Torngats 2015 - Where Nature and Culture Connect 24

Rock Formations

The Devil's Footprints and The Tombstones...  

...tell stories from the sides of the cliffs.   

The geology of the Saglek Fjord area is so varied that there are interesting rock formations almost everywhere. Many of these have stories attached to them, like the Devil's Footprints, where the Devil is credited with pushing apart the high cliff walls going into North Arm, and leaving his footprints in the rock. Whoever is buried at the Tombstones, we do not know, but their stone markers, huge slabs of delicately balanced rock, can be seen for miles atop the cliffs going into South West Arm. Thanks to Muriel Edmunds for both of these photos.        

Torngats 2015 - Where Nature and Culture Connect 23

A Ramah Chert Point at Rose Island

The Dorset style of this point...  

...suggests a date between 3000 to 800 years ago.   

All around the Saglek Fjord there are artifacts from ancient cultures dating back thousands of years. We were on the trail to explore one of the many archaeological sites on Rose Island, when we spotted this lance point or arrow point chipped from the highly desirable stone Ramah Chert. Its style of construction suggests the point was made by people from the Dorset culture, possibly thousands of years ago. We left it in place for Park staff to examine later.

Torngats 2015 - Where Nature and Culture Connect 22

Yes, We Saw Polar Bears, Part 2

Polar Bears...  

...are at home in the water and on the land.   

This bear noticed us while he was swimming, and he took a leisurely paddle to shore. Then he shook off the water that was weighing him down and gracefully trotted off along the rocks. Thanks to Muriel Edmunds for having the right settings on her camera and for sharing the photos.        

Torngats 2015 - Where Nature and Culture Connect 10

Yes, We Saw Polar Bears - Part 1

Polar Bears were something we wanted to see...  

...and they were everywhere we went.   

We were out in zodiacs on a day trip for fishing and a picnic, and we spotted this fellow in the water. He had spotted us first, of course, and he headed for the camoflage of the nearest island. He trotted up the rocks, gave us a few intense stares and a goodbye glance before he disappeared into a crevice.  Thanks to Muriel Edmunds for the photos, and for having her good zoom lens on her camera at the time.       

Torngats 29 - Sea Caves at Big Island

   What Could Be Inside?

Rocks Wear Away at Different Rates...  

...and the action of the sea helps to hollow out caves in the cliff.   

A leisurely cruise around Big Island, sheltered on one side and open to the sea on the other, makes you want to go exploring! Who or what could we find onshore, or maybe in this cliff-face sea cave?    

Torngats 26 - The Second-Oldest Rocks Found on Earth

It's Difficult to Grasp Just How Old These Rocks Really Are  

Geologists come to the Torngat Mountains Base Camp to study these rocks...  

...and learn more about the age of our planet.   

To an ordinary person, these rocks may not look very special, but to a geologist, some of the rocks in the Saglek area are highly significant. Geologists study rock processes - the weathering and erosion, melting and crystallization, compression and stretching of rock over millions of years. Being able to locate samples of the oldest rock in the world, unchanged since it was formed nearly four billion years ago, like this sample from Shuldham Island, is an important part of studying the geological history of the Earth.    

Close Up and Personal - Day 5

Stacked Rocks 

Balance and Reflection  

- with a mirror image  

I have a collection of rocks that I have picked up along my way - smooth beach rocks, stones with interesting colors and patterns, pebbles with shapes that reminded me of something at the time. Some of these are on my windowsill, stacked on top of each other. It's an engaging puzzle, requiring some patience, to get the stones to balance on top of one another. It's something of an engineering feat to get them to stay there.
There are five rocks in this stack, along with their mirrored reflection.

Texture Study - Rocks, Ripples and Refractions

Preliminary Drawing

Texture Study - "Rocks, Ripples and Refractions"

Digital drawing, 800px x 600px

I always found what goes on at the bottom of a pond fascinating to watch.

Underwater, rocks and sticks that look so clearly defined on land get covered with a gooey brown blanket which obscures their features. On the surface of the water, there are waves and bubbles and patches of light which compete for your attention against the objects lying on the bottom. And where the sun shines through those waves, patches of light and shadow get projected, with reflections and refractions, onto the underwater rocks and sticks that are already barely recognizable.

It's a real game to figure out what you are looking at. And it's mesmerizing to simply follow the shapes made by the flow of the ripples back and forth. Surface and bottom. Bottom and surface. Light and shadow. Fascinating.

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Preliminary Drawing - Pinware River 5 - Rocky Textures

Preliminary Drawing for Bones of the Earth series
"Pinware River 5, Labrador" Rocky Textures
Digital Drawing, 800px x 600px


Drawings are made up of marks of different sizes and shapes that resolve in the viewer's mind and suggest the experience of looking at something tangible - in this case, the rocky textures along a riverbank, above and below water.
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Rocks 6

Rocks 6
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Graphite on paper, 6.5" x 10"

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Shape. Well, form, really. Shape is the two dimensional aspect of what we see and Form is the three dimensional aspect. Cezanne said there are four basic forms: the cone, the cube, the cylinder, and the sphere.

Rocks are "formed" chunks of solidified magma that have been chipped apart and worn away to varying degrees. The more the rocks are weathered and tumbled by wind and wave motion - and depending on the softness of the materials they are made of - the smoother the surface and the more rounded the form they have.

To draw realistic looking rocks requires paying attention to how the 3D form of the rock produces highlights and shadows, and then to rendering them as lighter and darker 2D areas flat on the paper.

Rocks 5

Rocks 5
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Graphite on paper, 6.5" x 10"
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Lines don't exist in nature. So why is it that we see lines everywhere we look? Well, lines are a shortcut that our minds use so we don't have to process all that other information.

In these three rocks we can see lines, or bands of contrasting material in the rock. These stripes of white running all the way around the outside of each rock are actually narrow layers of quartz sandwiched inside the rock mass. The wider the line, the thicker the layer of quartz. The banding looks different on each rock because the part we see follows the outside contours of that rock. We don't see the rest of the quartz layer that's on the inside of the rock.
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Rocks 4

Rocks 4
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Graphite on paper, 6.5" x 10"
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There is a logic to the arrangement of lights and shadows in a drawing. Some of the light and dark tones come from the color of the object being drawn, and some more come from the highlights and cast shadows that are created by illumination on the object. As well, some light tones and dark tones are placed by the artist to make the drawing look better or work better as a composition.


In this drawing there is a single light source, the sun, which is coming from the upper right, and casting shadows under the left sides of the rocks. There are surface shadows on the rocks as well, indicating texture, and there is reflected light shining into the darkest areas of the still life and revealing hidden forms. The effects may appear subtle, but light and shadow are what make a drawing.
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Rocks 3

Rocks 3
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Graphite on paper, 6.5" x 10"
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As we generally see rocks, they are part of a larger group, a pile of boulders, a beach full of pebbles, an aggregate of gravel in cement or asphalt.
If you select one single stone, weigh it in your hand and observe its contours and colors and markings, you will start to become aware that it has a unique appearance. You could easily identify this rock from a group of others. It assumes an individual quality.

In drawing these rocks, I set them out almost like putting characters on a stage, the "star performer" in the front and the "chorus" at the rear. To separate them, I made use of design techniques such as value contrast, overlapping and variations in sizes. But what really happened is that the individual characteristics of each stone become apparent. I think that's what the drawing really communicates.
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Rocks 2

Rocks 2

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Graphite on paper, 6.5" x 10"

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In this arrangement, there are two beach rocks, which have been tumbled and rubbed by wave action for many years, and one pebble from a pile of gravel, which was crushed to a standard size and deliberately made sharp and rough for industrial purposes.

Just as there is a difference in the texture of these rocks, there is a difference in the way we react to them... the beach rocks are pleasant to hold, smooth and firm. The piece of gravel is easier to grip and the crystals of quartz exposed on its surface sparkle in the sunshine.

In the end, they are just rocks, but what a difference between them!

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Rocks 1

Rocks 1

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Graphite on paper, 6.5" x 10"

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Still life studies are great for training the eye's observation and also for developing the skills of technique.

Rocks are tricky objects to use for still life... rocks are not as attractive as flowers or fruit, and they are not regular in shape, and thus not as easy to represent as vases or books are.

And, if you still think that rocks are easy to draw, remember that our minds have learned to estimate the shape and weight of objects from the arrangements of lights and shadows that our retinas receive. And in order to look "real," a drawing of rocks must refer to the laws of physics every bit as much as a drawing of flowers or vases does.

Rocks are a challenge... and I enjoy challenges!

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