Aurora Morning

I may have been a little late to work today after spending a few minutes watching the aurora this morning...how could you not stop to watch the northern lights!   I could even see them from my office downtown, it has to be one of the best perks of life in Alaska.

From last fall, this morning was waaaaaay better!

Happy Holidays!

OK, so I've violated my blog rule of posting at least every other week...if anyone out there is checking this periodically I apologize either for wasting your time or not (your pick depending on your web outlook).   Not a lot new art-wise recently, the Alaska Railroad 2016 Print signings are over and it's been a lot of holiday fun lately.  Along with holiday sickness running thru the studio.   But I got a cool present for my birthday that will allow me to see who's been lurking around the yard-a new trail camera.  After catching beautiful photos of the UPS truck and my neighbors driving by, I moved the camera caught this on Boxing Day:

 

Now I know who poops on the lawn.  And occasionally the drive way.

Weekend Doings

Lots of things going on this weekend for me.   First I'll be in Fairbanks this Friday at the Depot off of the Johansen Expressway (take Danby, look for the signs) for a First Friday Print & Poster Signing from 4 to 7:30.  This will be the final signing event where you can meet me, get your print personalized, and poster signed.  Should be fun!

Not the Fairbanks Depot, but Nenana's Station is pretty cool too.

On Saturday I'll be at Lake Otis Elementary in Anchorage at their Holiday Craft Show with cards, prints, and featuring bird ornaments.   This is one stop shopping for cards in that this is pretty much the way to buy any of the cards & holiday prints if you are in the southcentral Alaska region from me.  Moose & porcupine cards can be bought from the Alaska Zoo at the gift shop (outside the main entrance) and I highly encourage anyone to shop there too and support the zoo's mission.

 

Yes, I know the BlogSpot address is spelled wrong.

 

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!    Hope you had a great day!  Now on with the next holiday...

Saturday at the Anchorage Depot

This Saturday from 10-2, The Alaska Railroad will have a signing event for the 2016 print and yours truly will be on hand to sign anything you would like (keep it PG-13).  Last weekend in Houston went great, thanks to everyone who came out and braved to cool weather  and to the Houston High School "Go Hawks!" for hosting.   I met some nice folks who loved the print.  I'll be in Fairbanks on December 4th for the last event.


Why did I paint SD70MAC #4321?  Because it was there.

 

And a little history, today marks the 153rd Anniversary of one of the "greatest speeches of national purpose", a two minute speech given while the speaker was suffering from the precursors to smallpox.  A speech which is, among others, directly quoted in the constitution of France "gouvernement du peuple, par le peuple et pour le peuple" ("government of the people, by the people, and for the people").   In light of recent events, I thought it appropriate to remember the Gettysburg Address:

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

 

Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, November 19th, 1863

Holiday Card Painting & Alaska Railroad Poster

Yes, I do have a lovely view of the apartment building outside my window.

Just a quick look at the poster, it's actually a really nice size at 16" x 20"...seen hanging in my office so I can lament every day over all the little things I wish I could change in the original painting.   What can I say, some of us are just never satisfied, and some of us are just too neurotic.  And I'll be in Houston, ALASKA (people outside always think I'm headed to Texas) on Saturday at the high school from 10-2 to sign posters, prints are already signed but I'll sign it again if you like. 

And I've finally completed this year's holiday card painting featuring our favorite wolf pack from the Alaska Zoo. The plan is to have cards available for purchase soon so that you can wow friends and families with a cool and unique card and then bore them to tears with all the inane ramblings we love put inside about everyday life over the past year. 

Who am I kidding, we all love to read those inane ramblings inside cards!

"Happy Howlidays"

Happy Veteran's Day



Why walk when you can ride?  Me in Sperwan Ghar, Khandahar, Afghanistan 2006



From this vet to all of the other veterans and their families who put up with them out there, hope you have a great Veterans Day!

 

Also the Alaska Railroad Gift Shop should be selling the 2016 Print & Poster any day now.  They already have pins for sale.

http://alaskarailroadgiftshop.com/store/

 

Cheers.