Happy New Year

What a wonderful thought it is that some of the best days of our lives haven't even happened yet.” - Anne Frank

Here we go again… the man made calendar has come around and many folks are rearing to crack into a fresh day planner with visions, goals, and resolutions for what we want to see in a new year. 2021 was a great year for me so I am not in a hurry to drastically change anything I am currently doing as it feels as if I am on the right path. Sure… I do plan to focus a little more on personal projects this year, lots more hiking adventures, oodles of time outdoors, packing even more kms on my bike, and of course much more quality time with family and friends. I am also getting a clearer picture of where I want to see my art biz go, and how to get there now that I am feeling pretty solidly settled here in Victoria. All in all, 2022 looks like its going to be pretty good and I am excited to see where it will go. I’ve already seen more inquiries for new client projects as folks are wanting to make sure things get done in time for spring with all the supply chain issues out there, so I definitely suggest connecting with me sooner rather than later if you’re looking to get some creative work done!

A huge thank you to everyone for your support this past year. It means a great deal to me, especially with such a crazy couple of years for everyone! May 2022 be full of awesomeness in your worlds!

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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.

Ebb and Flow - Colouring Page

Decided it was time to revisit an old friend, and an integral part of our rugged, rocky landscape.

Bull kelp is still one of my favourite marine plants. It grows and thrives in rough coastal waters literally ‘growing’ with the flow of the current. It's held down by a little root ball that anchors it to the ocean floor. The stem then grows and reaches towards the surface from 30 to 60 feet long at a rate of up to 10” per day! It eventually enlarges and forms a single, round float with many as 30 to 64 long thin blades that grow from it to form a golden brown canopy on the water's surface… perfect for creatures to hide in, or to use as an anchor to stop them from drifting too far (like sea otters do).

You often see piles of bull kelp on the beaches after the winter storms tear the kelp from the seafloor, washing it ashore. Kids drag them around as little beach pets, and my puppy is always trying to eat it... and then often throwing up later so I’m not a fan of that part. Haha! I love how they gracefully move in the water, their blades like mermaid hair.

Look out for it is this months Tofino Time magazine.  I haven’t included this one in my new colouring posters, but maybe next print run! Enjoy!