Looking back...and looking ahead! January 2026 update
- Diana Skelhorne
- Jan 1
- 7 min read
Updated: Jan 2
Well, hello! It has been a little while since we’ve chatted. It wasn’t because I didn’t want to — it’s because, once again, I’ve been busy and away. You might wonder if I’m ever home. Believe me, I wonder the same thing from time to time. But it’s all good!
In this update:
My highlights from 2025: Wildlife, art, travel and adventure
New Work: Gotcha and Something in the Air
Join my Art Level Up series
My highlights from 2025
Like most years, 2025 was a blur. So many things to do, so many places to visit, so many people to see.
It’s easy to forget all the good things that happen in a year. To help, I’ve put together lists of my highlights — my wildlife highlights, my art highlights and my travel and adventure highlights. For each area I’ve chosen four memorable moments. Why four? Because it makes a nice collage. Enjoy!
Wildlife highlights
The day of six bears
This summer I was canoeing on a lake in the Cariboo. We were cruising along a quiet shoreline when we heard rustling in the brush. A bear! We were excited to see the bear; he was less excited to see us. He huffed and puffed and ran away. That alone would have made my day, but soon after that we saw another bear, then another. In all, we saw six bears that day, all along the same quiet shoreline. Amazing!
The moose that walked through our tent
It was 1 a.m. on a dark, still night. My husband and I were sleeping in our tiny tent beside a lake on the Bowron Lake Circuit after a full day of paddling. Until our sleep was disturbed by a distant grunting, huffing and splashing noise. What was that? The noises got louder and louder, and it was clear they were approaching our tent. Should we get out? Was it a bear? Did we have bear spray? The noises peaked only inches from our tent, then gradually faded as whatever it was moved down the lake. We lay in the dark, our hearts beating fast. It took a long time to get back to sleep. In the morning we found moose tracks just a few feet from our tent. Exciting. But somewhat terrifying.
All the wildlife I see in Radium
One of the best parts of living in Radium Hot Springs is the wildlife. Every day when I go for my morning walk I can count on seeing some sort of wildlife: wild turkeys, woodpeckers, flickers, deer and, my favourite, Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep. I always take time to stop and talk to the wildlife, though they don’t always talk back. Many times the wildlife I see on my walks makes its way into my art, which makes it even more special.
Visiting goats in Morocco
OK, the goats I visited in Morocco were not wildlife, but I loved them all the same. We were in a bus, driving along the highway just outside of Agadir, when we saw a herd of goats…standing in a tree? Yes, half a dozen goats were standing on the branches of a tree while many more goats stood beneath the tree with a goatherd. We stopped and spent a few minutes with the goats, taking photos and petting them. The goats didn’t seem to mind — in fact, I think they liked it! I wanted to take a goat home with us, but my husband somehow talked me out of it.
Art highlights
Running workshops in Invermere
This year I ran three workshops at the Pynelogs Cultural Centre in Invermere. All of them went really well, and it was great to meet and paint with so many keen artists.
Painting with friends and family at Timid Turtle Pond
I didn’t confine myself to painting at workshops, of course. One of the great highlights of my year was painting at Timid Turtle Pond. And I was pleased to be joined by friends and family in painting. It’s one thing to paint in a studio, where the conditions are controlled. It’s quite another to paint outdoors, where a gust of wind can carry away half of your supplies or a sudden rainstorm can dampen your efforts.
My month-long show at Pynelogs
This summer, I took part in a month-long art show in Invermere. It was a great opportunity to share my Wild Essence series with a wider audience. I also included several members of the flock from my Little Birds series. And while the show was running I started painting one of my newest paintings, Out of the Woods. You can see it on my website if you haven’t yet!
New collectors and display locations
This year a number of new collectors took my art home with them. I’m so grateful to each of them for their confidence in my work. I also expanded the number of locations where you can see my art. I’m now in two locations in Radium Hot Springs: Radium Brewing and Funky Junk Stained Glass and More. I’m also in two locations in Invermere: the Invermere Veterinary Hospital and the Lifepath Dental Centre.
Travel and adventure highlights
Canoeing the Bowron Lake Circuit
Have you ever been absolutely, utterly alone? When I canoed the Bowron Lake Circuit with my husband this year I got a taste of what that feels like. Several times on the circuit we found ourselves camped next to beautiful lakes with no other human beings, no connectivity, no structures. Just water, mountains, trees and sky. And the silence — so deep it was deafening at times. It made me feel very small, very alone and very vulnerable. Which may sound like a strange highlight for my year, but it really was.
Walking through the market in Taroudant, Morocco
The market in Taroudant was a strong contrast to the silence and simplicity of the Bowron Lake Circuit. Taroudant, a walled city in southwestern Morocco, features a large souk (market) in its historic district. When I visited the market I found myself plunged abruptly into a world teeming with sights, smells, sounds, colours and people of all description. My head swam as I navigated slowly through the narrow passages, my senses overloaded and pummelled.
Drinking coffee beside the Douro River in Porto
Is there anything better than sitting in an outdoor cafe, drinking coffee and watching people pass by? Well yes, actually there is. It’s doing all that while sitting beside the Douro River in Porto, Portugal. Which I did this year. It was wonderful, seeing all the different people, hearing the mix of languages and accents, tasting the strong coffee, smelling the smoke from nearby castanheiros (chestnut vendors) and watching the boats pass on the river.
Cooking turkey in the ground with my family
Closer to home, I was happy to host Thanksgiving once again at Timid Turtle Pond. As we always do, we cooked turkey in the ground, building a big fire in our pit, waiting until a thick bed of white-hot coals was built, then locking the foil-clad turkey in for four or five hours of cooking. And when the turkey emerged, it was, as always, juicy and flavourful. Really, there’s no better way to cook a turkey. It might not be golden brown, but it’s the best turkey you’ve ever tasted. And it was even better to do it all outdoors with so many members of my family.
My latest work
While I wasn’t travelling, I managed to finish two new paintings late last year:
Gotcha
This is a painting of one of the rams I see on my morning walks in Radium Hot Springs. To me, he has a mischievous look, as though he’s making fun of us, or letting us know that we’re not quite in on the joke. Well, the joke’s on you, Mr. Ram!
Gotcha is 9 x 12 and painted in acrylic on canvas. The original, framed painting is available for purchase on my website. Prints in a variety of sizes and media are also available.
Something in the Air
This is another of the rams I see regularly in Radium. If you visit in the fall, you will often see rams run toward ewes with their necks extended, hoping to catch a whiff of evidence that a female is ready to mate. This ram has just noticed a group of ewes walking toward him, and he is getting ready to check them out.
Something in the Air is 9 x 12 and painted in acrylic on canvas. The original, framed painting is available for purchase on my website. Prints in a variety of sizes and media are also available.
Join me in my Art Level Up series
This winter I’m offering an opportunity for you to take your painting to the next level by joining a small, weekly group at the Pynelogs Cultural Centre in Invermere for personal guidance, hands-on demonstrations, valuable feedback and support. If you’re not sure what you want to work on, don’t worry — I will be discussing each participant’s art goals with them both before and during the series.
You don’t need extensive painting experience to take part, just a willingness to jump in and work on your art. By taking part, you will build confidence, learn new art skills, push through your artistic comfort zone, achieve your art goals and, most importantly, have fun!
The series runs from January 6 to March 24, and a number of registration options are available. For more information and to register, visit my website at www.dianaskelhorne.com/workshops.
Thank you for reading my update newsletter! Get in touch if you have questions, feedback or want to talk.
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