Painters in the Wild

So, one of my goals is to attend more festivities that are going on in the city around me. I struggle with fatigue a lot and often don't feel like leaving the house but being stagnant isn't good for anybody.

The real tip off that you're at home too much is when your best friend lovingly refers to you as, "the shut in".

When you've been knocked out of commission for over 4 years it's not such a simple task to slide back into society. After trying and failing multiple times, from exhaustive crashes and a sometimes lengthy recovery periods, I've decided that it's a series of small steps. I'm more of a jump in or go home type of person, so this is a big thing to admit to myself.

Victoria in the summer is a magical kind of places with more festivities than you could shake a intricately carved stick at. If you leave the house, you can't help but trip over bands, art and dancing.

One of my favourite activities of the year is always going to the Moss St Paint-In. I never miss it (unless hospitalized, of course) I would drive for over an hour when I lived farther away but this year I live walking distance from it so I grabbed my parasol and off I went.


There are 150 artists lining the street and 35,000-ish people who come to see them. Despite that many people cruising the picturesque length of rd, it is very serene with the occasional musician dotting the path. All are amazing and all are unique. Here are some of my favourites, please check out their websites.

Above is painter Martin Manchacek working on a painting of Victoria's Blue Bridge.


Sharlene Stushnov Lee.




Robert Randall (above) is someone who I lookout for every year.

Tony Hunt who I can't quite find a site for.




Peter Allen (above). I have the same socks.

Blu Smith



Chin Yuen (above)


Derek Ford photographer (above), who took this photo of me and my parasol.



John Marston, Northwest Coast Salish Carver

Girl with the most beautiful voice. Unfortunately I didn't catch her name.

The colours even ran underfoot.



At the end of the road is the newly re-named, Salish Sea, and the snow capped, Rocky Mountains. This is where the art lovers rested before heading back up the street to see everything else.