Peter McLean - At home in the hills

I spent a few days away this week visiting the city and the mountains, and at the end of it was so glad to come home to JB's house in the Bishop Pine Preserve. It really does feel like home - like a perfect dream home. It's great to be working here nestled into the surrounding forests, nice and quite, but also with a feeling of being welcomed into a friendly community of people who are never far away. Many of my favourite things are here - trees, hills, fog, wood. I'm always interested in observing landforms and vegetation and other aspects of nature, and there is plenty of all of that here to incorporate into my work. What has been a little surprising is how more human things are having a strong influence on current work. Things like the way the house is built and the artwork here at the house, especially JB's. Simple things like the light switches and the firewood pile. Not that you'll see light switches in my work, but trust me, they are there.