Power of One

We had the absolute pleasure and joy of attending the Broadway production of "The Lion King". When I heard it was coming all the way to Anchorage I wrote it on every calendar so there would be no risk of missing it.

All my efforts were worth it. The music, colors and costumes were amazing and creative to the highest level. I read a comment by the costume designer where she discussed studying lions and their movements and how she tried to bring that all together for the play. Her thorough research was evident.

I often do similar research for a painting. The above is a painting of mine titled, " The Power of One", the title taken from a great book. This painting had me on the internet's Yahoo image search to find lions in every conceivable position. Often the painting will come from a combination of different lions. This lion has a great mane but this lion's eyes are piercing. What would I do without the internet?

The Lion King filled my artistic reservoir to the tippy top. I am so privileged to have enjoyed the work of such creative minds.

The Palette of the Season

This photograph is by a friend of mine Ron Nicholl. I love his work mainly because he seems to find things a little unusual. I love this photograph with the palette of fall.

Everything these days is bathed in yellows and orange. That isn't my normal, preferred palette. I love blues. I mean ridiculously so. Sometimes I have to force myself to stay away from blue so all my work doesn't look the same. But these days as the gorgeous color streams through my windows I find myself wanting to paint those twinges of green, orange and yellow.

The snow appeared on the mountains yesterday. My heart jumped with excitement. I can't wait for the world to be bathed in white. The blanket of snow out the window feels like a blank canvas. My colors feel brighter, warmer and more energetic.

I hope you have been able to enjoy the colors of fall wherever you are.

Natures Inspiration

I have a great husband. A few year ago he suggested we make our very unused t.v. room into my studio, making my too small loft studio into an art office. He reminds me every now and then how much of the house is labeled as "mine" but I am okay with that and quite grateful he is so willing to share.

The view outside my studio is heaven. Flowers, trees with birds flitting about and the occasion wildlife strolling through. When you're intense on an art problem, the faint clop of a moose hoof if just the recalibration you need. The rush you feel when a baby moose looks you right in the eye with his little cinnamon muzzle twitching to catch your smell is wonderful. If I were a cartoon at that moment I would have rainbows and butterflies swirling around me. You walk back into the house with a contented sigh and a clearer head.

Nature has a great way of making us take a deep breath and smile. Thinking about the first snowflakes slowly floating to the ground is giving me a smile already.

If We Hopped on Our Bikes....

The paint has been splashing around in my studio the last few months. My book on Signore Greve and Celli's travels is coming together. The boring price checking and scheduling is set and now it is all about getting the art from my head to the canvas.

Seeing my book come together is exciting. The image posted is of a page I struggled for some time with. The text was set but what was the art that would tie it all together? After mulling and discussing with my muse honey and my artist mom this image popped into my mind. I feel the finished product was even better than I hoped. That is a great feeling when the finished art was better than your imagination.

I am more than half way done. Here's hoping every page is better than the last.

Good-bye to the Light

The whirl of summer is coming to an end. As we reflect on the highs and lows the light of the midnight sun slowly puts itself to bed. I love winter and I love the peaceful, blanket like darkness that tucks us in for a few months. The pace of summer here is like no where else. When the sun reaches high in the sky you can't help but keep moving. Bike ride here, a late hike there. Canoes glide across water and laughter rings through out the sun lit night. But as an artist saying good-bye to the natural light is unfortunate.

I have completed paintings in the sunless winter only to gaze upon them again in summer's daylight and see missing strokes, thin spots and highlights that didn't carry themselves as well as I thought. Nothing hides from the light of the sun. Also, finding the perfect shadow and angle takes a little more work. The sun can always show me the correct way to portray slanted light. The light bulb on my studio lamp....not so much.

I chose this Grant Wood piece to show just how well placed light can make a painting warm and cool at the same time. Notice how your eye travels to the sun light. You feel warmer just looking at it.

The cooler air is blowing in and I welcome it with open arms, even if it means the light bulb will be my sun for the next few months

Your passport please

This picture was taken in Florence, Italy. Ahhhh Florence, now that is a dream come true for any art lover. Statues 1,000's of years old adorn every piazza, the Medici families influence is felt at every turn as you stroll through the narrow streets. It would take tremendous effort to not be creativity inspired in such an environment.

I purchased a sketch from this man. He was VERY talented and sold me a sketch of a statue he did from this stand point. This art which is framed in my living room set me back $30. I know, only $30!! I was humbled a bit as an artist. I don't know that I would be able to give that kind of life to a simple ink drawing. And I am sure that the time it would take me to accomplish it would cost much more than $30!

As we watched him work a gypsy woman and an Italian man erupted in a struggle. The gypsy had discreetly picked up the artist tip jar and was slithering away. I am sure just as she thought she was in the clear a man grabbed her from behind and wrestled the money away from her. The artist barely noticed. He was so engrossed in his image. When he realized what had happened he thanked his anonymous protector as the tip jar was returned to it's place and went right back to work. His mojo didn't even miss a beat.

We bought plane tickets today. We are headed out again for new adventure and new art. We will see Ireland and South Africa on this journey. I can't wait to be inspired by what awaits me. So much art, so little frequent flier miles.

Knock on Wood

The days have gotten away from me and I thought it was about time I got back to my blog post. Sadly, we had a family tragedy that broke our hearts and filled our minds. It's difficult to carry on daily activities knowing your life has been forever changed let alone to try to think creatively. But the beautiful Alaska summer has tried to soothe us.

We have company this week which means I get to play tourist for a bit. We have managed to snack on delicious food, sway to music and spend money at the Forest Fair in Girdwood. We have soaked up the sun has the bore tide rolled in and walked the beach at Kincaid. In our route back from Girdwood we stopped to visit with Jordan Anderson. He is the creator of this irresistible seal. With huge logs brought in from Wrangel and other parts of Alaska Jordan chainsaws away until a character emerges.

We have all seen the chainsaw bears and moose. But Jordan has taken in another level. The smooth skin of the humpback whale makes it impossible to not reach out and touch it. The school of salmon takes you under the water of an Alaska stream. It really was impossible to not be impressed.

I have drove past his work for years but never took the time to stop. Smiling at a beautiful carved seal, feeling the smooth wood carefully worked to perfection, that is what life is suppose to be about. We don't know how many days we have left. Let's enjoy every one.