View to Lennard Light

Both my sons were born in Tofino and spent their teenage years—and beyond—surfing west coast beaches, such as Cox Bay and Chesterman Beach. This painting is a view from Chesterman to the Lennard Island light. The lighthouse was built in 1904, alerting mariners to coastal hazards at the entrance to Clayoquot Sound and Tofino. While this painting is of a relatively 'soft' day, without heavy, threatening seas or surf-able waves, it reminds me of my many days walking this shoreline and watching my boys and their friends surf. It also reminds me of the importance of lighthouses to the history of the west coast and the isolation and sacrifices made by lightkeepers and their families over the last century.