2011 the End

The Day Ends and a New Year Begins - 2012 What Will You Have In Store For Us.

This last year has been a roller coaster ride for our family, great events and hard times also.  Makes you reflect as to what is of importance in your life.  Why we strive to become better each year with our New Years resolutions.  The older I get the more I realize what is important to me and what happiness is: Love, Passion, Family and Intregrity.

Here is a recap of the year, more or less:

• Our Grandson Joseph was in Alaska for his 1st Birthday,  what a incredible pleasure that was.
• Our Son Ryan graduated college, and was hired right away by the State Of Alaska.
• Our Daugter Christina and Cameron were married in August.  All the family gathered in the Blaine Washington area for the big event.  So much fun, we are so proud of our kids and grandchildren.
• My mom fell and broke her other hip this time, her dementia is getting worse.  Dad being 91 and slowing down himself can no longer care for her so we spent about a month and a half getting Mom rehabed and finally into the Pioneer Home nursing facility in Anchorage.
• Our Daughter Shaunna and Matt, gave birth to our second Grandson: Wyatt.  He is healthy and doing well.  I feel he looks like Shaunna a lot as a baby.  We are so happy for them.
• Art Shows and Events have kept me out of the studio most of this fall.  But sales have been really good this year, so not complaining.  Opened up a print sales shop in Fine Art America's website.  Always trying to find a venue that provides good products of my work to the public and reasonable costs.
• Work has been busy at Medical Park Family Care, wow I have over 30 years in there now.
• Justin and Felecia spent some extra time with us here in May after the rest of the family left.  Allowed us time to get to know Felecia well, great visit.  So happy for Justin and her.
• Sold 7 paintings in December to end the year. Now that was the way to close out the year in the Art World for me.  The painting shown sold it is a 20"x30" Oil on canvas, went to some very wonderful friends.  I am proud it hangs in their home.
• Donna set up her Etsy shop to sell her products and patterns.  My Daughter Christina also set up a Etsy shop and has been selling well.

Okay so now whats in store for us in 2012?

Not to sure, we have no real plans this year as to events and trips etc.  I will be taking a couple of art workshops this summer.

Donna will be teaching LOCKERHOOKING & CROCHET CLASSES at JoAnn Fabrics in South Anchorage this year.  She has been working hard designing her classes and making samples for the students to observe and follow.  She is a excellent teacher and goes out of her way to make sure the students are able to learn no matter their skill levels.

My goal this year is to help get Dad and Mom settled more.  My brother Chris and I will try and make sure we have taken care of all the finacial stuff.  It is hard realizing they are at the twight of their lives.  But they have been incredibly healthy and happy, so they have had a great lives together.  Can only hope for the same for us.

Take a look around you, see what you have and how special it is.  Family, friends that's what makes you who you are.  Take the time to tell them all how much they mean to you.

Life is short, Enjoy the time you have, never waste in anger or hate.  Those are days you can never recapture.

I wish you all the very best in 2012.  Thank you for taking the time to follow my blog and artwork over the years, it makes it all worth while for me to create pieces that will live beyond me.

Higbee 6" X 6" Fall Art Show

Accepted Into The Show - Moonlight Sail Oil On Panel

Thrilled to find out this little painting was accepted into the Higbee Fall 6 x 6 Art Show in California.   Now got to get it packaged up and ready to ship off to the show.  The last show, I had a piece in also, some incredible artwork done on this small format.  Was amazing to see the high quality of paintings.  I am honored to be in the show.

Valley Farm

Valley Farm 14x11 Oil on RayMar Panel - 

Earlier in the summer fellow artist Don Kolstad and I took a drive from Anchorage out to the Palmer area.  In the Mat-Su valley we have quite a few farms.  Don and I found a spot between two farms and set up our painting gear we both did between 4 to 5 paintings that day.  We brought our lunches and spent the day enjoying the weather and plein air painting.

This painting comes from that adventure.  I had done a smaller plein air piece with out the horses.  I decided to do a larger painting and add the horses to the painting.  Took lots of photos that day so had the plein air piece and reference photos to create this painting.  It is for sale and available on my website: www.kurtjacobson.com

Watering The Flowers

Watering The Flowers - 9x12 Oil on Panel- Earlier this summer a friend hosted the Alaska Plein Air Painters for a paint out and picnic lunch at her home and garden.  Did a little 6x6 painting of one of her statues and also took a photo of this statue that was in a different section of her gardens.   This weekend I ran across the photo and decided to use the fairy statue, but move it to the woods, change the lighting and make it a fantasy/mystery piece.  Lots of fun.

Bike Path At Pt. Worznoff

Epxanded a Plein Air Color Study

BIKE PATH AT POINT WORZNOFF - 8" X 16" Oil on RayMar Panel

Earlier this summer I painted with the Alaska Plein Air Painters on a Friday morning at Point Worznoff Park.  It is situated at the end of one Anchorage International Airports Runways, looking out over Cook Inlet.  In the past I have painted Mt Susitna from the park the view is breathtaking.  On this day though the shadows and dappled light coming through the trees and brush caught my eye.  I love the different patterns created.  The focal point is the Lighted area around the sign in the distance.  The foreground is subdued and works as a good counter point to the highlighted area.  My Plein Air color sketch was very rough, but captured the essence of the scene.  I new that I would eventually expand on the piece and create a more complete painting.  Keeping the foreground edges soft and counter point it with hard edges in the distance pulls the eye to the focal point.  Lots of fun painting the different sections of this painting.

Chest Creek Painting

Chester Creek 16"x20" Oil on Panel - I started this piece in the studio from a picture I took earlier this summer when we were painting at Chester Creek.  I took it to the Plein Air Weekend Art show last weekend, work live on it there.  Finished it today. 

Sunday Fun

Two small 5x7 & 7x5 paintings I did on Sunday.  Decided the skies would be the focal point in each painting.  One winter night and the other summer sunset.  In the first painting Winter Light I painted a remote Cabin and the Northern Lights.  Our artic winter can challenge the best of us, but one of the joys of winter is the Aurora light show any dark and clear night.  Always different and incredible to watch.   In the second painting Susitna Sunset 4 in the summer we have 20 hours of daylight, awesome, and the sunsets are slow and amazing.  This is the 4th in a series of them I have done, and many more to go.  Because the sun takes so long to set we have a incredible display on light at sunset.  A artists dream.

Winters Kiss

W

Winters Kiss 9 x 6 Oil on Richeson Panel - Small little oil painting.  I really had fun playing with purples, oranges and pinks in this painting.  Captured the mood I was looking for...cold, isolation and a peaceful snug warm cabin in the wilderness. I will more then likely do a larger major painting of this in the future after the holiday shows are over.

Autumn Knik River

 

Autumn Knik River - 16 x 20 Oil on Panel - As you can see I toned down the "Radioactive Green" Pond as my buddy Don Kolstad called it.  I also added the foreground foliage.   To tone the water down and not loose the luminosity I mixed up a glaze of Ultramarine Blue, Paynes Grey and Burnt Umber.  I did one glaze over and let it dry 24 hours they did a second glaze using the same mix.  I am pleased how this has turned out.  After it dries some more I will get it to the photographer then to the frame shop.

On Saturday I had the pleasure of demonstrating Michael Harding Oil Paints at Blaine's Art Supply I got to paint all day in the store.  It was the grand opening for the new store, huge turnout, great sales.  What could be better.  I worked up a 8 x 10 painting and gave it to the owner Rene.  The Michael Harding Paints, were awesome to paint with, they are really high pigment loaded, and "silky smooth" to paint with.  So yes I bought some new paints and brushes.  I started a 6 x 9 painting, but was not happy with how it was going (see pictures below)  so I decided to sketch over it and change the composition a little and the color choices to get the desired "mood" I was looking for.

 

Art In Our Family

A Art Filled Family Vacation. - I spent a week in Washington and British Columbia Canada visiting my two of my four children.  I spent the first 2 days with Justin and his girlfriend Felicia.   I had not previously met Felicia, and thoroughly enjoyed meeting her.  I also spent 2 days with Christina and her fiancee Cameron.  Then we all went camping up Mt Baker for two days.  It was a great time for me as a parent to see my children as adults on their own.  Also I got to draw and paint with them together.  As a artist it is so cool to see how talented each of them is.  We had a great time painting and drawing  together.   Being raised in Alaska we all love camping also, so we had a wonderful time.  I miss them all terribly, but I am so proud of them and how they have their own lives and how happy they are.

I will look forward to our next Family Plein Air Adventure.

Appreciation For Artists Who Are Willing to Judge Competitions

Art For Alaska Parks Top 30 Judging. Last night our two judges did a very appreciative and difficult job of selecting the 30 entries that will be displayed in the Art Show for the month of September at LaRoma Bakery on 99th Ave/Old Seward Highway in Anchorage Alaska.   We had a really good selection of entries from all over the Northwest this year.  I am so glad I was part of the committee running the show for the Alaska Artists Guild and not a judge.   I have come over the last two years  to really appreciate those artists that are willing to take the time and effort involved in selecting their choices.  I have seen the Judges truly agonize over some selections that did not make the top 30 that will be in the show.  The judges really do make a effort to pick the best based on Composition, Color and representation of the Parks the artist choose to paint. 

The Last Fly By

The Last Fly By - 24 x 30 This is a commission piece I did on Medical Park Family Care's request for F.Leland Jones MD. I have had the pleasure and honor to have worked together with Dr Jones for almost 30years. Lee not only has been a great boss, he has been a mentor, friend and a big brother to me all these years. I am thrilled for him and Carolyn and their life together in retirement. I will miss you at work. But I thank you for all you have taught me over these years.

3 Plein Air Paintings

Three small Plein Air Paintings from this summer. I have painted these this summer. A color sketch of Homer Beach in May. Cindy Kolstads Flower box and her home. A view of Anchorage from the Small boat harbor in May also.

Stage 6 Homer Bluff Painting

Homer Bluff - Stage 6. - Pretty much done now, will let it dry and take another look in a week. Have to get some more paintings going. Since last point, I reworked the ocean, Homer Spit, and added the close foreground. Went back over and tweeked a number of small areas. The size is 18X36 inches. All comments, critiques and suggestions welcome.

STAGE 6 - WOLVES OF HOMER

Stage 6 of Homer Wolves - After letting it sit for 10 days, I went back and softened the edges on the two wolves in front. Softened the edges of the top of the trees on the ridgeline, and changed the color of the far left ridgeline trees to push it back some and make it less harsh. Now to let it dry and varnish. May make prints of this one.

Homer Bluff Painting Step By Step

Homer Bluff Painting 18 X 36 inches Oil on Canvas
This is a 18X 36 painting based on two pictures I took last March when I had a Art Show there. the first photo demonstrates how I put the two phots together for the reference. The second photo I have created a pencil sketch of the photo onto the
Canvas. The third photo, I have put a undercoating of Napho Red Acrylic paint overtop of my sketch, let it dry, then blocked in the far background, stay very loose at this stage.

Evening With My Wife

Sunset At Beluga Point - 14x18 Oil - Last May on the First Really nice Spring day, my wife Donna and I drove down the Seward Highway to Beluga Point to have a late dinner and watch the Sunset. The Tide was a very low tide, was able to walk around on the mudflats with my dog and enjoy the incredible evening. Donna and I really enjoyed the peace, beauty and scenery. We were not the only ones, quite a few people were there also, including our son Ryan. This painting captures the "emotions" of the scene that evening.

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.

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.