"Supernatural B.C.", oil and acrylic on canvas, 48"x72", 1986

This painting was inspired by my experiences treeplanting in 1986-87 and was based on a sketch I produced from memory after returning to camp at the end of a days work. At the time I was working near Prince George in one of the largest clearcuts in B.C. The cut had been recently burned in the previous days and as the morning mist cleared and I started to plant, I could feel the heat rising from the ashes.

This painting was the first painting I completed out of Art School. It is not one I ever expect someone to buy for over their couch. Perhaps my favourite story obout displaying this painting happened when it was being shown at a Cafe in North Vancouver around 1990. The owner, somewhat to my surprise had personally picked it for display and part way into the showing informed me that he was going to purchase it as a gift for his brother. This surprised me even more but what he told me next floored me. He wanted to give it to his brother who is a psychiatrist, to hang in his office. Not surprisingly when his brother got wind of this plan he quicly vetoed it. I was actually relieved.