From the Fair's Whirlwind to the Lake's Stillness

Inviting morning view of Paradise Lake from the neighbour's dock area, among many quiet moments in this serene wilderness setting

This year was my very first time at the Chilliwack Fair, and I was one of 37 artists accepted to do live art demonstrations in the Artists’ Corner. Out of the five portraits I’m currently working on, I chose to bring my horse portrait—it just felt right to match the fair’s theme.

Enjoyed the bustling activity of the Chilliwack Fair and chatting with passers-by from my booth/demo area,

while painting a horse... still in progress, but nearly done!

While painting in pastels, I had some wonderful conversations with fellow artists and with pet owners who stopped by. Many were curious about custom portraits, including memorial portraits of beloved pets. Those conversations gave me fresh insight into what pet owners are looking for, and they inspired me to expand my custom pet portrait package with more options. If you’ve been thinking about commissioning a portrait of your own pet (or one you’ve loved and lost), you can now explore those new size options.

Enjoying the sights and sounds of summer from the cabin deck and loving the company inside

the mesh tent aviary! It's peace of mind to know the fids are safe with me on holiday. They're my inspiration!

A day after doing live art at the fair, I headed up to Paradise Lake, about a 2.5 hour drive from Chilliwack, where I’ve been blessed to stay with my family at a friend’s cabin for the past four summers. Bringing my flock of eight parrots is always quite the adventure—it’s a major undertaking to pack everything they need, from familiar toys and perches to the smaller travel cages we use for the trip. Once there, I set up a mesh tent aviary in the living room (thanks to the cabin owners’ gracious permission). It keeps things tidy and, more importantly, lets my birds fly safely indoors. When the weather is good, they also enjoy sunshine, fresh air, and birdsong from their vacation cages on the deck.

Always an adventure with the fids... you never know which "perch" they'll pick next!

Aaaand, never a day without drama!

Of course, it takes some effort to keep routines as normal as possible in a smaller space, but once everybirdy settles in, there’s a wonderful peace to it all. Between caring for them, I had time to create art in this quiet, natural setting. Interestingly, I was working on the same horse portrait I’d taken to the fair—and it struck me how the act of creating felt just as joyful in the stillness of the lake as it did in the busyness of the fairgrounds. There’s something about the process itself that transcends the environment.

I had the joy of continuing to work on my horse portrait up at the cabin, while my lovebirds rested in the mesh tent aviary and my budgie pair chatted on the table beside me. This was a much quieter setting, as compared to the Chilliwack Fair!

If you’d like to see more about what it’s like to travel with eight birds (yes, really!), and why I actually do it (benefits, etc.), I’ll be sharing a new YouTube vlog in about two weeks. In the meantime, you can catch some teaser shorts on my YouTube channel and in reels on my social media.

Back in the studio, I’m continuing to work on several other pieces. One of them, a nearly finished human portrait, will be submitted to the Arts Pacific jury competition with the Langley Arts Council by September 1. I also have two pieces currently showing in the Hot Summer Art group exhibition at the Odlum Brown Gallery in the Chilliwack Cultural Centre until Aug 30, and another on display in the Dreams Exhibit at the Step Above Gallery in the Timms Community Centre in Langley, BC until Sept 12.

✨ Reflecting on it all, I realized something: whether I’m creating amidst the busyness of the fair or in the serentity of the wilderness, there’s a joy in creating that surpasses the environment. Sometimes we wait for the “perfect” quiet moment to make or reflect, but the truth is that inspiration can meet us just as powerfully in the midst of noise as it can in calm. From the Fair's whirlwind to the lake's stillness, the key is where your heart is at. My hope is that this encourages you to find beauty in unexpected places as well as expected places—and to let creativity and reflection slip into whatever season you find yourself in right now.

If you’d like to keep journeying with me through both the whirlwind and the stillness, consider joining my email list where I share behind-the-scenes updates, inspiration, and new work first. I'd love to have you there!

We enjoyed the scenic view of Paradise Lake looking eastward from the deck of the cabin in the early morning (mid-August, 5:30AM).