MYSUPPORTERS
I wishtothankseveralartmanufac-
turerswhosponsoredmyprojectin
variousways:TerryLudwigPastelssuppliedme
withallthepastelsthatI neededfor
thisexpeditionandsupportedmy
Kickstartercampaign.
AmpersandArtSupplyprovideda
greatpriceonthePastelbords.
ROAMoutdoorstoresuppliedme
withfantasticgearatcost.I’dhave
beensoakedandfrozenmanytimes
if notfortheiradviceandgenerosity.
EaselButlersupportedmethrough
myKickstartercampaign.Anessen-
tialpartofmysetup,theEaselButler
letsmemovemypastelstooneside,
soI don’thavetostrainmyshoulder
asI work.
NiteHoodsleepmask.I wouldn’t
havebeenabletosleepwithoutit in
someplaces.A PortraitA Portrait of a Place (and an Artist)of a Place(and an Artist)
After months of walking and painting, I asked myself if the expedition
was living up to my expectations. My answer? Well, yes, in a way. I had
told myself that it would be challenging and wonderful, but I don’t think
I really knew what that meant. I certainly do now. It’s far more than I
ever expected—more exhausting, more exhilarating, more painful, more
fulfilling and deeply, deeply satisfying. I’m giving everything I have, and
I go through the gamut of emotions nearly every day. More than once,
I’ve cried—with pain, exhaustion, worry, joy, laughter. Nearly every
evening, I’m so tired that I think I can’t go on. Then, every morning I
can’t wait to get started again. And Dupon has stolen my heart.
As for my art, I’ve learned so much. Even though I haven’t reached the
end of the road yet, I know that what I have is much more than a collec-
tion of paintings. It’s a body of work that, as I’d hoped, reveals the sense
of this special place and tells the story of this ancient route as it is today.
What I didn’t expect was that the story of my own personal journey is
also there to be seen, dancing through every painting. PJ
Award-winning artist Sharon Bamber (sharonbamber.com), of British Columbia,
was born in England, but officially became a Canadian citizen in 2014. She has spent
much of her adult life traveling and working throughout Europe, Southeast Asia
and Australasia. She’s a signature member of the Artists for Conservation and the
Federation of Canadian Artists, and a juried member of the Society of Animal Artists.
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