Arctic Cathedral

20″ × 30″, oil on linen (2015) Brock River, Northwest Territories, Canada

From the INTO THE ARCTIC Project

My family and I had been camping at the edge of the plateau, overlooking the meandering Brock River. It was time for a change of perspective, so we wound our way down the banks on four-wheelers. Inuvialuit outfitter Steve led the way, bringing us at last to the water’s edge.

Finding some dry willow pieces, we enjoyed our first campfire in a place where few people had ever set foot. Surrounded by the magnificent canyon, it felt like a natural cathedral, with the never-ending music of the river echoing off the walls.