Norene . . . ‘Here she lies where god has flung her.’

Detail from Chemainus, British Columbia


When I asked the subjects of my paintings for their thoughts on their chosen landscapes, I was grateful for their willingness to open up and share private feelings. I was moved by the rush of emotion that poured out.

Okay, some responses were what I expected – how luck and timing resulted in discovering the perfect home, how a desire for change meant a new point of view, how their environment nourishes and inspires.

What I didn’t expect was being thanked repeatedly for asking the question. Let’s face it. We’re all too busy. Running behind ourselves. We don’t often take the time to reflect on how we got here. Most were glad to try to frame their thoughts, maybe even surprising themselves with how they felt.

Some were haunted with dreams of a childhood topography that was so elemental, they searched their whole lives trying to find it again. One preferred the excitement of exploring an internal landscape. One was so overpowered by the purity and lightness of the air, the transcendent quality of the terrain, that his heart was pierced and nothing was ever the same again. One has looked at the sky and seen the face of god.

In the end, this exercise has made me realize that wondering about people and the places they live has been a fascination of mine since I was young and living the transient life of an army brat. It flows under the surface of everything that I do.