Monday, November 12, 2012

Old Veteran, Salt Spring Island Douglas-fir.

It is Remembrance Day, and we just got home from a visit to the Goldstream salmon run, where we watched a group of First Nations remember their family members lost to war. It was a moving ceremony, with a drummer that was singing in coast Saalish, and four cedar fronds put into the water of the river one by one by a young man. The cedar branches moved down the river evenly separated, catching and swirling from time to time on an exposed cobble, or the back of a salmon holding in position above her redd.


 This painting is of another type of veteran, the last remaining old growth tree in a vineyard on Salt Spring Island; one of the sites we painted at this September as part of the Federation of Canadian Artists workshop.
 I was surprized that I was the only one that chose to paint this tree, it was huge and gnarly and a challenge to paint. It seemed the right sort of subject matter to contribute the the Habitat Acquisition Trust as part of the Gala Evening Fundraiser this November, since this organization does good work in helping steward, protect and acquire significant habitat in the Capital Region.

For more information about HAT's Gala go to
http://www.hat.bc.ca/index.php/hat-about/donate/gala-fundraiser










Old Veteran, Salt Spring Island Douglas-fir. 12X24" acrylic. Donated to H.A.T.'s Gala Fundraiser dinner (250-995-2428 / hatmail@hat.bc.ca ) SOLD

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for putting that experience at Goldstream into words Dave. I was also moved, in particular by the beautiful blending of tradition from different cultures.

    Beautiful picture too - I look forward to seeing it in the flesh at the HAT Gala!
    - Dom

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