Brian’s Backyard-Black Creek – Acrylic on Canvas

Description

I first moved to Vancouver Island, 1961 from Ontario. I was 12 years old and it’s totally enthralled with a Vancouver Island and the iComox Valley. Every day in the summer we headed for the Puntledge River.

Once you got up the nerve to swim across the river and climb Indian rock you officially became a teenager. Just down the stream, raging rapids and of course you imagined you were going to get swept over and get drowned. We were used to the Placid Lakes in Ontario.

The most exciting activity was tubing down the river. We would lhike the old Indian Trail up above the rapids and then I’ll go screaming and yelling with the exuberance and being swept around the rocks and then into the calming of the pool. We also snorkel watching the migrating salmon And the trout. A Tyee salmon is a spring salmon over 30 pounds they look like torpedoes going to the water with incredible power. Tyee is Salish first nations ror chief.

I got lucky in 1979 getting the commission in the Northwest Territories Canada tungsten mining corporation. And then I got a part-time teaching job in North Island college in Comox Valley. With the sale of the 53 oil paintings I did for the company in Vancouver I had enough for a down payment for my first house. Artists and musicians from the lower mainland removing the communities like Cumberland does not only with the community, funky and interesting houses for cheap. There is a jam session almost 7 nights a week. One night, Irish another night if you’re loose the rock and rollers and country and western. he also spent a lot of time dancing. I took the ballroom room dancing classes, and later became a dance teacher.

After 20 years in Cumberland, I moved to Union Bay then to into Hornby Island before I settle in Black Creek between Courtenay and Campbell River.

Oh my older brother was a professional Forrester. I have been a Compass man cruising timber, pay my way through UBC. Since I was a college teacher, my brother hired me to teach silviculture. I got to spend time with the Indian band and alert day. We cruised cormorant Island. And we also with the Bella Coola in Squamish personation bands.
When I lived in union day, I did a lot of our chores in Victoria, Nanaimo and Cowichan day. I would target these communities doing paintings with apartment buildings in Bristol town use of Mount Baker Harbour seen intelligent bay Nanaimo.
Because of my association with the military, I did paintings of the tutor jet, the voodoo,, Dakota, DC three and the Argus, amongst others. I did fundraisers for the Canadian legion to support the veterans. I got Stosky Edwards sign, 100 married Prince, which we sold the Legion to raise money.. Edwards was Canada‘s top fighter ace in the North Africa campaign in the second world war. He later commanded number two fighter in France, where my father was stationed for three years. I have always supported Vancouver Island community with donations of art and also donated $21,000 to North Island college scholarships for students. I was a resident artist on the child development telephone for 20 years. I also served on both the board of North Island College and the BCArts Council. As president of the Comox, valley art gallery I was instrumental in moving from the old pool hall on fourth Street into the brand new renovated fire hall, art center. How does achievements were negated when I stupidly painted the swastika on the baseball cap. Political correctness reign supreme and now I am ostracized from the community and band for Many local facilities.

It’s interesting being accused of being anti-somatic because I spent three months on a Kibbutz in Israel as a student and I am pro is Israeli My best friend Sheldon is Jewish.
Canada is now rated number 2 Most Liveable countries in the world after Switzerland, which is number one. Vancouver, in Vancouver Island I’ve been discovered by the Rich and famous. House prices are skyrocketing. I talk to a friend in the buying a Home in Cumberland years ago she paid $27,000. The home now on acreage is worth $1.3 million as it is a small hobby farm very desirable for rich people. Like many people in Vancouver Island, they’re land, rich, cash, poor and she is struggling to pay that the new tax bill.

I am fortunate as my paintings continue to sell. The art gallery in Vancouver does not make money, but the real estate keeps going up in value. I also enjoy doing art shows. I’m probably the only artist in Vancouver phones on Gallery.