Landscapes and Landmarks Challenge

 

Many long years ago, Heather and I got involved with a charity called Bracelets For Buildings. Co-founders Lee Chandler and Kent Lissack invited us to become ambassadors and help change lives in rural Cambodia. We went over for the first time in 2017 and returned in 2018 and 2019. I also have been serving on the board of directors of this charity for much of that time.

I launched the Landscapes and Landmarks challenge on January 1st and will aim to paint and sell 52 paintings over the course of 2026. Each of these paintings will be a landscape or a landmark. One hundred dollars from each painting sold will allow us to raise the bulk of the money to fund the construction of a home for a family currently living in less-than-adequate shelter in rural Cambodia.

These are some of the recipients of homes we have gifted so far.

Week One - Frozen Bend on the Highwood, 12" x 24", acrylic on gallery canvas

Residents of High River who regularly walk the Happy Trail will know this spot immediately. In the summer, this bend in the river is teeming with families, enjoying the sandbars and cool river waters. In the winter, it has a completely different feel: serene, quiet, peaceful.

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Week Two - Cascade Mountain, 12" x 36", acrylic on gallery canvas

Cascade Mountain towers over the town of Banff. It was suggested by Sherene who grew up in that community and feels deeply connected to this particular view. She and her husband Matt are giving this a home and are the first purchasers of a painting in this fundraising effort. Thanks Sherene and Matt.

Week Three - Burmis Tree, 16" x 24", acrylic on canvas

We started going down to the Crowsnest Pass some 20 years ago when Heather's parents decided to call that part of the world home. That's when I first got introduced to the Burmis Tree, a dead pine tree that has been preserved and protected by the community since it died in the 1970s. If it could tell stories it would have many to tell as it lived for between 500 and 750 years in that incredible spot at the entrance to one of the three major passes through the Rocky Mountains. It was suggested by several fans and followers. 

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What is next in the Landmarks and Landscapes painting challenge?  

The answer to that question is largely up to you. I want to creatively explore landscapes and landmarks that are meaningful to YOU, in hopes that you will consider giving them a home and contributing to the year long fundraising effort. If you have a suggestion, please send me an email at russell@birdsongstudios.ca.