Winter Warrior

Print Method: Giclée
Edition: 99
Released: December 2015
Paper Size: 17" x 25"

When I ask my mom about winters here in the Comox Valley, she wistfully recalls how different they used to be. She speaks about parts of the river being so thick with ice that one could walk on them with little fear of it cracking. She speaks of deep powder and huge drifts of snow making it hard to leave one’s house. She recollects her granny talking about large swaths of the estuary and harbour being iced up. It is not imaginary: winters here used to be a lot harder and significantly colder.

On winter days today, we look outside and see just a little frost in the mornings. Last year it didn’t even snow at all: the mountains were left mostly bare and the ski hills were shut down. Each year it gets warmer and warmer. We gloat to our eastern neighbours that our winters are so mild, flowers bloom months early. I’m starting to think maybe we shouldn’t be quite so smug….

This past summer we came to realize that this trend is not a favourable one. Even though we are surrounded by a temperate rainforest, we were still put on our most severe water restrictions in local history. The lack of a snowpack over the winter had a lasting impact on our summer water supply: the salmon suffered, the animals suffered and the plants suffered. We realized that we are at the whim of Mother Nature…and Mother Nature can be affected by our actions. We are all connected.

There are little things that each and every one of us can do to combat climate change and there are other significant strategies that our governments can employ, as well. Do your part to protect our winters and combat climate change…become a winter warrior.

“Winter Warrior” is a limited edition print using the giclée method of printmaking. This print was released in December of 2015 and printed by Andy Everson at Copper Canoe, the artist’s own studio in Comox B.C. A total of 109 prints bear the title “Winter Warrior” and are signed by Andy Everson: 99 in the primary edition bearing the numbers 1/99 through 99/99; 9 Artist’s Proofs; and 1 Printer’s Proof. The acid-free Moab Entrada 100% cotton rag paper measures about 17x25 inches. Image size measures about 13.2x22.5 inches.