Summer News and an Exciting Launch!

August 01, 2023 in News + Events, Illustration

JUST LAUNCHED August 1st!

Extremely excited to share some news with you all, as I have been waiting patiently until launch day so I can! Next time you reach for a loonie in your wallet, look carefully! Some of you may have known that since 2019 I have designed three commemorative coins for the Royal Canadian Mint, and now there is a forth! This one however is extra special as it is a GENERAL CIRCULATION COIN. What does that mean? It means, it is going to be cruising around Canada in your change as of release day TODAY!

Who is represented on this Coin?

Elizabeth MacGill (1905-1980) was the first female aeronautical engineer in Canada and made significant contributions to aircraft design during World War II. As a stress analyst at the Canadian Car and Foundry, she played a vital role in designing the Hawker Hurricane, a fighter aircraft used by the Royal Canadian Air Force. Her expertise ensured the aircraft's structural integrity and improved its performance.

Later, as the chief aeronautical engineer, MacGill led the development of the Maple Leaf Trainer (Fairchild Cornell), a primary trainer aircraft for RCAF pilots. She contributed to its design, including aerodynamics, control systems, and safety features, ensuring its suitability for training purposes.

MacGill's achievements challenged gender norms and paved the way for women in engineering. Her work on the Hawker Hurricane and the Maple Leaf Trainer showcased her technical prowess and dedication to advancing Canadian aviation. She remains an inspiration for future generations, emphasizing the importance of inclusivity and diverse perspectives in the field of aeronautical engineering. More information about her story can be found on the Royal Canadian Mint website.

I really enjoy designing coins for the Royal Canadian Mint. It is quite a challenging process as the images need to be vetted for accuracy so there is a lot of back and forth with my fabulous RCM art director as we iron out tiny details, but once they are all finalized it is so worth it as it always pushes me a little beyond my comfort zone and seeing my work represented on coins is pretty incredible!

How can you get your hands on one?

Well… you check your change. These are circulation coins and will be out and about paying for your coffees and left for tips! If you don’t want to go on the treasure hunt, then you CAN order them at the Royal Canadian Mint website. If you DO find it… make sure you send me a photo on instagram or tag me @clairevictoria.art

PAST COINS I HAVE DONE…

Coming UP: August 4, 5 and 6th in Comox BC

As you come into Filberg Park, I will be up on the left at booth number #5! Be sure to come and say hi!

NEW In The Shop

Many have asked so I have decided to do a limited run of 16” x 20” Archival Prints of Long Beach Break. You will see them up at Filberg and on my shop page, but only for a little while!

Long Beach Break - Limited Edition Prints

CA$140.00

Quantity:

Add To Cart

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

July 06, 2022 in Colouring Pages, Illustration, News + Events

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!

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!

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!

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“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

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!

DOWNLOAD (6.6MB PDF)

Studio Updates ...and another Free Colouring Page

June 01, 2022 in Illustration, Colouring Pages

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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Spring Mornings - Colouring Page

May 11, 2022 in Colouring Pages, Illustration

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Happy Spring - Colouring Page

April 04, 2022 in Colouring Pages, Illustration, News + Events

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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Coastal Wolf - Colouring Page

March 02, 2022 in Colouring Pages, Illustration

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!

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!

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Whale You Be Mine? - Free Colouring Page

February 09, 2022 in Illustration, Colouring Pages

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).

DOWNLOAD (8.1mb pdf)

Happy New Year

January 10, 2022 in Colouring Pages, Illustration

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.

DOWNLOAD (9mb pdf)

Autumn Skies - Free Colouring Page

November 13, 2021 in Colouring Pages, Illustration

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.

DOWNLOAD (6.7MB PDF)

Spooky Season - Free Colouring Page

September 28, 2021 in Colouring Pages, Illustration

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.

DOWNLOAD (8.2mb)

Reflections - Colouring Page

July 19, 2021 in Colouring Pages, Illustration

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.

DOWNLOAD (PDF)

Otter Space - Colouring Page

April 03, 2021 in Colouring Pages, Illustration

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.

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Winter Swell - Colouring Page

March 07, 2021 in Colouring Pages, Illustration

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.

DOWNLOAD

Happy New Year Twenty Twenty One...

December 29, 2020 in Colouring Pages, Illustration

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.

FREE DOWNLOAD (7mb)

Happy Holidaze - Colouring Page

November 22, 2020 in Colouring Pages, Illustration

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.

DOWNLOAD

Deep Blue - Colouring Page

October 02, 2020 in Colouring Pages, Illustration

It’s October! I forgot what it was like to live in a place with somewhat stereo typical seasons! To a visitor used to seeing the obvious leaf colour changes, it is harder to know the seasons are changing in Tofino unless you have spent time there as the trees remain green year round, and the temperature only fluctuates on average 15-20 degrees or so all year (I know a couple of people who wear sandals and shorts all year). The changes in season come in different ways. The season for the feeding bears and visiting whales, lifecycle of the salmon, the different birds on the beach, the levels of fog, the measurement of rain and strength of the wind, the weight of the dew, the location of sunrise and set, the size and quality of the swell, the line up at the coffee shop and the brewery, and the daylight… or diminishing daylight. October is on of my favourite months in both places. Wool sweaters, Turkey dinners, my daughters birthday, all the Halloween weirdos… its just a fun creative time. Now I get to explore Victoria area more, visit pumpkin patches, hike through fallen leaves, drink pumpkin spice everything, slurp soup and doodle some Inktobers! Perfect time now to get back on track and get some creative projects finished up.

On the note of hunkering down… Have you seen My Octopus Teacher on Netflix yet? Quite a touching and beautiful story/documentary. Definitely worth a watch. This months colouring page is all about those curious cephalopods… <3

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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.

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KAKAWIN - Colouring Page

August 23, 2020 in Colouring Pages, Illustration

I am a little mind blown that it is September already. I can feel the chill in the air in the evenings now, and see that the sun doesn’t want to stay up as late anymore, and the dew is a little heavier too. I actually love September. It is a time for organization, routine and a feeling of productivity. This year has flown by, and I am sure it has felt that way for many of you too.

We are settled in our place in Victoria now. I’m already sad to be missing my morning harbour sunrises, my dock family, my friends (sorry if I didn’t say bye… I’m terrible at them), and my little stinky otter pals, but I’ll be back and forth… often (and I’m not THAT far away). Being a live aboard in the harbour for over 6 years was amazing, but certainly not without its challenges. I love living on boats…it keeps you so in tune with the weather and the tides, and the sleeps are the best (except maybe the 6 weeks of storms in the winter), and doing so for so many years has given me a huge appreciation for the little things that most take for granted (showers, laundry, full sized fridge, freezer, actual WORK SPACE with all my supplies under one roof… and basically not living out of totes anymore). It’s made me a resourceful and pretty hardy gal, and truly grateful for the little things. I am looking forward to be able to spread out and be able to play with mediums that I couldn’t really use unless it was summer and could do so outdoors (I just bought a 36”x48” canvas to pick away at). So that being said, lets open the page to a fresh new chapter. All you peeps in Vic, I am here now… feel free to reach out!

As we were hauling all our stuff off the boat, there had been a few instances of Orcas, or Kakawin in Nuu-chah-nulth cruising through the harbour (I had the best neighbours), so I felt it fitting to include them into this months colouring page (and Robinson, I even included your boat at your workshop on Strawberry Island)! What colours do you see when the late summer fog breaks in the mornings? Feel free to colour and tag #tofinocolour if you want to show me your stuff!

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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 here (scroll down to the button below), and on the Tourism Tofino website. 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.

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TIDE POOL - Colouring Page

July 28, 2020 in Colouring Pages, Illustration

It has been a few months since my last post and colouring page. With Tofino Time taking a print hiatus during the initial Covid ‘crisis’, I took the opportunity to also give my creative brain a break too. It was a good rest, but now I am back in the swing of things again.

This colouring page is inspired by the current state of Tofino (or probably any small remote tourist town). A crowded ‘tide pool’ of groups of visitors hoping to escape the cities and go where there is ‘space’. Unfortunately though, being such a small town, Tofino is basically a potential petrie dish of possible infection. Residents are hiding out, while visitors crowd the shops, streets and beaches. Don’t get me wrong… I like having visitors here, and I know the business owners are happy to have ‘business’ again, but its such a strange juxtaposition of local economic needs versus the health and welfare of the people, and no one seems to know the ‘right’ thing to do these days. So much confusion, and that stress brings out so many different reactions in people. A little empathy can go along way (except maybe for the deliberate fools that totally disregard the suggested protocols). The weather has been nice so its not exactly a chore to chill in the harbour and watch the boats, enjoy some creative time, or disappear to less travelled trails and spaces for the day!

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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 here (scroll down to the button below), and on the Tourism Tofino website. 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.

Download

I love donating my colouring pages for all to use. Heck, one day I may make a book, but who knows? Donations are 100% optional, but they’ll definitely help keep me motivated to do more of them.

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ALONE TOGETHER - COLOURING PAGE

March 19, 2020 in Colouring Pages, Illustration, News + Events

Pretty crazy times these days. The COVID-19 pandemic has taken over the media and people minds all over the globe. It’s hard to clear your head when there is so much information… both accurate and inaccurate that is flooding the news and social media. Tofino is pretty much shut down… most of the shops and restaurants have voluntarily closed, and the District of Tofino along with Tourism Tofino and the Chamber of Commerce have asked visitors to stay home and not come (or go home if you are here). Fair enough… we only have one small grocery store, and a big enough population that solely relies on it so it is already stretched thin. No one knows how long it will last, and everyone reacts and deals in their own way, so it’s really important to practice kindness and compassion right now. Thanks to all the front line workers at all the essential services and businesses for hanging in there during this.

As a freelance illustrator, I work from home already so the concept of self isolation isn’t really a new thing for me, but we do live in a small space which certainly makes it tricky to buy lots of supplies to carry us through this. I also miss the spin bike at the gym already… but I bought a yoga mat, and the dog is getting regular walks. I’ve been getting regular text and messages from friends and family, and I am making sure to reach out to them too. Not everyone likes self-isolation so its important to check in with those people who are going nuts stuck at home. Rowan and I are working on staying creative, keeping well hydrated, eating and sleeping well to keep our immune system strong!

I am still finishing up some projects for clients. I am honestly not sure whether that will stop during this global crisis, or whether people and business owners who are forced to stay home and maybe work ON their businesses (creating work for me). Uncertain times, but I am just going to keep on trucking. If I don’t have client projects to do I will create more art and work on finishing up my playing card deck. I am sure the economy will be taking a hefty hit, but there is always plenty to do to keep me busy enough.

On a weirdly positive note, global pollution is way down. Apparently because of tourism and the traffic, Venice hasn't seen clear canal water in ages. Even Dolphins and fish have been appearing, and swans are enjoying the peace! Perhaps nature is taking an opportunity to reset. It will be interesting to see how we all come out of this.

In this meantime, here are some Pacific White Sided Dolphins to colour while you self-isolate. Let them remind you that we will all be swimming together soon enough (and not just in spirit)!

Oh, and wash your hands. xo

Greetings from my window… a few feet away from you all.

FREE COLOURING PAGE:

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 here (scroll down to the button below), and on the Tourism Tofino website. If you would like them to come straight to your inbox each month as I am planning to start doing that for 2020, 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.

FREE DOWNLOAD

Inktober 2019

November 01, 2019 in Illustration, Projects

Inktober started about a decade ago by an illustrator named Jake Parker. Each day there is a prompt word, and the challenge is to interpret the word how you want and essentially draw each something each day over the month of October. This is the first year I have actually completed the challenge (with exception of one two day combo drawing). Although I certainly found it challenging (and quite time consuming), I absolutely loved how I felt the freedom to draw what I want, and how I want. No rules other than the prompt, no client requests, no expectations, just drawing for the sake of drawing and getting creative with the prompt words. If you look up the #inktober hashtag on instagram, you will see that there are MILLIONS of artists participating. Some follow themes, some are random, some use just ink, some use digital, and some paint. There are pro and beginner artists too… a pretty wide range of enthusiasts.

I think I am pretty happy with most of my images… some I like better than others for sure. I certainly want to thank all of you for your likes and comments. It was so interesting to see the feedback from folks on my instagram feed, and which ones were favourites. ‘Enchanted’ was the favourite… people seem to like my whales. Next was the combo ‘Ghost/Ancient’… again… bears and salmon. I suppose most of my followers found me by my west coast work so that would make sense. The next was of course, Misfit… everyone likes a smart ass unicorn amidst a pile of uniform horses. I admit I enjoyed drawing the cheeky ones… the ones people would never expect from me. 😏

Maybe next year I will follow a theme, but maybe I will just stick to random, unexpected thoughts and doodles and not put myself in a box!