Alaskan Adventure: Skagway, Alaska

Leaving Sitka, our ship cruised overnight to Skagway.  

When we awoke, we were traveling up a gorgeous, misty fjord.

Mountains with snowy tops, green forested slopes and rocky shores felt close enough to touch.

We turned a corner to find civilization -- a dock tucked between mountains.  

I started the day sketching this scene of white-topped peaks right off our balcony.

Midday, we boarded the White Pass & Yukon Scenic Railway for a 3-hour climb to summit White Pass.

The charming old cars had platforms fore and aft, and we were allowed to stand on them to take photos of the amazing scenery.

We rose up through the lower forests,

passing countless waterfalls of rushing snowmelt,

and rising up 3,000 feet to witness spectacular vistas.

Topping out above the treeline, the air felt cold & crisp, 

and the train looped back to return to town and the port.

 

I feel like I could paint these scenes forever.  The beauty of Alaska is breathtaking!

If you find inspiration in these scenes of the Alaskan wilderness, I hope you'll use them as reference photos to draw and paint from.

Happy Creating!

The White Pass & Yukon Scenic Railway

The second port on our Alaskan cruise was Skagway, home to the historic White Pass & Yukon Scenic Railway.  In 1897-98, the railway carried prospectors to the Yukon. 

Nowadays it carries tourists up 3,000 feet to White Pass, then loops back and returns to the cruise ship dock.  After leaving the Skagway town limits, the conductor allows riders to step out into the fresh air on the platform in the front or the back of the train car and take photos.

Our journey on this historic train ride was memorable.  The scenery was stunning.  We took loads of photos, and afterwards, I picked this photo to paint from.  Sketching and painting brought back to me how cold and clear the air was, how bright the sun was, and how many times I was awed by the view.

I began with a pencil sketch, then inked my pencil lines in with my Lamy Joy fountain pen.

I added watercolors from my Winsor & Newton travel kit. 

Phthalo blue mixed with burnt Sienna created the dark pine green of the hemlocks and spruces.

Here's the finished piece.

I love how painting or sketching a scene locks in the memory of the day, the place, the event.  When I look at this, I recall how breathtaking the views were around every turn, and the black bear that lumbered alongside our train for a short distance like a dog.

What scenes from your life would you like to keep in your memory?  I hope you sketch or paint them.

Happy Creating!

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