little more comfortable living here. Honestly, it’s less like camping now than it is like simply living in the country.
But how does living off-grid affect my art? I’m happy to say I find it inspiring, and I still find time to paint while we’re working on our endless list of projects. Last year I painted a lot of birds while I was at the pond. Why not? I was surrounded by birds and it seemed natural. Most of those paintings have sold already, so I’m thinking of working on another set this year.
What do you think? Could you live off-grid? If you did, what would be your favourite part?
Continuing a great workshop season
So far this year I’ve held some great workshops. The most recent was in April, when I held a workshop on painting birds in Scotch Creek, B.C. It was a lot of fun and the participants created some really nice birds.
My next workshops will be held in Williams Lake, B.C., in mid-June. I don’t have all the details yet, but I’m planning to hold two workshops in two days (yikes!) at the Station House Gallery. As soon as I know more I’ll let you know. Who knows, you might want to make a weekend of it, painting and exploring a wonderful part of British Columbia!
On my easel: Two cheeky bears!
I love to paint bears, which will come as no surprise if you have ever browsed through my Wild Essence collection.
In April, I started working on two new bears. These bears are cheeky fellows, with knowing expressions and mischief in their hearts. (Perhaps they're working out how to steal your picnic basket!)
I still have a lot of work to do on my new bears, but I thought you might like a sneak-peek of them in development. I’ll be adding a few more bears like these ones as well in coming weeks, so stay tuned.
Each painting is 9 x 12, so they're easy to fit into any room to which you'd like to add a touch of colour and whimsy. If you’d like me to put one aside to add to your collection, just get in touch!
Thank you for reading my update newsletter! Get in touch if you have questions, feedback or want to talk.
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