May 20th, 2008 Siobhan
In 48 hours I’m moving away from Alaska.
Part of me is happy to be going to a place where it doesn’t get below 20F often and one doesn’t have to shovel out in the winter or worry about avalanches, volcanic eruptions, frozen pipes and automobiles or getting stomped on and/or mauled by wildlife.
Another part of me is sad to leave a place of such breathtaking beauty. This place fills up my soul through my eyes.
Living in Alaska pushed my work into areas that I said that I would never go, mainly into landscape.
I don’t know how I could have avoided landscape work living here. Every day brought a different and more intensely beautiful vista, even in the middle of town.
I think it’s all about the light. There is a color of light that’s pervasive here that is usually reserved for a few fleeting days in the very early spring in environments further south. It’s a sort of pinky- golden color and being as there are so many white barked birches , it’s reflected back everywhere. In the winter even snow dumps acquire alpine glow. Add to that the extended sunsets (hours and hours!) and well, even the big 64 box of crayons wouldn’t be sufficient to render it. The sky is always doing something utterly amazing.
One thing that I found impossible in working on the Northshore series was capturing the sheer magnitude of the larger views. Trying to catch color as it was ended up looking garish on the page. Seriously…the color is so very intense that even photography doesn’t seem to quite catch it or ends up looking less than, well, real.
There is not a film on the planet that can even approximate the living blue of glacial ice.
It seems that Alaska will not allow itself to be taken out of context.
In response to this I ended up focusing on small moments rather than the grand view.
This is an example of that and is the last piece in the Northshore Series:
Barnacles, Bladderwrack and Basalt
Mixed media on Paper 2008
Okay before you say “gee it looks just like a photograph” Look here:
Barnacles, Bladderwrack and Basalt detail
Mixed Media on Paper 2008
I’ve heard Alaska described as brutal, savage, and uncompromising. I think it’s more supremely indifferent. It has an extreme and vital sense to it that is separate from human doings. The place thunders under ones feet.
I’ll miss it….except for when the mercury hits -50.
Posted in Fine Art, Life in General, Northshores, art, new work | No Comments » | Viewed 451 Times
May 16th, 2008 Siobhan
I’ve had a web gallery on Imagekind for a little over a year now, as have countless thousands of others.
Imagekind does very high quality prints at reasonable price points. Gotta love that.
As of this morning I was chosen to be a featured artist! This is a big deal to me as there are so many very talented people with their stuff posted on Imagekind and very very few are selected to be Featured Artists.
You can check it here
woohoo!
Posted in Fine Art, Photography, Prints, art | No Comments » | Viewed 462 Times
May 13th, 2008 Siobhan
I’m a total snob when it comes to my ice cream. Even more so now that I’ve gone GFCF.
Most of the rice and soy creams out there are pretty rank. It seems that if one doesn’t eat dairy one requires copious amounts of sugar.
Not so with Good Karma desserts, which I glibly call my favorite Rice Cream. It’s smooth and has the unctuous mouth feel of full fat dairy ice cream. It’s not too sweet. It has add ins like chocolate cookies…..
AND it’s organic, gfcf and works for sustainable farming practices.
What’s not to like?
You can access the company’s website here for more information about their products
Posted in autism | No Comments » | Viewed 370 Times
May 2nd, 2008 Siobhan
When I was in college my art professor suggested that there needed to be 2 people working on any given painting. One to paint the thing and another to stand over the artists shoulder and smack him or her repeatedly with a stick at the appropriate moment screaming: It’s done It’s done It’s done DON’T TOUCH IT! 
I always have to fight the urge to judge my past work by current standards and the subsequent urge to rework a piece. Repeatedly. To the death.
The question is, is it ever appropriate to do so?
I have to be very careful about allowing myself that liberty. It IS however, at least in my world, OCCASIONALLY warranted.
I’ve just completely reworked a piece that I had deemed finished in 2005. Why?
Well after spending 6 months closely observing the Northern Lights I felt I could do the subject more justice without ruining the feeling of ‘wildness’ of the piece. In short, without overworking and waxing too technical, reworking with restraint. HA! No sticks or shouting required.
If you’re interested in taking a look, the piece has been posted here
I welcome your comments and opinions. Feedback helps me to be a better artist!
Posted in Fine Art, art, new work | No Comments » | Viewed 420 Times
