Little Love Letters
This collection is a personal tribute to the mountains that have shaped me.
As someone who grew up in Calgary, AB, with the Canadian Rockies just a stone’s throw away, these peaks have been a constant source of adventure and inspiration for me. From hiking and biking to skiing their rugged trails, I've come to know and love these mountains for so many different reasons.
These small paintings are my little love letters to the mountains I hold dear, capturing everything I love about the Rockies. With their bright, vibrant colors, I hope these pieces bring the same joy and light into your space that these mountains have brought into my life.
Yamnuska
Of all the mountains I've seen in my life, I consider this one to be my first love.
Why? I grew up staring at this mountain every year at summer camp from across the valley so it holds this incredible sense of nostalgia for me. Every time I pass it I'm flooded with memories of camp and the place that made me love the outdoors.
It's also one of the first mountains we pass every time we go exploring in the Rockies. It always feels a bit like coming home when I see it.
To me Yamnuska feels like sun kissed cheeks after a long day of exploring outside. It's the excitement of new friends and the crackling of a campfire and the knowing that whatever comes tomorrow, it's probably going to be fun. It's someone strumming wheat kings on a guitar as the sun sets.
My version of Yamnuska is all that, along with the warm peachy glow of a hot evening in August.
Three Sisters
Of all the peaks I've gazed at and obsessed over and painted, these feel the most like home.
I've spent so much time in Canmore over the years, visiting family, catching up with friends, celebrating holidays, using it as a basecamp for mountain adventuring. The Three Sisters have been the constant backdrop to it all.
My favourite view of the sisters is in early fall, when there's still a good amount of green on the trees, the first hint of yellow appears, and the peaks get that first dusting of snow. The contrast of the white snow on rock together with the colours in the valley is just *chefs kiss*.
Castle
Nothing captures the essence of the Rockies quite like Castle. It's got this rugged strength to it, like an elder warrior that has stood watch over the bow valley for millions of years.
It's always a treat catching glimpses of Castle from the highway. Morning or afternoon, she looks brilliant in any light because of all these delicious cliffs and craggly bits that catch the sun from every direction.
It's an icon. A landmark. And gorgeous from every direction when the light hits it.
Assiniboine
I have this distinct memory of being a young teen hiking up Assiniboine Pass on a hot 30' day with what felt like a 50lb pack, and silently vowing to never go hiking again. If that version of me knew how many hikes I'd eventually go on to do.
I was never the most athletic kid, and for whatever reason I was born with feet that hate hiking boots, so I was always that slow hiker at the back of the group. (I've since figured out that hiking runners is where it's at).
But then I finally made it over the pass and caught my breath and took in the view. There's nothing like it. This valley is truly a rocky mountain paradise and one of my favourite places to hike to.
Assiniboine taught me about perseverance and that I can do hard things. And also that it's ok to be the slow hiker at the back of the pack - life's a journey not a race!
That's why I love this mountain.
Temple
I fell in love with this mountain over many years skiing at Lake Louise. There's a time of year in late December/ early January, when the sun rises late and stays low in the sky for most of the morning. The way the sun hits the craggly bits on the left side of the mountain always takes my breath away.
Sometimes when it's really cold and there's just a faint hint of snow falling but still rays of sunshine coming through, the snow, the mountain, the air, everything lights up and it's like the whole world literally sparkles. It's magic.
Meet the Artist
Living and creating in Calgary, AB.
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