I've been so busy finishing a new collection of paintings inspired by my journey to the Galapagos for my summer exhibition which opens on June 21st at my gallery at Thixendale. I've hardly had time to think!
I'm working on 13 new paintings, including several featuring the courting displays of blue-footed boobies, waved albatross and magnificent frigate birds.
I've also got two 'portraits' of giant tortoises and one of a marine iguana and of a land iguana on the easel.
I've chosen to use acrylic and pencil for the new pictures because I like the way this media captures my mood when I was touring this Pacific archipelago.
The place was so busy with such exotic wildlife that I didn't know which way to look first and since I got back my paintbrushes have been flying!
My exhibition promises to be a real wildlife bonanza. Not only will I be showing my new Galapagos collection, but I will also have my photographs of all the incredible species I saw there on display.
And I will be sharing video of some of my most special wildlife sightings - including watching sea lions hunting underwater and the comical mating dance of blue footed boobies.
The exhibition follows my trip to the Pacific archipelago in May when I was inspired by the fact that Charles Darwin, who reached his theory of evolution on visiting the Galapagos in 1835, made no drawings of species that he saw.
Apparently the artist on board Darwin's ship was made redundant shortly before the vessel landed there and so all the illustrations in his book, The Origin of the Species, were made long after his return to England.
Of course had he been travelling today Darwin would have taken a camera. Whilst I toured the islands in May, I was conscious of the fact that no illustrations were made of the species encountered on the most important journey in natural history.
My own exhibition, on the other hand, is a celebration in pictures of this unique destination and all the incredible wildlife that teams there.
I'll be posting my new paintings as I finish them and also sharing my Galapagos photographs and footage.
Drawing for Darwin - Just 12 days to go!
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