The White Rock Beach Gallery is ALLOWED BACK on the Promenade

ARTISTS UPDATE –  3 artists are allowed to setup.
Ric Wallace and 2 other artists so far.


 

via GIPHY

The Covid 19 Economic Tsunami is hitting the world hard; with tourist destinations and services possibly taking the brunt, and in turn, many businesses will be closing their doors for good globally. A second or third wave is not out of the picture.

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Living in White Rock, BC Canada on the edge of the Pacific Ocean for 9+ years and catering to the tourist market, Ric Wallace has met and overcome many unexpected challenges and overcome them with success. Ric has seen dozens of businesses sell or close the doors over the years in White Rock / South Surrey. His philosophy is DO NOT FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN’T DO, but rather, FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN DO.

In the summer of 2018 British Columbia and Washington State, USA and neighboring areas had to endure the health risks and damages associated with wildfires. Most people were complaining and sitting back watching the news. ARTographer Ric Wallace was out capturing dramatic sunsets and foggy imagery due to smoke, as the air quality was not ideal for setting up at the beach. He would prefer NOT to be taking photos of events like this, but if it is there why not document it. Many of these photos are sold as postcards, greeting cards, and Wall art.

On December 20 2018, the famous White Rock Beach Pier was destroyed in what Ric calls the Storm of the Century which saw him out snapping photos of the action. On the following day (December 21st) Ric Wallace was set up at the White Rock Beach waterfront under the Artist Walk program, with printed photos he took the day before. People were walking the promenade looking at the missing middle section of the 100+ year old pier and crying over what happened to a landmark that has meant so much to many people. Poster prints and other sized photos of the helicopter rescue – taken less than 24 hours before – were on display and selling like hot cakes until they sold out.  

If you want to see the ARTISTS setup, once again along the White Rock Beach promenade. PLEASE let the City Of White Rock know – www.whiterockcity.ca

December 24th Christmas Eve day, Ric was set up once again at his White Rock Beach Gallery (https://whiterockbeachgallery.com/), attracting as much attention as the broken pier. Ric had plans of maybe setting up on Christmas day, but the long cold days at the beach, power outages, no heat, puffy eyes, sore back & joints he decided to take the day off. After turning on the computer, checking email and the weather forecast, plus paying off his Mastercard, a thought popped into his head he claims NOT to be his. The thought was to check out the domain WhiteRockPier.ca, so he entered the web address. PAGE NOT FOUND was displayed – years ago someone was using this domain to sell real estate or some service, so then he visited a domain register site to see if it was available.

With his screen saying, “Available to register”, but not wearing his glasses he could not believe what he was seeing so he enlarged the screen 800%. When he is tired, his speech and spelling goes out the window. Not wanting to spend money on a misspelled domain (happened once before), he asked his wife as she was putting the Christmas turkey in the oven “How do you spell PIER?” she replied it is a 4 letter word – P   I   E   R  – it is PIE with an R. He said that is what I typed, and one click of the mouse and $11.55 plus tax was applied to his credit card.

On December 30, 2018 – The Pier Guy shown in the above photo,
receives a FREE 13″x 19″ poster print on the promise NO more helicopter rides. LOL 

Ric loves to share the story of why he went out to take photos the day the pier was destroyed; you can ask him if he is set up at the beach (a good story to hear). He feels the UNIVERSE rewarded him for being the only ARTIST WALK photographer (hundreds of people were out snapping photos) to be capturing the events leading up to the helicopter rescue and the stunning sunset that lasted just 4 seconds.

On July 19, 2019, once again a thought came into Ric’s head to check out WhiteRockPier.com. He repeated what he had previously done on Christmas Day and it was available for purchase – click, registered, no need to back order a domain.

In Jan 2019 a series of Storm of the Century postcard sets were produced and offered for sale listing the newly registered domain WhiteRockPier.ca. The City of White Rock was even selling the $30 & $40 sets with a portion to go for the pier reconstruction project.
white-rock-02With the pier reconstruction starting in March 2019 and lasting until late August 2019, sales for artists at the beach were the worst ever for many long time artists, and Marine Drive merchants also had the same fate. In 2019, Ric lost a few months because of surgery and also had to find a new place to live as his landlord had a family member moving back to Canada. All the White Rock Beach Gallery tents and products were placed in storage while looking for a new place to live. Two days before he was to take possession of a new place July 15, it was found he was a victim of a rental scam in White Rock. With the help of and a visit by White Rock RCMP to the person who took his money, he was able to get his money back but had nowhere to move to. His current landlord offered to extend his stay while a new place was found. Not giving up, a place was found and days before the pier reopening last week of August 2019, the White Rock Beach Gallery was open up for business overlooking the beautiful Semiahmoo Bay and the restored pier. Long story short, after 5+ months closed at not able to go to the beach – setup stuff in storage – 2019 turned out to be the best year for sales in BC for Ric.

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Jumping ahead to June 2020, White Rock Beach Gallery sales were down 99.9% from Jan to June over the same time period in 2019.
With the pier closed, promenade closed until near the end of May, and with most stores that sell Ric’s postcards, greeting cards, magnets, etc also closed, things were not looking good. Sales at Save On Foods at Semiahmoo Shopping centre were not greatly affected. With the onset of the pandemic, people were told to stay home, and scared to go shopping. Putting Ric in front of a TV will put him to sleep.

Ric was thinking he needs a million dollar idea.

The odds on the lotto are bad in Canada, so he said:

DO NOT FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN’T DO,
but rather, FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN DO.

With the USA border closed, no cruise ships, air flights to BC at a fraction of what they used to be, people out of work, stores closed, no toilet paper in stores, and disposable incomes vanishing due to the need for rent or food money, Ric wondered what he could offer for $10 to $30 with an average sale of $25 being his TARGET. People will still pay $5 to $25+ for coffee and a treat or sandwich.
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In Stock Wall ART

Large wall art costing hundreds of dollars will be a harder sell this year.



The Christmas, Season Greetings, winter scenes, etc set a record for 2019 at the waterfront (up over 300 % over 2018) and in stores due to them being new cards. The Storm of the Century postcards were a very profitable idea (no other product on the market). Wanting to minimize spending in a time of uncertainty and having stock of 300+ different postcard designs, Ric needed an idea to suit the times. Conducting business during the Covid 19 pandemic means changing the way business is transacted, so he had the idea to assemble postcard packs sealed in plastic with a mini contact sheet showing the enclosed postcards. He knew this would be the idea he needed to surf the Economic tsunami topside and online.

After 4+ weeks, 500+ hours (He was able to do this only because of Covid 19 – bored), and some more $$$, Ric Wallace (MR WHITE ROCK) now has 16 postcard packs offering a savings over single-card purchasing. The names of the postcard packs would also play a factor to get people’s interest.  Retail stores only have up to 40 of the 300+ postcards found on WhiteRockBeach.ca and do not offer the sets. If at least one of these themes does not interest you, there’s no need to come to White Rock.

  1. The Best Deal Pack
  2. White Rock Snow Pack
  3. Crescent Beach
  4. The Crow ART Pack
  5. Value Deal Pack
  6. Amazing Tourist Pack
  7. Amazing Sunsets
  8. Amazing Sunrises
  9. Santa Hat Pack
  10. The White Rock Beach Pier Pack
  11. Birds Of Canada
  12. Wildlife Of Canada
  13. Storm of the Century Postcards – 14 storm
  14. Storm of the Century Postcards – 14 storm + 10 White Rock Beach 
  15. Storm of the Century Postcards – 14 storm + 31 White Rock Beach 
  16. Storm of the Century Postcards – 14 storm +31 White Rock Beach + Lucky Coin

Special discount for pickup or in person sales – contact for details.

[product_category category=”packs-of-postcards” per_page=”41″ order=”SKU”]

All packs are for sale on WhiteRockBeach.ca, a catalogue can also be downloaded for FREE as a PDF. Ric is also offering a further discount for in-person sales (no shipping charges and a discount equal to the tax charged online) in White Rock/South Surrey or the promenade (if allowed by the city).

On June 10th an Amazing Tourist Pack was purchased at 5:59 am while Ric woke up at 6:13 am – YES, RIC hit the $25 target with the first sale. Making money while you sleep is a great excuse for afternoon naps. A past customer at the White Rock Beach Gallery made the purchase online. Upon delivery they also wanted a Santa Hat pack which was in my trunk, so another sale was made and an email receipt (with a link to my website) issued to support this story. This would not be the first time Ric has made a sale from the trunk of his car. One morning he woke up to find over $900 USD in his email inbox with orders all going to the United Kingdom and had no idea for the spike in sales. He wrote to one customer asking what prompted the purchase and she replied, “I saw you on the BBC1 last night.” I have never been to the UK and if you meet me at the beach, I will tell you the story and show you what she saw on TV.

If the White Rock Beach Gallery / Ric Wallace is  ALLOWED open for business at the beach (Covid 19 – 2020?), the wheels have been turning on how to be open for business. Gloves, face protection, etc and even QR codes can be displayed so people can see postcards, greeting cards, magnets, poster prints, wall art on their own smart devices to help Ric quickly find what they want to purchase, something other artists and businesses should consider.


He has even created a layout, to scale, or blueprint on how his setup can be changed working within the confines of the new normal for doing business. It is easier to work things out on the computer than trying to move tents, tables, products on site to come up with an ideal setup. Using Square for tap or email payment, credit or debit sales can be made and an email or text of the payment receipt can be issued. (Cash can still be accepted.)

Every postcard or greeting card produced by Ric Wallace works as an advertisement showing the beauty of White Rock Beach or birds & Wildlife of Canada with zero tax dollars spent. If you want to brag about White Rock Beach to relatives or friends anywhere in the world, these make great keepsakes or collectibles for generations to come. Have some relatives you do not want to see? Send some the Snow Pack postcards and scare them away saying we have too much snow here (LOL). One customer has sent these to relatives in the UK doing just this.

The above stories are NOT meant to be bragging but maybe inspire people.

Do you want to be BULLIED out of business by the Covid 19 virus?

Or do you want to adapt to what they are now calling the new NORMAL?

Ric does more than snap photos and sell postcards & greeting cards – see VirtualEdge.ca.

Final words:

DO NOT FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN’T DO,
but rather, FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN DO.

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SHOP ONLINE – The White Rock Pier & Waterfront Parking Lots are CLOSED – STAY HOME

The White Rock Pier & Waterfront Parking Lots are CLOSED – STAY HOME. This only happened after people started petitions and took to social media.

Coronavirus
UPDATE



The @boathousebc at #WhiteRockBeach is offering takeout and to go for delivery 🚚. Parking in limited. Eating at home is the best option but if you are out of food, check with your favourite #restaurant if they #deliver #fishand chips #fish #takeout #takeaway 
 

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Framed Matted 12”x 24” Photo Prints at $250
No Shipping on Wall Art
Large PANO Print – PANO-03-00-001

These postcards were produced by ARTographer Ric Wallace. On December 20, 2018 the Storm of the Century battered the White Rock Beach waterfront breaking the pier into two, and an emergency air recuse was needed to lift a stranded man to safety at White Rock Beach, in BC, CANADA. No lives were lost in White Rock, but damage to the pier, boats, and waterfront was in the millions.

Storm of the Century Postcard Sets
$42 Set $55 Set $100 Set $125 Set
Contact Sheets Included With All Sets

SHOP 24-7 in Canadian Dollars

#Repost @governmentofbc 
・・・
Social distancing is not a suggestion, it is an order issued by our Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry. It means:
🏡 staying home or inside
↔️ staying 2 metres apart outside your home
🥫limiting errands and appointments
👪 No group gatherings
.
#CovidBC #ProvinceofBC #BritishColumbia

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We have only 2 large CANVAS prints
1- 25″ x 49″ with frame and 1 – 30″ x 60″ (no frame)
left at $600
CASH / DEBIT / Visa / MasterCard

FREE Delivery within the South Surrey / White Rock area.

White Rock Pier Wall Art By ARTographer Ric Wallace

Now in stock 24”x 36” acrylic print $750 tax included pickup or delivery in White Rock & South Surrey.
December 20, 2018: During the Storm of the Century the skies opened up on the missing midsection of the 100+ year old White Rock Beach Pier in British Columbia, CANADA. No lives were lost in White Rock, but damage to the pier, boats, and waterfront was in the millions.
FREE set of 14 – Storm of the Century Postcards with Certificate Of Authenticity if you pay CASH. I can accept Visa or  MasterCard accepted but no free postcards.

  • Framed 6"x 8"prints $225

  • 6"x 8"photo prints $20

  • 8.5"x 11"photo prints $30

  • 13" x 19" photo prints $80

Telling White Rock’s Storm of the Century in Pictures and Postcards

Ric Wallace, Artographer & White Rock Beach resident
Tel: (604) 259-0105
VIRTUAL EDGE COMMUNICATIONS
PO Box 75214, RPO White Rock, Surrey BC V4A 0B1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Telling White Rock’s Storm of the Century in Pictures and Postcards

The historic and disastrous storm of the century on December 20, 2018 in White Rock, BC caused millions in damages but LUCKILY spared the lives of White Rock residents and visitors. As an east beach resident and participant in the Artist Walk program on the waterfront, Ric Wallace was seconds away from the action working on his computer. As the storm intensified, he could hear a loud BANG, BANG, BANG of the glass balcony canopy on a neighboring house, and with a camera always at the ready, he ventured out across Marine Drive to get a first-hand look.

While snapping pictures, Wallace tried unsuccessfully to protect his camera and lens from the salt spray and did something no professional photographer would do under normal circumstances: more than once he went into the washroom to dry his lens and camera with toilet paper and under the hand dryer. Venturing back out into the storm, he asked a stranger if she would mind if he used her back as a salt-spray shield, and he continued recording this historic happening as both stills and video. Suddenly another bystander shouted that the boats had come loose and were smashing into the pier.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Mr White Rock (@mrwhiterockbc) on

Wallace rushed west up Marine Drive – the promenade was too risky because of the high waves and debris littering the walkway. He captured on camera the sailboats smashing into White Rock’s landmark pier, acting as crowbars with the force of the waves and wind thrusting the vessels under and up through the pier, lifting the decking that gave the pier its strength. He also watched and recorded the successful rescue of the stranded visitor, who was cut off from the shore by the now missing midsection of the pier.

Knowing that many people would want a keepsake of this moment in history when White Rock’s over 100-year-old pier was destroyed by the Storm of the Century with a wind force likened to a Category 1 hurricane, Wallace has produced a selection of prints suitable for framing, and now has available postcard sets, time-stamped on the back indicating when the photograph was taken, showing the progression of the damage to the pier as well as the dramatic Coast Guard rescue. The waterfront restaurants Moby Dick’s Fish & Chips and Charlie Don’t Surf  both have purchased photo enlargements to display on their walls to share this historic event with their customers for years to come.

Storm of the Century Postcard Sets
$42 Set $55 Set $100 Set $125 Set
Contact Sheets Included With All Sets

The collector postcards will be offered for sale as a set to share the story of the destruction of the midsection of the White Rock Beach pier. There is a 14-postcard pack of the Storm of the Century for $30 and another pack containing the 14 storm postcards plus an additional 10 postcards of the pier and beach in its glory for $40 (before Stormageddon 2018) . There are other collector packs listed online at WhiteRockBeach.ca, which are expected to become highly prized collector items as well.
The postcard sets will come with a Certificate of Authenticity which might make these cherished items for generations to come or investments to be sold online or at auctions in years to come. These postcard sets are for sale online at WhiteRockBeach.ca and WhiteRockPier.ca. They will also be available at the White Rock Beach Gallery (WhiteRockBeachGallery.com) on the west beach waterfront, weather permitting, or people can contact Ric Wallace directly (RICco.ca).

Ric Wallace has been made famous many times for recognizing when an opportunity comes knocking. The BANG BANG BANG he heard while he was working at his computer was the UNIVERSE KNOCKING LOUDLY and telling him to get out and take some photos of this historic event. The universe also rewarded him for his efforts by telling him to register the domain WhiteRockPier.ca which had just become available Christmas morning December 25, 2018.

If climate change experts are correct in their predictions of rising sea levels and stronger storms in the future, a pier that is higher and stronger along with a higher and longer breakwater should be considered to insure that the now estimated $16.2 Million for repairs or replacement of the pier is not wasted money and effort. The White Rock Beach pier is like a part of the family and many memories are tied to it – everything from first dates, weddings, anniversaries, birthday, learning to swim, fishing or snapping award- winning sunrises or sunsets captured from the pier.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ric Wallace, Artographer – Tel: (604) 259-0105
Visit WhiteRockBeach.ca or WhiteRockPier.ca

For the Love of Crows By Sheila T

I had never paid much attention to crows. I thought they were just noisy, obnoxious pests. At least, that’s how I saw them when I lived back in Ontario. But then we moved to “Supernatural” British Columbia in 2012, and a couple things changed my mind about these black rascals.

It was low tide and we were strolling along the beach out in front of the 486-ton white rock looking for interesting stones and shells. Although I heard no sound other than the light lapping of waves, I started to get an odd sense – as if we were being followed.

I stopped suddenly, turned around and saw one lone crow following in my footsteps as I picked up and discarded unwanted stones. My sudden stop and about-face caused this crow to stop suddenly as well, and he seemed to look around as if to ask, “What’s wrong – is someone following us?” It was a comical moment and I began to wonder if there was more to crows than I’d previously noticed.

Shortly after that day, we noticed a particular crow near our own home. He had a broken beak but it never seemed to prevent him from hunting for food and having success. We named him “Brokebeak” and began throwing a few peanuts out for him and a couple of his pals.

About this time, we also embarked on an intensive walking program to both lose weight and get in better shape. Our walks would usually take us from our East Beach location heading west along the White Rock Beach promenade, all the way uphill on Oxford Street, then east on 16 Avenue into town where we would stop sometimes for a cold drink before continuing the trek back home.

What we noticed when we reached the alley leading to our home – and with still about one kilometre to go – was the sudden appearance of our new friends. I commented that they seemed to recognize us. Ric threw them some peanuts that he had in his pocket and they dove for them.

Yes, they had recognized us as we’ve since learned. They can recognize faces and they know people who are kind to crows and those who aren’t. While they can be both thieves and pranksters (more on that to follow), they also demonstrate a lot of intelligence.

They tend to follow us some distance when we go for walks – even as far as the White Rock pier or farther. Often Ric has gone out among the tidal pools at low tide with his tripod and camera, and our feathered friends will show up, patiently waiting for treats to follow after he takes his pictures.

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Our crow pals also seem to watch the house, and when they spot our car pulling out, they swoop in and fly along beside the car to get our attention. They’ll often fly along side until they get their peanut rations. And they also watch for us to return home. But we have one rule: if they’re noisy, they get no reward. Only quiet birds get treats.

8″x 8″ acid-free matted print of Edgar Allen Crow in a 12.25″ x 12.25″ black aluminum frame  (ABOVE)
$135 all taxes included
8″x 8″ acid-free matted print of Edgar Allen Crow in a 14″ x 14″ black MDF frame (BELOW)
$125 all taxes included

Just the 8"x 8" print – $19 all taxes included.

Both of these ready-to-hang framed prints are in stock and ready to purchase from

We don’t expect everyone to share our love of crows, but there’s no denying their intelligence and cleverness. While that might not encourage affection, it should at least afford them a bit of respect.

8″x 8″ acid-free matted print of Edgar Allen Crow in a 14″ x 14″ black MDF frame (ABOVE)
$125 all taxes included
Just the 8"x 8" print – $19 all taxes included.

This ready-to-hang framed print is in stock and ready to purchase from

8″x 8″ acid-free matted print of Edgar Allen Crow in a 12.25″ x 12.25″ black aluminum frame  (ABOVE)
$135 all taxes included
8″x 8″ acid-free matted print of Edgar Allen Crow in a 14″ x 14″ black MDF frame (BELOW)
$125 all taxes included

Just the 8"x 8" print – $19 all taxes included.

Both of these ready-to-hang framed prints are in stock and ready to purchase from