Antarctic Residency
‘Whale after whale surfaces, with blows all around - at times twenty-five blows are visible, with even more ahead. We must see a hundred plus humpbacks during the morning.’
Darren received the Artist in Residence in Antarctica honour from the Friends of the Scott Polar Research Institute. In February 2015 he joined the Royal Navy ice-breaker HMS Protector in the Falkland Islands for a 5 week tour of duty to the Antarctic Peninsula, travelling as far south as the British Antarctic Survey base at Rothera.
Photos of HMS Protector and Darren working courtesy Royal Navy
Darren worked both onboard HMS Protector as well as on land during short visits to Horseshoe Island, Deception Island and extended stops at Rothera. On ship, the enclosed crow’s nest was his temporary studio as well as the area astern beneath the helideck. Darren’s preferred mediums for on site paintings are watercolour and acrylic paints.
King Colony, acrylic on canvas 65 x 100 cm
Darren completed over 150 watercolours and field paintings during his five week journey to the far south. Along with larger studio paintings completed when he returned (King Colony shown), the final collection of artwork and diary extracts have been brought together in his book Ice Bound published by Mascot Media.
The Ice Bound exhibition toured the Polar Museum, Cambridge; Nature in Art Museum, Gloucester and the Discovery Museum, Dundee. Some of the original artwork now resides in the collection of the Scott Polar Research Institute, and the Royal Navy as well as private collectors. Many of the field pantings are shown below and there are still several available to purchase.
ICE BOUND GALLERY paintings executed in the field as Artist in Residence in Antarctica - many still available - do contact Darren
Black-browed Albatrosses in the wake SOLD
Elephant Seal, Rothera BAS £250
Cathedral Berg, collection of artist
Magellanic Penguins at Gypsy Cove SOLD
Parked bergs at Rothera BAS SOLD
Matterhorn Berg SOLD
Rock and Imperial Shags, Mare Harbour £250
King on the grass £250
Moulting Gentoo, Port Lockroy £250
Tabular Berg £250
Rhino Berg £250
Approaching Rothera £250
Approaching Horseshoe Island II £250
Approaching Horseshoe Island I £250
Shags and Monumental Bergs SOLD
Rothera Residents SOLD
Shag Flotilla £250
First Berg £175
Antarctic Shags, Rothera £250
Gentoos, Port Lockroy SOLD
Young Gentoos, Port Lockroy
White Giant, Deception Island
White Giant (detail)
Young Fur Seal, Rothera £200
Elephant Seal Pair £200
Kelp Goose £175
First Light, Gerlache Strait £250
Kings on the grass £250
First Adelies £250
Rockhoppers SOLD
Mt Gaudry, Rothera £250