Whales at Five Finger

Whales at Five Finger was created in response to a request for art donations from the Five Finger Lighthouse Society. Artists donated lighthouse and Five Finger inspired works and they were sold at auction to help in the repairs and upkeep needed at this remote location. The lighthouse has often served as a remote summer home for whale researchers and is maintained by a hard working group of volunteers.

I wonder if whales have any thoughts about the lighthouse itself? Humpback whales use undersea topography around the islands to herd their food tightly and take great gulps of tiny creatures. Five Finger Lighthouse perches on a small thin island in the center of vast Frederick Sound and I chose to paint the island from it’s narrowest view as part of the background for the ocean tinted whale forms. For the whales that lunge feed a stone's throw from shore it is the island itself that attracts masses of feed as currents press and ebb against the shores. I pass by this historic lighthouse in the heart of Fredrick Sound while traveling on a Alaska Marine Highway ferry between the isolated towns of Petersburg and Juneau. Someday, I plan to travel there directly and paint on the island. It is a special place and the lighthouse welcomes visitors as it is able.

Interested in more stories about Five Finger Lighthouse?

Website: Five Finger Lighthouse Society

KFSK radio interview: Lighthouse keepers reflect on summer 2024

KFSK search results: Lighthouse stories from over the years

Whales at Five Finger, watercolor, by Lisa Schramek Adams