Spring Updates and a Free Colouring Page

As an artist (and a human) it is important to be flexible and adapt to a changing environment and an evolving vision. I am quite grateful that I have always been adaptable, and done a lot of different things in my life. It’s made me quite optimistic in general, and given me appreciation for the little things. Since moving back to Victoria, I have traded in my boat for bikes and boots, have spent more time in the forests, mountains and roads than on the ocean and I have been loving it. I am experiencing the earth from a different lens, discovering new (and re-igniting old) passions, making new friends and moving my body much more than I ever have. Life is just generally freakin’ awesome!

My work goals for this year included working more on my own projects, my brand refresh, and getting myself ‘out there'. All of which I am in the process of. I am excited to announce that my application was accepted for the Filberg Festival this year. It is a huge 3 day event in Comox from August 4-6. I have been to it many times, but never as a vendor so I am really excited to participate in that. Although I would say I am generally fairly introverted, I really enjoy getting the opportunity to talk with people. This means I have to step up my game and get some new work done which is VERY motivating, and a prompt to get my own projects done (one of those goals)!! I have also applied for the TD Art Gallery Paint-In. It was so much fun last year that Im crossing my fingers I get in again. I am also humming and hawing about the Make It Market in Vancouver for December. My application was accepted, but 4 days around Christmas means a LOT of product so I am trying to decide it is right for me. Please feel free to share any input on it if you have any. I haven’t been to a Vancouver Market so it’s more of a gamble for me and an expensive few days in the big city. I am pretty excited for ‘work’ this year… lots of things to think about and plan!

In the meantime though, I will be out of the studio from April 16 to May 9th. Heading off to Spain and Italy to fill up my creative well, ride my bike, hike some trails, eat some pasta and gelato, drink some wine, and doodle…and doodle… and doodle… planning my work for all the summer festivities! It’s all about a healthy work/life balance no?

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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, organization 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!

The Idea Of Spring Is A Beautiful Thing...

Well hi! I am not sure where January and February went, but this year is cruising along fast (does that just happen when you get older or am I seeing things)! I have been busy scheming up new ideas for this year and getting my client projects all finished up to make room for my own. I am also training on the bike a bunch for our trip which is only 7 weeks away, so between work and cycling my days are getting filled pretty quick!

After many years, I have reluctantly decided not to renew my membership to 1% For The Planet. It was a really tough decision as I respect the organization and what they are doing, however their membership fees have just kept climbing and I was finding that at the end of the day my 1% was primarily going to their administration fees rather than to local businesses HERE who can be impacted more through direct donations, volunteering, or participation in fundraising events. I can understand the benefit for larger companies with massive annual revenues, but not so much smaller ones like me. I’d love to donate more, but I have to be realistic too… you only can do what you can do. So that being said, I will be saving that membership fee and still participate and donate locally as I have in the past. Although I found the brand use of 1% For The Planet valuable for its accountability and recognition, you will just have to trust that moving forward I will continue to support smaller organizations and do my part. Just note some of my copyrighted 2022 and earlier cards still have the logo, and I am still honouring that pledge. I just didn't feel right recycling a stack of cards and prints... that would just be environmentally wasteful and somewhat defeats the purpose. 

And now moving on to my monthly free colouring page. This months colouring page is inspired by the somewhat noisy and impatient Stellar and California sea lions who are waiting for the annual Herring spawn on the west coast. Sea lions and herring are two important species that can be found in British Columbia's coastal waters. Pacific herring are small, oily fish that form a crucial part of the marine food chain, serving as a primary food source for a variety of larger predatory species, including sea lions. Millions of Herring roe cover the BC shoreline in the late winter, bringing everyone out from winter hiding. Sea lions are a type of pinniped (weighing over 1000 lbs) are opportunistic predators and have been known to prey on herring during the winter months when the herring spawn in large numbers. Both sea lions and herring play important roles in BC's coastal ecosystem, and their interactions are an important area of study for scientists and conservationists alike. I do miss my sea lion neighbours on the Tofino Docks… it did keep life entertaining!

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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, organization 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!

Welcome 2023... And A Free Colouring Page Finally!

Hey All… thanks for your patience as it’s been a while since I have updated my blog OR done a new colouring page. 2022 was a pretty epic year for the most part. It started really strong and I had lots of work… mostly commission illustration work including 2 more coins for the Royal Canadian Mint, amongst other fun creative projects for some really cool clients. The TD Art Gallery Paint-In was a great ‘wake up’ to getting myself back out there and connecting with people again (haven’t done a market since summer 2019 in Tofino) and I got super inspired to get rolling again after a relatively complacent couple of years between Covid and my transition to Victoria following my divorce. When I did have client breaks, my personal projects took a little bit of a back seat at times during the summer as I was really enjoying life and finding myself again…my bike, my hiking boots, traveling and mini adventures all filled my physical and creative well. It had been the first time I’d flown out of the country in AGES… let alone into the Alps for an epic 10 day hiking trip with my sweetie. However, all ‘fun’ aside, I was still quietly plugging away at things albeit at a slower pace. I am in the process of a brand update… switching my professional name from Claire Watson to Claire Victoria (using my middle name), so you will start to see that switching around on all my print and digital presences. I was struggling with coming up with a business ‘name’ as Watson just doesn’t resonate with me anymore, but when it all boils down to it my middle name has been with me all my life and will continue that way (it also helps that’s where I live… bonus SEO)!

Well everything was cruising along all tiddly boo until last fall when everything came to a screeching halt. My mum got sick with an agressive Cancer and that put work and life pretty much on hold for us all. She passed away just before Christmas and although it was a really a hard thing to watch someone you care about go through that (especially so fast), I am grateful that my brother came out from Ontario so we were both with her through the tough stuff. Needless to say there were no new colouring pages through the autumn months, terrible email communications, crap social media upkeep (although I’ve never been amazing at that)… all creativity was gone of course and it was challenging enough keeping up with client work. But… now that things are settling, by mum (who was a determined workhorse) would want me to get my act together. Watching her go through that made me really see that life is short, and you never know when your number is up. She was healthy, fit (a super long distance walker at 78) and and an active community member and yet Cancer still found a way. I want to make the most of the time I have on this planet… I am inspired and motivated to get out there, make mistakes, learn some lessons and just try. Try everything. Why the F not?

I have applied for a couple of festivals this year, cross my fingers I get in. I’d love to attend the Sooke Fine Art show (never really done a big show like that) to between all that I will have a lot of work cut out for me in preparation (needed to give myself some deadlines). Oh, and I signed up for a bike race… a 6 day stage race in Sardegna Italy in April (because why not make your first bike race a 6 day stage race in Italy? lol). We also plan to hit up Barcelona and the Amalfi coast. The West Coast Trail is on my list… some bike packing too, as well as some local cycling events. We’ll see how it goes! Yes yes… my playing cards are too… and a few other ideas that have been stewing over the past while. Time to get moving and get ‘er done! If you have ideas of things you’d like to see then let me know!

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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, organization 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!

It's Been A 'Steller Spring' So Far...

Lots of projects under way, but still taking the time to hike and bike and get away from the desk when I can! Five weeks until we take off to hike Mont Blanc so doing a fair bit of training when I am not in the studio! In the meantime, just a few tidbits to share, or scroll on down for your free downloadable colouring page!

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Events

JULY 16 // 11-4pm

After a couple of years hiatus due to relocating, settling, and the pandemic, I have been pretty absent from the market & festival scene. I am excited to be participating in this years TD Victoria Art Gallery Paint-In (formerly known as the Moss Street Paint-In). If you're in the neighbourhood on July 16th from 1-4pm, please come by and say hi!

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NEWS IN THE STUDIO

CLAIRE WATSON x Royal Canadian Mint Collaboration

So this may have happened… again. I am pretty excited to be able to finally share my SECOND commemorative coin for the Royal Canadian Mint! Get yours here before they are gone!

“Having been raised on Vancouver Island, I have always sought solace in wild spaces and I have a deep appreciation for the vastness and diversity of the Canadian landscape—the uniqueness of each coast, the forests, the rugged mountains, the northern tundra, and the grasslands that tie them all together.”

— CLAIRE WATSON, ARTIST

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Free Downloadable Colouring Page

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, organization 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!

Studio Updates ...and another Free Colouring Page

Finding a balance between work and play is a tough one for self employed individuals. One one hand you have the freedom to sneak out and go for a hike or bike ride at any point in the day, but there is always that underlaying feeling of “I should really be working right now”. The advantage of course is that because it is not a traditional “work day” you can schedule your work/life in accordance with the weather… which seems to be how I roll for the most part. The draw for forest bathing or getting out on the bike if the sun is shining is hard to resist, and luckily my creative time is is usually strongest before the sun comes out or later in the day. I have to silence that guilt voice that creeps in to tell me “you should be working right now” as otherwise, I’d be working all the time. All work and no play makes Claire a grumpy girl! A healthy dose of outside time has saved me in more ways than one. It refuels my creative flow, keeps me feeling healthy and fit (both mentally and physically), makes me appreciate nature and everything in it, and just all in all makes me grateful to be alive. I highly recommend it.

On the ‘work’ front, I have had lots of projects on the table this past month… still mostly for clients. I was accepted into the TD Paint-In (formerly known as the Moss St Paint In) this year so I am in the process of coming up with an action plan of attack for that. What do you think? Prints, cards? Another run of hand painted hats? After 2 years of no markets, it is going to be fun to get out there and chat with folks again in that environment! It is on July 16th from 11-6pm so be sure to come and find me and say hi!

I also have some exciting news coming next week, but I can’t say anything… yet! Stay tuned on my Instagram (@utchichi) as I will be sure to share the release! And yeah, sorry I’m not much of a social media poster… I keep trying to commit to a plan for that as I know there is value, but there’s just so much junk on all the social media channels these days that its hard to see the forest through the trees (and I’d rather go out and see real trees). 😏

May also held Pacific Wild’s Wild Auction Annual Fundraiser. Thanks to all who supported all the artists by bidding on their art. My piece “Sunrise Bear” was bought outright in the first half hour which made me feel really good! Thanks you so much to whomever you are!!!! <3

Thats about it for shareable updates! I had a little fun with this months colouring page. I was working on some spot illustrations for Pacific Wild and was having fun drawing the details on the Rockfish… I figured you may have fun colouring them!

Happy June… get outside!!

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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, organization 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!

Spring Mornings - Colouring Page

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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, organization 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!

Happy Spring - Colouring Page

As I sit here with a sore knee due to an angry IT Band (note to self: Don’t cross country ski for 13kms when you’ve NEVER done it before), and a chest cold which may or may not be the plaque (‘not’ according to the test, but seems fishy there) I day dream of getting out and up in the mountains to train for our big hiking trip this summer. It is a good opportunity however, to chill out a little and back in touch with my work plans and projects (which is something I have definitely been a little distracted from… just a little). Sometimes it’s the body’s way of making you stop and regroup as I have been on the move all winter, but I am just a crappy patient and happy to admit that. Nevertheless, April brings warmer and longer days which I know we are all looking forward to!

Working on a few projects in the studio (including my brand refresh of which I am struggling a little… it’s always most difficult to do ones own), as well as a few clients diddies going on too. I’ve got a bit of a fire under my be-hind as spring is now here and I need to get into gear!

For now though… it’s hot lemon and honey, stretching and strengthening my IT Band and getting a little rest to recharge for a fun looking summer season of drawing, painting, hiking, biking and paddling! 🙌

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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, organization 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!

Coastal Wolf - Colouring Page

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!

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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!

Whale You Be Mine? - Free Colouring Page

Happy February! I hope everyone is hanging in there okay with all the insane societal polarization that seems to be taking over the media. This world really needs a little empathy and love now more than ever if we are going to get through it all. I’ve been finding myself checking social media or the news less and less these days as I think I’ve just about had enough of it all. 

I’ve definitely spent most of the winter plugging away on lots of client projects (most of which I cannot share… yet), but have had a healthy balance of work and play. I’m also working on a few changes in my business. After moving to a new town, and pretty much changing EVERYTHING in my life in the past 2 years, I have been feeling like it is time to grow professionally as well. I have decided to give my art business a name - ‘Bearfoot Creative Studio’, a name which resonates with me…Claire Watson Art no longer feels right and I feel like I am moving on from it. My intention for the switch is so that I will treat my ‘business’ more seriously and not as a side hustle (even though it IS my full time gig). I also find it super challenging to ‘sell’ myself and my work (I am sure many of you artists can relate to this as well), but by taking myself out of it (even if only by name) I will treat it as something to grow and nourish. I also feel as if it will allow me to play with merchandise more as a ‘brand’. I am excited about the change… I love ‘building’ to this gets the creative juices flowing’. Please follow @bearfootcreative on Instagram as that will become my primary for the business side of my art (commerce, new products etc.)… my other account will be more works in progress and things that inspire and motivate me!

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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 (which will be changing up next month).

Happy New Year

What a wonderful thought it is that some of the best days of our lives haven't even happened yet.” - Anne Frank

Here we go again… the man made calendar has come around and many folks are rearing to crack into a fresh day planner with visions, goals, and resolutions for what we want to see in a new year. 2021 was a great year for me so I am not in a hurry to drastically change anything I am currently doing as it feels as if I am on the right path. Sure… I do plan to focus a little more on personal projects this year, lots more hiking adventures, oodles of time outdoors, packing even more kms on my bike, and of course much more quality time with family and friends. I am also getting a clearer picture of where I want to see my art biz go, and how to get there now that I am feeling pretty solidly settled here in Victoria. All in all, 2022 looks like its going to be pretty good and I am excited to see where it will go. I’ve already seen more inquiries for new client projects as folks are wanting to make sure things get done in time for spring with all the supply chain issues out there, so I definitely suggest connecting with me sooner rather than later if you’re looking to get some creative work done!

A huge thank you to everyone for your support this past year. It means a great deal to me, especially with such a crazy couple of years for everyone! May 2022 be full of awesomeness in your worlds!

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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.

Happy Holidays (and a FREE Colouring Page download of course)!

Happy Holidays to you all! Feeling pretty warm and fuzzy these days as the holiday season rolls around again. I’d like to extend a warm thank you for all your support this past few years, I couldn’t have got where I am without it. I’m really excited for what’s to come next year…

Enjoy December’s colouring page and I will catch you in 2022!

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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.

Autumn Skies - Free Colouring Page

A new colouring page, just in time for a forecasted rainy weekend (at least here on Vancouver Island anyway)! Lots going on here in the studio… the new Buff Designs are now out for fall/winter, a few other projects are now finished up (sorry can’t disclose them yet… haha), my shop is stocked with holiday cards (I know… already), and I am getting excited for the winter so I can dive into my playing card deck. I have been patiently waiting the day when I can bring them up to the top of my priority list, and since that day never seems to just ‘happen’, I am going to MAKE it happen! I will be sure to share updates as I complete them!

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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.

Spooky Season - Free Colouring Page

There is Halloween candy in the grocery stores, the leaves are shedding, the days are getting shorter and shorter, I have pulled out my wool socks, and am contemplating the commitment to putting the dang fenders on my road bike. I love October… its the month of my first born, and I love the feeling of prepping to hunker down a little for the darker months. I am so grateful I am not going to spend the winter relentlessly checking the ‘Windy’ App and dreading the gusty pink bar and heavy rains that would make the boat toss, turn and drip for weeks. Those were the challenges of living aboard on the west coast in the winter months, and I am perfectly okay to let them go. Here in Vic, the weather is milder so camping, biking and hiking all year is doable… with a hot shower to come home to (I must be getting soft 🤣)!

October is also the month of Inktober, the daily Instagram drawing challenge that has been going on for a number of years. I have never quite made it to 31 as its a pretty hefty time commitment, but I may try this year (although I am busier with work so not sure if I can pull it off). I will post when I do, but don’t give me hard time if I find I have more fun things to do outside when I am not working because that just may happen.

Speaking of drawing, this months colouring page is something a little different. I do admit I like to geek out on the holiday stuff sometimes, and Halloween is no exception so a west coast version of Scooby Doo seemed fun. I could have easily made it more freaky, but for the sake of the kiddos out there I kept it light. Have fun!

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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.

Slugs n' Shrooms - Free Colouring Page

Ooooooh my favourite season is coming! Although I have to be honest with you, this summer was pretty EPIC! I forgot how much drier the south island is, and now that it has been a full year (unbelievable) in Victoria, I am reminded of how much I love the change of seasons (which is something that I never fully got in Tofino). This summer I spent a ton of time out in the forests hiking, as well as biking lots again and getting out on the paddle board. It certainly made it hard to focus on my personal projects as it was a delicate balance between play and work/client projects! Autumn temps and ‘schedules’ are coming though so I can get back at it (I haven’t abandoned them, honest).

So I know I said I wanted to do the colouring pages as a newsletter mail out, but I decided against it. The last thing I want to do it make you sign up for another newsletter of sorts just to get a free colouring page, and my projects are sometimes just not shareable for a while, so I am definitely going to struggle with content. I still plan to do newsletters, but only when I have something WORTH sharing. In the meantime I am just happy to continue offering them free on my site. Download them, or don’t download them. Your choice! But some good news is that I have decided a colouring book should happen. I have way too many pages now not to do it! Enjoy some Slugs and Shrooms this month.

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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.

Reflections - Colouring Page

Been a little slow on the sharing of things these days. The sun has been shining and quite frankly my priority when not working has been to get outside and enjoy it!! 😜

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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.

Spring Break - Colouring Page

I am going to shake it up a little with regards to my monthly colouring pages. After having done these for the past 5 YEARS (yes… thats nuts I know), I have decided that rather than hosting them all on my website, I will be sending them STRAIGHT to the inboxes of those who want them! So as of NEXT month (June), I will be sending out my free printable colouring pages (hi res) via email and sharing the low resolution versions only here.

A couple of reasons for this! One (and the most important), is that you will get them hand delivered to your inbox… like Uber Eats… for colouring pages and other cool news. Two is they certainly take up some space on my website leaving them here, and I want to keep room available for new awesome things. And three (also important) is I am now back to being a self employed, full time ARTISTE (said with a French accent while twisting a handlebar moustache), it is important to diversify one’s marketing. It is too much of a gamble these days to rely solely on social media platforms for ‘getting yourself out there’ as you never know if one day they will just be gone! So rather than keeping all my eggs in one basket, I would like to be able to CONNECT more monthly with those who really want to know whats happening in my art world. I believe I said something at the beginning of the year about making this my goal, but for some reasons newsletters are SO HARD TO COMMIT TO! This will make me do it. Hah!

And yes… did you catch what I said in point #3 above? When I moved/transitioned to Victoria I was working full time but not on my business (Covid slowed things down for sure too), and these left me a little spread thin and playing catch up. BUT, I am now back on my own again and feeling pretty PUMPED about it, so you should hear more from me in all my channels and definitely more art projects on the horizon for sure!

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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 each month as I am planning to start doing sometime this year, 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! 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.

Otter Space - Colouring Page

It's April, and I am not sure how that happened! Winter came and went and now there are cherry blossoms and the temperatures are finally hitting double digits. It was a winter of minimal socialization, face masks, and enough hand sanitizer to fill a bathtub. It's been a little solitary for sure, but starting each day with gratitude has been a huge help (and my girls of course). I am pretty sure your all with me in that we are all getting pretty burnt out on it, but trying to keep an eye on the light at the end of this tunnel and remain optimistic of summer socializing again. It's coming!

As for me? I have remained pretty busy with a variety of projects over the winter. Definitely feeling a little spread thin these days. Doing some regrouping for sure, and spending time scheming about breaking the art business in a new town. If you know of any markets, galleries or anything of that sort please let me know! I've also been burying my head in creativity and motivational podcasts too on my walks… it’s getting me pumped for the year ahead!

I have been missing my stinky little otter neighbours recently, so I figured I was due to add them into the mix. Enjoy!

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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 each month as I am planning to start doing sometime this year, 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! 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.

Winter Swell - Colouring Page

I can’t believe it is March! I’ve been neglecting sharing my colouring pages… yikes! Been loving the blossoms coming out, the warmer weather and a little sunshine too. Looking forward to spring road trips once things calm down a little (hopefully soon!)! Neck deep in work these days so I suppose that may explain my blog absence. I’m making some changes around here so hopefully you’ll see more updates soon!

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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 each month as I am planning to start doing sometime this year, 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! 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.

Happy New Year Twenty Twenty One...

I’m not a big fan of New Years resolutions as January 1st isn’t particularly a magic reset button to new behaviour, but now that the dust has settled in my own life and there seems to be an air of hope in the world, I’m looking forward to getting back in the swing of things, and making my own projects a huge priority for 2021. Although this small block of time is a bit of a holiday time warp, I really love clearing the clutter of the computer files, the studio desk… basically all the stuff that’s built up in the eddies, restricting my creative flow! Now out come the lists, the blank sketchbooks, a brand new planner, the freshly sharpened pencils… an outpouring of new ideas and scheduling for a new year. Lets hope we can maintain this momentum in the weeks and months to come. I see so many posts of people happy to see the back side of 2020, and although it was a ‘challenging’ year to say the least, it also had some really great things happen too. Heck my daughter NAILED it. She said… “If you are happier at the end of the year than you were at the start of the year then it was all in all a good year.” So for us, 2020 WAS a good year. It was a pretty big roller coaster ride, but a good year none the less. I guess its like anything… going through a big storm makes you really grateful when then clouds part, and the ocean calms. It can be just the little things that you appreciate after that.

So I think that maybe after about 4.5 years of monthly colouring pages, I SHOULD do a book. This latest colouring page is ‘busy’ since we are all supposed to be laying low again, and I am sure you all want a break from Christmas jigsaw puzzles and Netflix holiday specials! Oooooh… maybe a puzzle would be cool… okay back to work!

I hope you all had an enjoyable holiday season and may 2021 be a LOT more smooth sailing than 2020 was for most. xo

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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 each month as I am planning to start doing sometime this year, 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! 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.

Happy Holidaze - Colouring Page

Hah! I just realized that I forgot to upload last months page as one month seems to blur into the next these days. Ah well the past is the past… its time to move into some Christmas Spirit and winding down this bonkers year! Bring on the baking and the twinkly lights, and the rum and egg nog. No amount of Covid chaos will dampen my holiday spirit this year dangit!!! I always love doing the holiday colouring pages… I feel I can just let loose and be silly. This year I am doing something extra special (since we are all on orders to steer clear of going out again). I have compiled 5 of my holiday pages into one file free for download on my shop page for your ‘sit by the fire’ holiday colouring enjoyment. Let that be my gift to you this season (or you can simply scroll down and download this years as usual)!

As 2020 comes to a close I want to extend an ENORMOUS thanks to everyone for your support this year, both professionally and personally (you know who you are). I know its hard as everyone has been hit by Covid in one way or the other, be it their business, their personal life, or people close to them. Regardless of all that came with it (as I am sure everyone is also navigating THOSE waters in their own way), 2020 was definitely a whopper for me. A big freaking reset button of grand proportions… and it had nothing to do with a pandemic (that just made it oh so much more ‘fun’). Sure, Covid affected my business in many ways of course (closed shops, no market, businesses curbing their spending on design work etc), but it was my personal life and my relationship with my partner that took a significant turn which threw all my puzzle pieces of planning and feelings of security and/or direction sky high. It 100% hampered my creativity for sure (hence a relatively quite social media presence this year), as I spend more time just trying to figure out next moves. Its hard to know whether its better to divulge whats happening with clients and followers, or simply put my head down, get to work, stay classy and pretend like nothings changed for the sake of the deadlines (which definitely suffered a bit too). As I tend to be relatively private in my personal life, I just hammered though it, leaned into it and kept one eye on the light at the end… just letting go, and going with the flow. As I feel more settled in my new space, and I am pretty happy to be feeling like myself again. All the puzzle pieces are settling back into place now and I feel like the worst is over. I feel those creative juices FLOODING back, and now its time for me again to sink my teeth into building my work! Staying optimistic that 2021 will be a rockin’ good year!

Thanks again for everything peeps! Warmest wishes this season! xo

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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 each month as I am planning to start doing sometime this year, 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! 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.