I took part int the June 2012 Art in the Park project in
Ivvavik National
Park. This is a
unique artist-in-residence program hosted by Parks Canada in Ivvavik
National Park on the Yukon North
Slope. Artists fly in to a remote base camp nestled in the British
Mountains, to be inspired by an
ancient and rugged arctic landscape.
From the many artists that applied for the program 4 were
chosen from across Canada
as well as 2 Inuit artists.
Ivvavik, meaning ‘a place for giving birth, a nursery', in
Inuvialuktun, the language of the Inuvialuit, is the first national park in
Canada to be created as a result of an aboriginal land claim agreement. The
park protects a portion of the calving grounds of the Porcupine caribou herd
and represents the Northern Yukon and Mackenzie Delta
natural regions. Most of the park was not glaciated during the last ice age,
leading to distinctive landscape features such as tors and V-shaped river
valleys. The park borders on the west with Alaska
and on the north with the Arctic Ocean (Beaufort
Sea) and is 170 km north of the Arctic Circle.
Click here to go to the Parks Canada website about the park:
The artwork shown below has been spoken for through the
Indiegogo campaign I launched before I left. These are some of the paintings and drawings which will be sent to people who contributed to the campaign.
Below are some photos I took as well as some of the artwork I did:
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| Artists and our Parks Canada Guides at Inspiration Point. That was quite a hike up there! |
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| Brenda Beattie (me) from Ottawa, Darcy Bernhart from Tuktoyaktuk and Anne Timmins from Yellowknife above the Firth River getting inspired. |
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| This is the landing strip, a helicopter that was being used by archeologists gave us a ride to a mountain close to the Arctic Ocean called Iglisiakso we could paint at that location. A great unexpected adventure! This landing strip was very primitive and quite the experience landing and taking off from there! The oil barrels painted orange make the stip visible from the air. |
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| The Art Group: Melissa Lennie (Parks Canada), Me, Anne Timmins, Drew Davidson (Parks Canada), Elizabeth Pertschy, Darcy Bernhardt, Sarah Holtom, Robert Fongere |
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| Firth River, Ivvavivk Nat. Park, Watercolor, 21" * 17" | |
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| Firth River Rapids, watercolour, 4" * 10" |
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| Tor at Ivvavik Nat. Park, Pencil Drawing 6" * 8" |
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| Firth River Valley, Pencil Drawing, 6" * 8" |
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| Darcy looking at the river, Pen & Ink, 6" * 8" |
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| Mountain Valley, Ivvavik Nat. Park, Watercolor sketch, 6" * 8" |
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