Sails, sea ice and songs
There’s been a heatwave in June for most of the UK, apparently. I like a heatwave, working in my shady studio during the day and savouring the warm evenings, the pleasure of eating supper outdoors, being able to wear light and floaty clothes. Ah, the joy of finally taking socks off, hello toes! But I missed this one completely. For the very best of reasons I’ve been wearing thermal layers, sea boots and oilskins for most of the month.
The first part of the year was quiet. I was busy in the studio or, for a while, recovering from an eye op where I had to keep still for a month (ha!). So I was more than ready when the time came to pack my bags and head to a place that’s been calling for a while – the Arctic. Since my artist’s residency in Antarctica a few years ago, I’d wanted to go north, to see what the Arctic felt like. At school I was fascinated to see that Antarctica was land surrounded by sea, and that the Arctic was sea surrounded by land. So the south is colder than the same latitudes in the north; we reached 69 degrees south in Antarctica, but 79 degrees north on the islands of Svalbard was much less icy.
My chance came when I was invited to lead a sketching trip to Svalbard arranged by the excellent Woodbridge based art travel experts Art Safari (www.artsafari.co.uk) – the trip was to be on a sailing ship, so what could be better?
Our ship was the gaff schooner Noorderlicht, 34 metres of steel, rope and canvas. What a treat to be sailing these icy waters, anchored at the crumpled edge of a glacier, sketching a heap of walruses dozing on the beach, wandering round the remains of old mining works in settlements now housing multi-national research scientists. We were well looked after by the crew, who were a mix of Dutch, Norwegian, Russian, German, Sicilian and British. Our guides were patient as we got the hang of snow shoes, telling us all about the history, wildlife and flora, keeping polar bear watch as we sat and sketched. Later, under sail, we had time to work on our sketchbook pages in the spacious and warm saloon or enjoying a gin and tonic on deck chilled with glacier ice.
In high latitudes the air feels so clear you want to bottle it and take it home, draw in great lungfuls and treasure the sweetness of it. Svalbard sets high standards to protect the environment, both past and present. Taking anything at all, even a pebble from a beach, is strictly forbidden. Any artefact dating from before 1945 is considered heritage and must be left exactly in place, even a piece of twisted metal on a beach from old mining works. We had an interesting debate on this and concluded that ‘litter’ is something it is illegal to leave; ‘heritage’ something that it is illegal to take.
The effect of climate change is ever present as the effects are so visual here. Glaciers that once filled the bays are becoming smaller; the guides notice it year by year and the small museum in Longyearbyen, well worth a visit if you get the chance to visit this most northerly town, has clear and shocking diagrams charting the retreat of the ice and the effects of the warming seas on the wildlife.
And that clear Arctic air is not as pure as it feels. Local safeguards can’t fight global problems. As we sailed the islands for pleasure, sketching the pristine-looking landscape, I thought of the team of researchers from GAPS (Global Atmospheric Plastics Survey) currently working high in the Svalbard glaciers, taking samples and trying to find out more about microplastics. We know that they are everywhere, in the food we eat and the air we breathe. The GAPS team want to try and understand just what they are, how they travel, and how far they go. The project is led by Dr Al Gill who is rather good at taking on impossible tasks. Find out more from the website https://www.gaps2024.com/ which explains it in proper detail – instagram is a good way to keep up to date with current projects. Who knows – maybe you know someone who could help?
Getting home from Svalbard in mid-June, there was barely time to wash a few clothes before it was time to head north again. Not so far, only to Scotland but a two day train journey. I needed pretty much the same clothing as I did for the Arctic – sea boots, oilskins, warm jumpers and woolly hat. This was my holiday, sailing with musicians instead of artists, on a brigantine instead of a schooner. ‘Sessions and Sail’ is the inspired idea of Shetland musician Barry Nisbet who is a highly skilled tall ships captain as well as top class musician. The weather was not kind; apparently high pressure in the south squeezes the low pressure systems in the north and makes them wetter and meaner. But the Hebrides have their own magic in any weather and the highlight of the trip was a trip to the isolated Shiant Islands where we anchored in bright sunshine in a cloud of puffins and guillemots beneath the high cliffs.
The ship is ‘Lady of Avenel’ and she’s a home from home for me as she hosts our Sketch and Sail holidays. So when it rains, the artists have a happy time snug in the cabin working on our sketches; on a Sessions and Sail trip we had just as happy a time learning tunes, helped by excellent tutors Harry Bird and Tamsin Elliot.
There are just two places left on our Sketch and Sail trip from Barra to Oban from 31st August to 6th September, so jump on board if you fancy sketching these beautiful islands from the privacy of our own ship. No sailing or sketching experience needed! Get in touch to find out more //www.ladyofavenel.com/sketchandsail.
If you can’t make the August trip there are two next year, the first in May which will be a bit special as we’re sailing around the Shetlands! Spaces are filling up for this one quite quickly, so let me know if you want to join Jane Northcote and me for this one.
Finally…. a few bits of news for July
Armchair Adventure Festival – I’ll be doing some sketching workshops at this lovely festival in Cornwall – more details about the programme and how to book coming soon. I’m looking forward to this, there’s so many interesting people and ideas there. https://www.armchairadventurefestival.com/
Then at the end of the month I’m back at the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge where the ‘Painting the Poles’ exhibition is still running. On 30th July I’ll be doing a talk and then a workshop on all things polar sketching, so join me for both or either – all free! Details here: https://www.spri.cam.ac.uk/museum/events/
The heatwave will no doubt disappear as soon as I’m back. But never mind, it’s back to the drawing board for an intensive few weeks to catch up on some commissioned work. I’ll be back with details of more courses and art classes soon, so keep in touch and keeping doing the good stuff.