Islands in the Salish Sea: A Community Atlas recommended by Alison Watt, Artist
Pages of Inspiration
Summer!
The weather is better, the days are longer, we’re simply outside more. Summer is the perfect time to learn about nature and to DRAW nature.
There is endless beauty, diversity and inspiration in the Salish Sea. We polled the artists featured in our Drawing Connections: 40 Years of Art and Hope for the Salish Sea exhibit and our staff.
The question — what books would you recommend to get to know nature and for getting the creative juices flowing?
Here are their answers!
Rob Butler, Ornithologist, Author, Artist
The Sea Among Us: The Amazing Strait of Georgia, Gordon McFarlane, Richard Beamish
Four Seasons by the Salish Sea, Carolyn Redl
A wonderful introduction to places to visit through the seasons.
The Salish Sea: Jewel of the Pacific Northwest, Audrey DeLella Benedict and Joseph K. Gaydos
This is also a nice introduction to the region.
Anne Parkinson, Exhibit Artist coordinator
Snorkelling Adventures Around Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands: The Ultimate Guide, Sara Ellison
Almost as good as getting in the water yourself, Sara's book will show you the beauty of the Salish Sea. With her beautiful photographs, she highlights the myriad of amazing invertebrates from tiny sea stars to the giant Pacific octopus plus a chapter on how to safely gear up and enter the water. Snorkelling is a recreational activity that helps promote a healthy Salish Sea.
Leah Thorpe, Director of Exhibits & Engagement
Hope Matters, Elin Kelsey
This book was a huge source of inspiration for the Drawing Connections exhibit. It’s a great reminder that while there are many reasons to be concerned about our planet, there are many reasons to be hopeful.
It encourages us to celebrate the wins and find inspiration in how powerful our actions can be for positive change.
Aneka Friesen, Educator
20 Ways to Draw a Jellyfish, Trina Dalziel
I often hear kids say they "don't know how to draw", so I like the idea of giving them inspiration and ideas they can choose from, to hopefully build their artistic confidence.
My personal favourite is the page about drawing crabs - the diversity of art reflects the diversity of local crab species!
Tina Kelly, Director of Learning & Communications
The Creative License: Giving Yourself Permission to Be the Artist You Truly Are, Danny Gregory
“Creativity is something we are all born with, but somewhere along the way, we convince ourselves we don’t have the right to label ourselves as creative or artists. This book is my attempt to reverse that with a step-by-step process to reawaken the creative impulse in us all. It’s designed to be fun, easy, a little snarky, and addictive.“
Danny Gregory’s books (there are many!) are an easy way to spark your creativity. Simple tips motivate putting pen (or paint) to paper.
Get to know your Salish Sea this summer.
And maybe give yourself some creative license to be a little artful!