Tim and Fawna's news

Fosdick Mountain Digi-paintings

2012-01-21T20:16:00.000-08:00

McMurdo Digi-paintings

2012-01-21T20:11:00.000-08:00

The 2012 Eclipse (1)

2012-01-21T19:46:00.000-08:00

We have been reading the book 'Totality' about every aspect of eclipses. It is an amazing read, there is so much to know. For example, the beading of light that occurs just before totality is due to light from the sun being let through valleys of the uneven, cratered surface of the moon. The longest possible eclipse can last for 7.5 mins when viewed directly overhead.

We are planning to go to Cairns to see Australia's only total eclipse for around 20 years. The environment of tropical Queensland should be a great setting to observe the erratic behavior of animal life around us as the sun dims shortly after sunrise. The path of this eclipse starts to the west and travels over Cairns. The majority of the path is over the Pacific ocean, visible to very few people, finishing close to sunset over Chile.

The Ivanic family viewed the 1999 eclipse in Austria on the drive home after visiting family in Slovakia. This was very 'experiential' and dramatic. We witnessed flocking birds, darkening to a starry sky. As we were lucky not to have clouds, we saw a beautiful warping corona and it lasted long enough to get the panicked feeling that the sun might not return. The cloudy sky of cumulus clouds had its convection subdued by the half-sun, and that 'burned' a streak along the eclipse path across central Europe. Who knows what weather we will get for Nov 14th in Cairns. We will certainly try to get some good photos if we can see it, and if not there will be tales to tell of puzzled Koalas I'm sure.

Tim's Art Blog (1) - Visual Yoga

2012-01-21T19:26:00.000-08:00

I have been through a bit of visual yoga over the last few years. Stretching the spectrum from the light at the hottest interiors of Australia has been very challenging, certainly changing my appreciation of reds, oranges and yellows. The cobalt blue skies radiating down provide an alien feel and the bleached vegetation with its desaturated greenery can be spooky to say the least. The crispness of the dry atmosphere also provides hugely sharp contrast to deal with.

Walga Rock, Western Australia, 60 x 90 cm, acrylic on canvas (2011)

Bergessen Ridge, Norway...an example of the use of 'Scottish colours', 40 x 30 cm, acrylic on canvas (2003)

One thing is that Australia has kicked me into action as all this stimulation is very inspiring. The dull-grey, rocky and lush landscapes of Scotland, the home of geology, still has a calming and homely feel for me. This will constantly be with me in my palette, however the spectral diversity available challenges and advances me to a wider perspective.

Last year our visit to Antarctica has challenged the eye once again. The effect of the light and conditions there was complicated and difficult to deal with, absorb and process in relation to previous experiences. This time there was a challenge of extreme low-saturation and high brightness. One material result of this was the purchase of 1 litre of Titanium White on our return.

Here is a list of the strange visual experiences in Antarctica:

24 hours of light, a dizzying feeling where midnight seems like midday
Low sun angle and permanent sunset sensation...constant yellowing of the sky at the horizon
Glare from the snow and ice.
Vertical cliffs of rock producing the harshest of shadows
Atmospheric phenomena such as numerous haloes and sun dogs
Totally dry atmosphere where objects on the horizon have similar contrast to middle-distance objects
The blue colour of light that has passed through a foot or more of ice
A surface of ice crystals
When overcast, the occurrence of zero contrast conditions. Ultra-diffuse scattering of light results in the shadows caused by surface features disappearing, little for the eye to focus on, a nauseating, no horizon world.
Bizzare arrays of ice-crystal clouds such as common radiating cirrus and then skies of lenticularis
Extreme contrast means that tents and objects seem to be floating in white at an unknown distance
Mirage effects, fata morgana producing cliffs of rock beyond the ice-sheet.
No scale
An inorganic world with minimal vegetation
Gentle curves produced by enormous streams of glaciers
A wind-sculpted snow surface seen everywhere
Our brightly coloured equipment

2011 summary

2011-12-20T18:57:00.000-08:00

The year started with two beautiful weeks in New Zealand as Fawna recovered from her Antarctic experience.

On Australia Day we took a great trip up Indian Ocean Drive to the north of Perth

Tim got up to quite a lot of painting in the summer and then had a rainy fieldtrip in June to the Youanmi area of WA's outback.

We then had a big trip in July-August which started in Edinburgh for the Antarctic Conference.

To complete our Scottish experience we had some solitude in the Outer Hebrides

We then had a great family and friend catchup in Lancaster and London before heading across the pond...

Fawna driving her Dad's car in Minnesota

Meeting up with Christine and Mike in Colorado

In October-December we took time off and went to Antarctica for more fieldwork: See http://g097-mbl.blogspot.com/

Now we are about to embark on our second trip to Esperance...this time with surfboards in tow!

Happy holidays to you!!!

2010 summary

2011-12-20T18:38:00.000-08:00

Our first Esperance trip followed by Albany and Margaret River. A fabulous week away!

Fawna goes to India for fieldwork in March and Tim goes to the field in WA in April-May

A week driving north in WA to Karijini and Walga Rock

In July Tim went to Canberra for the first time for a meeting and briefly to Adelaide for another

August we travelled to WA's southwest for a wildife extravaganza

Fawna went to Antarctica in October and was horribly delayed with the fieldwork spending 34 out of 37 days stuck in a refuelling depot. She wes there until late December while Tim visited family and friends in UK in November. We failed to meet in Christchurch for Christmas day but all was set for our New Zealand adventure starting on 27th December...Tim got to feel the second bout of earthquakes that shook Christchurch on Boxing Day 2010. Find out what we got up to in New Zealand in our 2011 summary.....