The giant ships that create a man-made breakwater at the mill site in Townsite have been a draw for tourists, kayakers, photographers and artists like Pamela How, who has created a series of oil paintings featuring the iconic ships.
How uses photos she has taken of the Hulks and uses photoshop to manipulate the image, in order to create a series of giant oil paintings of the Hulks in different lights, textures and colours.
"It's endless subject matter that I can keep repeating and repeating, because they're so amazing," said How. "I take my photos and I put them into photoshop, just to play around and figure out what looks good, and I use that as a reference to do something more abstract."
How graduated with a fine arts degree from University of Alberta more than 30 years ago, and tried to make a go of it as a working artist in her 20s. During a holiday to the west coast she met her future husband, who lived on Savary Island.
"I fell in love with Savary and he lived there, so I moved out here, started a family and a business," said How. "Then my art got put aside."
The family now lives in Westview. She transformed what was an old abandoned building/shed into a spacious art studio over five years ago, and has reignited her creative drive.
"I'm finding myself in my art right now and I'm taking my art more seriously," said How. "It gradually became something I needed to do every day."
How's artwork isn't just about the Hulks; she draws inspiration from her surroundings and simple objects whose form provide a platform for exploring paint application, tonal and colour contrasts.
“It's [oil paint] more expressive," said How. "But, now I am experimenting with acrylics and trying to do them [paintings] really fast and play around more, mixing more mediums."
How said she just bought an airbrush to become part of her tool kit. She also experiments with different brayers and squeegees.
How describes her art technique on the qathet Art Studio Tour 2024 website as: “A technique involving layering paint, blending thick brush strokes to soften edges and integrate layers. This approach gives my paintings a dynamic complexity and distinctive rhythm. Each artwork is a unique reflection of my artistic process.”
The Pamela How Studio is number 27 on the map for the qathet Studio Tour 2024, which takes place on Saturday, August 24, and Sunday, August 25.
Join the Peak’s email list for the top headlines right in your inbox Monday to Friday.
