Juneau Mini paintings

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These are each 2.5×3.5 inches. They are so much fun to paint! I guess I have always liked detail. The fun thing is, they look very detailed (they are for the size) but in fact I do have to minimize how much detail there is.

Mini Landscapes

loop-rd I have decided to try selling some mini paintings. These are very difficult to photograph clearly but I did my best at this point. Each of these are 2×4 inches. I do not plan to frame them because they are stretched canvas and I painted around the edges. I do plan to add some sort of ribbon or hanger to show how they   cauke-bayould be used as ornaments. They   also look really cute on the mini easels that are available.

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Foggy Morning at Mendenhall Glacier

img_2716-512x640This beautiful place is Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, AK. I am fortunate to live just within a few miles. My husband and I love to take morning walks here and we were blesses on this particular morning with this spectacular view. I really love how the distant peak is the only area receiving the warmth of the morning sun. This type of contrast of sunlight and shadow is what really inspires me. It is a challenge to capture that light.

Walk to Mendenhall

IMG_0805Another morning walk to Mendenhall Glacier. It is beautiful no matter what the weather. On this morning the fog was just clearing. I liked the warm reds on the peaks contrasted with the deep purple in the shadow from another mountain. And of course the little bits of left over fog are always interesting. This is a 5×7 oil on canvas…mostly meant to be a study of the light effects.

Mendenhall Loop Road II

IMG_0806This is the valley in Juneau where I live. It is the main road that goes to the glacier. In the summertime there is a constant stream of tour buses that run from the cruise ships downtown out to the Mendenhall Glacier. This is the road they take. On a clear day, when you get to this point it can be so beautiful that it makes your heart leap! Tourists must have their jaws drop as they approach. It is about 4 miles from this point but you cannot wait to get there to see it when you are given this glimpse beforehand. I have also painted this a couple times trying to get the values just right. The mountain is difficult to get just right. It seems darker than you have to paint it in order to put it into the distance. I’m learning ( =

Brotherhood Cabin

IMG_9628This is a little cabin in Juneau, Alaska. I’m not sure if it has an official name but we call it Brotherhood cabin. It is located right on the side of the road but its backdrop is Mendenhall Glacier. It is not directly at the base of the glacier but almost appears to be. Therefore it is always an interesting  view. Sometimes the Glacier is beaming in the sunshine and the cabin is shaded. Or sometimes the Glacier will be cloaked in fog and there will be a beam of sun shining on the little cabin. In this shot, I liked how cool the grasses and Glacier were yet there was a nice swath of warm grasses and shrubs. If you are not familiar with the area, you could not tell that the Glacier is in the background. I was not able to make it fit in a picture of this size, but I’d like to do it in a larger size and put it in.

Early Morning Glacier View

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This is a little painting of one of my favorite views. It is looking toward Mendenhall Glacier where my husband and I walk all the time. On this particular morning, the silhouetted trees stood out to me. And I just love the cool colors of the green and blue background. I also like that there is a little bit of balance to all the cool colors with the warm reflection tones (of almost orange) coming in from the lower left corner of the picture towards the center.

Cool Colors of a Glacier

IMG_9484This is Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, Alaska. It is only 4 miles from my home, and a favorite destination for walks. I particularly enjoy how many blues there are here. Blue is my favorite color, and they are so beautifully displayed in the mountains here! I tried to add some warmth to the sandy areas to balance the cool. It might even need a bit more warmth.