This artwork speaks of Canadiana, in the sense that the landscape is typical of many regions of the country and would seem familiar to many.

The location of this snowscape is the confluence of two rivers, where the wild Kicking Horse River meets the mighty Columbia.

This is a large canvas. While I worked on it, I was exported in my mind to this location that I am so familiar with.  No doubt, others that see this can relate. I have many stories to tell about my experiences on both rivers and at the confluence.

The centre of interest in this one is the reflection in the cold, clear water that hasn’t yet iced over. I want this painting to give a feeling to the viewer’s lungs, that of crisp, fresh air.

The trees on the riverbank struggle to hold on to the crumbling shale slope. Not many make it to maturity.

There is meaning to “Confluence”. I think of things in my life, and things in my family history before I existed that affected my life story. People that were met, events that happened that resulted in the course of life changing. Much like how the water of a river gets diverted and ends up flowing to a different place.

What about your confluences? Obvious ones could be when you went to university, started a career, or met your spouse. But there were things that happened that led to those events, and it is interesting to recognize that there were tributaries that flowed to other streams.

I’ve been reading a lot of history lately. I recognize that the river I’m in now is a result of many events that happened long ago. For example, the history of the Netherlands and how the Canadian army helped to liberate them in World War 2 resulted in my existence here in Canada. Looking back further, I see how American evangelicalism was born from the puritans colonizing North America and how that mindset eventually ran into my heritage.

Hmm, the things you can get thinking about when you paint.  Thinking past the paint!