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“Nestled in a Cliffside Colony” by pointillist artist Holly Parsons
As part of its activities to mark World Albatross Day (WAD2025) and its theme of “Effects of Disease” on 19 June this year, ACAP once more collaborated with the international collective Artists & Biologists Unite for Nature (ABUN) to produce 40 artworks depicting the two albatross species chosen to be featured. They are the Endangered Amsterdam Albatross Diomedea amsterdamensis, endemic to France’s Amsterdam Island, and the southern Indian Ocean’s Endangered Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross Thalassarche carteri. From the collection, eight paintings were chosen to illustrate art posters. Seven posters were released during ‘WADWEEK’ over 17-19 June. The eighth and last in the series is released here today.
Holly Parsons’ painting “Nestled in a Cliffside Colony” is of an Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross brooding its downy chick. It follows a photograph taken by the French marine ornithologist Karine Delord at the falaises d’Entrecasteaux breeding colony on Amsterdam Island. Holly has used the pointillism technique where small, distinct dots of colour are applied in patterns to form an image, first used by the French neo-impressionist artists Georges Seurat and Paul Signac in 1886.
Holly Parsons photographing seabirds to help inspire her art on the Flock to Marion voyage in January 2025
Holly, who lives in Boulder, Colorado, USA, writes to ACAP Latest News about herself and her artwork: “I learned to paint using the pointillism style because of jittery hands following a brain injury. And now I still love all the dots! I also used some brush strokes for the lush grasses and nest. Amsterdam Island was on fire when I started this painting. I was inspired to immortalize the landscape, and I hoped that the albatrosses would be spared. And they were! This cliffside colony did not burn and all the chicks were saved.” She adds that she used acrylics on canvas board, and that her painting measures 16 x 20 inches (40.5 x 51 cm).
Short-tailed Albatrosses George and Geraldine by Holly Parsons for ACAP’s World Albatross Day on 19 June 2024, after a photograph by Jonathon Plissner. Geraldine is the darker bird in front on the nest. Acrylics on canvas board
Holly Parsons, who manages the Facebook group Albatross Lovers, has previously painted for ACAP. Last year she produced two artworks for WAD2024, one of which, of George and Geraldine, the well-known pair of Vulnerable Short-tailed Albatrosses Phoebastria albatrus, that breeds on Midway Atoll in the North Pacific, also uses the pointillism technique.
All eight WAD2025 art posters are available for downloading and for personal and educational display from here. They should not be used for commercial gain.
With thanks to Karine Delord for the use of her photograph and Holly Parsons for her painting.
John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 23 June 2025