I spend a lot of time in the forest these days. It’s pretty funny how I spent a big chunk of my life on sea level (literally) by living aboard a sailboat, but now I am soooo drawn to the mountains and trees. Don’t get me wrong… I still LOVE the ocean, but the calling for some elevation has been happening for a while, and now its just so much more accessible and doable being down here on the South Island (and year round). Maybe it was the feeling of such small space living that I just have such a desire to MOVE, spread my arms wide, get the blood pumping, and the air through my lungs and there is nothing quite like the vastness of a view from a little bit of altitude. Living aboard can seem like such a romantic idea, but no one tells you that the biggest downside is you can have the tendency to feel like a ‘veal’ (although I am purely assuming as I have never asked one)… 3 steps to the bathroom, 3 steps to the kitchen… it can get pretty challenging if you are the kind of person who doesn’t sit still well. I have been so much more active this past year and so much happier to be out in the open spaces.
I am not sure whether it was Covid lock downs or personal life switchbacks, but I have also been thinking more about bucket lists, and why we tend to wait for them. What is the point of making grand do to lists of amazing experiences if by the time we get around to it, we lack the fitness or motivation to want to do them?? Now is what matters. Why wait for longer days? Why wait for more money… more time… for something to be over… for kids to grow up… for retirement? I am kinda done with that… although I haven’t been one to think that way anyway as I am self employed (seriously…who actually retires as an artist… don’t you just become one WHEN you retire?)!
One of my bigger dreams has been multi-day hut to hut hiking trips. I mean can you imagine backpacking around the Alps or Patagonia with a sketchbook in hand (and some bread and cheese… and okay wine at the end of the day) for a few days? Well my guy and I have just gone ahead and booked. We leave in August to fly to France and hike the Tour Du Mont Blanc, a 170km hike around Mont Blanc through France, Italy and Switzerland staying at little rifugios on the way. I am pretty much losing my mind about it and already wrapping my head around training (oh boo hoo… more hiking) as 15-20kms per day with some serious ups and downs is going to hurt like a dickens. I also admit I may be doing a little reconnaissance while there at the logistics of organizing hiking art retreat adventures. I already ‘work’ with one of my passions… but could it be feasible to incorporate more??? Travel, hiking, art… omg I would be in heaven being able to share that with other active, adventure driven, creative types! Talk about a dream come true! 😍 We’ll see how this one goes, but oh the possibilities!
Mt Work in a random March snow fall…
In the meantime… here’s another colouring page for your inbox to keep those creative juices flowing. Feel free to show me what you do with it! After so many years of creating them, I don’t often go past the ‘upload to my page’ phase. I should really colour them too one of these days.
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For those who are new to my site, each month I offer free west coast inspired colouring pages that are published and distributed in Tofino Time Magazine. They are also available for download as a high resolution PDF here (scroll down to the button below). If you would like them to come straight to your inbox when I occasionally send out a newsletter, please sign up for my mailing list (yeah, that annoying pop up). Personally I hate getting a bunch of spamming emails, so I promise to keep it to a maximum of once a month (more like once every 4 haha)! Please feel free to download them for personal use. If you are a restaurant, school or business that wants to print them for your clients, customers (or to keep their kids happy) or students then I am totally fine with that too. All I ask is you leave my contact info at the bottom of the page please. Enjoy!
