When I was asked to do this commission I was thrilled. It was for a dear friend’s wedding gift. I wanted to create something that when they viewed it it would bring them to a place thats meaningful. They are natural explores and rock climbing is their jam. I knew it had to be a rock face.
Living in B.C., the spots to climb are plenty but living in Vancouver, Squamish (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh), is basically the backyard to play in for such folk.
The first thing most think of climbing in Squamish is the Chief. It is both a popular and challenging hike and climb and is stunning but I felt the size and scale of the rock would be too hard to capture on the canvas… I had to find something else. So my family and myself packed into the car to see what we could find. Of course driving through Squamish I could not help but be impressed with the Chief, it is gorgeous after all. The streaks in form in the rock are like a painting itself.
But atlas I just felt it was too big, so we had some lunch in town, and on our way out I spotted a sign for Smokey Bluffs. I said, “Let’s Go!” Bright crisp spring green leaves, fresh salmon berries, and eager climbers, were gearing up to see where their climb of the day would take them. As we were walking along the trails, I was taken by the areas beauty and stunned by the geometry and bold lines of the rock formations.
Climbers see paths and lines to scale themselves up the rock, I saw streaks, and forms, and shapes, and hues.
Then we saw it. The Zombie Cave. It was a painting unto itself. There just was something special there.
I wasn’t sure if they had climbed there before but the alluring challenge it posed both as a painting and climbing spot pulled me in and if I knew anything about this couple they are the last ones to shy away from a healthy challenge. It just fit.
Krista Cameron 