I live in Norfolk (about as far from the coast as you can and still live in Norfolk). There have been a series of sperm whale strandings on the North Norfolk Coast and on the other side of the Wash in Lincolnshire (and on mainland Europe). I have not gone to see the carcasses (for lots of reasons, not least …
This is a small piece inspired by a particular aspect of arctic whaling that has interested me for a while now. British Arctic Whalers had various superstitions and traditions and the ones that interest me at the moment are those that relate to their material culture – special things that they made. In December I was privileged to be able …
So, I’ve completed the four pre-exhibition residency stints in the Stables at Burton Constable Hall as part of my Artist in Residence (AIR) funded by the Arts Council and the Friends of Burton Constable Hall. It seemed like a good time to reflect on how my first official (and funded) residency has gone. It’s been awesome! I’ve shared my passion …
Moby Dick is at the core of my work, and I know that it always will be. Sometimes it feels very close to the surface, and sometimes it is buried deep, but always there. At the moment it is pretty much on at the surface. My residency at Burton Constable Hall (home to a skeleton mentioned in Moby Dick) is …
I’m just back from my first stint at Burton Constable Hall as Artist in Residence. I have spent a wonderful four days in the barn with their iconic sperm whale skeleton mentioned in Moby Dick. As well as working on drawings of the skeleton and other items in the collection that have caught my eye I very much enjoyed talking …
Inspired by my recent trip the Gulf of St Lawrence where I was fortunate to see some of the small population of beluga whales that live near the mouth of the Saguenay Fjord. A couple of days later I visited the Redpath Museum at McGill University in Montreal to see their beluga and minke whale skeletons (and lots of other great …
A chance conversation and a trip to the whaling gallery at Hull turned my thoughts to whaling songs. A feature of the gallery at Hull is the songs that play when you enter the gallery and I finally got around to buying a cd of the songs. The one that initially appealed and inspired me most was the Greenland Fishery, …
In October of 2014 I voyaged again to Norway, calling at several places with whale and whaling related collections in particular Bergen, Honningsvag and Tromso, As often happens it is the unexpected things that often inspire me the most. The seal skulls at Tromso (sealing was an important part of arctic whaling) and the rock carvings at Alta of ships …
The whaling collection at Hull is mentioned in Moby Dick and is, therefore, a very special place. The whaling gallery at Hull Maritime Museum is one of my most inspiring places and I visit it as often as I can. The skeleton of a right whale and models and paintings of ships have all influenced my work. In addition to …
I visited the Arbuthnot Museum in Peterhead in September 2014. Peterhead was one of the most important whaling ports in Scotland and the displays in the museum amply illustrate this heritage. In addition to the displays I was fortunate enough to be invited to visit the collections store where I discussed Peterhead’s whaling heritage with some of the staff and …