Mural 6

7.7M X 4.6M (25’ X 13’), MILL STREET

Arrival Of The ‘Reindeer’ In Horseshoe Bay

Painted in 1983 by Sandy Clark and Lea Goward,
Victoria, BC (Sandy now resides in Chemainus)

The Artist

Though born and raised in Ontario, Sandy Clark’s artistic inspiration is largely drawn from the particular moods and atmosphere of the sea. More than fifteen years ago Clark came west from Toronto, bringing with her a superb understanding of the intricacies of water-borne vessels, as well as an innate ability to interpret people and their distinct expressions.

Clark paints in oil and watercolour to create impressions of individuals she has met and of moments of peace experienced on ocean shores. She has exhibited in British Columbia, the United States and Australia.

While attending the University of Victoria, Lea Goward experienced large-scale painting first hand in a “theatre-in-education” program. She put her new knowledge to work as Sandy Clark’s assistant for the painting of Arrival of the ‘Reindeer’ in Horseshoe Bay. Goward, a native of Kamloops, B.C., now works in pastels, watercolour and conte.

The Art

A luminescent cedar bark cloak envelopes the figure of a Native princess as she contemplates the arrival of the sloop Her Majesty’s Ship ‘Reindeer’. The ship’s commander, Captain A.E. Kennedy, was an acquaintance of Isabel and Thomas George Askew, pioneers of Chemainus and mill owners for many years. The Reindeer made regular stops in Horseshoe Bay (now called Chemainus Bay) on its rounds of the coast. Next Mural >