Far Side of Antarctica Journal, Dec 1, 2007 - Jan 8 , 2008 |
"Journeying to the Antarctic is like discovering a new world of unforgiving beauty, giant in scale, with shapes reduced to basic raw elements. The colors of ice are so subtle, translucent and fragile. This is a land inhabited by innocent, curious creatures that have no fear of us. " from David's blog - Antarctica, 2006 |
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I am currently on an expedition to the Far Side of Antarctica aboard the icebreaker Kapitan Khlebnikov. Leaving from the Falkland
Islands, we will head southeast and semi-circumnavigate the eastern side of Antarctica, disembarking in Perth Australia, January 8, 2008. When
feasible I will send journal entries to this page via satellite email, and look forward in the new year to posting a more in-depth blog diary with images.
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• Day 26 Wednesday December 20, 2007. 67 degrees 13.4 minutes S (noon position) 64 degrees 68.9 Stunning clear skies, light wind and solid ice create the setting for a wonderful ice hike to the Auster Emperor Penguin Rookery. I painted and took reference photographs of the adults and chicks of various stages of growth. Blue icebergs created a dramatic background. • Day 25 Tuesday December 25, 2007. 66 degrees 40.9 minutes S (noon position) 69 degrees 47.4 E in drift, 0 degrees C, 40 knot winds. It was a truly white Christmas, as we were adrift in a complete white out. The captain let the ship drift and save fuel by not trying to fight the 40 knot winds that created a very dense ice pack in 0 visibility. By dinner the snow storm let up and we are treated to a brilliant sunset, surrounded by icebergs. • Day 24 Monday December 24, 2007. Start the morning with a vigorous hike to an iceberg along the fast ice. Later in the day we sail past the Scullin and Murray Monoliths, in which I painted from the outer decks. The watercolour froze instantly and created intriguing ice textures on the paintings. • Day 23 Sunday December 23, 2007. 67 degrees 03.8 minutes S (noon position) 62 degrees 14.1E Plus 10 degrees C We visit Mawson Station which was very well equipped with modern windmills to generate electricity, being that it is one of the windiest places in Antarctica. Went for a long walk on the ice and set up a painting watching the Adelie penguins travel in rows back to their rookery. Sunset, icebergs and Orca sighting made for one of the most busy evenings with the camera! • Day 22 Saturday December 22, 2007. Antarctica Summer Solstice 65 degrees 39 minutes S 61 degrees 03.8 minutes E A long painting day (11 paintings!) which started with grey skies, but by evening had broken open to spectacular sunset/sunrise (sun never did dip below the horizon). • Day 21 Friday December 21, 2007. Another sea day with some great work from my painting penguins workshop. • Day 20 Thursday December 20, 2007. 64 degrees 28 minutes S (noon position) 51 degrees 45.4 E Mild swell in the icepack, but by afternoon we are into very solid ice cover as we try to reach Proclamation Island which has an Adelie penguin colony. Again ice conditions prevent us from venturing to the island, although the ship is capable, time calls for setting forth to Mawson station where there is an Emperor Rookery. Thus we retrace steps and head north to skirt the worst of the ice for about 500 nautical miles then cut back in where ice is less dense. Had a productive afternoon painting at the bow. Paint froze as I did watercolor gestures. Soft grays, sun tried to poke through, but was obscured by snow. • Day 19 Wednesday December 19, 2007. Worked on a commission with a pole to pole theme, and watched a film "90 Degrees South" by Herbert Ponting, account of Captain Scott's last expedition. Sunset was a relief from a windy gray day. Almost 40 knot winds, great for the gliding giant petrels. • Day 18 Tuesday December 18, 2007. 68 degrees 20.4 minutes S 34 degrees 03.5 E Hope to see the Riisen Larsen Emperor rookery. We are parked in the fast ice at 2am and by 8am there were lots of Emperors and Adelie penguins swimming at the stern. The fast ice we are parked in is multi-year with melting crumbling first year pools. I am happy with the painting, describing the mood in the clouds. Low ceiling prevents us from using helicopters to the rookery, but nice to see much wildlife at stern of the ship. • Day 17 Monday December 17, 2007. Expedition team makes brunch on the Bow. I set the table menus with heavy duty tape. Antarctic winds blows the whole coffee container over. Start a surprise commission. Weather still rough, but see up close a rare Ross seal at 11am, I teach a painting workshop at 12:30 (Atmospheric Phenomena.) • Day 16 Sunday December 16, 2007. Traveling through the sea ice. Workshops, painting polar sunsets. • Day 15 Saturday December 15, 2007. Sun is shining, work on painting of the bow from the fly deck, while the team offers heli sight seeing. • Day 14 Friday December 14, 2007. I conduct the Art of Seeing workshop, mixing colours in the lounge as we work through the heavy icepack. • Day 13 Thursday December 13, 2007. The Weddell Sea is ice choked; I awake at 2am to see sun rise again and illuminate tablature icebergs with orange light, while a ground fog softens their base. Back to bed then to awake to an overcast of 8 tenths icepack with temperatures just below freezing. • Day 12 Wednesday December 12, 2007. 69 degrees 55 minutes S 09 degrees 50 minutes W We hope to approach Cape Norvegia and land on the Antarctic Continent but ice conditions prevent us from reaching it within helicopter range, thus the ship backtracks and heads north and east to find a better route in to shore to view few of the Emperor penguin rookeries along east Antarctica. • Day 11 Tuesday December 11, 2007. We cross the Antarctic Circle and continue to head south into the pack ice, one of heaviest ice conditions in years. I am working on paintings inspired from South Georgia and finish works from South Thule. • Day 9-10 December 09-10, 2007. The Ship enters the icepack. We have our first sightings of Emperor penguins, Leopard seals, and Minky whales. I give workshops on advanced drawing, penguins and icebergs are the subjects. • Day 8 Saturday December 08, 2007. 58 degrees 44 minutes S 21 degrees 27minutes W We Zodiac cruise along the steep icy shores of Montagu Island in search of active volcanic activity. There is much fresh ash on the snow-covered slopes. Also we see evidence of past lava floes into the ocean but we were unable to spot the most recent active location. Strong katabatic winds made for an interesting zodiac experience! In the afternoon we visit South Thule, which is the most southern of the South Sandwich Island chain along with Cook Island. Ice conditions prevented a zodiac landing but there were great views of the remains of an Argentine station and fantastic lenticular clouds capping the peaks. • Day 7 Friday December 07, 2007. Zodiac Cruise to Zavdovski Island, home to the largest concentration of Chinstrap penguins in the world. Water and swell was rough for pictures but we did get close to gangs of penguins on the ice floes. In the afternoon, we made landing at Candlemas island in the South Sandwich Islands. A fantastic Chinstrap colony as well as individual Adelie and King penguins surround the massive rock backdrop. Started a half sheet painting of the cliff face with nesting birds below. There were dramatic skies at sunset for photography. • Day 6 Thursday December 06, 2007. This is a day at sea approaching the South Sandwich Islands. Many icebergs appear out of the fog. I conduct first formal art workshop, demonstrating how to draw penguins to 18 passengers. • Day 5 Wednesday December 05, 2007. 54 degrees 16 minutes S 36 degrees 21 minutes W Second full day in South Georgia and weather has been clear blue skies and Temperature averaged 10 C. Start the Day off with a toast to the "boss" at the cemetery where Shackleton's gravesite is. We walk the beach covered with fur and elephant seals towards the whaling stations ruins at Gryviken. Afternoon is spent with a landing at Gold Harbour, endless inspiration for painting. Worked on a large painting of the King Penguin rookery with the Betrab glacier as a backdrop. Later in the evening we did a Zodiac cruise on Cooper bay to see some Macaroni penguins during sunset. • Day 4 Tuesday December 04, 2007. Weather has cleared for our arrival at South Georgia. The first landing is at Salisbury Plain, the second largest King Penguin rookery on the island. I worked out many drawings of the chicks. However, I was unable to comfortably paint due to the fur seals who are very territorial and can serve out a nasty bite. Later in the afternoon we land at Fortuna Bay and visit another King Penguin colony. Painting went well, on the plain, away from the Fur seals. Later that evening we had a Barbecue dinner on the bow of the ship. Temperature was staring to drop to about 5C. • Day 3 Monday December 03, 2007. Another very calm sea day, however thick fog obscures our view of the Shag rocks. We enjoy however the smooth ride and witness the abundance of bird life around the ship. • Day 2 Sunday December 02, 2007. At sea, very calm considering these waters can be some of the roughest. Lectures start, with great information from our biologist, and historian. I introduce the art program on board with a watercolour demonstration. • Day 1 Saturday December 01, 2007. Depart Santiago, Chile, at 8am, clear skies and warm. Arrive in Stanley on the Falkland Islands later in the afternoon. Wonderful blue skies and temperature about 15 C. Zodiac to the ship and in the evening left the Falkands with a pink sunset, just had to paint it! |
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