Hello Friends,

I haven’t written for a while - it feels harder by the day to block out the horrors that are happening in Ghaza, in Ukraine and now in Lebanon - and the political hostilities happening South of us. I don’t understand how this ugliness and cruelty can be allowed to persist - it makes me feel hollow and utterly futile - it paralyzes me.

Even walks in Nature haven’t done much to shift my mood, but it does feel good to fill my lungs with fresh oxygen.

September

September kept me occupied in the classroom and volunteering to help promote and engage with the Artists for Conservation annual International Exhibition at Van Dusen Botanical Gardens. It was a wonderful event. I met so many beautiful, kind and generous people - all lending their talents to causes they feel passionate about. Mine is, of course, Wild Birds and I support the bird protection programs organized by the Squamish Environment Society.

Houston break

In October, I travelled to Houston, Texas to visit my Mum for a week. She had picked up a nasty infection while traveling in the Summer and on her return home she was admitted to ICU, where she was put on oxygen. It was no joke, but thanks to her grit and determination and access to excellent health care - she’s now on the mend. I caught up with my brother too, who was visiting from his home in New Zealand. We hadn’t seen each other in person for over 10 years. I got one final blast of heat and sunshine before flying home through a deluge and drove through an atmospheric river, in the dark to get home!

Countdown to November’s show in Squamish

Since the Summer, I’ve been slowly making new paintings and hoarding them for my duo exhibition in November with my pal and favourite jewellery artist, Susan Remnant. Our art practises are very different, but we share the same interests and we both draw inspiration from Nature. Now the deadline is only 2 weeks away - I feel anxious in the final stretch, but looking forward to having all this work is out of the studio!

I’ll be launching 3 new birds (Corvids) and will write about them in my next letter, but for now here’s a sneak preview of my White Raven.

Apologies for the slightly damp mood, but I wanted to connect. I know everybody is feeling it. Somehow I feel better acknowledging this.

Take care of yourselves and hug your loved ones,

Zoë xo