Out of The Shadows. A Whistler cabin deep in the forest, the sun lowering in the sky, softening before evening and the magic hour, reaching inside to light the darkness, illuminating peace within.

The power of a drum beat, uniting us all, echos of our own mothers heartbeat in her womb.

Raised in a loving Christian home, Sunday church choirboy, a loving family, in service of Queen and County, a Boy Scout, military routine and moves, absolute trust in it all, until dad died, and a comforting adult says “God needed another angel”, my 8 year self concluded somehow that God is greedy and unkind… that’s so unfair, especially when shipped off to boarding school a few months later, alone, removed from family, gone.

The power of art to unite, bringing us together and bringing ideas to life.

This mural What a Ride, by Steve Hornung, created in 2014 as part of the Vancouver West End Art Plan, a collaborative community vision for the neighbourhood, arts and artists.

So much colour life and movement connecting the city, people, nature, art and play.

This Natural Glory Eagle icon was created as I left Vancouver in early 2017 heading up the coast to see where I should live…

I looped up the Sunshine Coast and back down Vancouver Island’s east side visiting friends along the way.

I do love it here… living in glorious nature… so grateful, now enjoying them almost daily.

Present to the magic and glory of nature day by day.

We are both living miracles and surrounded by nature’s miracles, endless works of art… some 20 years ago my friend Kathy invited me to stop and smell the roses, now I live surrounded by nature.

Thank you my friend, its so great to slow down and notice.

In 2021 the uncovering of mass children’s graves in old Indian Residential Schools brought an uncomfortable chapter of Canadian history to the forefront of peoples minds, leaving many of us settlers wondering what can we do ?

We have so much to learn and to heal…

Slow and steady growth reaches up to the sky. The lungs of the earth, beauty lasting many hundreds or even thousands of years. Sadly not so many 1000 or 2000 year old tress remain.

This puddle caught my eye, so full of life and colour, textures and beauty. Sharing Natural Glory that surrounds us every day.

To hide our flaws or to celebrate them, Naoko Fukumaru and the Japanese art of Kintsugi suggests we embrace our broken flawed cracked chipped selves, highlighting them as our unique beauty and gifts to share with the world.

Born out of noticing a regret, that of choosing to study biology over art in high school this 60 year old guy is now committing to creating and sharing my art and being open to miracles… so the promise to blog at least once a week, past, present and interests… enjoy !