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

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!

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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!

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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!

“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

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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!

Studio Updates ...and another Free Colouring Page

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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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!

Coastal Wolf - Colouring Page

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!

View fullsize

Mt Work in a random March snow fall…

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!

Happy Holidays (and a FREE Colouring Page download of course)!

Happy Holidays to you all! Feeling pretty warm and fuzzy these days as the holiday season rolls around again. I’d like to extend a warm thank you for all your support this past few years, I couldn’t have got where I am without it. I’m really excited for what’s to come next year…

Enjoy December’s colouring page and I will catch you in 2022!

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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.

Autumn Skies - Free Colouring Page

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.

Deep Blue - Colouring Page

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.

Happy New Year

WANTED: Turkey Bandit and accomplices. Probably moving slowly after all that turkey, yams, potatoes, roasted veg and stuffing. Seems to have opposable thumbs. May have a greasy face, bloated belly and still be carrying a container of his leftovers. Thanks for leaving us the cranberry sauce.

Another Christmas come and gone. It honestly feels like yesterday that I was putting down LAST years tree! This season seemed short and sweet. We spent some time before Christmas in Victoria, Sooke and Mayne Island visiting family, then picked up our eldest daughter and brought her home for a few days over Christmas. It’s never enough time to really get quality visits with everyone, but I suppose thats just how it is when family is spread around like that. Tofino is tough to come to at that time of year… especially when living on a boat as there isn’t really room to put family or friends up and hotel accommodation can be pricey and pretty elusive over those popular days. Nevertheless, it was really nice to just stop and be present. This was also the first Christmas with our new stove, and Adam finished the salon table the week before so we could actually sit around a table and not our laps! I am not sure if those are the reasons it was easily the best Christmas dinner we have ever had, or if it was the company, or the food. Apparently the racoons thought so too… they were waiting patiently for us to put all our leftovers in the cooler outside (not a big enough fridge indoors). Those sneaky buggers managed to get in, and open click lock containers too. Perhaps that made our dinner even better… the fact that we didn’t get the opportunity to get sick of leftovers. 🤣

So here I am… writing a post, drinking coffee, and getting ready to take down this years tree. The week between Christmas and New Years is always a good one. I have no idea what day of the week it is, but I do know that I am already scheming and planning, writing lists and goals…excited for a new year. Wishing you all the best for 2020!!

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UPCOMING EVENTS:

Artist In Action at The Wickininnish Inn: I feel pretty honoured to have been asked to join The Wickaninnish Inn to help ring in the new year as an ‘Artist In Action’. Looking forward to doing some drawing/painting in their super cozy Driftwood Café, while the forecasted wintery winds blow outside on Chesterman Beach! I'll be there at the following times. Come say hi!

Monday, December 30th: 4:00pm - 7:00pm (opening reception)
Tuesday, December 31st: 10:00am - 4:00pm
Wednesday, January 1st: 10:00am - 4:00pm
Thursday, January 2nd: 10:00am - 1:00pm

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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.

Feathers and Fins - Colouring Page

We’ve had a convocation of about 6-7 Bald Eagles flying around in the harbour often these days. It is very distracting from work as it is really fascinating to watch them (it also seems to be making all the gulls a little unsettled). They all seem to be full grown, so not sure why there are so many that seem to hunt/fly together as I know they tend to be alone or in pairs. Anyway they are beautiful regardless!

Summer has been busy with work, and sadly not enough play as of yet. I am also thick in prep and painting for the Pacific Board Art show coming up mid August, which is a really fun change and having a studio space actually makes it possible to do! Lots of client projects and busy Saturday markets so its nice to do a little something for me.

Pacific Wild will be receiving 30% of all art sales at the show so in the spirit of the wild (and inspired by all those eagles), here is August’s Colouring page for you! Look out for it in August’s Tofino Time magazine too!

OTTER CHAOS - COLOURING PAGE

I am a little mind blown that we are just about in July already. I fear this summer it going to sneak away from me before I know it! Last month was a busy one… market mode is officially on now, and as much as I try in the summer to scale back on client illustration projects, it has been hard to do this year. Lots of fun projects makes it really tough to say no… so I inevitably say yes to too much. Before I know it another colouring page is due and I am out of print and card stock. I am wearing too many hats right now… haha!!!

Otter chaos... July’s colouring page inspired by one my favourite creatures - Sea Otters. Whenever we head out on the water out here we often see them, either singles or in rafts like this... floating on their backs with babies or their lunch on their bellies. These little ocean hero’s play an important role in keeping our kelp forests healthy. Sea otters love to eat Sea Urchins, which if left unchecked, will ravage the ocean floor and eat all the kelp holdfasts. That may not seem like an important role, but Kelp Forests provide hiding spots and habitats for a huge variety of invertebrates, marine mammals, fish and even birds!  As these fascinating floating fuzz balls rarely come to shore, the only time you can be lucky enough to see them is out on a boat. ;)

Forest Forager - Colouring Page

I can’t believe it is almost June already. The weather is getting warmer, the whales and bears are out now, and the streets and beaches are already packed with visitors. I just got back from a week in NYC which ended up being a great idea as it really kept the busyness of Tofino in perspective (the theme for this colouring page). Walking through the streets of Manhattan require speed and purpose in order to blend in… the complete opposite of the laid back cruisey nature of this west coast town (if you try to stop in the middle of the sidewalk there, you basically get run over by the person behind you). I loved it there though… museum visits, a huge variety of food, a multi-cultural immersion, amazing subway system, friendly and helpful locals (despite the hefty amount of tourists). For a place so hectic and overwhelming, the people had so much patience with the visitors. That was definitely a take away from my visit and something I will reflect on when I need get somewhere in a hurry here in the summer. ;)

But back to perspective… I’ve got a black bear foraging along the shoreline for you for June’s colouring page. This is the primary location you will find bears at this time of year (except maybe on the side of the highway driving in). It is a good idea to remember that bears are the locals here and we share our wild spaces with them. If you do see one, give it plenty of space. Don’t go running up to it attempting to feed it or take photos with it (yes, people DO that). If you love them as much I do, DON’T FEED THEM. “A fed bear is a dead bear” means that a habituated bear (one ‘comfortable’ with people’) is more likely to be euthanized if they inadvertently cause problems. Bears have a wicked sense of smell, but terrible eyesight. If you are hiking in the forest, try not to surprise them. Make noise if you are in a bear area! I know its hard… they are beautiful animals, and its such a cool feeling to see one in the wild. Just try to remember, they are WILD animals and it is best to see them from a safe and relatively undetected distance (ie. a boat).

Feel free to download it here or open up a Tofino Time magazine and give it some colour yourself. :)