“Stegyoden” is an acrylic painting created in 2022 by Sarah Belford based in Smithers, B.C.

“This is the piece that inspired it all, a painting I started just because I wanted to. Because I wanted to bring myself back to the place I live, instead of wishing I where somewhere else. ​​​​​​​​When I came back to Canada from New Zealand, I didn’t feel at home here, in fact…I hated being here. The beautiful landscapes around me made me feel nothing, I couldn’t connect any sort of love with Northern BC. It was painful and exhausting, and I couldn’t find my way out of it. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​But then I got intentional, I decided I would paint a mountain that I always loved, that I had history with, and maybe in the process of focussing so hard on all of its little details I would fall in love with this place again. ​​​​​​​​
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And slowly, over months of healing, it started to work. I began seeing the beauty in the details of all the other places around me. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​This mountain has been a part of my life for a long time, the photos in this post span years spent roaming around the alpine on Stegyoden. Truly connected.​​​​​​​​” – Sarah Belford