Vancouver Island scuba diver turns discarded buoys into oceanic art
Although Tiare grew up on a commercial fishing boat, she was more interested in joining the animals under the sea than catching them.
"For me it was like travelling to another world," she smiles.
Tiare started scuba diving at 12, before becoming a professional guide from Alaska to Mexico.
Now, she captures photos and video of the creatures she meets, including the giant Pacific octopus.
"Some will come right out and put their arms on your face and taste you," she says, before showing me footage of one of the many octopuses she’s spent time with.
"It’s always an incredible experience to meet such a fascinating, intelligent, beautiful creature."
But Tiare says her favourite moments are simply experiencing the serenity of the Pacific’s bull kelp forests. Although, that’s become increasingly jarring.
"Sometimes you find marine life tangled in plastic bags or bits of line," she says of the litter she’s found in the ocean. "It’s distressing."
Although Tiare earned a Masters in marine management, and was always focused on science, one day she felt compelled to cope with her concerns through art.
"I can’t paint on straws, I can’t paint on microplastics, I can’t paint on plastic bags,” she begins explaining.
But Tiare found she could turn discarded buoys into unconventional canvases, and started transforming waste into wonder.
"You go with your brush strokes," she says, painting flowing bull kelp on a turquoise buoy. "It feels like going with the current and floating through this liquid environment."
Tiare says the final product, which she showcases on Instagram @tiarebouys and on her website tiarebouys.com, is a celebration of a beauty that surrounds us, yet so few actually see.
"I’ve been surprised that I can capture the things I see underwater," she smiles.
And using the markings on the buoys, Taire’s also discovered how to track their origins around the world. She includes the information with her artwork as a reminder that what we do in one place affects others elsewhere.
"I might not be changing the world on a large scale," Tiare says. "But this is my way of turning my small corner of the world into a better place."
A step towards a better place for those towering bull kelp neighbourhoods inhabited by Tiare’s giant octopus friends.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.