Transitions

A YEAR OF TRANSITIONS This last part of the year, has been a period of many Transitions in our family. My parents have decided to move into a retirement home with "No Stairs". Mom has been falling a lot, and crushed a vertebrae in the process. So my brother and I will help them move into their new place soon. My son has moved into a place with his girlfriend in Bellingham WA. One of my daughters is engaged and living with her fiancee in Canada. Donna and I found out we will be Grandparents in May next year. Our youngest son seems to have found himself and is deeply involved in Modern Dance and the Alaska Dance Theatre and college. He has a new "girl" in his live also. At work Medical Park Family Care has transitioned over to EMR ( Electronic Medical Records), a work in progress. This last week we signed a contract to purchase a Digital Radiology system and will be installing that and make the switch to a film less Radiology Department by the end of the year. WOW all the changes since August. Looking forward to seeing how all of our lives settle into these new changes. Doing a little reminiscing, so the picture her is of a painting I did of my brothers old SuperCub and a Clam digging trip we went on in the 80's.

Corrected Picture of Painting

SOLITUDE & A BOOK - Color correct picture. I got the digital image back for the Photographers today, so here is the color corrected final image of this painting. I was doing a plein air painting at McHugh Creek. A painter friend Douglas Girard ( a good artist BTW ) and I were talking when a young girl sat on the rock in this painting and started to read. We both took photos of her and I knew I would come back to that photo to produce a major painting from it. It was a gorgeous day, everything was perfect. Hope you enjoy this image as much as I did painting it.

Denali & Veridian Sky

8 x 10 Oil Painting - Denali & Veridian Sky
This is a new little painting I will be taking to Stephan Fine Art Gallery in the Captain Cook Hotel in Anchorage Alaska for sale. Lots of rich color and emotion in this painting. Early morning magic in the Spring of Alaska. If you have never seen the Veridian color in the sky at the sunrise in Alaska you now have a chance to see it in my new painting.

My Daughters New Painting

Christina's New Painting - She needs help with a title. So all title suggestions are appreciated. I am a very proud Papa.

Time Moves Ever On

I have a birthday coming up, edging ever closer to the big 60, still a few years off. My children are young adults, I am so proud of the 4 of them. One of the cool things about aging is you see life in different ways at different times in your life. As a child the sense of wonder at everything new. Teenage years the years of self discovery. Young adults is about yourself and how you relate to the world.
Now in my years approaching retirement years, I see life with more appreciation for things. Every sunny day I treasure, I see the colors and appreciate them more. The cool crisp days of this fall, every day is special, we have had a incredible summer and fall in Alaska this year. Last year the weather was not that good. I think it helped me appreciate this year so much more. I love life, I love the feel of wind against my face. I look forward to this winter. As our home truly turns into a winter wonderland. My studio is called Snowbound Art Studios, for a reason. As we live in the hills above Anchorage, we get a fair amount of snowfall. Despite the challanges that come with where we live, we also get the beauty and glory of experiencing nature first hand. Bears, wolves, foxes and Lynx have all paid our home a visit at different times. Moose are a constant visitor in our property. We finally gave up planting flowers every summer, all we were doing was providing a feast for the local Mooses. In summer we have the long, long daylight hours, sun rises before 5 AM and sets at 11PM, you get to enjoy so much more of the day. In winter we have the Northern Lights in the sky to entertain us. When I used to live 45 miles out of Anchorage, at night when I drove home late in the evening, there was many time I stopped and pulled the car over and just watched the Northern Lights in the sky, and I was not the only one, usually there were quite a few cars stopped and enjoying the visions in the sky.
As a Artist, the 5 degree angle sun in the winter adds so much color in the sky and snow that you don't see in the Lowere 48 states.
I have learned with age to appreciate every moment of my life and the incredible gift it is.

Painting Process Final

Solitude & A Book - 18x24 Oil
Completed this yesterday after not painting on it for a while. Excuse my poor use of a digital camera, not quite as bright or as yellow as this image shows. Will take it to the photographers after it dries for a better image.
But I can still do some corrections between now and then, so all comments, suggestions are appreciated.

Make It Alaskan & Art For Alaska State Parks Shows