It's been a while since I dabbled in painting a fully colored landscape. I feel really good about this one.
As I mentioned in my last post, I've recently gotten into camping. It was always something that intrigued me even when I was younger but I could never fully get into it because I had other hobbies, and the Philippines was waaaay too hot and humid to even enjoy any kind of camping.
When I moved here to Canada, I was suddenly surrounded by grandiose mountains within plain sight: Golden Ears, Mt. Baker, the Cheam Range, the Lions and Grouse Mountain... To name a few. Whenever I drive up to Whistler, I'm treated to even more sights of nature within reach: dense evergreen forests, snowcapped peaks, pristine rivers and glacial lakes... The economy might be shitty where I am currently, but the nature is simply too beautiful. I'm in love with it.
After spending some time dipping my feet through park walks and fishing, I decided 2026 was the year I finally jumped into camping. My girlfriend and I spent our first trip together in early April, at Gold Greek Campground in Golden Ears Provincial Park. I felt so giddy being surrounded by nature and just being out in the middle of the woods, setting up a tent while my girlfriend tended to our campfire. We grilled some sausages and slept on the floor of our tent... Though we grossly underestimated just how cold the ground would get even with all the sheets we brought.
Since then, I've understood why one of my acquaintances is such an avid camper. I used to think it was ridiculous that he was booking camp reservations months in advance and that he was camping regardless of the weather. I still wouldn't camp in poor weather conditions, but seeing how booked campsites can get in the summer, I can see why he had to book so early.
In any case, that first experience was all I needed to get hooked. I've been going back to Gold Creek every now and then by myself whenever a site was available (my partner isn't as into it as I am). I've also gotten a few sites booked out east in the Okanagan for June and July. I would have never thought just how into it I would be.
So far all I've done is frontcountry camping, which is simply booking a site at a campground instead of venturing out into the wilderness. Setting up my tents and lugging my equipment around is a pain, but the whole experience of just being in nature—sleeping in the wilderness and just being unbothered by the world beyond—has proven to be a lot more fulfilling than I would have ever imagined.
The idea for this painting had quickly weaseled its way into my head during the morning after my second trip out. I was taking photos of how the sun was just hitting the trees because I found it so serene. I wanted to depict the scene flat and 2D, something like a Terraria screenshot, and to use a cool color palette consisting of blues, greens, and grays, with yellow for contrast.
I'm elated to see my painting ultimately match my vision. I'll be doing more outdoorsy landscapes related to my camping adventures and more over the summer. That is, assuming I can stay grounded long enough at home to actually work on them... 😅
