Ilulissat · Looking 220° True SW across the Kangia
27" x 40"   4" x 29"   Copyright © 2002 Tony Foster

August 2 - 2001 · with PM · MB · August 2 · all day hiking the Kangia scoping out painting sites · 10pm - 1am an Inuit boat takes us round the bergs at sunset · the constantly changing pastel hues will be challenging to paint · wearing all my clothes I still freeze · August 3 · make camp between Kingigtoq & Sermermiut on open windy muskeg to avoid the bugs · start work · difficult drawing - the bergs move continually · 9·20pm · as I am drawing it an enormous berg ¼ mile x ½ mile x 300' high falls apart · vast sheets of ice crash into the sea · the remainder heaves & settles in a maelstrom of water · a flotilla of new small bergs rush N on a huge tidal wave that swells towards the shore · sucking & crashing it pours up the rocks tearing away loose boulders & vegetation below our camp · August 4 · paint the sky · not all cliches are untrue · August 5 · I struggle to fix the changing hues of the bergs, reflections & shadows · no two moments are alike · August 6 · the only sounds are the distant howl of sledge dogs & the boom · splash of bergs rearranging themselves · August 7 · a 16 hour working day 8am - 1am though when I finish the light is still exquisite · August 8 · our supplies still not arrived · M bargains for fish & reindeer · painting resolved I scope for the next