The best up-island trip yet!

(click on image to enlarge)

Hanging Gardens of Quadra

Watercolour and Photoshop™

©2013 Charlene Brown

Vancouver Island was first explored by British and Spanish expeditions in the late 18th century, and was originally called Quadra’s and Vancouver’s Island after Spanish navigator Juan de la Bodega y Quadra and British navy officer George Vancouver. The Spanish must have lost interest in land so far north because in the 19^th century when Quadra was dropped from the name they settled for it being given to a tiny island between Vancouver Island and the mainland. Vancouver Island covers 12,407 sq mi and Quadra Island is less than 1% of that at 120 sq mi!

I’ve just returned from another Gallery Associates trip to visit artists in the northern part of Vancouver Island, and on Quadra Island, which we reached by ferry from Campbell River. This picture is the view from one artist’s garden back towards Campbell River. As always, we found people’s gardens to be as splendidly inspiring as their studios and galleries, with driftwood, ceramics, and metal sculpture combined with flowers and arrayed around rock pools or hanging from trees.