Arctic Evening

Here is another image inspired by my Gates of the Arctic trip this summer.  This caribou skull was on the gravel bar at our first campsite.  You can just see Mt. Igikpak in the background.  Tallest peak in the park, it is the source of the Noatak River which was our playground for 2 wonderful weeks.  

Barely Noticed

He barely noticed us anyway.  We certainly noticed him!  This big grizzly came up over the edge of the canyon very close to where we were sitting much to the surprise of all.  Fortunately he was not offended by our presence and sauntered casually by.  Locking eyes with a grizzly this close definitely makes a strong impression.  I remember how long and golden tipped his thick coat was, ruffling in the breeze.  I've painted him at a much safer distance since I don't have any bear spray here in the studio.

Heirloom Eggplant

Here's another go at my market treasures from this weekend.  Better, I think, but I still have a ways to go to get them right.  I don't know what got in to me about the ground, they are sitting on a fun napkin that I have.  I decided it would be a good challenge to see if I could render it without going crazy.... hm, probably too late for that anyway. 

NotYourOrdinaryEggplant

I went to the farmer's market yesterday and couldn't resist this interestingly colored eggplant, not mention it's "appendages".

Cranberries

This is some of what makes up all that glorious local color on the tundra.  The cranberries are ripe and delicious on morning cereal or on top of dinner's no-bake cheesecake, yum!  The other spidery looking plant is Labrador Tea which, in the mild climate of Washington can grow several feet high, but in the arctic habitat it is found huddled near the ground.  There is also moss and lichen included to feed the caribou.

Local Color

OK, here you go on your adventure down the Noatak River in arctic Alaska.  Your trip may not be exactly in the order that I experienced it.... this is further down river than where we started, but you will hopefully get a feel for the place anyway.  I just want you to know that I am NOT making up these colors, they will hurt your eyes, you may need sunglasses.  Enjoy the trip.

Sheep Skull on the Noatak

There's a story here and I'm back to tell it.  I have been away in Alaska for the last several weeks, participating in the Artist in Residence program at Gates of the Arctic National Park, This first painting from that adventure shows a Dall sheep skull found near our first camp spot. Our party of 4, including two incredibly knowledgeable and patient park rangers and two artists in residence (aka. AIR heads) was dropped into the Noatak River drainage by float plane to see what we could see.   We saw a lot!  It's so very comforting to know that a magnificent wild land still persists way up here north of the arctic circle, you'll see more of it coming up in this blog.  I hope you'll enjoy sharing my adventure.