Landscapes

It was the second half of February and the year’s first sunshine was ending 4 months of of polar night. The days were very short and the cold still very intense but it did not matter for these wonderful huskies. They love the cold and pulling these sleds, with the Aurora Borealis in the distance and riding under the stars, made this a very special, magical day and a unique experience that only the Arctic can provide.

Of the twelve husky team, the number twelve is strongly associated with the heavens – a symbol of divine order and perfection since antiquity.

In this painting there are more than 10,000 stars, painted one by one. Here you have the four main compositions that make the Canadian Arctic unique: the igloo, the aurora borealis, the sledge dogs and the endless horizon with icebergs.

The shape of the tree in the background represents the interconnectedness of all life and is considered to be the symbol of the “Creator”.

In the middle of the heavens you will see the brightest star called the dog star (Sirius) in a constellation of eight stars called the big dog. It’s twenty times brighter than our sun and twice as massive. Its considered to be “the sun behind our sun” and is also considered to keep the spiritual world alive.

The aurora borealis is one of the most beautiful and unique events in the night sky. It’s the sun that lies behind the formation of the aurora during large solar flares. Huge quantities of electrically charged particles interact the the earth magnetic shield. The energy that is then released towards “the north and south pole” is the auroras.

For the mystics or poets it’s when heaven and earth interact into a divine, mysterious embrace and where light and space play this wonderful dance perhaps to remind us that we are part of the universe with thousands of points of lights.

It’s the surreal beauty of the silent dark cold winter night of the arctic that make you feel much closer to the supernatural and the unknown.

The eight husky dogs in connection with the eight stars of the big dog constellation is the number of perfection, the symbol of infinity, of the Cosmic Christ and the totality of the universe.

It was late February afternoon and the year’s first sunshine was ending four months of Polar night. The days were very short and the cold still very intense but it did not matter for these wonderful huskies. They love the cold and pulling these sleds, with the Aurora Borealis in the distance and riding under the stars, made this a very special, magical day and a unique experience that only the Arctic can provide.

In the spring, life wakes up in the Arctic after months of almost total darkness. Everyone in the High Arctic is waiting for the return of the sun and the glowing yellow and orange appears above the horizon behind the massive iceberg. It’s a very special time and the low sun has a unique quality, painting the sea-ice with soft pinks, oranges and blues.

Out in the ice and far from open water, Nanook stands motionless next to a small pressure ice ridge scanning the horizon of his kingdom.

The surface of the sun is a violent place and occasionally sun flares are expelled in a massive eruption of charged particles that are hurled into space in a huge gust of solar wind.

The Aurora have been a source of mystery, delight and fear. We have traditions of myths and legends that give meaning to the Aurora and always made a deep impression on the people who lived beneath those spectacular dancing lights.

On the top right of the Aurora we have the Great Bear and Little Bear constellations – among the largest in the northern hemisphere.

The word Arctic come from the Greek “Arktikos” meaning “of the north”, literally “of the bear” – the greatest symbol and most powerful predator of the ice-world.

It was a beautiful spring day traveling in the vast horizon of snow and ice under a halo sun, a circle of light around the sun with a sun dog on each side. These extraordinary effects are created by small ice crystals that the sunlight refracts and scatters through like small mirrors.

Even today, the Husky sled dogs are still the best form of transportation in the High Arctic. These tireless Huskies have great stamina and love to pull sleds even in snowstorms and always find their way home. Additionally, they provide great comfort and company and are true heroes to all the pioneers and great explorers of the far north.

All creation came out of silence.

A world where silence and solitude are bliss and where we are surrounded by the splendour of nature that leads us to contemplation and a better understanding of ourselves. For a brief moment, we do not just belong to a small planet called EARTH but to the totality of the universe.

The Inukshuk, meaning “In the image of man”, serves as a steadfast guidepost that provides direction across the vast Arctic horizons and over time has become a symbol of hope and friendship, a place of meeting and celebration of the human spirit, and a reminder that we all belong to something greater than ourselves.

The three arrow lights emanating from the Aurora are symbolic of the triangle, the simplest spacial form, from which the world is considered to have been manifested and which is also a symbol for the unity of the cosmos and divine fullness.

Spectacular images of light reflecting on the newly fallen snow, a sense of tranquility and solitude prevail. Amidst this serenity is the GENTLE GIANT, the Polar bear and her cubs, blissfully at rest. The Polar bear, a symbol of the Arctic, has long been associated with the beauty and mystery of this northern frontier.

The contrast of the frigid polar air and the warmth surrounding the GENTLE GIANT and her cubs is certainly an experience depicting true Arctic life.

I should ask myself: “Why do I love the Arctic so much?!?!”. A question many people ask themselves, maybe because they see it like a world of desolation, solitude with the intense polar cold which people hate, forgetting that it’s the necessary fridge of the planet. Behind all of this is a fabulous world of peace and silence, the true voice of the universe with a light that transports you out of our chaotic reality of everyday life, taking you into a surreal and fantastic world. There is a solitude that makes you feel like you are an integral part of nature which is in constant movement.

The walrus, an intelligent animal, does nothing else but eating and sleeping and staying close to his friends.

A lone polar bear is looking for prey in the sea-ice in the golden light of early spring when the midnight sun rises low in the horizon for a few hours along mountains and ice-barriers imprisoned by the pack-ice. This is the kingdom of the ice bear, not just its symbol but the very embodiment of life and survival in the ARCTIC.

Few know that for the children of the Arctic the real fun starts after midnight. In the horizon, the sun of spring never sets and the polar cold excites the spirit and the energy more than any other thing. In this case the iceberg represents the expression of the Gentle Giant that gives life not only to the landscape but is also its best friend.

They are the happiest children on the planet and in perfect harmony with nature in this infinite playground.

Early spring, when the snow is still hard, is the Eskimos’ favorite season for traveling. The days are long and the bitter cold has lost some of its sting.I had traveled for hours with the sled dog team and my Eskimo guide when we reached the sea-ice. Unable to go any further, the exhausted dogs settled down for a well deserved evening rest in the midnight sun – a magic time in the far north. The sunlight, the forms, the colors and reflections melt together to profoundly influence one’s mood.

Midnight sunlight on the sea is perfectly wonderful. It is more dream-like and supernatural than a combination of earthly features. One looks out upon endless fields of broken ice all violet in the low shadows and a gold-orange glow overhead.They were resting on a desolate, shifting sea of ice with mother and cub enjoying the warmth and new light of spring. Their resting place is not a fixed spot – the ice will drift them away, leaving not a trace behind.

It is a scenario with sky and sea ever changing – stretching infinitely onward from one skyline to another.

Every landscape has its unique beauty but few if any can match the sea-ice in the golden light of early spring when the midnight sun rises low in the horizon, for a few hours becoming a stripe or a dim light in the sky.

Tireless polar bears wander across the frozen sea along a gigantic ice-barrier imprisoned by the pack-ice near the shore.

Its a magic time in the north. The sunlight, the majestic icebergs, the colors and reflections melt together to profoundly influence one’s mood in this supernatural and dream-like world.

With perfect weather for travel, an Inuit and his team are at their best On the Trail. With snow and ice solid under foot and clear skies for excellent visibility, this union of dog and man can travel long distances. The dogs strain against the great weight of the sled with their bright tongues gasping to rid their bodies of excess heat. The Inuit as musher urges the team on and disciplines any quarrels between the dogs with a snap of the whip. The bond between an Inuit and his team is strong, each knowing his duties, making this form of travel both gratifying and reliable.

By mid-April, the hunting Inuits are aware that the four-month period of continuous daylight is imminent. The sun is already above the horizon for as much as twenty-three hours per day and the melting of the snow and ice begins.

During a brief rest, an Inuit and his Husky team watch as a companion paddles his kayak in search of seals along the shoreline where the ice meets the chilling sea. The dogs whimper and growl in excitement of his arrival, hoping a successful hunt will bring them a well-deserved meal. The Inuit patiently gazes over the open sea, also hoping for success to feed and clothe his family with the bounty of the sea.

A mother and her cubs take a rest on the pack-ice while patrolling the shore of the Arctic Ocean in late afternoon of midsummer.

A polar bear in its natural environment is impressive for sheer size and rugged beauty. Its body seems heavy and clumsy but loaded with great power and strength. It walks with grace and elegance, its head and long neck slowly swaying from side to side as it tries to catch the scent of any foreign object.

This is the kingdom of the ice bear and there is an overwhelming sense that it belongs there not just as a symbol but the very embodiment of life and survival in the Arctic.

Once in October, the shortening days and the drop in temperature make the closeness of winter imminent. This is an exceptionally beautiful time in the high Arctic, when the shortness of the day is compensated by the long Arctic twilight. The sea ice forms quickly now as the wind drops, leaving the water calm. Storms are common at this time of the year and huskies and people accept poor weather as just another feature of the Arctic that is beyond their control. The dogs curl into a ball with their noses tucked under their tails to keep them from freezing.

From that spectacular moment in February when the sun once again reappears over the ice, travelling conditions steadily improve signaling the season for long sled journeys.

Harnessed in two-by-two formation, a team of huskies hauls a half-loaded sled across snow-covered ice. Beyond the sled looms a ghostly vapor trail created in the turbulent wake of the dogs’ perspiration and breath trapped by the inversion between cold air from the mountains and the even colder ground.

In this endless expanse of polar ice, the sound of wind, creak of ice and whimper of dogs only deepens the spell of solitude. This solitude and the ever-changing light make for a stimulating and inspiring time for travel.