Overview

This book is the culmination of various expeditions made by well-known artist and bestselling author David Bellamy to his beloved Arctic. His descriptions of his travels, written from an artist’s point of view, vividly bring to life the challenges he faced when painting outdoors in one of the harshest environments on the planet, and make for an exhilarating and captivating read. Filled with David’s watercolour paintings and sketches, made during his various expeditions, the book provides a fascinating insight into the wildlife and people that live within the Arctic Circle and captures perfectly the majesty and breathtaking beauty of the world’s final wilderness. 

Full Product Details

9781782214236

Table of Contents

Reviews

This book is an absolute delight, to browse through, to absorb the superb and evocative images, sketches and watercolours that took me straight back to my own Arctic wanderings, to adorn your coffee table or to read for inspiration or a good laugh. * Sir Chris Bonington, renowned British mountaineer. * This is a magnificent book. David Bellamy's art beautifully captures the sheer splendour and majesty of this great wilderness, its wildlife and people. And his narrative is at the same time informative and funny - he goes to great lengths to paint in this unforgiving landscape, watching out for polar bears, sketching while sledging at speed across rock-hard pack ice, or hanging precariously off inch-wide ice ledges, paintbrush (often frozen) in hand. David is an inspiration and this book is inspirational - I cannot recommend it highly enough. * Ranulph Fiennes * This book is an absolute delight, a culmination of various expeditions made by well-known artist and author David Bellamy to his beloved Arctic. Filled with David's watercolour paintings and sketches, it provides a fascinating insight into the wildlife and people that live within the Arctic Circle. * The People's Friend * I have always liked David Bellamy's paintings, so when this came I was so excited. It exceeds my expectations, this is a book I love. Subtitled `An artist's journey in a frozen wilderness', the book is just that. David's palette suits this subject perfectly. He makes full use of all his incredible skills to portray the glaciers, people and animals of the region. The text is David's reactions to the landscape, the eeriness, the natural dangers - you almost feel as if you are standing beside him. It is an artist's journal of a remarkable journey, with insight into this incredible world and its natural landscape with nesting villages or vast glaciers. Sketches, paintings, observations and travels all rolled into one. This book captures the essence of the Arctic perfectly. Illustrated throughout with fabulous watercolour paintings. Beautifully put together in a book that captivates the eye and and entertains the mind. Highly recommended. * Yarnsandfabrics.co.uk * August 2017 Be under no illusion this is a major publication. The Arctic is one of the world's largest great wildernesses and one of the hardest to get to. Despite this, David has made several visits and this book is the story of the place, the adventure, the people and the wildlife. As his first book, The Wild Places of Britain, showed, David is an excellent storyteller, both in pictures and words, and this is an enthralling account of a region few of us will ever see. To have illustrated it with paintings adds further personality to the tale, showing David's interpretation rather than photographic recordings. Although it is not an instructional book, David does record some of the perils of painting in sub-zero conditions and you marvel at his persistence and ingenuity. Such a book needs the very best production and Search Press have rightly given it the treatment it deserves. * The Artist * Summer 2017 David Bellamy has written numerous books on watercolour painting, but this latest David Bellamy's Arctic Light is something different. The culmination of various expeditions he's made over the years, David brings the life of the arctic vividly to life, not only through some amazing paintings, but with descriptions of his travels and annotated sketches that capture the maginificence of the harsh enviroment and the people and wildlife that inhabit it. The British Mountaineer Chris Bonnigton writes in the introduction 'This book is an absolute delight, to browse through, to absorb the superb and evocative images, sketches and watercolours that took me straight back to my own Arctic wanderings, to adorn your coffee table or to read for inspiration or a good laugh.' * The Leisure Painter *

This book is an absolute delight, to browse through, to absorb the superb and evocative images, sketches and watercolours that took me straight back to my own Arctic wanderings, to adorn your coffee table or to read for inspiration or a good laugh. * Sir Chris Bonington, renowned British mountaineer. * This is a magnificent book. David Bellamy's art beautifully captures the sheer splendour and majesty of this great wilderness, its wildlife and people. And his narrative is at the same time informative and funny - he goes to great lengths to paint in this unforgiving landscape, watching out for polar bears, sketching while sledging at speed across rock-hard pack ice, or hanging precariously off inch-wide ice ledges, paintbrush (often frozen) in hand. David is an inspiration and this book is inspirational - I cannot recommend it highly enough. * Ranulph Fiennes * This book is an absolute delight, a culmination of various expeditions made by well-known artist and author David Bellamy to his beloved Arctic. Filled with David's watercolour paintings and sketches, it provides a fascinating insight into the wildlife and people that live within the Arctic Circle. * The People's Friend * I have always liked David Bellamy's paintings, so when this came I was so excited. It exceeds my expectations, this is a book I love. Subtitled `An artist's journey in a frozen wilderness', the book is just that. David's palette suits this subject perfectly. He makes full use of all his incredible skills to portray the glaciers, people and animals of the region. The text is David's reactions to the landscape, the eeriness, the natural dangers - you almost feel as if you are standing beside him. It is an artist's journal of a remarkable journey, with insight into this incredible world and its natural landscape with nesting villages or vast glaciers. Sketches, paintings, observations and travels all rolled into one. This book captures the essence of the Arctic perfectly. Illustrated throughout with fabulous watercolour paintings. Beautifully put together in a book that captivates the eye and and entertains the mind. Highly recommended. * Yarnsandfabrics.co.uk * Be under no illusion this is a major publication. The Arctic is one of the world's largest great wildernesses and one of the hardest to get to. Despite this, David has made several visits and this book is the story of the place, the adventure, the people and the wildlife. As his first book, The Wild Places of Britain, showed, David is an excellent storyteller, both in pictures and words, and this is an enthralling account of a region few of us will ever see. To have illustrated it with paintings adds further personality to the tale, showing David's interpretation rather than photographic recordings. Although it is not an instructional book, David does record some of the perils of painting in sub-zero conditions and you marvel at his persistence and ingenuity. Such a book needs the very best production and Search Press have rightly given it the treatment it deserves. * The Artist * Summer 2017 David Bellamy has written numerous books on watercolour painting, but this latest David Bellamy's Arctic Light is something different. The culmination of various expeditions he's made over the years, David brings the life of the arctic vividly to life, not only through some amazing paintings, but with descriptions of his travels and annotated sketches that capture the maginificence of the harsh enviroment and the people and wildlife that inhabit it. The British Mountaineer Chris Bonnigton writes in the introduction 'This book is an absolute delight, to browse through, to absorb the superb and evocative images, sketches and watercolours that took me straight back to my own Arctic wanderings, to adorn your coffee table or to read for inspiration or a good laugh.' * The Leisure Painter *

This is a magnificent book. David Bellamy's art beautifully captures the sheer splendour and majesty of this great wilderness, its wildlife and people. And his narrative is at the same time informative and funny - he goes to great lengths to paint in this unforgiving landscape, watching out for polar bears, sketching while sledging at speed across rock-hard pack ice, or hanging precariously off inch-wide ice ledges, paintbrush (often frozen) in hand. David is an inspiration and this book is inspirational - I cannot recommend it highly enough. Ranulph Fiennes This book is an absolute delight, to browse through, to absorb the superb and evocative images, sketches and watercolours that took me straight back to my own Arctic wanderings, to adorn your coffee table or to read for inspiration or a good laugh. Sir Chris Bonington, renowned British mountaineer.

This book is an absolute delight, to browse through, to absorb the superb and evocative images, sketches and watercolours that took me straight back to my own Arctic wanderings, to adorn your coffee table or to read for inspiration or a good laugh. * Sir Chris Bonington, renowned British mountaineer. * This is a magnificent book. David Bellamy's art beautifully captures the sheer splendour and majesty of this great wilderness, its wildlife and people. And his narrative is at the same time informative and funny - he goes to great lengths to paint in this unforgiving landscape, watching out for polar bears, sketching while sledging at speed across rock-hard pack ice, or hanging precariously off inch-wide ice ledges, paintbrush (often frozen) in hand. David is an inspiration and this book is inspirational - I cannot recommend it highly enough. * Ranulph Fiennes * This book is an absolute delight, a culmination of various expeditions made by well-known artist and author David Bellamy to his beloved Arctic. Filled with David's watercolour paintings and sketches, it provides a fascinating insight into the wildlife and people that live within the Arctic Circle. * The People's Friend * I have always liked David Bellamy's paintings, so when this came I was so excited. It exceeds my expectations, this is a book I love. Subtitled `An artist's journey in a frozen wilderness', the book is just that. David's palette suits this subject perfectly. He makes full use of all his incredible skills to portray the glaciers, people and animals of the region. The text is David's reactions to the landscape, the eeriness, the natural dangers - you almost feel as if you are standing beside him. It is an artist's journal of a remarkable journey, with insight into this incredible world and its natural landscape with nesting villages or vast glaciers. Sketches, paintings, observations and travels all rolled into one. This book captures the essence of the Arctic perfectly. Illustrated throughout with fabulous watercolour paintings. Beautifully put together in a book that captivates the eye and and entertains the mind. Highly recommended. * Yarnsandfabrics.co.uk * August 2017 Be under no illusion this is a major publication. The Arctic is one of the world's largest great wildernesses and one of the hardest to get to. Despite this, David has made several visits and this book is the story of the place, the adventure, the people and the wildlife. As his first book, The Wild Places of Britain, showed, David is an excellent storyteller, both in pictures and words, and this is an enthralling account of a region few of us will ever see. To have illustrated it with paintings adds further personality to the tale, showing David's interpretation rather than photographic recordings. Although it is not an instructional book, David does record some of the perils of painting in sub-zero conditions and you marvel at his persistence and ingenuity. Such a book needs the very best production and Search Press have rightly given it the treatment it deserves. * The Artist * Summer 2017 David Bellamy has written numerous books on watercolour painting, but this latest David Bellamy's Arctic Light is something different. The culmination of various expeditions he's made over the years, David brings the life of the arctic vividly to life, not only through some amazing paintings, but with descriptions of his travels and annotated sketches that capture the maginificence of the harsh enviroment and the people and wildlife that inhabit it. The British Mountaineer Chris Bonnigton writes in the introduction 'This book is an absolute delight, to browse through, to absorb the superb and evocative images, sketches and watercolours that took me straight back to my own Arctic wanderings, to adorn your coffee table or to read for inspiration or a good laugh.' * The Leisure Painter * Issue 10 - Jul 17 Usually reserved for nature documentaries, the incredible beauty of the Arctic is unlikely to be something you'll be painting on location anytime soon. But thanks to renowned teacher and artist David Bellamy, you can get a little closer to that breathtaking experience. In this book the intrepid David ventures into greenland and the Norwegian island and Svalbard. He mixes tales of biting winds, sub-zero temperatures and whiteout conditions with life studies of polar bears, seals and other fauna, as well as mountainous frozen landscapes, churning ice cold seas and wild skies. If you love embarking on sketching expeditions yourself, this is an exhilarating journey into the extremes that will put gripes such as erecting a tent in the drizzle, or getting a blister on a hike, firmly into perspective. David's elaborative writing style leads you through the trials and tribulations of his journey, with hand drawn maps and behind-the-scenes photos helping you feel part of the action. But the real star is the artwork itself, displayed proudly across whole spreads in places. * Paint & Draw * David Bellamy is a watercolour artist, author of several books, teacher and, as it turns out, quite an adventurer. Having travelled previously to the Himalayas, Andes and Africa, chillier climes are sought out here. David recounts this expedition where he travelled to the Scandinavian Arctic in Greenland and Svalbard into Norway and Iceland. For those that read his account of what he saw, did and painted, this book is a perfect way of living life vicariously through the artist. David's experiences are hilarious, breathtaking and terrifying in equal measure. He balances each out perfectly, taking you from humour to the grim reality of the cold, the danger and physical injuries. His descriptions of the environs are rich with imagery such as the `lava-black Icelandic moonscape, surrounded by blackened and distorted lava-demons, statuesque and eerie in the mist' and poetic: `I peered...into light that transformed them into many-coloured jewels, sparkling where sunlight caught sharp edges, incandescent with breathtaking purity'. With descriptions like these, you also travel on a journey lit up by his words. It is a book of many different experiences of people, places and animals and all are reflected in the beautiful artwork that David Bellamy produces. Many sketches were produced under freezing conditions and it is fascinating to see pictures that were sketched whilst he was hanging from an icy crevasse or paintings where the colour froze as it was applied. Just flicking through to look at each of the pictures in turn, you can only guess the sense of wonder at seeing these places first hand when their interpretations are things of beauty. This is a book of many things and each sitting brings something new to the reader. An insight into the way of life for the people that live and work in the places David Bellamy has visited, the harshness of life but also a travelogue of one man's experiences seeing polar bears, walruses, glaciers, volcanos and icebergs. Entertaining, informative and a thing of beauty. What more could we ask for? * Samantha Packer * Watercolorist David Bellamy recounts his recent trips to the Arctic in this beautiful book of words and pictures. Search Press don't publish many hardback books so when they do you can be sure it will be a visual feast to make any coffee table proud to house it. Greenland, Norway, Iceland and Svalbard reveal their stunning landscapes, seascapes, wildlife and people in this talented artist's work and although this is not a primer there is plenty here to inspire. He captures the chilly light perfectly, illuminating icy vistas, mountains, floe laded seas and skies full of snow. There are sketches of polar bears, walruses, musk oxen and other creatures in different poses and a few of the people he met but it is the landscapes that dominate and are this artist's forte. His accounts of the trips are lively and amusing, filled with anecdotes and local color. Discover some of the traditional foods, unique history and the trials of travelling and painting in the freezing cold. Some instruction on how to achieve some of the beautiful effects in his work would have made a great book even better, but this is not the purpose of this handsomely illustrated travelogue. Perfect for dipping into as there is something to gaze at or read on every page. An ideal present if you can bear to part with it. * myshelf.com * The British artist David Bellamy is known for his multiple teaching books of watercolor painting. But his great passion lies in the discovery of untouched landscapes, getting to know foreign cultures and their customs. Arctic light takes the reader in the rough and icy world of the Arctic with describable beautiful landscape images accompanied by photographs, drawings and anecdotes of his multiple adventurous expeditions into the eternal ice. In his early years David Bellamy thought like many people that the Arctic was a featureless landscape of snow and ice with no mountains. But on several travels to Iceland, Greenland and the High Arctic he was convinced of the contrary. David Bellamy understands like no other painter to capture the release of colour and atmosphere of this unreal landscape. He displays the variety of white and grey/black hues that contrasts with vibrant colours of details which catch the viewers eye. Snapshots of the Inuit's hard life, menacing ice bear scenes as well as breathtaking sky colouring make every aquarelle worth seeing. Accompanying the drawings are humorous stories and exciting experiences. Aggressive ice bear and sudden treacherous weather made his travels often a dangerous adventure. Extreme temperatures demanded unusual painting techniques and improvisation. Quickly drawn sketches show impressions of the extreme painting positions and adverse weather conditions. Conclusion: The symbiosis of expressive aquarelle and exciting accompanying texts make Arctic light an extraordinary book which combines the art of painting and travel guide. https://kreativreview.blogspot.co.uk/2017/08/arctic-light-by-david-bellamy.html * Kreative Review *

This book is an absolute delight, to browse through, to absorb the superb and evocative images, sketches and watercolours that took me straight back to my own Arctic wanderings, to adorn your coffee table or to read for inspiration or a good laugh. * Sir Chris Bonington, renowned British mountaineer. * This is a magnificent book. David Bellamy's art beautifully captures the sheer splendour and majesty of this great wilderness, its wildlife and people. And his narrative is at the same time informative and funny - he goes to great lengths to paint in this unforgiving landscape, watching out for polar bears, sketching while sledging at speed across rock-hard pack ice, or hanging precariously off inch-wide ice ledges, paintbrush (often frozen) in hand. David is an inspiration and this book is inspirational - I cannot recommend it highly enough. * Ranulph Fiennes * This book is an absolute delight, a culmination of various expeditions made by well-known artist and author David Bellamy to his beloved Arctic. Filled with David's watercolour paintings and sketches, it provides a fascinating insight into the wildlife and people that live within the Arctic Circle. * The People's Friend * I have always liked David Bellamy's paintings, so when this came I was so excited. It exceeds my expectations, this is a book I love. Subtitled `An artist's journey in a frozen wilderness', the book is just that. David's palette suits this subject perfectly. He makes full use of all his incredible skills to portray the glaciers, people and animals of the region. The text is David's reactions to the landscape, the eeriness, the natural dangers - you almost feel as if you are standing beside him. It is an artist's journal of a remarkable journey, with insight into this incredible world and its natural landscape with nesting villages or vast glaciers. Sketches, paintings, observations and travels all rolled into one. This book captures the essence of the Arctic perfectly. Illustrated throughout with fabulous watercolour paintings. Beautifully put together in a book that captivates the eye and and entertains the mind. Highly recommended. * Yarnsandfabrics.co.uk * August 2017 Be under no illusion this is a major publication. The Arctic is one of the world's largest great wildernesses and one of the hardest to get to. Despite this, David has made several visits and this book is the story of the place, the adventure, the people and the wildlife. As his first book, The Wild Places of Britain, showed, David is an excellent storyteller, both in pictures and words, and this is an enthralling account of a region few of us will ever see. To have illustrated it with paintings adds further personality to the tale, showing David's interpretation rather than photographic recordings. Although it is not an instructional book, David does record some of the perils of painting in sub-zero conditions and you marvel at his persistence and ingenuity. Such a book needs the very best production and Search Press have rightly given it the treatment it deserves. * The Artist * Summer 2017 David Bellamy has written numerous books on watercolour painting, but this latest David Bellamy's Arctic Light is something different. The culmination of various expeditions he's made over the years, David brings the life of the arctic vividly to life, not only through some amazing paintings, but with descriptions of his travels and annotated sketches that capture the maginificence of the harsh enviroment and the people and wildlife that inhabit it. The British Mountaineer Chris Bonnigton writes in the introduction 'This book is an absolute delight, to browse through, to absorb the superb and evocative images, sketches and watercolours that took me straight back to my own Arctic wanderings, to adorn your coffee table or to read for inspiration or a good laugh.' * The Leisure Painter * Issue 10 - Jul 17 Usually reserved for nature documentaries, the incredible beauty of the Arctic is unlikely to be something you'll be painting on location anytime soon. But thanks to renowned teacher and artist David Bellamy, you can get a little closer to that breathtaking experience. In this book the intrepid David ventures into greenland and the Norwegian island and Svalbard. He mixes tales of biting winds, sub-zero temperatures and whiteout conditions with life studies of polar bears, seals and other fauna, as well as mountainous frozen landscapes, churning ice cold seas and wild skies. If you love embarking on sketching expeditions yourself, this is an exhilarating journey into the extremes that will put gripes such as erecting a tent in the drizzle, or getting a blister on a hike, firmly into perspective. David's elaborative writing style leads you through the trials and tribulations of his journey, with hand drawn maps and behind-the-scenes photos helping you feel part of the action. But the real star is the artwork itself, displayed proudly across whole spreads in places. * Paint & Draw * David Bellamy is a watercolour artist, author of several books, teacher and, as it turns out, quite an adventurer. Having travelled previously to the Himalayas, Andes and Africa, chillier climes are sought out here. David recounts this expedition where he travelled to the Scandinavian Arctic in Greenland and Svalbard into Norway and Iceland. For those that read his account of what he saw, did and painted, this book is a perfect way of living life vicariously through the artist. David's experiences are hilarious, breathtaking and terrifying in equal measure. He balances each out perfectly, taking you from humour to the grim reality of the cold, the danger and physical injuries. His descriptions of the environs are rich with imagery such as the `lava-black Icelandic moonscape, surrounded by blackened and distorted lava-demons, statuesque and eerie in the mist' and poetic: `I peered...into light that transformed them into many-coloured jewels, sparkling where sunlight caught sharp edges, incandescent with breathtaking purity'. With descriptions like these, you also travel on a journey lit up by his words. It is a book of many different experiences of people, places and animals and all are reflected in the beautiful artwork that David Bellamy produces. Many sketches were produced under freezing conditions and it is fascinating to see pictures that were sketched whilst he was hanging from an icy crevasse or paintings where the colour froze as it was applied. Just flicking through to look at each of the pictures in turn, you can only guess the sense of wonder at seeing these places first hand when their interpretations are things of beauty. This is a book of many things and each sitting brings something new to the reader. An insight into the way of life for the people that live and work in the places David Bellamy has visited, the harshness of life but also a travelogue of one man's experiences seeing polar bears, walruses, glaciers, volcanos and icebergs. Entertaining, informative and a thing of beauty. What more could we ask for? * Samantha Packer *

Author Information

David Bellamy has always been fascinated by the world's wild places. Highly regarded as a teacher of art, he has a tremendous following among leisure painters, many of whom have attended his extremely popular courses and workshops both in the UK and overseas. He gives demonstrations and talks, produces successful DVDs, has written many books on watercolour painting and is a regular contributor to art magazines. David lives in Builth Wells, Wales.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available