Year - 2026 · Size - 30 x 23 cm / 11¾ x 9 in · Medium - Ink, pen and watercolour on paper

After catching a trout for dinner I waded along the banks of the Simpson River, crisscrossing when necessary and taking in the stark burnt landscape — logs and trunks scattered and dumped in piles on the river bends. The day was almost ghostly beautiful, low cloud moving in and out of the mountains, causing them to disappear and reappear as light showers came and went. Leaving the river I found a trail that strayed deeper into the surreal landscape of burnt forest... all dead above, yet bursting with new life below. A sea of pink wildflowers painted the ground and rosehip shrubs fruited profusely, making the most of the ash fertiliser and the sudden window of light — perfect grazing for grizzly bears.