Driftwood Lounge Series

May 28

Does anyone even remember life before COVID-19 consumed their city? Take a moment and think back to a time before the lockdowns, social distancing, marinating in hand sanitizer, hoarding toilet paper, and the great mask debate. Now take a big deep breath, unclench your jaw and relax your shoulders. Was there a day leading up to quarantine that you specifically remember the innocent details of?

For me, one particular day stands out vividly, March 7th 2020. I was invited to Cara’s cozy home for tea and to take reference photos for a commission. Reflecting on that rainy late Saturday morning feels like a dream given all that has happened with the pandemic this year.

Cara had invited me to an upcoming party at the house which was eventually cancelled due to the lock down sweeping the globe. I love house parties and was really looking forward to attending. House parties hold a much more relaxed intimate vibe. They are not the grand production that typically comes with going out on the town to bars. The time spent together is genuine and the conversations feel more open. Dance parties in the kitchen and stories told on the living room floor. At this point a house party, even a night out on the town feels like a pandemic pipe dream.

599 Poplar Point is an 800 square foot bungalow peacefully nestled amongst trees in the middle of a prime corner lot in Kelowna. Knox Mountain curves around the house and trails off in the distance. The popular hiking trails start in the backyard. Okanagan Lake is across the street. The lake offers stunning views at every angle. From 599 Poplar Point’s angle, it includes the winding Westside Road as it weaves above the Raymer Beach Access through to Bear Creek Provincial Park, past La Casa Resort and onwards to Fintry, BC. Down the shore towards the left of the house, the now closed Tolko Sawmill sits quietly. Operations ceased indefinitely on January 8th, 2020. The neighbourhood is certainly different without its bustling presence— the mill had been in operation since 1930. The house itself was built in 1946 by Mr. and Mrs. Haug. Many people have had the pleasure of calling 599 Poplar Point home for the past 74 years and Cara has lived here for over six years. That’s over 2100 lakeside sunsets, weather depending. Wow, what a lucky lady.

The home has a sunroom that is roughly the size of my 130 square foot apartment deck, if not bigger. As I approach the door, I notice a piece of barn wood with Driftwood Lounge carved in cursive, sitting on a table amongst seashells and chunks of driftwood. Inside, red brown tiles covered the floor. The far side towards the garage is filled with a wood pile during the winter. A shoe rack with boots and skates sits at the opposite end with a dusty rose French chair in the corner. In the middle of the room, a futon covered in bright blue woven blanket looks out towards the front yard and Okanagan Lake, offering breath taking views, in every season. I can just imagine sitting on that futon watching a rainstorm charge from one end of the valley to the next, the sun gracefully descend behind the mountains or snow quietly blanketing the lake.

Scout the dog welcomed me as I entered the living room. The infamous Scraggles the cat, sits on the shelf surrounded by feline portraits created numerous admirers. The ceiling is lined with warm cedar panels. A white brick fireplace sits in the centre of the room and to the right on the far wall are built in wood cabinets and a bookshelf lined with a deep red fabric. The shelves were filled with books and many treasures. An elephant, teacups, wooden boxes, picture frames. I love the look of built in shelves. They are great for storage and truly add character to a space. The home was also filled with plants, antiques and ceramics from the various trips Cara had been on over the years.

Cara’s appreciation of antiques began at an early age, her parents owned an antique jewelry store while she was growing up. She continues to frequent garage sales in search of new goodies. The decor style is very eclectic and bohemian. I instantly felt relaxed the minute I walked in the door. Every time I turned around something else in the home would catch my eye and I would gush. I was so excited to explore with my camera in hand.

I spent an hour or so moving from room to room taking photos, in awe of it all. Everything was so interesting to me. The big windows and the way the light filtered through. The house felt very bright despite the gloomy weather outside. I was intrigued by the way the treasures and plants thrived in harmony amongst the furniture. I took photos of nearly everything, inside and out. From the bright aqua tiles in the bathroom with the Pilea plant on the counter to the laundry room that held a safe. The door permanently propped open.

Long before 599 Poplar Point earned its Lake House moniker; long before the Driftwood Lounge was carved into a piece of wood and welcomed friends and family; My friend Matt lived in this house as a teenager. He managed to figure out the code to unlock the safe door. It took him two years, just casually maneuvering the lock out of teenage boredom before he successfully opened it.

The walls in the quaint kitchen were painted a light celery green. Cara had been to the farmer’s market before I had arrived. Heads of lettuce and kale sprawled out on the countertop amongst bunches of giant green onions and broccoli, illuminated vibrant shades of green against the grey daylight.

Throughout the remainder of the home, the walls were painted light airy colours. Do you know that calm refreshing feeling you get after a good yoga practice or a restful nights’ sleep? I felt like that wandering from room to room. There were tapestries hung on the walls and doors. Intricate patterned scarves were used as curtains and paired with sheer drapes to filter light for the plants. Twinkle lights were strung above windows, in around plants and across the cedar panel ceiling throughout the bedrooms and living room. Fluorite and amethyst crystals sat amongst antique bud vases and pottery dishes. Frames of all sizes on the wall with art deco prints, Haida art, and some of Cara’s own photography. One of my favourite parts of the house was the old 35mm film camera hanging around a picture frame on the hallway wall.

Scout casually wandered about towards Sutherland Park across the street while we toured the yard. Trees and shrubs were slowly awakening from their winter slumber and I had to use a lot of my imagination as Cara explained what flowers bloomed in specific areas. Wild rose bushes in the front of the house off to the side and plenty of mint. Apple and apricot trees in the front and back. A fenced garden area that held much potential for the upcoming summer growing season. Think of all the zucchinis and tomatoes!

I felt energized leaving The Lake House, as I imagine many before me have felt. As soon as I got home, I began sketching from my reference photos that night, in a trance. Brain dumping what I saw and flipping back and forth through photos just to get a feel for what this project would be. I snapped over 120 photos, and Cara would send me pictures as she thought of them in the weeks after my visit. There was so much reference material to work with! One hundred percent of the time, series work is all consuming. There were many times throughout this project where I felt as if I too had lived at the Lake House for a brief period.

In the beginning, neither of us really knew what exactly this commission would be. However, I quickly realized during that photo session that it would be more than one painting. It had to be. My head was buzzing with ideas. There were too many special things to remember and beautiful angles to capture. There was no way that one painting would do. The home suffered a bad roof leak and was slated for demolition. Cara was saying goodbye to The Lake House and wanted something to commemorate this special place. I had proposed two larger pieces of the exterior of the home and sketched out five smaller interior pieces, suggesting she pick three. We agreed to two larger 18 x 24 wood panels of the exterior and five 8 x 10 wood panels of the interior. The groundwork for Driftwood Lounge had been laid.

My painting style evolved while working on this series. A typical house painting of mine starts with a wild and vibrant abstract background with layers of spray paint, collage, pastel, pigment powders and various random marks with acrylic paint. The building outline sits over top of the abstract and I work around particular details so they pop through the windows, or between the trees, or the yard. Knowing that I had a laundry list of special details to paint in, I purposely omitted the wild abstract background and opted to use those techniques in other ways. The sunset and reflection on the lake were done solely by finger painting. The driveway and Poplar Point Drive were done with palette knives. Flat brushes in various shades of grey dabbled across the roofs for asphalt tiles. Looking at these pieces collectively can be a little like playing a game of I-Spy. In one painting alone you can spot a gong, a lava lamp, a lemon tree and an elephant. In another, an apricot tree, pompoms, fluorite, a metronome, a dried bouquet of flowers. You’ll find Scout lounging in the front yard while Scraggles watches over the yard on the tree stump. Scraggles is equal parts house cat, outdoor adventure enthusiast and art muse. Driftwood Lounge would have been incomplete if I neglected to include the Scraggles Art Wall.

With having the opportunity to photograph the interior, I was able to work those details into the paintings of the exteriors. In the past, I have added random plants or use the windows as a way to peak through to the abstract background behind. Most of the time I have no idea what’s going on inside the building I’m painting. Adding the interior details gives these paintings so much more depth and I’m really thrilled with how they turned out.

A full moon was painted on one the large panels facing the front of the house. Symbolically, full moons are a great time for reflection, gratitude and letting go. I took creative liberties in one of the smaller interior panels. Where there was bare wood floor, I added a carpet and completely changed the tapestry hung on the door. The Four of Wands, is a classic image image in Tarot. The image depicts a couple dancing under a wreath of leafy foliage propped up by four wands. In the background a large castle and group of people gathered in the background. In tarot, this is a happy, harmonious card and can also evoke a relaxed home environment. To take it a step further, the four wands themselves symbolize stability and reliable foundations. After hearing all the wonderful memories Cara has collected over the years at the Lake House it felt appropriate to include the full moon and the four of wands. Both symbols honour ending a chapter, saying goodbye and celebrating what was and what will come.

Each series and commission usually parallels with a significant time in my life, like a chapter in a novel, or a new ring on a tree. To Downtown Kelowna With Love was about honouring my love for downtown while it undergoes development and longing for a home of my own. I Love You, Goodbye was about healing from an abrupt end and finding light on the other side. While working on 842 Stockwell Avenue and Sturgeon Hall Restaurant I grieved the loss of a friend. In the letter I wrote for Antico Pizza Napoletana I point blank told the universe that I want to find the kind of true love that the art collectors who commissioned the painting had found in each other. High, Sunset was about coming back to myself by way of adventure and discovering that I needed to make some significant changes. What was this series about?

Before Driftwood Lounge came to fruition and for the duration of eight months, my boyfriend and I had been on the hunt to find a home together. If you have been following along with the news on the local housing market in the Okanagan in the last couple of years the numbers are astounding. The vacancy rate sits at 1.9% and rents have skyrocketed over the last few years. Most rentals are not pet friendly, which equates to some families making the agonizing decision to surrender their pets in order to find a home. With two dogs and a cat, and unwilling to cut anyone from the team, we knew we were in for a long haul. We had scoured every rental page on Facebook, Kijiji, Castanet, and Craigslist. We reached out to countless property managers from all the major strata players in town, who are most definitely bombarded with inquiries. At one point, we looked at mortgages. With rentals as expensive as they are, a mortgage made so much sense. However, buying real estate in the Okanagan does not offer much solace either. Despite the pandemic and many millennials praying for a colossal housing crash, prices continue to climb.

As Driftwood Lounge developed, I slowly came to terms with the idea that Kelowna may not be our forever home. You know what though? That is completely ok. I have been here my whole life and change is good. I have the deepest respect and admiration for anyone who completely uproots their life and starts over. The thought of moving away, a change of scenery, and getting more bang for our buck sounds so much more exciting than a 700 square foot condo. I want a house on enough land that I can slap up an art studio in the back yard and a have a garden. I want the kind of property that can hold a residency for artists. A place that encourages art and exploration.

We exhausted every option in our hunt to find a home and it was all we talked about for eight months. I even cast our own In Search Of ad to the sea of ISO ads. A quick read through the homes wanted listings can be gut wrenching. Some families and individuals of all ages are having a hard time finding affordable accommodations in such short notice. I honestly didn’t even think anything would come from the ad because there are so many people in situations much dire than ours looking for homes. I can appreciate the difficulty landlords face in selecting the best tenants for their space.

Miraculously, a few days after posting our ad, I received an email from a lovely couple saying they had exactly what we needed. We move October 1st. A sigh of relief is a complete understatement. If manifestation truly works, I’ve been manifesting a house since 2017 when I first sketched out To Downtown Kelowna, With Love and have not stopped since.

Cara, thank you so much for the opportunity to tour your beautiful home and create these paintings for you. I hope they capture the spirit of The Lake House and you can look back on all the wonderful memories you had living there. It was an absolute pleasure working on this series and it really kept me grounded and brought me so much joy during a time of chaos. Now that I’m on the other side of this series, I can feel a crucial shift in my painting style and future work. The spirit of The Lake House lives on and continues to inspire.

Driftwood Lounge Playlist

Inspired by the highs and lows of house hunting during a pandemic and fully immersing myself in the creation of this series.