Iceland - Sketch from a Glacier

Sketch - Mýdras-Jökull Glacier,
incised Plexiglass and painted panel, 10 x 12 x ½ in.
(Photo was taken at an oblique angle to avoid reflections on the Plexiglass)

Scratch marks in the Plexi surface catch the light and refract with slightly varying highlights, animating the image more than if I produced a flat print or painting.  I want to show the dead blackness of the piles of ash left behind as the glacier melts underneath them, leaving ebony cones shaped like miniature volcanoes.  The summer glacier is porous and uneven on its surface, with flecks of cinders everywhere.  The blue-green tint to the ice below is barely visible until you peer into a water-filled hole or tunnel.  Think of this as wall-sized when I enlarge it!

Today I took the bus to Bauhaus, a huge hardware and building center where I went looking for a way to plug in my Dremel tool. Instead I bought some wrought iron boring tools that are actually very good for incising Plexiglass, even if they won't help me make holes in it.  I also bought some 'crazy glue' and reversed my spacing system between the plastic and wood panel. It seems to work on the small size.  The screws come through to the front of the panel, then the clear bead spacers and the Plexi panel are held on with 'crazy glue.' So far so good!

Iceland: Korpúlfsstađir Studies Begin

Sketch for Esja 1, incised Plexiglass and acrylic on plywood
10 x 12 x ½ in.

In this sketch I have used the Plexiglass to suggest rain and mist in front of the mountain. Esja Mountain is constantly changing. It would be possible to do a whole series of Esja where no two pieces would  be the same.  You have to imagine this image about 1 metre x 2 metres.

Glacier Study 1, graphite and watercolour pencil on paper 10 x 12 in.

The dark areas of this sketch are much blacker than they appear in this photo. The cinders and ash from the last volcanic eruption create a stark contrast to the soft, crumbling surface of the summer ice cap. There are blue-green tints within cracks and fissures. Apparently these can be very dramatic during the winter when the glacier surface is glassy and hard. 

Glacier Study 2, graphite and watercolour pencil on paper 10 x 12 in.

Plexiglass can add crystalline textures to the icy areas of the subject. Mist rising from the ice can be suggested with judicious sanding of the Plexi surfaces.  

As you look at my sketches think of these visual ideas in large formats. I will be working them up once I am back in Canada.  I have already accumulated a large number of photos to use as resource material as well.

Iceland - Flora by the Trails

Seaside Bluebells, also found in Nunavut, Canada

Scabosia perhaps?

Garden Angelica, an important traditional Icelandic herb

Sea Campion

Lichens and Wild Thyme ?

Today I walked farther down the trail that follows the seashore near Korpúlsstađir, photographing more of the tiny flowers and delicate-looking plants that are growing as they please, both native and invasive varieties.  The texture and colour combinations are fascinating.  I can foresee several large-format drawings based on these small investigations.  I will have excellent resource material to use all through next winter.

I've been inspired by the work of Icelandic artist Eggert Pétursson.  Even before this trip to Iceland, I noticed his large paintings of Icelandic flora in several art journals.  I felt fortunate to buy a 2012-13 book of over 70 of his paintings at the Reykjavik Art Museum.  Visit Pétursson's web site with the link below to see some of his work.

Eggert Petursson Web Site

I'm not certain if I have identified the plants correctly. Some of the plants I have seen are common to the arctic in many countries.  Others are imports and invasive species.  A variety of lupin, for example, was introduced on purpose, but has now become problematic.  I've also noticed a variety of yarrow that looks familiar to me from eastern Canada.  I'm allergic to it, so I'm not a fan!

I am working on a panel and drawing in my sketchbook. Perhaps tomorrow I will have photos of some of this preliminary work to post.

Ice and Cinders - Glacier Hike in Iceland

Mýrdals-jökull glacier, Iceland

Water bores holes down through the ice.

Cathedral-like vaults form over melting ice.

Our guide looks into a large hole.

Here I am armed with a pick! Not exactly a fashion statement!

Skógafoss

Skógafoss up close

Day 4 of my residency in Iceland lived up to my expectations.  I arranged for the 'Walk on the Ice' excursion before leaving home and it provided me with much material for my 'Sculpted by Water' project.  Above are only a few of the hundreds of photos I snapped during the hike. The surface of the glacier softens in the summer, making it porous and easy to dig into with crampons on our boots. The pick also helps to steady us as we climb up and down strange formations of ice and cinders. The cones of ash actually begin in crevices in the ice during a volcanic eruption.  The cinders compact and remain as the ice around them melts, leaving behind hillocks and cones of blackness. Black streaks mark layers of eruptions in the ice field. The most active volcano in Iceland, Katia, lurks beneath the surface of this glacier.

On the way back from the hike, we stopped at Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss, both majestic and gigantic waterfalls.  The glacier lost 20 cm of height to melting in the last four days!  All of this surging water makes impressive waterfalls all along the southern ridge of cliffs.

Time to work in the studio today!