The Sockeye Salmon "Run of the Century", Adams River
David McEown
It happens rarely in one's lifetime to witness a sockeye salmon run of this magnitude and significance. Abandoning all studio work in Vancouver I head towards British Columbia’s interior to witness first hand a river of bright red crimson fish. Over a few million salmon have travelled 450 challenging kilometers from the ocean to return to their place of conception to lay eggs, spawn and die soon after. This display of life force transferring itself through out the ecosystem and into the wonder of thousands of curious people who gather along the shorelines to view the spectacle is inspiring.
I worked on several small paintings and drawing on site while filming. Afterwards a larger sustained watercolour is attempted and captured in time-lapse for viewing in the following 2 minute video clip.
For location and further information on the Adams River see the parks website Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park. Also a fine blog post from this event, Salmon Connections by Ivan Doumenc with photos by Isabelle Groc.
PACIFIC SALMON
RIVER-BORN FUGITIVES, RED MUSCLED UNDER SHEATHING SILVER, ALIVE WITH LIGHTS OF OCEAN'S CHANGING COLOURS. THE RANGE OF DEEPS AND DISTANCES THROUGH WILD SALT YEARS HAS GATHERED THE SEA'S PLENTY INTO YOUR PERFECTION. FULLNESS IS THE LONG RETURN FROM DARK DEPTHS RENDERING TOLL OF ITSELF TO THE SEARCHING NETS SURGING ON TO STRIFE ON BRILLIANT GRAVEL SHALLOWS THAT OPENED LONG AGO BEHIND THE FAILING ICE. IN VIOLENCE OVER THE GRAVEL, UNDER THE BURN OF FALL, FULLNESS SPENDS ITSELF, THRUSTING FORTH NEW LIFE TO NURSE IN THE STREAM'S FLOW THE OLD LIFE. USED UTTERLY, YIELDS ITSELF AMONG THE RIVER ROCKS OF HOME.
RODERICK HAIG-BROWN
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