Mrs. Baxendale also offered a two-part workshop: The Power of the Ocean, where students learned how she captures the energy, movement and emotion of the ocean. On Thursday, participants in the workshop travelled by bus to Botanical Beach and Sombrio Beach on the west coast of Vancouver Island to witness the power of the ocean first-hand and take photos.

 

The 19 students from Grades 8 through 12 came to the workshop with a wide spectrum of camera skills, some with no experience at all and others who are members of Shawnigan’s photography 360 group. The first stop on the trip gave them a chance to experiment, to learn what techniques worked and what didn’t – as well as what they liked and what they didn’t. At the second stop, they used those techniques to photograph the ocean.

 

“One thing I observed that showed how engaged they were was that they were behind the lens, fully focused and adapting things comfortably,” Ms. Coolidge commented.

 

Two days later, the students took inspiration from their excursion to the west coast of the Island and from the photos they captured to create large-scale paintings. The process was expressive, bold, physical, and messy, and the artists employed a range of tools not usually associated with the painting process, including spatulas, whisks, rollers and toilet brushes.

 

“We wanted to show that anybody could be an artist,” Ms. Coolidge explained. “The idea was to be super accessible, along with a willingness to experiment, take risks, and learn how to critique a piece.”

 

More than 20 canvases were created on Saturday, with intergenerational participation from students, teachers and staff families. The workshop concluded with Mrs. Baxendale, one of her daughters, and art teacher Mrs. Rainbow Bartlett creating full-body wave paintings, using their entire bodies to work the medium.

 

During her time in Duke’s, Mrs. Baxendale painted a large piece of a stag seen through an ice-covered window, titled Becoming. The ice, she said, represents a “living support network … it responds to its surroundings, shifts with change, and forms through connection,” while the stag “mirrors the School’s philosophy … minds spark through sustained attention and inquiry. Hearts kindle through care, patience and belonging. Futures take shape through focus, effort and integrity over time.”

 

“The stag is not hidden,” she writes. “It is forming. This reflects the belief that within each student exists strength, purpose, and possibility shaped through nurture and guidance. Growth unfolds through process, not pressure.

 

“The moment of clarity reflects Shawnigan’s commitment to inspiring the best in each student so they contribute meaningfully to the whole. The image honours tradition, community, and the quiet confidence that develops when young people are supported to see who they are becoming.”

 

Becoming will be displayed at the School, while organizers of Mrs. Baxendale’s visit are hoping to exhibit the ocean-themed student work at the McPherson Playhouse in Victoria in conjunction with the run of the School musical, The Little Mermaid, from February 4-7. Additionally, Grade 12 student Leo S. documented the week in film and is preparing a storytelling piece.

 

Mrs. Baxendale has also written a poem to accompany her painting, also titled “Becoming.”