Tag Archives: Southern Gulf Islands

December art show on Saturna Island

Twelve members of ArtSaturna will be showing new pieces at the Saturna Café from December 8th to January 4th. This creative dozen works in several media, so the show promises to be varied and interesting.

An informal opening is planned for Saturday, December 10, from 3:30 pm to 5 pm.
The Café is at 101 Narvaez Bay Road, a few minutes from the ferry terminal.

Come and meet the artists!

Poster for the ArtSaturna Group Show at the Saturna Café, December 7, 2022 to January 4, 2023. Featuring 12 artists working in several media. Photo: Andrée Fredette

Double Exposure

Above: “Waiting”, photos taken in Sidney, BC. While killing time before catching the afternoon ferry, I experimented with in-camera double exposure. Double exposure is getting your camera to take two pictures one on top of the other. Fun game!

After a lengthy interlude, during which I explored the great outdoors and collected a lot of material to play with, here I am… back at the computer with my pictures. Ready to share.

Travel Dreaming 1. Photo by Andrée Fredette

Aboard the Mayne Queen ferry, a venerable member (built in 1964) of the BC Ferries fleet, on the way home.

 

Travel Dreaming 2. Photo by Andrée Fredette

These photos are in-camera double exposures. Take two pictures in a row, and the camera superimposes them automatically. The result is very interesting. Like opening a gift-wrapped item: a surprise!

 

Travel Dreaming 3. Photo by Andrée Fredette

Another reason to get out there and play… Very dreamy results.

These waters – Photo Wednesday

Above: classic shot of the Fog Alarm Building at East Point, Saturna Island, British Columbia.

And below, I tried to catch the sky reflected in a puddle left in sandstone hollows, on the “other side” of East Point.

The other side of East Point, Saturna Island, British Columbia. Photo by Andrée Fredette

If you like blues, this is the place. In these waters, an entire palette of blues is deployed every day.

Islet with approaching fog. Photo by Andrée Fredette

Above: an islet before the approaching fog engulfs it… Viewed from the ferry.

HMCS Oriole, oldest commissioned vessel in the Royal Canadian Navy. Photo by Andrée Fredette

And the same morning, again from the ferry, an apparition: the HMCS Oriole, the oldest commissioned vessel in the Royal Canadian Navy. It is a  31 m (101 ft 8 in) sailing ketch built in 1921. (I had to look it up.)

 Evening sail, by Salt Spring Island, British Columbia. Photo by Andrée Fredette

And I leave you with these sailors, stretching the day into evening.

Navy Channel Sunset. Photo by Andrée FredetteSummer is here. How about a tequila sunset?

Natural Wonder – Photo Wednesday

Above: a skyscape captured last night, around 9:30 pm. Cue the Mozart sonatas…

I have been outside and away from my blog for a bit. Here is some evidence of where I’ve been wandering…

Achillea blossom, about to open. Photo by Andrée FredetteAbove, an about to open yarrom blossom (Achillea millefolium), like a treasure in the dry grass.

 

Bottlebrush, blooming in the garden in June. Photo by Andrée FredetteThis is an Australian bottlebrush (Grevillea), a shrub that survives in my garden in the Southern Gulf Islands of BC. Loved by hummingbirds.

Salvia Blue Angel, in the June garden. Photo by Andrée FredetteAnd this thrilling version of blue is brought to you by a special sage, Salvia Blue Angel.

 

Hummingbird in flight. Photo by Andrée FredetteSpeaking of hummingbirds, here is a little male, showing off his colours. 

Promise, almost open... Photo by Andrée FredeteThe spring garden is full of promise. Almost open…

 

Dry grass, almost abstract. Photo by Andrée FredetteAnd in the fields around here, the grass is very dry, and panicles are poetically dancing in the wind…

 

After the moult, discarded snake skin. Photo by Andrée FredetteAnd in the dry grass, look at what we found: a skin, shed by a snake done with moulting for another little while. Such a delicate thing. Moving on, shedding your skin, there’s a thought.

May sunset wonder. Photo by Andrée FredetteAnd I leave you with a golden liquid sunset from a couple of weeks ago. Again, Mozart time.

Sunset magic – Photo Wednesday

Above: from the archives, a particularly moody August sunset from 2009, over Navy Channel, in the Southern Gulf Islands of the British Columbia coast.

Several days in a row this week, the sunsets have been very special. All warm shades, with a little contrast for good measure.

April 18 sunset, all liquid colours. Photo by Andrée Fredette

Above, that was on April 18, to the right of the horizon. Golden mellow.

April 18 sunset, all cool shades. Photo by Andrée Fredette

At the same time, all the cool shades were gathered on the left of the horizon…

I started taking pictures of sunsets from my perch on this island right from the get-go. Here is why:

December 2005 sunset with Pender Island in the background. Photo by Andrée Fredette

That photo is from December 2005, early days of digital cameras.  The pixels are little “rough”, but they do convey the magical quality of the light, and bright colours at sundown. That boat was in a hurry to get home before dark…

But let me show you a few more examples from various seasons, to give you an idea of the range of colours and cloud patterns involved.

Sunset magic over Pender Island forest. Photo by Andrée Fredette

One evening, that was the sight: the sky on fire above Pender Island’s forest.

Sunset magic, Southern Gulf Islands, BC. Photo by Andrée Fredette

The sky show can be spectacular. I love the light on the water, above.

Dramatic November sunset over Pender Island, BC. Photo by Andrée Fredette

And clouds can create some truly dramatic effects.

Sunset drama over Navy Channel, Southern Gulf Islands, BC. Photo by Andrée Fredette

I did mention that I love the sunset reflection in the water. Here is my shot of that liquid gold, rippling after a boat went through the sound.

Sunset reflected in the water. Photo by Andrée Fredette

And there are bonus points if you can observe the sunset from a high vantage point, on a cloudy evening. Big payoff!

Sunset blues over the Southern Gulf Islands. Photo by Andrée Fredette

I leave you with this “sunset blues” version. Play some Mozart at sunset, it suits the mood.