painting – Page 2

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.

Going backwards to go forward

April 20, 2015 by alaskanraven

Climbing up the riverbank reveals the remnants of cabins. Each one whispers a different story. Carefully placed logs sink into tundra.

Where should I paint?

A winding path takes me to each home and deepens my understanding. Empty homes. Cherished memories were dust on the windowsills. A mischievous wind carried hints of laughter and joy. But inside the cabins are only cobwebs and dust. It must have been hard to leave this beautiful place when airplanes replaced riverboats in the 1940’s.

We only traveled seven miles down the Koyukuk River but our boat took us back a hundred years. Gordon Bettles chose this site in 1896 to establish his trading post during the gold rush. It was as far as the old riverboats could navigate.

One of the buildings catch my attention. My friend reminisced, “We used to come here on snow machines in the winter and danced all night”. The General Store appeared to bow in acknowledgment. The dance floor had been removed but the old weathered walls held onto memories of festive days.

Her story made my choice of subject matter easy. I firmly plant my easel in front of the General Store and spill all the contents of my bag onto the ground. Paint tubes, palette, brushes, water, clips, mosquito repellant, sunblock. I went right to work. Old bottles peek at me from the windows. I study the weathered sheet metal and signage. Fireweed dance in the breeze along with the golden birch leaves. A perfect day to soak up local color and paint wildly on a sunny September day in Old Bettles.

Spending the day here made me feel close to the people who had lived in Old Bettles. I don’t know them by name but I feel a kinship from spending time behind an easel in the shadow of their homes on the Koyukuk River. I share that connection with you.

Beaver Dam

May 23, 2014 by alaskanraven

I drove thirty nine miles out of town this week and did an oil ‘sketch’ of a pond and beaver dam. Painting is a great excuse to sit quietly and enjoy the landscape while surrounded by bird songs and watching ducks float by. The light kept changing as the sun hid or came out from behind the clouds. I was intrigued by this beaver construction but didn’t get to see the architect that day.

Evening stroll

May 15, 2014 by alaskanraven

Quackers was bored in Creamer’s Field Monday evening. He and his mate came over to the parking lot to see what was going on. They waddled around along the edge in the grass and then onto the concrete. I was worried they might get hit by a car, but no, they were careful and then waddled back to the field. They just wanted to go for an evening stroll.

Oil painting, mallard duck — 8″x10″ oil painting by Raven, Fairbanks, Alaska USA

Last of the Ice

May 6, 2014 by alaskanraven

I finished one of my paintings from the North Fork of the Chena in the studio last week. I needed to adjust the colors and brushstrokes a little bit since it’s hard to see when I’m painting on location.
The blue water and deep shadows contrasting with the bright white ice attracted me to the subject. I wanted to paint the ‘last of the ice’. It melted as I painted so I had to move fast. The muted orangeish-red tones of the willow and alder contrasted nicely with the dark spruce.

Painting Plein Air
April 23, 2014
Spent the day at the North Fork of the Chena watching ice flow by while painting. 39.4 Chena Hot Springs Road. Warm sunshine and huge mosquitoes. The first mosquitoes are very slow so it wasn’t too bothersome. It was a perfectly beautiful day.