A few pastel paintings I did of buildings around Saltspring Island has inspired me to turn it into a larger series documenting rural communities. Originally I wanted to just document Saltspring Island, painting my favourite spots, iconic buildings in town, and some of the little houses I pass by, creating a big picture of the community there throughout several smaller pieces.

However, my recent trip to Peru inspired me to expand the series outwards. I fell in love with the little houses scattered across the Andes. Small, modest, and colourful, surrounded by breathtaking landscapes.

With this series, I aim to depict different versions of the ‘slow life’ and how we interact with the natural world when we’re surrounded by it. There are no people in these images, just buildings and usually just the exterior. I think there’s a lot that our houses and community buildings can reveal about who lives there and what life is like. Or at least it leaves a lot for the viewer to imagine about who lives there. It might be a little romanticized at times – to me these communities seem like the perfect escape from the rush of every day. And the key word “community.” There always seems to be so much more of it in places like these.

This series is ongoing so I’ll be continuing to add more paintings in, especially as I can hopefully travel to more places and get a little more in depth.