Albatross inspiration

Posted on: 19th November 2020

Over the last two years, seabird artist Corrinne Goedbloed has donated a percentage of her sales from albatross pictures to Hookpod, to help with our work. Here she talks about the inspiration that these incredible birds have provided her with over the years...

I did not work as an artist yet but had taken my first drawing lessons when I found a dead albatross on the beach close to my home in Wellington, I think it was a Salvin’s albatross. It had probably just washed up because it looked so fresh and I had to gently rock the bird to convince myself that it really had died. I was impressed by the size and beauty of this bird that I had never seen from up-close. The pearly white of its feathers contrasting with so many hues of black and grey. The body so bulky that it is hard to believe this bird can fly. The magnificent beak and the soft black eyes that had lost their light. I really was awestruck and shed some tears for the loss of this life.

I never found out what happened to this specific albatross but I had already learned enough about the plight of the albatross due to plastic and bycatch in fishery. It was this bird that sparked my inspiration and got me started drawing albatrosses. In the next years it took plenty of perseverance to advance my drawing skills. I lost inspiration a few times but every time I got captured all over again. It took me two years to finalise the four albatross drawings for my first art show: Grace, Perseverance, Fortitude and Vigilance. To celebrate this, I did a trip with the Albatross encounter in Kaikoura, a beautiful experience where you can see the birds up-close. After that I also saw many albatrosses while crossing the Cook Strait on the ferry. Never as close as in Kaikoura, but still pretty special.

Just recently in October 2020, I sold the last of the 4 albatross drawings. As always, I have donated 10% of the sales of my Albatross drawings and limited edition prints to Hookpod to help this beautiful species prosper. I was recently rewarded handsomely for my donation, as two albatrosses sailed close by as I was walking the Wellington South coast. The best ‘Thank you’ I ever had.

In the meantime, I shifted my attention towards whales and dolphins for now but I am sure albatrosses will inspire me for future drawings. You can follow my journey into art on www.corinnegoedbloed.com