Have you ever forgotten…

Standing in front of the easel while looking at the soothing colors of the countryside forty minutes outside of town. Morning light plays on the mist and highlights the trees. An idea for the composition comes together while squeezing out the cadmium yellow, cerulean blue and carmine onto the palette. Where are the brushes? They [...]

Driving from Alaska to Florida

The unknown is in front of the steering wheel. We left the 8-5 clock behind us and settled in for the ride. We needed gas, lots of it to keep us going through Alaska, over the Rocky Mountains in Canada, across golden fields of grain and south to curl our toes in the sand of [...]

White Nights of Summer in Alaska

8 p.m. Beautiful summer evening. Warm. Clouds dance on the horizon between the patches of blue sky. Cumulonimbus towers above everything else and demands attention. The mountains peak out occasionally from the curtain of clouds. The blue distant hills stand in front. 10 p.m.The low sun pours warm tones over the valley. The aspen tree [...]

The Story Behind a Painting

I start this painting with a sketch using bold colors. I put in the main elements. I want to show brushwork, keep it loose and portray the feeling of the big mountain. This view of the mountain is from inside Denali National Park. There is a road that appears to lead toward the mountain. At [...]

Painting Plein Air with the Pochade

It’s April and it’s spring! The small pochade box makes it easy to grab and do a quick watercolor of the landscape. There is still a little snow on the ground but it is warm in the morning sun. It’s great to be able to paint outside easily again without the watercolor freezing on the [...]

Spring Mountainscape

Spring in Alaska. There is more sunshine. Warm sunshine. Snow is still on the ground but there is the sunshine. It makes all the difference in the world. The nights are still cold and some of the days can be brisk and bite at your skin. But sunshine warms us up and improves our spirits [...]

Get on the Iditarod Trail

Running with Champions by Lisa Frederic takes you to the Iditarod trail. You are not just reading the news releases. You are experiencing the thrills and challenges of the trail. It is an experience of a lifetime. The cold bites your nose and you can feel the adrenalin race. The Iditarod news updates are exciting. [...]

It is Four Below Zero, Time to Think About Warm Ocean Sunsets

It’s four below zero at my studio. Seems like a good time to be painting an ocean sunset. i’ve been cooking on some painting ideas from what I saw a few weeks ago in Florida. I love sunsets and watching the sun set on the ocean is a wonderful treat. I’ve got photos and images [...]

Silver Forest

Frost has silver plated the trees. Every branch is covered. No shadows in the treasure of this solemn forest because the sun is hidden. Quiet tones No bright whites, no deep darks Only silver middle tones reflecting off each other. Waiting. I am staring at the beauty of this forest. The colors and textures seem [...]

Balancing Opacity and Transparency

What does your studio look like? I love to look at pictures of artists studios. I’ve seen hundreds. Historical artists and current artists. Paints, palettes, brushes, canvas makes me want to paint and it gives me ideas on how to organize my studio. My studio. It’s not as organized as it could be. I would [...]

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