“Sea-to-sky Highway at Porteau Cove” captures a beautiful morning spent painting with a friend at Porteau Cove Park. It's a fantastic spot for camping, boating, and even scuba diving (there's an old sunken ship that attracts an abundance of marine life and divers alike). And, of course, it's a painter's paradise. It's common to see large groups of sea lions who have struggled onto the jetty, basking and barking, adding to the vibrant atmosphere.

As usual for me, it was the massive granite formation dominating the scene that became the focus of my painting; the composition is predominantly a close-up of this imposing structure. Its steep, slab-like form looms dramatically over the shore and the iconic Sea-to-Sky highway. (I’m always a bit nervous driving this section; it's known for its rockfall risk and closures due to slides – it’s difficult to imagine there’s even room for the highway in that tight space between the rock and the trees. 

Capturing the sheer scale, texture, and imposing form of this granite structure, especially quickly and en plein air, was a significant challenge. However, I’m pleased with how I managed to convey its immense mass, distinct fissures, and varying planes, successfully showing how these distinct planes capture the light differently. For the granite itself, I used a palette of cool greys, subtle blues, and mauves, creating a dramatic contrast between these lighter hues of the rock and the dark evergreen trees on the cliff. 

The atmosphere of the painting is one of serenity, despite the imposing nature of the granite. I used soft, atmospheric blues and pale mauve-greys in the distance to suggest the vastness of Howe Sound and the surrounding mountains, further contrasting with the sharp, defined edges of the foreground rock.

This artwork is available at Stockhome Design in Vancouver. Please visit to view in person!