As I was growing up in South Africa, we were fortunate that my parents traveled with us to nature parks and game reserves. It inspired a love for those big, wide-open spaces, sounds of bird calls and experiencing mammals living free in their natural environment. As my father was a keen yachtsman, we went sailing every weekend, and that is where my love of the water and ocean comes from.
Once I completed my schooling at Intech College, I spent a number of years as a specialist nature guide in the world renown Kruger National Park in South Africa, which deepened my love for wildlife.
I fell into polar nature guiding quite by accident. Due to a cancelation, I was fortunate to get a spot as Resident Artist on an expedition ship, traveling up the West African Coast. In 2014 I began working for the Canadian based company G Adventures. I loved my work onboard, as we traveled to unusual, largely nature[1]based destinations, experiencing fauna and flora that only a few people are fortunate to see. This was a turning point in my career, and I proceeded to enroll and complete all the courses necessary, and more, to stay on the ship as one of the expedition staff. This involved Zodiac driving (inflatable boats), first aid, firefighting, crowd management, safety at sea, to name but a few.
The Expedition ship I work on, takes about 100 to 130 passengers, so they are small enough to be more personable and it’s an easier and quicker flow for logistics at a landing site.
When we are “at sea” or between destinations, we offer presentations on Geology, Ornithology, History, Glaciology and in my case, Art Workshops. Painting sessions are on the “sea days”, and when a “landing” has been canceled, due to weather conditions. Anyone is welcome to join, but I normally get between 20 and 30 of the passengers to attend.
Ninety percent of my work onboard, is in the polar regions of Antarctica and Svalbard in the arctic. Who would have thought that a safari guide in Africa, could end up working on ships, as an artist, in the polar regions?
I must say it took me a while to get used to the frigid weather conditions, but with the correct clothing anything is possible. To experience these wide-open spaces, incredible wildlife, spectacular mountains, glaciers and scenery, is a dream come true.
The art workshops onboard are for all guests to enjoy, and we work primarily in watercolour and pen and ink. The painting sessions are light, unfussy and non-toxic. We have a one to two hours painting session, which includes a demonstration by me, on the medium of watercolour and how it reacts, tips, hints and a bit of perspective. Ultimately, it is to have fun, relax and learning a new skill. We paint seascapes, ice, birds, whales and mammals and it is wonderful to see guests creating an art piece, when they never thought they had any skill.
When we are ashore, I always carry my sketchbook and materials (I have a “YouTube” video on what painting kit I take along on an expedition) as one never knows when there may be an opportunity to render a quick sketch or watercolour.
I love using my sketchbooks, as one day, when there is a time where I can no longer travel, I will have all these amazing memories to look back on, as I page through my books.
I have had to learn to paint snow and ice, which was pretty challenging for a girl from Africa, and the varieties of blues and grey to depict the glaciers and ice. I have had to learn to wear the most comfortable gloves to paint in, (with the tips of my fingers exposed), trying to deal with ice crystals forming on my pallet and sketchbook and being halfway through a painting when it starts to snow, which then smudges the entire painting. It has been an exciting and thrilling learning experience indeed.
The wildlife on the Antarctic peninsula is spectacular, with seals such as Leopard Seals, (named for its spots) Weddell Seals (named after Cpt Weddell, a sealing captain in 1821) and Crabeater Seals (the first explorers thought that the seals ate crabs, because of the pink feces, but the pink colour comes from eating krill, which is also pink. There are no crabs in Antarctica).
The birdlife leaves one breathless, watching the mighty Wandering Albatross glide and soar over the ocean, as well as other species of albatross, petrels, prions, cormorants, gulls, skuas and of course everyone’s favorite, the penguins.
My personal favorite penguin is the Adelie Penguin, that look like they are running around in tuxedos, but the Gentoo Penguin and Chinstrap Penguin are just as awesome to watch.
I have been super fortunate to see an Emperor Penguin on a few occasions and it is an experience that will stay with me forever.
The landings are very protected and normally give good opportunities to hike, spend time observing the wildlife, kayak and partake in Zodiac explorations. Every landing is unique, weather and wildlife dependent. A few personal favorite places in the Antarctic are, Brown Bluff, Paulet Island, Peterman and Paradise Bay.
Out of the Sub Antarctic Islands, South Georgia, slightly north from the Antarctica peninsular and east of The Falkland Islands, is an unbelievable place to visit. It is also the place where Sir Ernest Shackleton and five companions, managed to reach on their epic journey in a small boat in1916, to save the remaining men on Elephant Island, after their ship had been crushed by ice. It is a story of real-life bravery and a must read for anyone who is fascinated by early sea voyages, expeditions and adventure.
The wildlife in South Georgia is like walking into a David Attenbourgh BBC documentary. At certain landing spots, there are over two hundred thousand breading pairs of King Penguins, and thousands of chicks. There are also Elephant Seals, (a male weighs upto four tons) Antarctica Fur Seals, Leopard Seals, Weddell Seals, Gentoo Penguins, Chinstrap Penguins and Macaroni Penguins. And, not forgetting a spectacular variety of land bird life that includes the endemic South Georgia Pintail and South Georgia Pipit.
To see the penguins returning from their time feeding at sea, slick as mercury, grey and black flashes riding the waves and the secretive Leopard Seal gliding gracefully between the ice, hunting its prey, is a site that one will never forget.
I have often sat on a high vantage point, with watercolour and sketchbook at hand, and taken in the spectacle. To be surrounded by the sounds of the thousands of birds is something that will stay with me forever.
The maximum size of my sketchbooks is A4, but mostly I would use a A5, as one has to take into account the size of one’s backpack, the weight, the wind (many clips to keep the pages from tearing off) and the limited time one has ashore. At times I may only have 30 minutes to sketch, other times up to two hours.
I like to sketch onboard, as the ship is repositioning to a new landing site, or during a ship’s exploration through the channels of the Antarctica Peninsular. This is an opportunity to spot whales, such as Humpbacks, Orcas, Fin and Minke and if we are lucky, to observe them feeding. This is also a great opportunity to see the majestic ice bergs, with all its glorious hues of blue and white.
When traveling in the Northern Hemisphere, along the Scottish and Norwegian Coast, my highlight is to paint the bright and colorful Atlantic Puffins, that often nest in their thousands along the scree slops. The beak turns red with yellow highlights, during the breading season and they are a firm favorite among the guests onboard.
Then again in Svalbard, the arctic, I enjoy painting the humorous looking walrus and the majestic Polar Bear. Most of the Arctic trips start in Longyearbyen on Spitsbergen, in the Svalbard archipelago. We travel up the west coast, visiting various fjords and around through the Hinlopenstretet to Nordaustlandt and back through Storfjorden, if ice conditions allow.
On all trips we head up towards the pack ice, where I have been fortunate to witness Polar Bears in its natural habitat, on the vast sea ice, hunting for seals. It is devastating to think that in the years to come, the ice will reduce dramatically, and take away the habitat of the bears. The seals in the Arctic are quite skittish but the ones that we are most likely to see, are bearded seals, ring seals and harbor seals. Mostly we are fortunate to experience the antics of the walrus, both in and out of the water. Huge lumps of blubber and wonderful to watch.
Once onboard the ship, one of my jobs is to decorate a nautical sea chart, with illustrations of wildlife. This chart is then raffled off to the guests with the funds raised going to worthy organizations that research and help protect the oceans, such as “Clean Seas” and the “Whale Shark Project” in the Galapagos islands.
I have learnt to travel light, when it comes to paint, (my painting travel pack is on my YouTube video), only taking the bare necessities, in a pouch that can be strapped to my waist. It contains my palette, sketchbook, a few ink markers and gel pens. My small travel paint pack is easy to put in my shore kit and whip out whenever I get the time.
Now, with Covid-19, none of the ships have been working and I have not had an income for 18 months and probably will be another six months before things get organized, for us all to return to work. I miss it immensely, and I realize how lucky I am to have had this opportunity and do not take it for granted.
As a beginning artist, I was influenced by the artwork of British polar doctor and artist, Edward Wilson 1872 – 1912, and British Artist William Turner 1775 – 1851. Over the past decade my style has been shaped by spectacular experiences in polar regions, working in harsh conditions, and the need to work rapidly. I want to record the experience in a travel journal, that I can look back on and enjoy in years to come.
When home in Cape Town, I continue to paint with watercolours – landscapes, gardens, and of course the unique fauna and flora of South Africa. I also offer art retreats in Southern Africa, France and Morocco.
My favorite brand paints are Daniel Smith, for papers I use Fabriano or Arches and for Sketchbooks I favor Hahnemuhler and Moleskin.
