The story behind "Drifting Mist"

This piece has a two part story: the part about the image layers that make up the piece, and the part about why a portion of the proceeds from the sale of each edition go to the Nova Scotia Nature Trust.

Part 1: The images

"Drifting Mist" is made of a combination of elements from 4 different photographs that I took while on a Maritime road trip a few years ago. The background layer is driftwood, which was washed up just down the beach from my moms' place in Nova Scotia, on the Bay of Fundy. The silhouetted trees come from two different images of trees that we saw on Prince Edward Island, as we drove from the ferry docks to the north shore to visit my aunt & uncle. The "mist" layer is an image I captured looking over the edge of the ferry going from Nova Scotia to PEI; it's the foaming water of the Northumberland Strait as it swirled alongside the ferry. This was our second trip to Nova Scotia, but the first time that we'd taken time to tour around and explore Cape Breton Island and PEI - we loved everything about it.

Part 2: The Nova Scotia Nature Trust connection

The first edition of this piece was purchased by a lovely couple who have a property in Nova Scotia, with many fond memories of time spent hiking and enjoying the wilderness there. Shortly after I met them, they suffered the unimaginable tragedy of losing their baby daughter just days after she was born. At the time of the memorial service they held for her, the parents of Sloane Cecilia Sutherland requested donations be made to the Nova Scotia Nature Trust in her memory. I was deeply touched by this couple and their story, and decided to make a donation to the organization for every edition of that piece that I sell (so far I've sold 4 out of 10). They are an amazing couple, their daughter’s memory, love, courage, and strength  lives on,  and I believe they're glad to know that Sloane's short life has helped inspire people to support the legacy of wild natural areas in Nova Scotia.  To date, donations in her memory have helped secure and fund a portion of a protected habitat for endangered turtles in southwestern Nova Scotia.

To learn more about the Nova Scotia Nature Trust, or to make a donation, visit their website here.

"Drifting Mist", 2016. 54x39", Photographic composite mounted on stained birch panel. Limited edition of 10. Inquire for availability here.