I remember the day well. December 8th, 2011. Joy and I and our friend Cathy Tait were over in Tofino to visit Dick Close and Holly Baker at their home on beautiful Cox Bay. December 8thwas Holly’s celebration of the 26thanniversary of her 39thbirthday. It was a clear not too cold day with no rain in sight. All of us, except Dick, would go for a walk that day. His knees won’t permit such luxury.
Holly would show us a trail we’d not seen before. Near the junction, the head of the trail introduces the walker to a very typical west coast rain forest. It’s a groomed trail complete with boardwalks and even stairs down the forested cliffs to the beach. We even picked a feast of wild mushrooms on the trail during our 20-minute walk that day. It was the quintessential west coast walk in the forest.
The beach we were going to was Half Moon Bay. We have a Half Moon Bay on the Sunshine Coast and there’s yet another in California. This Half Moon Bay, unlike the other two though, is very private, very secluded and very special. It’s a small beach, not even three hundred meters long, but make no mistake it’s very special. All of these beaches that face the open ocean have their own personality. They are as individual as you and me. Half Moon Bay felt so welcoming in its sheltered presence. It was even warmer down there due to the protection provided by the cliffs and tall trees. I’m not naive enough to think that’s it’s always like that but on this day it was warm and welcoming.
With a stick Joy etched “Happy Birthday Holly” in the sand near the beachhead to the north end of the bay. As I took a photograph of the birthday girl standing with her very temporary greeting I saw the image that would become the painting. I’d felt its presence since we’d climbed down onto the beach but now I saw it. The rocky beachhead cloaked in its heavy green wrap showed off two trees in particular. It was those two trees, stubborn and resilient in their very position that impressed. How many storms had they seen? I felt compelled to tell their story in a painting. This painting was the first painting I started in 2012. Forever it will remind me of a special walk with special friends to a very special west coast beach “Half Moon Bay”.