July 6th

"Until the Rain Came"

After spending a good part of the afternoon slicing up and packaging 

homemade salmon lox my plan was to just head to the river.   

It was a heavy rain day in the valley so I figured I wouldn't go to high.  

But! As I started my drive up I saw the clouds begin to break.  The mountains of

Hatcher Pass became the stage once again for the dance of the lingering clouds.

I believe I'm becoming a big fan of painting in the clouds.

So yesterday was 74 degrees and I was in shorts and a tank top! 

Today however, was 20 degrees colder and 2 layers of wool and long johns were in order.

Oh, and keeping the hands warm is always top priority, thanks to my good friend Terry, 

I was painting in spectacular fashion.

Tighty Whitey Handerpants!



I found my spot and set up not far from my hatchback.
The sky was cloudy but the air was dry, at least at the start.
I am learning that I'm happy with my starts but am still working on getting the best saturation.  I really love seeing atmosphere in a painting but I also love color.
Looking for balance.

I was able to get most of the scene blocked in before the clouds quickly crept back in.  

I had the image still fresh in mind of the mountains in the 

distance retreating like soldiers into the mist.

Then the rain came.  

Under the hatch of my car wasn't enough for very long 

so the painting came home to add a few finishing strokes.  

I had about 35 minutes on site for this one but am happy with the final.

It feels like a rainy day, and it was.

Fun though!

Until the Rain Came
8 x 16

Love to hear your thoughts!

July 5th

Another sunny day in Alaska!

It was hot and 77 degrees here, but once again, up in the pass, 

the large lumbering clouds that float without reason passed slowly by 

watching the many people hiking, photographing and even painting (me!) 

They dappled sunlight and then shade making for beautiful but ever changing patterns of light.

I found my way all the way to Independence Mine today where 

I've been mesmerized in the past by the tall chimney of this, 

(what I believe to be) a private residence.  

I love the way the tall geometric shape shoots directly up between the peaks.  

The clouds billowing above grace the land and blue sky.

Although I might add a few strokes of color and light when I return home,

my goal is to keep them as plein air pieces and move quickly on to the next.

It is a time of learning and discovering.

Into the Sky

11x14

Independence Day! Fourth of July!

What better day to paint Independence Mine 

than Independence Day!!

And with friends.  First timers at that :)

I really enjoyed painting the distant mountains in this one.

There are many buildings on site but on the 

Fourth of July it was such a busy place!  

With three of us painting, this little spot and this little cabin,

was the perfect spot.  

I must say, during this challenge, 

I am learning a lot about

creating distance and variations in green.

Happy Independence Day!

July 3rd

Some days this will be easier than others.

Today was one of those days that wasn't.

Today, I truly felt the challenge.

It was an all day event in Anchorage to get back to the valley by 5pm,

and an event to be at by 8.

But these are just the kinds of challenge that make me go..."Oh ya", 

when others might say "not gonna happen" gives me the drive to say "yes it will"

The most challenging part of this painting is that it was painted with a heavy heart.

Enough said on that for now.

This whole 30 day challenge is more than just painting,

it's sharing my good and my not so good paintings,

it's sharing where my heart and energy is each day,

it's cataloging the journey of an artist.

Not just the painter, but the whole person.

With that...

I was happier with my start than I was with my finish.

I like the muted color and the light on the distant hill.

I made the mistake of chasing after the changing light. 

My colors became over saturated and what drew me 

into the scene became the obstacle.  I liked the little

tree in the foreground with light speckled leaves.

Unfortunately, I hurried through and missed my poetry.

Another day of learning. 

Thanks for looking!

Fresh Summer Snow

JULY 2nd   Gold Chord Lake

The second day of July at Hatcher Pass included a wonderful hike up to Gold Chord Lake with Ken.

Large billowy clouds made for sun and shade.  A great thing while climbing and hiking but certainly a challenge for a painter.  "Oh how I love that lit green on the hillside!"... and then it's gone.  

Almost there :)

Up on that ridge is where we want to be.

Even this high on a mountain side in Alaska you might run into a little boy in a sombrero!

And I must apologize for the many photos of me.  

With Ken there with a camera and the scenery so beautiful,

 Gold Chord Lake is just to pretty to not share.

I'm happy with my start, looking where the lake turns into a stream 

and trickles it's way down the mountainside.  

July 2nd   Gold Chord Lake

A beautiful day for a quick sketch on a mountain.

Fresh summer snow.

10x10

Oil on linen

Challenges

July 1st, 2014

 Painting at Hatcher Pass today presented problems and intrigue.

As I drove up the pass today the lower river sky was cloudy but climbing to find the poetry of the day brought me near to the top, or at least to Independence Mine.

Mountains shrouded in clouds, transforming and giving glimpses of themselves in constant movement seems to be my scenery of choice lately as it was today.  

It was a tough choice deciding between the Independence Mine building encased in a living gray air mass or the little stream being fed from the melting and fresh snow this July First.   As the distant mountain appeared and disappeared, 

still feeding this trail of water, the decision was made.  

After all, this is only the first day of the month, 30 more to come.  

First there is a mountain and the mountain is..

As it was, I must believe it still is.

And finished.  Plein air in the rain at Hatcher Pass.

8x8

July 1st

Morning Tulips

Morning Tulips

When a friend brings an artist flowers there is no telling how much enjoyment they'll receive.    Most mornings I try to do a little yoga and stretch this body out, but this morning's stretch was quite different.   I stepped away from the yoga mat and away from the studio.  Time to set the easel up right in the dining room where the morning sun bathed the cad red and whites.  It was so delicious to look at, I didn't even stop to eat.  

My goal for this stretch was to mix colors without over mixing.  I did this by mixing a large pile of local color (red shown here) and warming some, lightening some, cooling and darkening.  Rather than drawing each flower, I looked for 

large shapes and within these shapes varied temp and value.  

I continued this process and then added contrasting color spots in selected 

areas looking for a vibrant living feel.  I like where I ended 

but also see things I would like to try a little different.   

Now that my yoga mornings have competition, 

I will have to start alternating stretch the body, 

stretch the creativity... and always look to stretch the soul.

Morning Tulips

8x8 Framed

$425

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Mt McKinley... Plein Air... The story.

What a glorious day.  

Driving south from Fairbanks, Mt McKinley in Denali National Park 
shared it's magnificent face for miles and miles.  After seeing it sneak it's peak from the distant and watching it grow as we got closer, the mountain 
beckoned to be painted.  
There was definitely a chill in the air but it was perfectly clear.  
I set up quickly and began.  
A couple from Virginia stopped to photograph the mountain too.  The couple worked together taking photos with a very large lens on a tripod. The woman took a break and and came by to see what I had painted.  Her comment was that I was capturing more of what it felt like being there than their camera could come close to.  That was a great compliment 
to me AND the best reason why we paint outdoors.

So I covered nearly all of the canvas except the bottom two corners.  There was something pleasing about the loose strokes of paint at the bottom 
but I wasn't completely convinced it was finished.  

Completed Plein Air

As an artist, one of the great things we can do is to bounce ideas and thoughts off each other,  BUT.. where I live, it's a little isolated.  I am an hour outside of Anchorage, Alaska and there are some wonderful artists here in Wasilla, but I wasn't scheduled to see them for some time... 

so once again I say, I love Facebook.   
I posted this piece online on my page and a plein air 
painters page and asked for input.  
It was grand.

Many opinions and great suggestions.  One that really intrigued me was to place saran wrap over the bottom and try some things on for size.  Brilliant I thought! 

darkened all the way

lighter values w/ contrasting temps 

hints of snow and lighter values

  So, here are three options, and three 

  pieces of saran wrap.  All dark on both 

  sides lost interest for me.  Keeping a bit 

  of  a lighter value was better.  But 

  adding warmth to one side and cooler

  snow to the other felt best to me.  

Thanks to the many talented artists 

and the use of the internet, I found a solution.

Now, to carry it through.

"In View of Greatness"

10x10 Framed

$600

Interesting fact... 

Mt McKinley was named after President McKinley in the late 1800's but

Athabascan Indians have always referred to it as Denali, meaning the Great One. 

After many legal battles the park is now Denali National Park 

where Mt McKinley resides.

However you will commonly hear Alaskans refer to the mountain as 

Denali.

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Alaska's Night Sky

Sometimes I complain a little about sleepless nights.

Not this week.

This week I've watched a beautiful moon rise slowly over the not to distant range casting warm glows on clouds and mountains.

I watched the Aurora Borealis dance it's ribbony curtain just above our house. 

 Last night a 1:00 in the morning we made a quick run to 

Hatcher Pass that lasted three hours!

A bazillion or more stars twinkled in delight above the jagged snow capped peaks.

I do believe, there, I could see the speed of light.

So at 17 degrees and quite windy I decided not to set up my easel and attempt plein air, although there will be a day... no night... that I will!

Instead, I set my camera up.  Finally giving into the fact that a tripod does wonders!

I am still in the very early learning stages of camera use and learning by experimentation but they are still worth sharing because if you haven't ever experienced something like this for yourself, I want you to at least see it through my eyes. 

And so the first little study for my Alaska Nocturne looks like this...

This is just a little 6x6 sketch to begin the process. 

I always enjoy watching other artists journeys and thought you might enjoy this one too.

The Road to Achham

"The Road to Achham"

Helping Hand Nepal

There is a wonderful soul who spends her own time, finances and heart with those less fortunate.  She flies to Nepal and lives with the locals.  Her job there is to help those in need of medical help that have no other way to recieve it.  She encourages and returns living with families like any other local.   Thank you Linda Jay Jackson for all you do.

There is another wonderful lady who continues to give back to the community.  She doesn't fly to faraway countries but opens the door over and over again to help the local neighborhood.  Although her business is sales of art supplies, she does much more than sell,

she encourages and offers opportunity for artists over and over again.  Thank you Rene Haag of Blaines Art.

Together they are doing wonders.  Every day in the month of March floor space is made available for an artist to promote and paint.  Each artist donates a painting to be auctioned off.  All of the money raised goes to Helping Hand Nepal and all of the money HHN recieves, goes directly to the people in need. 

Follow Blaines Art Supply on Facebook 

or check out the website

www.Blainesart.com

or just let me know if you would like to bid!

Bidding will be available online and closes May 2, 2014

Above All Else

Painting Air!

"Above All Else"

An exciting an exhilarating challenge for me once... but twice? 

I had to do it!

The first "Above All Else" was painted from a beautiful morning out my bedroom window.  It felt like one of my favorite artists of the past, 

Maxfield Parrish, was showing me his inspirations. 

 Okay, well it may not be a Maxfield Parrish piece, but his adaptations of warmly lit clouds clearly inspired me to no end on this one.  

I have to say though, when I finished this 11"x 14" there was a little part of me that felt some disappointment.  It's not that I wasn't happy with the final painting, it's just that   

I wanted to hang it over the fireplace and revisit that feeling of 

awe, taking in God's beauty...but it was too small for that space.  
(Although I'm sure there's a perfect space somewhere for this size)

 So, bigger I went!

The larger canvas that I chose is 24"x36".  It's a 2" deep gallery wrap canvas that's edges are painted so the cloud scape wraps all around.   It can be framed or left unframed, but let's get back to the painting part!... the good stuff!

  

Painting the air filled with water, reflecting the setting or rising sun, finding the enormous mountain ranges as a sliver of a serving plater for what the sky has to offer was for a second time a spiritual journey in painting.  

But a different journey.   For both paintings I chose to use primarily transparent colors.  Occasionally a cadmium red was added to help neutralize a blue.  The biggest difference in application was the first and smaller artwork was painted in an Alla Prima style.  One stroke of color laid next to another, building the scenery one stroke at a time.   

The second and larger piece was a process of many glazes.  Painting a colored area and letting it dry a bit, then lightly painting over the same area with a warmer or cooler color.  A little more time consuming process but each canvas seems to speak it's own life.  I am happy to take part.

Hope you enjoy.

"Above All Else" 11x14 Framed

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"Above All Else" 24x36 Gallery Wrap

plus actual shipping charges

Reworking the Land

Reworking the Land, Larsen's Place

11 x 14

Oil on Linen Panel

A family friend has recently retired.  He worked for about 30 years with every drop of being he has.  He reworked raw land in the Matanuska Valley, Alaska year after year.  

Kent always had the most beautiful cut flowers and the most fragrant herbs.  Florist and fine chefs would scoop up most of his jewels before any had time to reach the public.  He catered to perfection. Businesses and locals reaped the reward.  Fresh tasty veggies that hadn't sat on a barge before reaching Alaska, succulent tomatoes and the most bountiful flower baskets to be had.   

You have to understand that although Alaska summers can be beautiful, they can also be harsh.  Even though the days are long, the summer can feel quite short.  

Kent would start in the winter months choosing seeds and starting them indoors.  His home is one that was shared with all the seedlings, like a parent raising young with hopes of them going out one day and beautifying our world.  Through rain, cold, sun, and even moose chomping away at his crops he persevered and continued his passion to perfection.

I painted this scene a couple of years ago.  Today I reworked it a little and as I did I was reminded of countless days my friend Kent reworked his land.  

I am so thankful for people who live with passion.

Thank you Kent, and enjoy your retirement.

Collision

Visiting the beautiful grounds of the Old Mill in Pasadena was like a visit to Tuscany. We painted in the Pomegranate Courtyard and the pomegranates were plenty. I took many photos but hope to go back there to paint Plein Air. The ironic part of the whole visit was that I was in a workshop with Ruo Li on painting the ocean. So we stood there in the quintessential courtyard painting ocean waves from photos. I was happy on both accounts.
The story continues to amuse me because the photo I painted from was from last winter's trip to Kauai. All the wonderful worlds collide. Thus the name...Collision.

My study for this painting was to focus on the light that glimmers through the water while it sits at it's clearest state and the shadow the uplifted water throws on itself.