Antarctica 2012

Wendy Sharpe was invited onboard the ship “Aurora Australis” as a guest of the Australian Antarctic Division. Sharpe's constant painting and sketching over this 6 week trip to repair and preserve the Mawson Huts, resulted in two exhibitions (Sydney and Hobart). The exhibitions were sponsored by Kordia Solutions and the Australian National Maritime Museum. All proceeds from the exhibitions went to the conservation of Mawson's Huts.

Hobart from the Aurora Australis 2012, Folding book on handmade paper 18cm x 92cm
Self Portrait on the Deck of the Aurora Australis by Moonlight 2012, Gouache 38cm x 47cm
Shared Experience 2012, Gouache 16cm x 22cm
Night Sky with Pajama Pants 2012, Gouache 16cm x 22cm
Yellow Light on the Sea 2012, Gouache 16cm x 22cm
A postcard from the Antarctic
Self Portrait in Antarctica with Penguin and Mawson's Huts 2012, Oil on linen 213cm x 116cm
Penguins and Hut with Aurora 2012, Gouache 25cm x 62cm
Reaching Mawson's Huts. An emotional experience this tiny bit of humanity surrounded by penguins and endless white. How isolated they were!
Dr Mawsons Room 2, 2012, Gouache 32cm x 25cm
Visual Diary - It was poignant to actually go inside the huts. They are fragile wooden structures. Small and intimate, the bunks still with names on them, paperback novel left beside the half used candles it may have been read by.
People and Penguins on the Sea Ice 2012, Gouache 25cm x 63cm
Ice Berg with Black Sea 2012, Gouache 19cm x 19cm
Aurora from the Deck with Sea 2012, Gouache 26cm x 35cm
The Bridge, Aurora Australis 2012 Folding book on hand made paper 32cm x 212cm
Ice Fragments 2012, Gouache 19cm x 19cm
An experience I painted many times, was when the ship was almost surrounded by ice. We dressed in our bulky but very warm Antarctic clothes and walked through the galley and a storage room to a magical sight I will never forget, on the brilliant white sea ice.
Onboard I was able to work all day and everyday for the 6 weeks. We were lucky with the weather. I was only seasick one day and we only had a few hours of realy rough weather. I worked from breakfast almost non-stop only pausing to go for meals (great food) and occasional lectures given by the marine scientists.
Visual Diary - Artist's collection
Massive Iceberg with Grey Sky 2012, Gouache 18cm x 18cm
Hazey Icebergs 2012, Gouache 14cm x 35cm
Back in her studio, one final task, painting a fund raising refigerator. Thanks to Electrolux Australia for the donation of a Westinghouse 520L to Mawson's Huts Foundation.
A return to Hobart for the opening of the exhibition 'Wendy Sharpes Antartica' and the launch of a new book of the same name, containg a forward by Lou Klepac
Raising funds for The Mawson's Huts Foundation, the exhibition 'Wendy Sharpe's Antarctica' moves to The Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney.