Spring time on Springer Loop Road

Earlier this summer I had the wonderful experience of painting en plein air with Caleb Stone an east coast artist and workshop teacher. We painted mostly in the country side surrounding the community of Palmer. Palmer is located in the Mat-Su Valley farm country and is renowned for its giant vegetables that grow to unbelievable sizes under our endless summer sun. This area was first settled during the Great Depression by volunteer farmers from the Midwest who were brought to Alaska by the government. While many of the farms have been sold and turned into subdivisions there are still some great opportunities to paint the “Valley”. Almost every scene includes the beautiful Mountains that outline this area. The most predominate mountain is called Pioneer Peak and is the mountain featured in this painting which I call “Spring time on Springer Loop Road”. Oil 8" x 10"

Skiff, Knysna South Africa

We visited South Africa last November. It was a trip of a lifetime. I have hundreds of photos I took of animals with the thought in mind that I would one day paint them, however, the first painting I completed of our trip is of this little skiff that I spotted on the tidelands as we waited for a ferry to take us to the Featherbed Nature Reserve in Knysna. Knysna is a natural paradise of lush forests and beautiful beaches. She is nestled on the banks of a breathtakingly beautiful lagoon which is now a marine reserve. The Featherbed Reserve isn’t a big five reserve but offers incredible views of the Headlands and if you are a bird lover a chance to see the Knysna Lorie.
6" x 6" oil

Old Forest Service Truck

So much for trying to post a couple times a week. I probably should modify that statement and say I'll try to post a couple of times a month. I did finish another old vehicle painting. 5" x 7" of an old forest service truck I photographed about three years ago. Once again we were visiting a national park. This time it was the Great Basin National Park in Nevada. The name of this park is deceiving. I always thought the Great Basin was the low desert pans in Nevada and indeed it is but the park is located in a very high altitude area of Nevada. We camped there at about 8,000 ft. and hiked to about 11,000 feet to see the bristlecone pine forest where 3-4,000 year old trees flourish. If serenity is what you are looking for, visiting a national park in the summer is not the ideal place to go unless it is to the Great Basin National Park. We were virtually alone at this beautiful part of Nevada in the middle of August. The park has wonderful trails, a natural cavern, and of course the amazing Bristlecones. Morning temperatures were chilly so if you go to camp be sure to take warm clothing. The park is located about 5 miles from the small quaint town of Baker. There are many amusing roadside things to see as you drive up to the entrance of the park including an old vehicle driven by the skeletal remains of a horse. I would put the Great Basin National Park on your list of must see places.

Old Logger - Gustavus, Alaska

A few years ago Roger, my husband, and I decided to visit our National Parks as long as we could travel and enjoy them. What better place to start than in Alaska where we spend the summers. The National Parks are difficult to reach in this state, but one is well rewarded for their efforts. Such was the case when we traveled by air to Gustavus near Juneau, Alaska to visit Glacier Bay National Park. We stayed at a friendly B & B in Gustavus during our visit. Just down the road from our B & B was a golf course. I know this might seem rather strange to anyone who has visited this area of Alaska as it is located in a rain forest and therefore rains most days of the year. Generally golf and rain don't mix and I admit no one was golfing at the time. Golfing isn't our game but we do love to take walks. We were not spared the rain but we enjoyed ourselves just the same. At the Gustavus Golf Course they mark the holes with old vehicles from the by-gone era of the old mining and logging days. I immediately fell in love with this old logging truck with it's final log still attached to the bed. I knew some day I would paint it so I took several photos to jog my memory. The results of this painting are posted here. You can see the golf course green behind the logger. Put Glacier Bay National Park on your list of places to visit. You won't regret it even if it rains.

Here is a small painting I completed yesterday. It is titled The Get Away Car and is located at a geocache in Huston Alaska. My husband, Roger, and I enjoy geocaching when not busy with other things. This was a recent find named "The Get Away Car". I has been sitting in the woods for a very long time and has been riddled with bullet holes. Reminded one of the boot legging days. It was a lot of fun to paint in a small format 5"x 7". Hope you enjoy it.