Here We Come

But not quite yet... I (and who knows who else will have committed to the insanity by then) will be taking on the most famous hiking trail in BC.

75 kilometres (47mi) of isolated, natural Canadian wilderness including caves, coves, cliffs, surge channels and coastal geology. Ladders, bridges and suspension cables add to the fun. Somewhere I read there are approximately 50 ladders to climb! And who wouldn't want to spend a week with Mother Nature. I can already smell the fresh rainforest air. There is so much preparation to do for this trek, both physically and mentally, but it has begun.

The history of the trail is filled with tragedy. Many ships have gone down along this western shoreline, known as "The Graveyard of the Pacific". Two lighthouses and a telegraph wire had been installed along the coast in the 1800s to aid navigation, in an attempt to prevent this from happening. In 1907, after 136 passengers aboard the Valencia perished in a fierce storm in 06, the old telegraph route was upgraded to a lifesaving trail eventually evolving to what it is today: the West Coast Trail.

It sounds like a freaking blast, albeit an incredibly arduous & treacherous undertaking. I'm up for a challenge.

Blue Peak Travel Photography has some awesome photos of the trail:



What's your most memorable hiking experience? What do you consider to be the most important advice in preparing for a long trek? Things you can't live without on the trails?

See The Forest For The Trees

A lake, a book, a fire, some film. Sounds like serenity to me...

Evocative Debris

"Capturing the dark and evocative debris that radiates from his mind"...

I caught myself admiring the work of Surrealist fetish/mutilation artist Brian M. Viveros again. A sultry menagerie of lust and the macabre. Apparently, smoking is sexy. The cancerous stick makes an appearance in the majority of his pieces. Too bad. However, this is his signature style, along with heavy black seductive eyes and the overall imagery of a Femme Fatale. I read in one of his interviews that he paints the cigarette last and this is when he knows the painting is complete. When he finishes with hers, he can have his. The process of Viveros starts with a drawing on paper, then he transfers it to maple board. Using an airbrush, along with charcoal and ink, or oils and acrylic, he creates these erotic beauties. I am in love:

Hang Over

Fight Klub
Evil Last
Dirtyland IV

Pass the Gas
Lazy Eye
Bullfight Her

Up to you

Steve Earle has some great songs. I've been listening to this one in particular as of late: It's all up to you. The lyrics really hit home when I first heard it. Bikkja does an amazing cover of the song. I was delighted to find it while looking for the original by Earle. I actually like her version better as it's softer, more melodic... haunting. Have a listen:



No matter which way the wind blows
It's always cold when you're alone
Ain't no candle in the window
You've got to find your own way home
Now the rain ain't gonna hurt you
It's come to wash away your blues
It's all up to you

No body said it would be easy
But it don't have to be this hard
If you're lookin' for a reason
Just stand right where you are
Now there ain't no one out to get you
They've got to walk in their own shoes

It's all up to you
It's all up to you
No one else can get you through
Right or wrong, win or lose
It's all up to you

You can stand out on that highway
Look as far as you can see
But when you get to that horizon
There's always someplace else to be
But don't you stop to look behind you
'Cause you've got some travelin' left to do
It's all up to you

The message is nothing new, but the reminder is always welcomed. It's so easy to forget...especially when difficult situations arise or people are their usual jovial selves (tongue in cheek). But it's true.

Such a Gentleman...

They say chivalry's dead, but I think you're making a pretty strong case for it's revival...

A Pug Named Moustache

"I would describe the practice of making art as requiring a mix of rapt dedication and raw conviction. It is one of the purest acts of faith I know about." ~ Sheila Norgate





Last night, I had the honour of attending "i never met a blank canvas i didn't like" by Sheila Norgate, a local visual artist. She photographed her painting process with a tripod set up in her studio and presented it in a series of slides. The timing of this show was bang on, as I have been awaiting inspiration for a while now (Merci beaucomp, JG!).

Paintings evolved from a glaring white canvas to charming pieces of art, subconsciously, through the eyes and mind of this incredible lady. The spontaneity of it all was quite hilarious. She would bring certain elements onto the canvas on one slide, and when we reached the next slide it had either morphed into something quite different, or been painted over altogether... and so on. It was almost stop motion. She made it all the more interesting with her narrations.




It's interesting to see the way different artists approach the canvas and a gift to be able to take with you a little something from each one. Whether it be a new idea, a new style or technique, or simply a burst of inspiration.

Her work can be found on her website: www.shelianorgate.com