November 12, 2010
We traveled to the part of the lagoon where the Gray whales were said to play.
We traveled to the part of the lagoon where the Gray whales were said to play.
In the morning, we walked to the spit where the boats waited for us. The undulating shapes of the Santa Clara Mountains shone in the morning light. The pangas, as the boats are called, beckoned us aboard.
The first night I slept in a bed filled with dreams, anticipating the next day and a potential encounter with wild whales. A census of the population taken the week before showed 260 Grays in the lagoon.
Close by, little boats waited to take us to visit the great Gray whales of the Eastern Pacific. I should note here that it has been many years since I have purposefully introduced recognizable objects into my work. But this experience seemed to call for a playful rendering of this remarkable journey.
There was a camp, with little cabins to sleep in, right at the water's edge.
I went to Laguna San Ignacio last spring, to see Gray whales at their breeding grounds. I had heard many stories about how gentle, curious, and friendly the Grays are around humans. Being very curious about whales (I'm gentle and friendly too) I decided to go see for myself if this was really true. I [...]
In fact, such a lagoon really exists.
The dream began in a deep blue lagoon that, from above, resembled the shape of a whale.
This month I will be featuring images from my exhibition at Francine Seders Gallery from November 12 - December 12, with commentary on pieces that will be in the exhibition. The San Ignacio drawings are my first foray, in many years, into purposefully making recognizable objects in my work. The images reflect the dream-like experience [...]