Born from a Golden Clutch - 9 x 6" - Watercolor, pen, and acrylic.
Nizina River-Path to Dreams - 9 x 6"- Inkjet print, gouache, acrylic, and pencil.
A couple of days ago I wrote about how I just got off a 22-day expedition on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. When I got home, one of my first tasks was to get back in the studio and finish off two pieces for an exhibit about gold for the Well Street Art Company in Fairbanks. The only requirement for the show, which is organized by Elizabeth Eero Irving, was that the images use shiny gold color. I used a Lascaux Artist Metallic acrylic paint with watercolor, gouache, and drawing materials. I wanted to make something in my illustrative style but that uses symbolism and tells more of a story about gold and land use. In particular I wanted to reference the place where I live on the Nizina River, which hosts active gold mines today as well as a historic overland route to the Yukon. The first painting show gold nuggets in a nest of a tree swallow. When I think about the Nizina River watershed I think a lot of the ducks that I see migrating down the river in the fall when the gold miners are hauling freight. Swallows often line their nests with duck feathers so that is how I decided on that image. The second painting is laid over top of a topographic map showing river rocks and gold nuggets strung together along the Nizina River. The show opens today, Friday, December 2nd, and will be up for the month of December. It features work by over 40 Alaskan artists. You should check it out if you happen to be in Fairbanks.