Nests and Ropes

 

Little did I know how difficult nest building would be. Granted, I didn't have to pick out the sticks, ropes, and small buoys and fly in with the material, but it is a challenge to paint them. 

 

Northern Gannets are pretty amazing birds. While their wingspan of over 70 inches is impressive, it is their diving ability which I find remarkable. With waterproof feathers and various anatomical adaptations they can dive as deep as 72 feet! Most dives are much shallower, but 72 feet - wow!

 

 

 

Rocks and Ropes

 

  To me, rocks are not just amorphous blobs, they have form and substance. (My Master of Science degree in geology comes in handy.) Some portions of the rocks in my painting were not in my reference photos which focused on the northern gannets. But, I could extrapolate what the next section would look like and move the rocks around to complement the painting design without destroying their integrity.

 

  One of the aspects which fascinated me about this colony I didn't see until the boat was a bit closer. And even then, we were far enough away (so not to disturb the birds) that my telephoto lens captured the detail. The gannets had used thick fishing ropes and some buoys to help build their nests. The teal and orange ropes were a revelation to me!

 

 

Bird Islands off North Cape, Norway

  On my recent trip to Norway I had a chance to take a boat ride to the island nesting areas off North Cape, Norway. Gjesvaerstappan is home to an impressive number of bird species. This very northern tip of Norway where the warm and cold ocean currents of the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans meet is a haven for birds looking to feed their young abundant fish. Puffins, razorbills, cormorants, black guillemots, and one of my favorites, the majestic Northern Gannet, nest and feed here.

   A rather dramatic gannet nesting colony was perched on some impressive metamorphic rocks which I think make a perfect backdrop for a painting.