Dear Friends, greetings from New Westminster!
The last newsletter I sent was in November, over nine months ago. Although remaining gloriously happy in my personal life, I was made heartsick and distracted by the world’s turmoil. To those who visited my Studio 1610 during the latest Eastside Culture Crawl and signed up for a promised newsletter I apologize for my tardiness. Welcome! Welcome to all!
A SHORT BACKGROUND STORY TO MY RECENT PAINTINGS
Haven: a place where one is free from intrusion; see also: refuge, retreat, shelter, sanctuary.
30 years ago, during my first marriage, I was introduced to a small resort on Quadra Island, across the water from Rebecca Spit Regional Park – a place of remarkable beauty and calm. Around the same time Lyne Filiatrault, my future second wife, frustrated and roiled by her work in Emergency Medicine, discovered MacKenzie Beach near Tofino. It proved to be a refuge to which she could return for weeks at a time to regroup and recharge.
A few years later, in midsummer 2000, wrapped in the sadness and confusion of the end of my first marriage, I returned to Quadra as a single dad, with my child and visiting parents. Struck again by the peaceful loveliness of the landscape, I resolved to return yearly with child, family and friends and begin building a set of shared memories.
Joyously, unexpectedly, in August 2000 I met Lyne. After many walks together on Vancouver beaches discussing my wounds and baggage, we merged lives. Early on we shared time together in each of our personal havens. Eventually, we committed to a tradition of biphasic yearly travel. Now, each winter during storm season we journey to MacKenzie Beach. Each summer finds us walking the length of Rebecca Spit at dawn with family and friends.
In each haven I found an iconic feature that inspires me:
• On MacKenzie Beach lie two small tidal islands with trees twisted and bent by onshore winds.
• On Rebecca Spit, blue-black silhouettes of old-growth Douglas fir are backlit by pre-dawn light
I seek genius by small increments. Each time I visit either haven, I am compelled to paint new versions of these same motifs – tweaking size, format, viewpoint and light.
SEPTEMBER EXHIBITION
Two Havens – Paintings of Rebecca Spit & MacKenzie Beach
Visual Space Gallery, 3352 Dunbar Street (at 17th Avenue), Vancouver, BC
September 25 – October 8, 2025
Noon – 5PM daily – extended hours on Tuesdays & Fridays until 8PM
View the paintings
Vancouver – Thirty-seven exuberant, colorful new paintings that focus on iconic features of the landscape of two of Haughton’s most cherished havens in BC: MacKenzie Beach near Tofino and Rebecca Spit on Quadra Island.
Please, come and visit me at the Gallery! I plan to be there every day during opening hours. I can even open early/stay late if your schedule makes life otherwise challenging.
A reception??? – Not yet, I’m afraid. I really, really wanted to have a reception this year. Many of my friends are returning to a more carefree approach to COVID. However, I know I would feel terrible if a celebration resulted in anyone falling ill with long COVID, let alone incited a super-spreader event. I will have air purifiers on ‘turbo’ and will keep doors open to facilitate air flow. I will have coffee, wine/ plum cake and other treats to share. Weather permitting, we can visit outside the gallery without masks. Please email me when you wish to come.
With great affection and respect, David
David,
Congratulations! I am very impressed with your latest work and, also, with the commentary accompanying the works of art. The ‘havens’ you describe sound heavenly, and I feel assured they are.
We met a number of years ago in Athens through your sister, Anna, a friend of mine. I bought my apartment in Athens in 2001and continue to come to Athens from the U.S. each year. I just arrived this past week and plan to stay for 3 months.
Congratulations again — warmest regards,
Nicholas Pisaris
David,
I truly wish to get up to your Gallery at some point. I know the photos included in the email do not to justice to the actual painting but they do inspire me to make the journey at some point. Take care of yourself and your family.
Bob Krance
Bonjour David,
Nice to spend time with you and Lyne on your peaceful two Havens.
Blue, many shades
of blue in your paintings make me, yes, feel in Paradis !
Que c’est beau !
We would very much like to see your recent work David and catch up with you and Lyne but we will be in London. Sorry to miss your show.
I loved your writeup and the images of the paintings. I wish I could come to the exhibit, but I’ll be away in New York and then southern Italy from Sept 19 thru Oct 22. Would it be possible for Bob and me to visit some time before then to see you, Lyne, and some of the pictures? Our friend Frank Denman from Seattle, whom you met a few years ago, will be visiting from the 11th to the 14th, if that would work for you.
In any event, it’s great to see your work continuing so beautifully.
Judy