Alaskan Raven Studio

Art in Alaska. Story of an Alaskan artist.

  • About Raven
  • Paintings and Prints
  • Ravenistas
  • Studio
  • in private collections
  • raven ramblings outside the studio window

Big Bear Update

October 20, 2015 by alaskanraven

I have a New Big Goal. It excites me. It is daunting and a little frightening. I’m not even sure how it will be accomplished but the thought of it thrills me.

I want to paint BIG polar bears.
My first thought was to paint a large bear on the outside of my house. I may still do that but right now I am focused on creating large 6′ x 4′ panels.

I’ll need to use my big brushes. Claude Monet used to tape his brushes to long tree branches so he could stand back and paint his water lilies. Hmmmm.

I need space. I’ve cleared many things out of my studio. I am ruthless with all the stuff that accumulates.

My goal may take a year to accomplish but it is a good challenge.

I recently completed a 4′ canvas with a large bruin luxuriating in the snow. My bears are growing larger and larger with daring brushstrokes. I’m pushing the color to portray the wildness. I’m eager to see where the pursuit takes me.

I’m still painting bears that are a more traditional size. I may even do some mini ones just to keep things interesting.

My big bears won’t be living on standard canvas. I’ve discovered a new fabric this summer that I am experimenting with right now. I’ll share more about this development later.

"Polar Energy" 24" x 36"
“Polar Energy”
24″ x 36″

Moving forward. He’s coming right at us. I love the interaction of the colors and the feeling of electricity in the air.

"Arctic Extremes" 24" x 18"
“Arctic Extremes”
24″ x 18″

The deep dark cold contrasting with the warm sunlight and warmth from the polar bear’s body is the subject of this painting. He must generate warmth to fight off the arctic temperatures.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Alaska, animal, arctic, bear, paint, painting, paintwildly, polar bears

What’s New?

Receive the inside scoop of what’s happening in Studio Notes,

Raven Ramblings

Shipment arrives

“Sterling, look at that!” “Look at what, Felix?” “That huge box. From Canada.” “Looks like the artist received another shipment of Kroma paint. Watch, she’ll spend the rest of the day arranging it in her studio. All those tubes of paint go in some sort of order.” “Paint? What is that?” “Paint is color. She […]

Edges are important

“Sterling, What is the artist doing now?” “What do you mean, Felix?” “She spends lots of time brushing paint on the sides of her painting. The edges. You know what I mean?” “She makes changes on it when she changes the front of the painting. The sides appear to be important to her.” “But why?” […]

More Adventures

contact me with questions or comments

Alaskan Raven Studio
PO Box 80231
Fairbanks, Alaska 99708
USA
alaskanblackbird@yahoo.com

 

Represented by:
Well Street Art Co.
1302 Well Street
Fairbanks, Alaska
907 452-6169

Stephan Fine Arts
939 West 5th Ave.
Anchorage, Alaska 99501
USA
(907) 274-5009
http://www.stephanfinearts.com/

more about Raven

I ventured to Alaska before there was an oil pipeline and fell in love with the gnarly spruce trees, intense weather and mountains I could touch. Very different from the landscape in St. Louis. I was looking for different. The spruce trees: those scraggy, wizened, lanky conifers danced onto the first page of my sketch […]

  • About Raven
  • Paintings and Prints
  • Ravenistas
  • Studio

Copyright © 2025 · Modern Portfolio Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in