Drawing Place: The Derbans’ at Seton Portage

Drawing is a powerful way to develop a sense of place. The attention of looking is part of that, but it goes beyond. It’s being immersed in the place – sketching a fresh bear track while you listen to every rustle in the surrounding bushes, feeling the relief of a cool breeze off the mountain chasing the mosquitoes away, or sitting on a bank made by generations of arms clearing out an irrigation ditch.

I’m fortunate to know a few places well through pen, paper, and presence. The Derban family property where Portage Creek empties into Seton Lake at Seton Portage, BC, has to be the most spectacular. The family and the apple orchard have been there for over a century. The estuary, forest, salmon, bears and indigenous neighbours have been there for millennia. I’ve only been visiting for a few years, so I’m just getting to know the place.

There are 24 drawings in the map below – from tracks to trucks to trees to majestic or moody vistas. Move your mouse or finger over the map and find the clickable areas, big and small. (Hint: There are lots around the new house). Let me know your favourite (or least favourite!) or any other thoughts in the comments.

Seton apples

Apples, apples, apples!

Lower orchard

Bears, watch out for the electric fence!

Seton Lake from upper orchard

It's a long way down.

Old tree

Just hanging in there, still making some apples

Irrigation ditch

The work of several generations.

Spyder Creek

Cold rushing water and wind

Burned forest

Snags a decade after the big fire - good perches for a merlin

Apricot tree

Happy old apricot tree at the end of the furthest irrigation ditch

Hummingbirds

Bzzzz, bzzzz, BZZZZZZZZ-BZZZZZZZ, bzzzz....

Pond view 1

Is it always sunny and warm?

Pond view 2

Sometimes it rains too.

The upper pond

Greener than green and full of salmon fry

The estuary

Deep dark swamp - often a bear here, maybe an alligator too?

Tracks

I might be the only person in here, but I'm certainly not alone.

Portage Creek

Swimming with the salmon

Mission Mountain

The mountain in a cheerful mood

Old church

Thanks for permission to draw on Reserve land!

Berries berries berries

Bear berries but no bearberries

And more berries

Berries bears beary berries very beary berry berries.

Meadow and old house

Morning view after sunrise swim

Charlie's truck

There are lots of mechanics around - maybe it has a few more miles in it?

Old incinerator

Its burning days are done.

Cottonwood bench

Lots of life on the old gravel bar

Forest and ridge

Big trees, big snags, big hills

Geeky note: The clickable map was made with the appropriately named WordPress plugin “Draw Attention”. I’m pretty excited about the potential here for documenting places.