Ucluelet is a fantastic place to visit, and every day I’m asked about things to do and see in Ucluelet. Here is a list (in no particular order).
1 Visit the Art Galleries; Mark Penney Gallery is certainly the finest art gallery in the Pacific Rim… don’t believe me? I invite you to visit them all and then come tell me different. Huu Mees Ma-as or Cedar House Gallery at whiskey Landing (right next door) showcases local native talent. Reflecting Spirit Gallery is up in Davidson Plaza and has a sister gallery in Tofino. DuQuah Gallery occupies a longhouse style building near the entrance to town, Dytimus Bernadot is Glen Carlson’s contemporary gallery on Peninsula, Image West Gallery hosts a lot of interesting gift items and souvenirs. Cedar Corner Gallery in Tofino has a growing collection of flat works and sculpture. Shorewind Gallery is arguably Tofino’s most prominent fine art gallery, but House of Himwitsa as well as Roy Henry Vicker’s Eagle Aerie Gallery have long been favorites for contemporary native art.
2 Explore the Wild Pacific Trail ; a breathtaking route along Ucluelet’s Peninsula. Open ocean viewpoints and small rocky outcrops dot the trail as it winds along for about 6.5 kms. The Lighthouse Loop offers views eastward into the Broken Group Islands and occasionally it’s clear enough to see the Olympic Mountain range in Washington.
3 Discover the Ucluelet Aquarium. You’ll have to see it to believe it. An astounding collection of specimens that are caught and released each season. Plenty of touch tanks allow for an interactive experience. Nothing will turn you back into a child faster than gawking at these fascinating critters, bring kids and your camera.
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West Coast Troller by Rob Elphinstone
11″ x 17″ Oils on canvas, framed
$1000
This is a small ‘double ender’, a kind of wooden troller that was common among the fishermen in the area before the second world war. The small pilot house and trunk cabins gave way to larger west coast wheelhouses and increasingly larger hulled boats. These are still very seaworthy boats and it’s a great pleasure for me to see them actively fishing…. this is where wild pacific salmon come from.
Dianne Michelin, a professional watercolour artist for over 19 years, and the Trout Unlimited Canada 2009 Artist of the Year, Diane was born in Montreal and currently resides in Nanoose Bay on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
Academic and Artistic Studies:
BA UQUAM – University of Quebec, Montreal
Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Paris
Haliburton School of Fine Art
Cape Cod Fine Art School
Professional Affiliations:
FCA, active member Federation of Canadian Artists – Nanaimo chapter
Nanaimo and Oceanside Arts Councils
BRAVO – past president francophone visual artists of Ontario 1998-2002
Le Cercle des Artistes Peintures et Sculptures du Quebec 1998-1999
Exhibitions, and Commissions:
Diane has exhibited her work in numerous shows in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia. Diane’s work is on display at the Cascapedia River Museum (Gaspe) and selected galleries in B.C. Alberta and U.S.A. Her watercolour was selected by Soho-Myriad (Atlanta) for the Grand Hyatt, Aspen Colorado and is also regularly featured in Fly Fusion magazine. Commissions include work for Selene Dumaine (Maine guide and writer for Fly Tyer magazine) and Watermaster Boats (Montana). Diane’s fly fishing fine art is appreciated in private collections throughout Canada, the United States and in Europe.
Workshops:
Diane schedules time for providing workshops through galleries, and artist groups. Currently, weekly classes are available at the Craig Bay Community Resort in Parksville. Please contact Diane for availability in your area.
Artist Statement:
My watercolours describe the essence of fly fishing as told by exotic paraphernalia, rusty pick up trucks, fishin’ dogs and snazzy tackle. The story is about optimism, bits of fur and feathers, solitude and companionship. Each day on the river is notable in the mist off the water or the misadventure of the moment. Consequently, I am inclined to depict the everyday aspect of our passion amid the complexity of the water, light and colour. For it is this that fuels us in our inordinate conservation commitments and the nonstop chatter in the fly shop.
Posts tagged Dianne Michelin
Dianne Michelin’s Website
Tiger Rockfish by Bruce Muir
16″x20″ acrylic on canvas
$1800 (shown framed)
Tiger Rockfish are slow growing, long lived, spiny, and beautiful fish. there are numerous varieties of rockfish, each with distinct color and markings. They tend to hang out near rockpiles, reefs and amongst the small inshore islands.
Red Tailed Surf Perch by Bruce Muir
16″x20″ Oil on canvas
$1800 (shown framed)
There are a variety of Perch species here, these pretty looking examples live in the edge of the surfline with their yellow tailed cousins.
Ucluelet 1899-1954 by E.A.Hillier
Ucluelet, about fifty miles from Port Alberni, is on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, at the westerly entrance of Barclay Sound. it is not a new settlement by any means. In 1899, there were about fifteen whites and two hundred Indians living there.
When Mr. H.J. Hillier left Victoria for Ucluelet, he was told that it was a good move, that the road was going that way, and that there were years of work ahead. On arriving in Ucluelet April 9th 1899, aboard the CPR steamship Willapaw, which sailed from Victoria four times a month, he found Mr. J. Sutton with wife and family – owner of the store and also part owner of large tracts of timber and land. He also met Mr. George Fraser, a botanist who had started his gardens about 1895. Mr. Fraser’s wonderful rhododendrons, azaleas, heather, and roses with their varied crosses made his gardens world famous for about 45 years, until his death.
Sealing was at it’s height in these days. two schooners were outfitted from the Ucluelet Reservation every year with a crew of thirty Indians each. These sailed out for a month or so to the sealing grounds. In winter and fall, the Indians and their wives fished for dogfish in their canoes. They extracted the oil from their livers and traded it to the store keeper. In return they received a stick marked in gallons at $.25 per gallon. They then traded the stick back for goods. More…
