I have, in fact, many times. And even though I was awed at each occurrence, none made me smile quite the way this new picture book does.
The rollicking and lushly illustrated tale leads readers on an amusing journey into the quirky wonders of the sea, sky and stars. Sea lions stir up a stink, seagulls shriek and wary sea anemones clench their tentacles tightly.
The clever rhymes are the work of Caroline Woodward, author of numerous fiction and nonfiction books for children, teens and adults. For this story, Woodward draws on her affinity for nature, especially the thirteen years she spent as a lighthouse keeper on the West Coast of Vancouver Island.
Claire Watson’s blend of vibrant color and vivid, fun-filled scenes create enchanting images. The artist, illustrator and graphic designer has spent most of her life on the west coast and her knowledge and passion for the land, sea, and creatures that inhabit these spaces is on full display.
Readers of all ages will chuckle at the antics portrayed in this light-hearted story. A perfect read before – or after — a beach or woods outing and even on a rainy day while stuck inside.
The Cougar makes top BC adventure book in Explore Magazine!
Avid outdoorsman, writer and photographer, John Geary recently took a tour of Canadian adventure books, selecting one from each province and territory.
It must have been a daunting task to choose only one for each area so I was surprised and delighted when The Cougar, Beautiful, Wild and Dangerous was his pick for BC!
Geary’s selection is featured in the online edition of Explore Magazine.
Here’s part of what he has to say about The Cougar: “This book details the history of the cougar-people relationship, examining cougar attacks in North America over the last 200 years. It’s an eye-opener and a good source of information about cougars — including what to do if you encounter one.…an important read.”
Waves pounding on a rocky outcropping, an eagle perched in a fir tree, the sky drenched in pink and orange as the sun slips beyond the horizon. Every writer dreams of a view like this. But is it beneficial? Does it beckon the creative muse? Nudge you into writing faster and better?
In my thirty-plus years as a writer, I’ve worked in many spaces. The first was at a desk in the corner of the living room. My nine-year old stepdaughter had a tough time understanding why she wasn’t supposed to interrupt me.
But I’ve also been lucky enough to write where I had views of water, treed areas and wildlife. I fondly recall the little summer house I rented as a private writing retreat from Shannon and Brian on their island sanctuary in the Nuchatlitz archipelago.
I loved my writing retreat in this little cabin and spending time with Shannon and Brian at Nuchatlitz.
My favourite writing space, however, was in an Arts & Crafts heritage house I lived in for decades. Two huge transom windows provided expansive views of dogwood trees, large flowering shrubs, and maple trees with leaves as big as dinner plates.
Visual memories include a snowfall of pink cherry blossoms, a hummingbird piercing a small owl’s breast with its beak, and a deer licking the inside of a feral rabbit’s ear.
This is where I wrote a weekly arts column for the local newspaper, hundreds of articles for mainstream and alternative magazines and six non-fiction books. But this was not my most productive writing space. That was a tiny room upstairs.
An engrossing book to work on, The Cougar demanded my full attention. The phone and even the sound of my partner walking around in other areas of the house were unwelcome intrusions.
So I took my laptop to the grey room. The only furniture was a bed, a desk and a bookcase. To my delight, I couldn’t hear anything in the rest of the house. And I didn’t have access to the Internet, so another distraction was eliminated.
There was an unexpected quirk, though. The desk faced the window, and I couldn’t work with the light shining in my eyes. There was no room to move the desk, so I closed the blinds. Then I realized that light from the other bedroom shone in the open doorway, creating glare on my screen. I shut the door, only to discover that the light from the overhead fixture also created screen glare. So, I turned it off.
I didn’t know if I could write solely by the light of my laptop screen. But strangely, it worked. I felt like a captain at the helm of a spaceship careening into outer space. I couldn’t hear anything, see anything, or google anything. It was just me and The Cougar. And I wrote up a storm.
The upshot? Having a view to write by is lovely but not necessarily the most effective.
That said, no matter where you shape your stories, it’s always a good idea to periodically give your eyes a break from the screen. That’s the perfect time to find a window with a view. And if you have time, to go outside into it.
Top image is the view from one of the windows in my former heritage house.
The west coast landscape is the creative inspiration for most of Bev Byerley’s paintings.
As a writer, creativity intrigues me. Why do we seek it? How do we find it?
While I continue to explore the concept in my personal and professional life, I’m also curious about how people in other fields of artistic endeavor, find their muse. Painter Bev Byerley was kind enough to share her thoughts below.
First of all, I take photos of my favorite places. Usually it’s just a few interesting lines I see in these photos that sparks my creative interest.
Then I sketch the bare bones, emphasizing the lines that I find intriguing, with a paint brush and dark coloured paint. After the initial sketch I’m full of artistic excitement and begin to block in colours and cover the canvas.
It’s usually about this time that I realize just how much work it’s going to take to produce the image I have in my head. My energy level wanes and I have to push myself to keep going.
But when I do, there comes the point that I can see the finish line and the initial spark returns with all the energy and enthusiasm to complete the piece.
For me, painting is like walking a long distance; placing one foot in front of another, and another, and another…
