The Lighthouse

The Lighthouse | Ink drawing on Fabriano Fine Art Paper | 78 × 38cm

Sometimes the wildest ideas come from stillness. This drawing began with a simple question: What would a Fiordland lighthouse reveal?

In this piece, I imagined a beam of light cutting through the dense southern darkness, not to guide ships, but to momentarily reveal life that usually remains hidden. A native New Zealand fur seal basks on a rock, undisturbed, while a Fiordland crested penguin quietly emerges from the bush, mid-step, as if caught by surprise in the glow.

This drawing was a study in contrast, not just black and white, but seen and unseen, mystery and clarity. Only a portion of the work is illuminated, leaving the rest to shadow and suggestion. I wanted the viewer’s eye to land where the light is, but also to wonder what lives in the dark beyond it.

As with most of my ink work, I love letting the detail pull you in. But this time, I allowed the blankness of untouched areas to carry just as much meaning. It’s a different kind of storytelling, one where the absence of light makes the illuminated subjects feel even more intimate.

Fiordland is full of secrets. Maybe this lighthouse doesn’t exist, but the life it reveals certainly does.