At Rest, Beechey Island

31″ × 75″, oil on linen (2017) 1845 Franklin Expedition Gravesite, Beechey Island, Northwest Passage, Nunavut, Canada

From the INTO THE ARCTIC Project

A gripping reminder of the past, the 1845 Franklin Expedition gravesite on Beechey is one of the most vivid examples of Arctic exploration history. I was there with outfitter Randy Nungaq and his son Sheldon, from Resolute. They watched for polar bears as I approached the graves, headstones bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun.

Despite my fascination with history, I found myself caught up in the present, amid the ethereal beauty of this sombre place.