On a Windswept Realm

The west coast of BC has inspired many Canadian artists as is evident in the works of artists like Emily Carr and the group of seven. The style of the art itself has become so unique that it's recognizable with its west coast vibe of sinuous marshmallow-y strokes that seek to capture the powerful dynamism of this rugged world. It has become a ubiquitous style found in art shops- postcards, prints, coffee mugs- used by a variety of renown and lesser known artists. I’ve always been amused by how similar their works appear to be because of this stylistic resemblance. It wasn’t until I visited the west coast myself that I finally understood the underlying nature of it.

Fresh out of high school, I once embarked on a grand adventure across Canada. One thing led to another, and soon I found myself on a lonely beach overlooking the ocean. There were voluptuous boulders spilling onto the playful splashing waves. The rocky shore was littered with detritus such as branches that looked smooth and undulating as if they were live creatures. Long strands of seaweed and kelp adorned the tidepools like marine jewels. The scene looked like postcard paintings I had seen at the store. Looking around me, I could see how an artist would just naturally rely on that style to capture the aesthetic sinuous essence of the place.

Emily Carr herself spent sometime in the west coast of Vancouver island in a village of indigenous people that used to be known as the Nootka. This experience is seen in her work that also includes the painting of totem poles. I had the pleasure of visiting the surrounding environments of this area, which in all likelihood, Ms. Carr also visited. It's a place shrouded in so much history, legend, and myth.

The land faces the open ocean towards the west. Vancouver island is known for its turbulent weather that swings between idyllic sunny days, misty mornings, and storm raging afternoons followed by pleasant moon-filled evenings. There is a ghostly appearance to the geology and vegetation facing the ocean. One can almost hear the wind whistling, gusting, carving the environment with its energetic brushstrokes.

The Spanish were the first Europeans to explore and make contact with the natives of these shores. The region is known as a bit of ship graveyard because of the foul weather and tricky rocky waters. Indigenous people still live here and practice some of their traditional ways.

There are no major cities beside Victoria to the south, and a few smaller cities scattered around the massive island. The rest is little towns and communities, so the region still has a wild frontier feel about it, and when I visit I often feel as if I've just stepped out of time.

Nature is everywhere. Even as you drive, you feel embraced by the wilderness. At times, it feels like a hauntingly timeless remote place. Enchanting and alive. It's an ideal environment to experience the grandness of nature on a windswept realm that has been an inspiration to many.

How absolutely full of truth they are, how full of reality. The juice and essence of life are in them; they teem with life, growth and expansion. They are a refuge for myriads of living things. As the breezes blow among them, they quiver, yet how still they stand developing with the universe. God is among them. He has breathed with them the breath of life, might and patience.

Emily Carr on forests, Opposite Contraries: The Unknown Journals of Emily Carr and Other Writings.

I took the first image on this post from that beach visible through the trees

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Images by @litguru