Ancestor Trees
At Piper's Lagoon, another ocean side park in Nanaimo, there is an ancient stand of Garry Oak trees - elders who have seen so much change in their time. Some days, I want to just sit and talk to them!

Everything is so BIG here ...
Coming from Ontario to Vancouver Island and the rain forest, you learn that everything here grows BIG. The leaf on the left is about the size of one you would see in Ontario ... the one on the right is from a BIG LEAF Maple in Nanaimo.

Sea Planes in Nanaimo Harbour
How perfect is that ... all lined up in a dramatic and graphic manner. You see, inspiration is EVERYWHERE.

Barton Leier Gallery, Yellowpoint, Vancouver Island
This is one of my favourite places for artist inspiration. This whimsical garden is a graphic delight and much writing comes out of the images that I see.

Where the forest meets the ocean ...
In another section of Piper's Lagoon Park in Nanaimo, there is a forest that runs right along the ocean. It's completely amazing and sacred. I can only get there when the tide is out ... cause the climb over the rocks is just a bit too much for me!

Nature is such a great graphic designer!
A winter sunset from my deck in Nanaimo. Big sky and big fir trees ... an awesome combination.

Tranquility
Sunday at Neck Point Park. This is my cathedral, my sacred place. Nanaimo is very blessed to have this ocean side park for all to enjoy. Some days, it feels like I've travelled to Ireland or Scotland, all right here on Vancouver Island.

Lone Pine on the coast
This is a perfect view point at Neck Point Park - looking east to the mainland. It's very quiet here, because it's just off the main trail. A great place to sit and contemplate my next design or writing project.

A flowering artichoke
My first year here in Nanaimo, I was introduced to the wonderfully graphic effect of letting a artichoke go to flower. I was amazed. I sent this picture to everyone I knew ... and no one had ever seen such a thing.

The misty coast
North on Vancouver Island is Port McNeil, a small place full of fishing vessels. On a late summer morning I strolled along the waterfront in the peace and quiet of the low lying fog.

Ocean and stone
The rhythm of the waves is a perfect way to clear the mind and balance the soul.

Colour Therapy
Sometimes I wonder how I get anything done, when the skies capture my complete attention. Nature has a way of really showing a graphic designer how to do up colour just right!