Page 109 - 2003 - Atlantic Islands

activities of these crazy beings on the deck. Her control in the strong winds was a

miracle to behold because she could hover over us with as much precision as a

hummingbird. But then she could also veer off with the shearing winds and disappear

from our view almost immediately. Every time she flirted with us, Gabor and Kay

would grab their cameras and try to capture her up close. So our exercises were

performed with less dedication and focus than usual. However, how often do you get

such wonderful close looks right into an albatross’s eye?

While I tried to finish up the Trollope book “How We Live Now,” Kay went to the

fantail for a while longer to try for even better pictures of the birds who were riding

our updrafts and playing in the wind. Then she returned to the room and we began

our second and third penguin studies from photographs in a book on Antarctica,

which she brought with her from the library. We used watercolors, pastel pencils, ink

sketch pens, and pencils in the creation of our portraits of Gentoo and Chinstraps.

When we finished, we were pretty well satisfied with them and knew that we could

attend class without the embarrassment of students who didn’t do their homework.

MJ showed us the same series of sketches by members of her Natural Science

Illustrators Guild that she had shown at the beginning of the voyage to get folks

interested in her class. It was fascinating to look at them again and realize that we

really had learned quite a bit about techniques and methods of sketching. So even if

we are never very good ourselves, we will be able to “appreciate” talent more than

before. It was decided that since the next day was to be rough we would not try to

have a class.

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