Last night we went to bed with grey clouds and blowing gales. This morning, we woke to blue skies and calm seas. We’re all pretty eager to leave now, and with the lovely weather its easy to imagine sitting on the deck watching whales swimming around us. Now that we’ve spent a couple of nights on the boat, and feel more at home on the sea – even if it’s just in the harbour – I think we all feel more creative and are ready to start making artwork.
Last night I started painting, filling in the bright Icelandic colours of a landscape. I was inspired by the jellyfish that surround Sea Dragon in the harbour, and the sea birds that swoop overhead. It made me more eager about drawing the whales we hope to see. I am excited to envisage on paper the experience of being on the ocean, with no land in sight. It’s a new thing for me, to embark on this kind of expedition, and I want to try to get the feeling down in pencil and paint – the raw wilderness surrounding us on all sides.
– Katie Henery, July 6, 2014