In August 2005 I was Visiting Artist with the Canada-Nunavut Geoscience Office.  It was a rare opportunity and a real privilege for me to experience Baffin Island in the context of, and with the generous logistical support of, geological research. Posted to the field camp of Dan Utting, CNGO Geologist, I spent three memorable weeks with his field crew at their Keel River camp, just south of Pond Inlet. It was a busy, high-energy group of 17 individuals engaged in mapping the surficial and bedrock geology and assessing the exploration potential of the region.

The daily routine for the geologists involved travelling by helicopter to various sites near and far. I either accompanied them or was dropped off at a location of my own choosing, where I could spend the day drawing. These spots included coastal fjords, inland icecaps, glacial debris fields, and a varied assortment of valleys and mountain tops. I spent my time sketching on-site, supplementing my drawing with hundreds of photographs.

The current exhibition, Rock Water Ice: Studies of Baffin Island, is part of a growing body of work drawing from this experience.

Christine Koch
April 2007