GALAPAGOS – Forty Days and Forty Nights – An Artist’s Sojourn

Seemingly oblivious to my presence, a rather large sea lion lifted her head momentarily to eye me before returning to her midday slumbers.  She scratched occasionally while her pup trundled curiously behind a colourful marine iguana whose swishing tail proved too tempting to resist.  The large female was soon disturbed by mockingbirds that seemed most interested in picking flies from her nose.  As I sketched her, a pair of mockingbirds decided I too was worthy of investigation.  They circled me for several minutes… as though insisting to be included in my sketch.

In the fall of 2009 I was blessed to be named the recipient of the 10th fellowship of the Artists for Conservation Flag Expedition Program.  This unique program makes possible the artistic field study of unique, threatened habitats and rare or endangered species in remote regions of the world.  The  Artists for Conservation (AFC) made possible my expedition, “Galapagos, Forty Days and Forty Nights – An Artist’s Sojourn”.  

Where’s Waldo – Marine Iguanas and Ground Finch
Pastel on Museum Paper © Kelly Dodge

The Galapagos Islands are isolated from other land masses, straddling the equator with Ecuador, the nearest land, 960 km to the east.  They consist of 13 large islands, 6 smaller islands and many islets in the most active oceanic volcanic region in the world.  The islands are home to high numbers of endemic species – critically endangered waved albatrosses, marine iguanas, tropical penguins, flightless cormorants and other fascinating creatures.  Munching contentedly on foliage, 500 pound giant tortoises sometimes lumbered towards me to sniff my bare legs;  marine iguanas walked over my toes;  and comical birds, aptly named blue-footed boobies, crudely scratched their nests in the trails making it necessary to maneuver around them.  The many Darwin’s finches, along with mockingbirds, Galapagos flycatchers and tiny yellow warblers were delightfully curious, at times hopping  on my backpack , tripod and even my shoes!

The subject of my expedition encompassed endemic and resident birds and reptiles.  A disturbingly high number of the flora and fauna are IUCN listed as endangered or vulnerable.  My goal was to observe, learn about and document through field sketches as many of these species as possible while labelling each with their current red list status and year of assessment.  During my forty days I visited 11 of the 13 larger islands starting with San Cristobal.  I was privileged to work as a volunteer at a local biological reserve which gave me unique opportunities to get off the beaten path and to access restricted areas high in the Miconia Zone where I had ample opportunity to observe and sketch endangered San Cristobal Mockingbirds.  The majority of species encountered are not timid so were relatively easy to study as they went about their daily business ignoring my presence.

Mother and Child – Galapagos Sea Lions
Pastel on Museum Paper © Kelly Dodge

This experience in the highlands also served as an initiation of sorts into some rather challenging weather  conditions and terrain.  Primarily a studio artist who despite all my pre-expedition research naively arrived in the tropical Miconia rainforest assuming that the garua season (“dry” season) really meant dry.  Not!  Hence most of my sketching and photographing was accomplished from underneath a dripping rain poncho while ankle deep in mud!   Once departing the reserve the remainder of my expedition was at lower, dryer zones.  I spent most of my time hiking across barren black lava fields, trudging through sand and scrambling over slippery algae. For my total of two weeks at sea I was fortunate to have calm weather.  Protecting my camera equipment and sketching materials from salt spray and sand was at times challenging.  Still, the benefits far outweighed the few trivial inconveniences and I fared very well overall.  Thankfully, I did not once get seasick!  Of course when hiking through rocky nurseries dotted with chubby waved albatross chicks;  tiptoeing through myriad marine iguanas topped with scuttling vermilion sally lightfoot crabs or sitting in the sand with snoozing sea lions nursing adorable pups one can hardly help but be oblivious to discomfort of any sort.  

One of the AFC objectives an expedition artist is privileged to partake in is to keep a combination sketch/diary expedition flag journal.  My journal has been reproduced as a limited edition hardcover book by the AFC.  I believe that the experience of filling a journal with 200 pages of sketches and personal insights has enriched the resulting studio paintings in a way that gives them increased depth and meaning. 

Journal Page © Kelly Dodge

In my quest to artistically capture the essence of Galapagos and the spirit of it’s creatures, I was struck by the fact that only 5% of residents ever get to experience what I did.  Although the population of the islands now exceeds 25,000, many residents know only the villages in which they live.  Sadly, they have not experienced the pristine national park areas.  The inhabited islands are undergoing severe ecological change and the primary terrestrial threats are introduced species, especially goats, cats, pigs, invasive plants and habitat destruction.  The creatures here, because of the islands historic isolation, thrived with little predation resulting in the unique lack of fear visitors have the pleasure of observing.  It is this isolation that makes them so vulnerable to new arrivals because their future depends entirely on their continued existence on the islands. 

In addition to the consequences humans have inflicted on the biodiversity of Galapagos, this enchanted garden of Creation also finds itself corrupted by many of the outside worlds social “serpents”.   Aids, drugs, unemployment, alcoholism, teen pregnancies and child pornography are disturbingly prevalent.  Creation includes humans – our families and communities.  At the heart of sustainability is the goal of meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.  The impact of environmental degradation falls most heavily on those who are least able to mitigate these impacts – poor, vulnerable populations.  Residents, lacking most government services and suffering high unemployment levels, are almost completely excluded from working in and benefiting from the tourist industry.  Surging tourism has changed the social structure of the islands and has risen from 17,000 tourists in 1980 to over 170,000.  Residents need water, food and building materials.  Although these are problems common throughout the world, they are magnified by the fragile ecosystem of Galapagos.  Changes intended to make man more comfortable often have the opposite effect on the natural world.  The challenge is how and where to make necessary changes to meet the needs of the population while enhancing sustainability.   No species exists on it’s own – we all exist as members of intimately related communities.  The Galapagos is one such community, sharing a distinct environment in a socially symbiotic relationship with mankind.

Mischief Maker Galapagos Sea Lion and Espanol Mockingbird
Pastel on Museum Paper © Kelly Dodge

There is an Arab proverb that suggests, “To understand a people, you must live among them for forty days.”   For me, forty days represent a time frame in which minds and hearts can be changed.  Having gathered abundant reference material, I returned home to begin my studio journey.  The resulting paintings are my interpretation of the beauty and wonder of Galapagos.  I am motivated by the impact art can have on the emotions of individuals when they become lost in a painting as I do so many times when meeting and studying animals in their natural environment.  As I recall those first moments in Galapagos, watching silently as the mother sea lion napped while her curious pup ‘stalked’ the iguana and the mockingbirds ‘stalked’ me, I cannot help being moved by that single, beautiful example of Creation.  We are but tenants here, called as custodians on behalf of future generations and all species, to tend the garden of Creation. 

I have had the privilege of meeting firsthand the creatures who become the subjects of my artwork.  My desire is to share this experience with others who may never be able to encounter firsthand a wild creature in their natural environment.  As stewards of Creation, we must remember our place in the natural world.  My art is a celebration of the privileged place I hold in partnership with my fellow creatures and my Creator.  A genuine appreciation of our place in the natural order is where true change begins — a truth driven home by my “forty days and forty nights” on the extraordinary islands of Galapagos. 

Image Credits

All Images Are © Kelly Dodge

A version of this article was previously published in Wildscape Magazine 

Kelly Dodge Artist Bio

Canadian artist Kelly Dodge regards her art as a celebration of the privileged place she holds in partnership with her fellow creatures and her Creator.  Kelly’s first exhibition in 2001 marked the beginning of a fast rising career that has garnered both national and international recognition. She is a signature member of the Artists for Conservation (AFC), the Pastel Society of America, and the Society of Animal Artists, N.Y.   In 2004 she was deemed an ‘Artist of Note’ by Wildlife Art magazine.  In 2009 she received the prestigious AFC Flag Expedition Fellowship enabling her to travel to the Galapagos Islands for the purposes of artistic field research. She has also been awarded the AFC Medal of Excellence twice, once in 2010 and again in 2011.  This award is given annually in recognition of extraordinary artwork.

Primarily painting in pastel, Kelly’s use of this medium is noteworthy, not only in the sense of achieving a personal style, but also from the perspective of a technique that pushes the material to a fullness more often associated with paint mediums such as oil.  The directness of her approach is decisive, and demonstrates a confidence that only comes with mastering one’s medium coupled with an intimate knowledge of the chosen subject matter.  Both attributes are testimony to a commitment to quality and authenticity that Kelly arrives at as a direct extension of her innate personality.

Website:  Kelly Dodge Art

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