Alaska – Page 4

Floppy

April 9, 2014 by alaskanraven

Floppy was a moose with an attitude. With good reason. One ear lay limp on the side of her head. Permanently damaged, presumably from wolves. The scars on her face were evidence of the battles she had survived.

She almost always had a calf by her side. Every year, a new calf.
I had to include a calf in my painting of Floppy. But only a shadow. A few brushstrokes in the woods because the painting is not about calves.

Every appearance of this flop-eared moose made us smile. It was heartening to know she survived another winter. Winters aren’t easy for moose in Alaska and we know that she endured many. Her greying hair was an emblem of her remarkable strength.

Floppy wasn’t afraid of anyone or anything anymore. If she was in the road, it was better to wait until she felt like moving. She was known to charge cars, trucks, dogs, people… anything that aggravated her. She had been through it all and didn’t have time for any foolishness. I saw the look in her eye, and I could see her story. I waited for her to move into the woods before I tried to drive any further.

We looked forward to her visits and watched her amble through in her own sweet time. Her antagonistic nature seemed acceptable and even a little bit charming because of what she had been through. Isn’t that interesting? It makes me wonder if we wouldn’t be more patient with each other if we wore our wounds on the outside like Floppy did.

Floppy doesn’t come around anymore but I like to think about her. She gives me courage. She faced life straight on and didn’t let fear hamper her.

STEPS IN BUILDING THE PAINTING

More information about this painting here.

What’s new on the easel?

April 9, 2014 by alaskanraven

I’ve been painting large full size sheets of Arches watercolor 300# CP paper. Luxurious thick paper that holds color and brushstroke beautifully. Throwing paint, splattering, letting the pigment fly and blend. Summer pictures of cranes. Lots of sunshine.

mixed media 22" x 30" paintings by © Raven, USA — mixed media
22″ x 30″
painted by © Raven, USA

Snow? what snow?

April 7, 2014 by alaskanraven

I am ignoring the white stuff that has accumulated outside of the window and instead I’m thinking about summer, and sandhill cranes and blue water ponds and oranges and warm…… “Walking Away”, 22″ x 30″ transparent watercolor, by Raven (c) 2014, Fairbanks, Alaska USA

In the studio

January 24, 2014 by alaskanraven

A cup of tea and a window full of trees entertains me.

Sunshine splashes yellow-orange light on the aspen. Spruce stand back and don’t get involved.
Umber-cerulean and purple in the shadows. Many colors in the shadow.

Graceful branches reach to the sky.

Reddish wintery hue of trees in the distance. Hard to get that color right. It shimmers as a reddish-purple-orange tint, totally dependent on what’s around it.

Hill and Sky
Cerulean blue hill plays with the yellowish sky color at the horizon. Melodic and peaceful. The sky becomes deeper blue higher and higher. More red and less yellow in the blue.

Colors reveal themselves. The subtleties become obvious.
The landscape is alive.
Colors dance with possibilities.
I want to capture them in paint.

Unleash Your Creativity

January 12, 2014 by alaskanraven

Paintings are fun to look at. They evoke all kinds of emotions and help us see our world in different ways.

A painting can be YOUR inspiration
Be on the lookout for paintings that make you want to do YOUR own art. You might express your creativity in baking, gardening, carpentry or even designing rockets.
Whatever your choice of self expression:
1) find paintings that inspire you to create.
2) buy the painting(s)
and
3) put them in a prominent place in your home or office.

Why?
It will put a smile on your face and enthusiasm in your morning routine. Invest in yourself. That is a good investment. Buy art that you like, don’t let others influence your decision. Choose art that speaks to you.

Would you like other ways to jump start your creativity?
-Stop waiting until you feel inspired
-Everyone is creative. That side often gets shut down early in our life. Bring it back to life.
-Play in the “creative sandbox”. There is no right or wrong way.
-Treat yourself kindly.
-Commit fifteen minutes every day. Or make it five minutes if that seems more doable. The point is to spend a few minutes every day focused on your creative passion. If it evolves into more time, bonus. But five minutes every day will evolve into great achievement. I promise.
-Keep it fun and be open to innovation.
-Keep focused on doing it. That is the accomplishment. Give yourself the freedom to not expect to like the final product.
-Celebrate the fact that you simply played. It gets the mind to work.
-Paint wildly!

Find out more about this painting here