Ross is an artist and writer based in the Comox Valley working in a variety of mediums including fine art, design and video production. He has travelled, shown and sold works around the world as well as being an internationally published author. Drawing inspiration and instruction from a variety of mentors and institutions over the years as well as from the Vancouver Island landscape has given Ross a compelling creative aesthetic both visual and written.
Board riding culture and the visual arts have always held a natural alliance, sharing a rejection of norms to facilitate invention and reinvention, with an innate resourcefulness in order to grow and progress. Imagination is at their shared, symbiotic heart. To ride a wave, a slope, or pavement is to draw a line and paint […]
NAZANEEN DIZAI: CONNECTOR Nazaneen Dizai brings ideas and people together. Whether in the corporate heart of Toronto or small-town British Columbia, she makes things happen with resourcefulness and determination. Her charisma and ambition are innate, but she matches them with an impressive work ethic. As the head of 50th Parallel Communications, this woman hustles. She’s […]
The rivers of the Comox Valley are made in the winter. All season long, drop by drop, the rain falls and they swell and boom around us. They are most alive in the coldest months. I grew up in a sprawling city with a river winding through it. We freely and joyously ran alongside it […]
We’re familiar with boom and bust on the west coast, with the effect of a fluctuating economy challenging us all. The film industry is no different. The game can change rapidly, but in reality it’s a steaming slice of our economic pie chart and it’s up to us to decide if we’re going to host […]
Armed with a limited budget, dedicated volunteers, and a substantial amount of exuberance, the Downtown Courtenay Business Improvement Association (DCBIA) was looking for viable artists to create a painting for one of downtown Courtenay’s most challenging walls. The vision was as culturally and historically relevant to the community as the location. The side of the […]
There’s a new sign up at the Harbour Centre building in Comox that maybe doesn’t quite fit with the other businesses near the water. I caught up with Jason Kapalka, the owner of Blue Wizard Games at his office in late July. Jason came to the Valley in 2009 while running PopCap Games, of Bejeweled […]
With stunning visuals and captivating words April Bencze is reconnecting humans with the natural world. Her portfolio, Instagram following, and contributions to networks like National Geographic, the BBC, or local initiatives like Raincoast Conservation Foundation and We Are Wildness are enviable, but not what drive her. Spellbound by her own revelations of natural beauty, she’s […]