February on North Vancouver Island is a time filled with promises. The sun once again makes its appearance and, magically, it comes earlier and stays later each day. We are in an upward, positive swing and promise of better things to come is in the air. The creeks are the first to make optimistic utterances.
The creek in this painting is one of (probably) thousands on this end of the island and, in viewing it, most of you will likely exclaim, “I know exactly where that is”! The orange- coloured, very low sun; the patches of snow still lying about, and the rivulets of water making their way downward among the windfalls and rocks all communicate the time of year; one that is still more winterly than summer-like. To look for a promise of spring in this painting you would have to compare this scene with one a mere month ago.
This particular creek is very accessible to me, being only about eight kilometres from my house by car and about three by crow and I often check it out for painting possibilities. Six weeks ago I couldn’t drive there for the snow, after which came the clear skies and the cold temperatures. The water you see in this painting existed only in the shape of crystals. That, dear friends, was winter. This is a promise
of spring!
Painting these places is a challenge, except for certain times of the year; now (early spring) being one of them. As spring progresses and the run-off from the nearby mountains begins, torrents tear down the slopes that make it impossible to set up an easel anywhere near the shores so recently visited. It will be several months before the next painting stopover. This time the picture will be bathed in spring greens. In the meantime, this one is a promise of that time.
