I painted this map for the Bike, Hike and Paddle Company (www.bikehikepaddle.com), to help market a journey called the Odyssey. On the five legs of this 60-day circuit, clients:

• backpack from Iskut, British Columbia to Telegraph Creek, BC
• paddle down the Stikine River to Wrangell, Alaska
• sea kayak to Ketchikan, Alaska
• sea kayak on to Stewart, BC
• bike up the Wilderness Highway to Iskut.

The map had to function on a number of levels. First, it had to be appealing enough to draw people in, as it was intended for display at trade shows. Then, it needed to show a potential client where in North America this potentially unfamiliar area was located. The entire route had to be within the map boundaries, yet there also had to be room around the edges for mounting photographs. Finally, it needed to communicate the remoteness and ruggedness of the terrain.

The finished size was 42" by 30", on two joined sheets of watercolour paper. Only the towns visited on the Odyssey appear on the map.