Alaskan Adventure: Misty Fjord National Monument

Misty Fjord National Monument was the final wilderness stop on our Alaskan cruise.  We awoke to misty peaks and Orcas swimming nearby.

As we sailed up through the narrow fjords, we could see rivulets of snowmelt cascading down the steep slopes.

As we departed the  Misty Fjord Monument area, we passed by this peculiar rock jutting up from the fjord.

A pair of Bald Eagles had made a nest at the top of the rock.

Imagine having a home with a view like this!

I hope these photos inspire you to create a drawing or painting.

Happy Creating!

A Watercolor Sketch of Alaska

I have this image as my screen saver, and every time I look at it, I get the peaceful feeling of awakening on board the Queen Elizabeth, sailing through the crisp Alaskan wilderness to Icy Strait Point.  

I instantly feel relaxed & invigorated.

As I awoke on a recent morning, the image of a green swoosh in a blue field came to mind.  I had programmed this image into my creative thinking, and now was the time to paint it.

 I opened my laptop. I pulled out my paints and a sample of New York Central Supply 100% cotton watercolor paper (140#).  I didn't tape it down or make a pencil sketch.  My goal was just to play & sketch. 

I mixed colors: 

• phthalo blue and new gamboge yellow for the hillside; 
• phthalo blue, burnt umber and a touch of alizarin crimson for the shadows; and 
• pure phthalo blue for the sky peeking through the clouds.

It felt good to explore the Alaskan coast again.

Your vacation photos, or other favorite pics can provide a treasure trove of material to paint or draw from.  

What memories would you like to revisit? 

As you return to your favorite place or time to create, remind yourself that you are not a camera, and you don't have to make your drawing or painting "perfect." 

As an artist, you will create your version of the photo.  That's the goal!

I hope you find inspiration to create today.

Happy Creating!

Alaskan Adventure: Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska

Our fourth stop on our Alaskan adventure was Glacier Bay National Park, something we had been looking forward to since booking our cruise.

 

We spent the entire day in Glacier Bay National Park, picking up a team of rangers at the entrance to the park, and proceeding up the bay to stop at the Johns Hopkins Glacier and the Margerie Glacier.

The morning mists veiled distant icy peaks as we sailed into the heart of 3.3 million acres of pristine wilderness. 

The sun soon burned off the fog and mist, uncloaking jagged, snow-covered peaks and icy blue water.

For the first time on the trip, passengers were allowed out on observation decks 4 & 5, which are crew spaces. 

The views were spectacular.

Approaching the glaciers, you could see chunks of ice floating on the bay.  

Harbor Seals  took refuge with their pups on these "bergy bits," and Sea Otters floated with their babies on their tummies.

The Margerie Glacier, a river of ice flowing from Canada to the US, was stunning.

We spotted a Grizzly Bear not far from the glacier.  All around us was pristine wilderness, unimaginably beautiful.

Smaller vessels carried tourists to the foot of the Johns Hopkins Glacier, giving a sense of scale to the massive stacks of ice.

You can see how the glacier flows like a river, just much more slowly.

Do you feel inspired by the landscape?  I hope you'll draw or paint using these photos as your reference.

Many thanks to David of Long Story Short Photography for use of these photos.

Happy Creating!

Alaskan Adventure: Icy Strait Point, Alaska

My favorite day of the whole trip was spent in the coastal temperate rainforest of Icy Strait Point, our third port.

Our ship docked right next to a beautiful forest with an easy-to-walk nature trail that ran through the woods.

The rocky coast was rich with a variety of colors, shapes and textures.

Earthy yellow kelp along the shore caught my eye.

I spent most of my time in the woods, along the nature trail, sitting on a bench painting or walking slowly through the forest.  

I asked an employee about bears, and he said that they hadn't seen any in the last 2 weeks.  The trail was well traveled by tourists while I spent time there, so I felt safe.  Still, I made noise and kept a sense of awareness about my surroundings.

Entering the woods, you could see towering hemlocks and spruces, rich vegetation, and moss everywhere.

Western Columbine was blooming.  June is the best time to go for wildflower watching.

The earth underfoot was soft and spongy with decaying wood.

Bunchberries bloomed on the forest floor.

Fallen trees hosted new life springing up from their roots and surfaces

Blueberry bushes grew much larger than eastern varieties.

Deer heart's glossy heart-shaped leaves seem to call out to be drawn.

You can see the ocean out beyond the forest.

The crooked tree with the craggy limbs in the background of this scene above drew my eye in, and I sketched it at the bottom right of my page.

Sometimes the tiny things in a larger scene tell a story of their own.

Hours spent sitting in a forest, forest bathing, was more relaxing than a spa day for me, and gave me a chance to fill several pages with sketches and paintings.

I hope you'll take inspiration from some of these photos and create artworks of your own.

Happy Creating!