The endless light blurs the days into one. The midnight sun last night finally broke through the days of overcast. At midnight, it lit the ice on fire, while the spray of a minke whale's breath breaks the stillness. The painter's spark is awakened, but the wind chill makes it unbearable to paint. I can only take photographs and let this experience penetrate the body and soul.

We are at day 4 of breaking ice in the Amundsen Sea, continuing west on our semi- circumnavigation of Antarctica to the Ross Ice Shelf. It is early in the year and we have experienced formidable ice thus slowing us, and forcing us to backtrack--looking for breaks in the ice.

The creative artist also has to look for new paths and often has to backtrack--looking for new inspiration to avoid the repetition and boredom of the familiar.

The trip to visit the emperor penguin rookeries of Snow Hill Island (from November 2-14; see early entries in this blog) was a whole new experience in landscape painting for me. It brought back the experience of years of life drawing at Art College. Penguins seem at first very simple and cartoon like to draw and paint, but the painter soon realizes the individual traits, complex gestures, and body language of these hardy creatures. There is a temptation to anthropomorphize penguins; however, paying attention to how they echo the shapes and colours of their habitat can make for a truthful homage on paper.

"Painting Emperor Chicks." November 11, 2006. (photo by passenger)

The rule for approaching penguins is stay within 15 feet or 5 meters, but an approach has to be done in a quiet and gentle manner. Unlike most other places, the wildlife in Antarctica has no fear or experience of humans; thus, they are great models! If I just stay still the penguins and chicks will approach me with curiosity, since they have no 15-foot rule.
I will start drawing some of the key penguins before they walk out of the picture, or up to my painting for a critique!

The chicks are unbelievably cute, yet the harsh reminder of life and death is all around. Some chicks are emaciated, waiting to be fed or have lost their parents. Many of the dead chicks are picked clean to the bone from the giant petrels and skuas.

"Emperor Penguins gather in curiosity." November 10, 2006. (photo by David McEown)

I paint in the bird shapes first, often finding a theme of light to unify the picture. Wet-in-wet within each chick shape is appropriate for capturing the fuzzy soft feathers. I have two water bottles, one for the clean water; the dirty water is brought back to the ship in the other.

"Emperors of Snow Hill Island #3" 10in. x 15in. watercolour, November 10, 2006

Emperor penguins can weigh up to 90 lbs., standing 3 feet tall when they stretch.  They are so gentle and non-aggressive. To have one look down at me eye to eye while I sit truly is comparable to being visited by an extraterrestrial being. Realizing that this is our fellow creature just trying to make a go of it on this planet warms the heart and wonder of it all.

--David


"Courting on Snow Hill Island" 10in. x 15in. watercolour, November , 2006.

More information
The minke (pronounced mink-ey) whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata, is a small whale, not easily seen, who rarely surfaces, so David was lucky to have heard and seen the minke breathe. To learn more about the minke whale, visit www.acsonline.org/factpack/MinkeWhale.htm.