The North Pole

April 20, 2009David McEown

The Arts in this environment above 89° North is about survival first. Every detail and action must be considered to avoid letting the cold take grip on ones ability. Awareness of the ice is paramount as cracks can appear anytime, and weather is also extreme.
On top of the world, the light is now continuous and the sun circumnavigates our actions, emitting polar optical effects, as we make our way through endless shapes, texture and colour.
Such reward it is to set up camp and feel the warm stove and feel reverence to what is often taken for granted. Then is time for reflection and creation of paintings. I let the washes of paint freeze and hope to bring back to share these raw paintings that are marked by the arctic air.

Many thanks to Victor Boyarsky, director of the Agency "VICAAR", (www.northpolextreme.com/iindex.html ) and my partner, Daisy Gilardini, (www.daisygilardini.com ) for having me as an assistant on this photo-video assignment to record the science, adventure ski trips, and re-supply missions to some of the incredible polar projects that are in progress near the Barneo ice camp.

categories Arctic, en plein air, Landscape painting, North Pole, Northern Landscapes, Watercolour, watercolor
tags north pole, Arctic, polar exploration, watercolour, ice pack

North East Passage, Russian Arctic

August 28, 2008David McEown

Belkosvsky Island - New Siberian Islands

On this very rare trip with Quark Expeditions we traveled from Anadyr, on Russia's Asian shore to Murmansk, near the Finnish border. Along the Northeast Passage we explored the Chukotka Peninsula, Wrangel Island, the New Siberian Islands, Severnaya Zemlya , Novaya Zemlya and Franz Josef Land. This 26 day passage would have been very tough without the icebreaker Kapitan Khlebnikov and its skilled team to navigate through a very heavy ice year. More paintings can be seen on the NEP web page.

categories Arctic, extreme painting, en plein air, Landscape painting, Northern Landscapes, watercolor, Watercolour, North East passage, Russian Arctic
tags north east passage, Arctic, reindeer hearders, ayon island, Paintings, watercolour, Russian arctic

Svalbard Journey by Sailboat

August 20, 2008David McEown

Arctica , a 15 meter steel hull sailing boat customized for arctic conditions, was home and studio for 5 of us who chartered the vessel along with a skipper for 3 weeks. This vessel, along with towing 2 zodiacs, gave us the flexibility and intimacy to explore the wonderful fjords and wildlife of a group of high arctic islands north of Norway called Svalbard. Despite a very heavy ice year we managed to circumnavigate Spitzbergen, Svalbard's largest island, as well as explore many other islands. Painting on location - either from the deck or on landings - was done around the clock , often in the glow of the midnight sun.

categories Arctic, en plein air, Landscape painting, Northern Landscapes, watercolor, Watercolour, extreme painting
tags svalbard, spitsbergen, Arctic, Paintings, sailboat

The Far Side of Antarctica and South Georgia

January 20, 2008David McEown

The Far Side of Antarctica was a 38 day expedition aboard the icebreaker Kapitan Khlebnikov. Leaving from the Falkland Islands December 1, 2007, we explored South Georgia and South Sandwich islands and then continued southeast to semi-circumnavigate the eastern side of Antarctica - finally disembarking in Perth Australia. Now my 3rd season painting in Antarctic, it is still 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 thus making watercolour appropriate for expressing the soft and crisp edges of the pack ice. Many thanks to Quark Expeditions who have made it possible to explore these impressive places.

categories Antarctica, en plein air, Landscape painting, Watercolour, watercolor, East Antarctica
tags Antarctic paintings, Antarctica, Far Side of antarctica, emperor Penguins, Amanda Bay, Auster Emperor penguin rookery

North East Greenland

September 19, 2007David McEown

David Painting at the Wordie Glacier, Greenland

In late August and September 2007 I joined the Icebreaker Kapitan Klhebnikov with Quark Expeditions on a expedition to explore the seldom visited north east coast of Greenland. More painting from green land can be viewed on the Greenland page.

categories Arctic, Greenland, Landscape painting, Northern Landscapes, Watercolour, Yukon, extreme painting, en plein air
tags Arctic, Greenland, Greenland National Park, Scorsby sund, Wordie Glacier, Watercolor

North Pole by Icebreaker

July 21, 2007David McEown

"Going up north" has taken on new meaning since returning from a month long expedition to the North Pole and Franz Josef Land.

There were times while painting on the trembling bow of a northbound atomic icebreaker that I was the furthest north human on the planet. Truly on top of the world!

The quality of seeing is often more important than the object however the power of a place can awaken the senses and erase preconceptions. This formidable yet fragile wilderness of endless ice and great white bears is so inspirational that I will have to go back.

The following paintings were painted on the drifting ice within the vicinity of the North Pole or on deck while moving through pack ice. The islands of Franz Josef Land also provided much reference and wonder through its wild life and geological features. Studio works from this expedition will be posted on this page soon. Thanks to the fellow passengers and the Quark Expedition team that helped make this adventure possible.

categories Arctic, en plein air, extreme painting, Landscape painting, North East passage, Russian Arctic, Watercolour, watercolor
tags north pole, north east passage, Icebreaker, Franz joseph land, Yamal, en plein air, watercolour, quark expeditions

Contact David Mceown

Recent/Blog