Bike Culture

I left on my bike Monday for an appointment. The day was stunning and I left at the last minute wanting as much time in the warm sun that I could get. I would be able to make my appointment on time if I stayed on track.

My mind was filled with ideas for our fall trip. One of my business goals is to place my books Outside. Alaska has been good to me and Signore Greve but there is a big world out there. My hopes are to visit places with a true biking culture, Portland, Seattle, Denver.

Does Anchorage have bike culture? There are groups here trying to make it so. Teaching people that being a cyclist doesn't mean spandex. Teaching cyclist and drivers how to respect each other. The city is putting in true bike lanes here and there. It's a start.

My thoughts were interrupted with a small group gathered on the trail. A mother moose with twins was dining on the side of the trail. One baby on the left of the trail, one baby on the right. Great, so much for being on time for my appointment. As I stood there trying to judge the danger of pedaling past I became aware of something quite amazing.

With traffic on both ends of the trail suspended it didn't take long before quite a group of cyclist had grown. What started with three on my side quickly became 7. The other end had a crowd of about 14! Some were in spandex like me, some were with kids. Some were on cruiser bikes enjoying the sunny day. All had the enjoyment of bicycling in common.

As I was planning and plotting my journey to other bike cultures I had a tasted of the growing culture here in little ole Anchorage. I was quite proud of be a part of it.

Ice, Ice baby

This is a painting I did for my July show titled, " North of Barrow". I was really happy how the ice came out. I did a series of layering to get the true depth of ice. I started with a rich green and then added on the blue and then the white. Ice, like polar bears, are not just white. There is a lot going on as the next photo shows.

This is small part of Portage Glacier. It is beautiful! Interesting, the glacier isn't as rich and colorful in the sun. The best way to see a glacier is on a cloudy or rainy day. I wasn't complaining though. The day was spectacular and the glacier is always an awesome sight. It is a moving, almost living thing. They groan and shift and look different every day.

It's true a tree is green, a polar bear is white and the dirt is brown. But if you take a minute and look a little deeper you will see many colors within a simple leaf. A polar bears fur will change based on their diet. And the dirt in Oklahoma is nothing like the dirt on the shores of Alaska.

So have an art filled day by taking a second and looking a little deeper into the simple colors of creation.

Introducing Huey!

I was listening to World Cafe the other day to an interview with a musician. She had just gotten done playing a fabulous song and David Dye asked about the creation process behind it. She giggled a bit and said she was embarrassed to admit she had written the song in about 20 minutes.

I love when things fall together like that creatively. I know all us creative types wish it happened more often. But when it does it is a magnificent thing. You know it's going to be a success just because it flowed out effortlessly.

My Italian bicyclist Signore Greve and Celli were not an exhalation. They were sketch after sketch. A tweak here and a tweak there. I abandoned it time and time again only to feel a nagging to return. It was worth it. Greve and I have enjoyed many adventures together.

Above is Huey. I have had this bird in my head for a long time. He popped out on the canvas one day full of character and personality. A few days later two birds flew inside my house. True story. They seemed so calm in the house, like we were old friend and they popped in to say hello. As I walked over one hopped on my finger and sat until I walked him outside. The other did the same. I just stood in my backyard with my mouth agape watching them return to the trees.

Huey and I have been talking a lot lately. He's quite charming. The Bugs Bunny of the bird world. I don't know what Huey and I can accomplish together. But I can't wait to find out

Creative Jolt

Ahhhh, the great outdoors. What a great way to clean my mental house. No phone calls, no to do list, just a swept clear space to let the creative thoughts wander through and settle in.

My husband and I decided to head out last Sunday for a morning hike. Ginzee is always willing to hit the trails and the three of us headed out for a drizzly, peaceful hike.

We have had a lot rain this year with just enough sun popped in now and then. This results in foliage like I imagine the garden of Eden must have looked like. Thick, lush, green plants loom over head. Dew drips off the leaves and the colors of wild flowers peak through the screen of green. Whew, artist heaven. I stroll dreamily along filling my mind with colors and shapes.

That's when I saw it. The HUGE brown bear paw print in the mud. They were fresh, VERY fresh. After a few steps we found some scat. Also, FRESH. Clearly we were following this bruin along on the same path. We began to sing and call and carry on like people crazed with fear of a bear attack.

The above image is a creation from my friend Steve Engle. His business Animal Tracks by Steve creates these beautiful plaques from actual animal prints. This is from a grizzly print found in Kelp Bay. The prints we found weren't quite as big but not by much. This print is 6.5 inches across.

My creative moment got a bit of a jolt. I knew if Steve Engle was with us he would have pulled out his plaster kit and made art from our heart pounding moment. Then my bear moment would be sitting on someones table reminding them of the creative outdoors.