In September of 1999, my wife Rose and I traveled to Alaska for the first time. My purpose was to run in the Klondike Road Relay, but I also brought pen and paper and did several black-and-white sketches of what we saw. Returning home, I used them to produce six mountain paintings, five of which you see below.
The first three below are of Denali, also known as Mount McKinley. I began with a traditional watercolor approach, then followed with two acrylic paintings: one using brush strokes (already sold), another using a pallet knife. By the time I produced the final painting, third below, I was back solidly in the Pop Art camp. Not quite Roy Lichtenstein, but he would recognize the source.
The final two paintings are two versions of another mountain scene, this one along the course of the Klondike Relay. The smaller version is a preliminary sketch for the larger version in which I experimented with a different technique, including even splatter-painting. I liked the result, and the response from the "public" also has been good. Will I now abandon Pop Art for this new style? The jury is still out.
DENALI 1: Watercolor: 20 by 16 inches. Elegantly framed. Aside from the sketches done in Alaska, this was the first preliminary sketch that resulted in the final painting. But there is nothing "preliminary" about this. It succeeds as a finished work of art. The gals at The Framing Station in Michigan City did a great job with this. Note the oval matting. The frame itself is silver. This watercolor currently hangs in our dining room. $250
DENALI 3: (Preliminary) Acrylic on canvas: 20 by 16 inches. Framed. While doing these mountain paintings during the fall of 1999, I was taking several art classes. My teachers included Neil Kienitz and Connie Kasal. I worked on each of the Denali paintings in each of the classes. This was actually my third version of the mountain, the second one having already sold. There is a nice rustic frame around this. Given the price, this may be the "bargain" among the Denali paintings. $150
DENALI 4: (Final version) Acrylic on canvas: 2 feet by 3 feet; wraparound canvas with art (including artist's signature) continuing around the edge. Some of my paintings work better than others and, after three versions, I feel I really nailed it with this final one. I'm very proud of this as an artist. Neil and Connie were particularly helpful in guiding my choice of line and color, although nothing about this painting reflects their approach to art. Sometimes good teachers inspire as much as they teach. $800
DENALI 1, 3 & 4: (Preliminaries & final version). All three paintings for $1,000
ALASKAN LANDSCAPE: (Preliminary) Acrylic on canvas. 20 by 24 inches. Unframed. I also worked on this painting while taking the art classes mentioned above during the fall of 1999. But the style I chose for both the preliminary and final version is nothing near that of the Denali paintings. I experimented with a technique I learned in an earlier class from watercolor artist David Langley in which acrylic paints are used almost as though they were watercolors. $250
ALASKAN LANDSCAPE 2: (Final version) Acrylic on canvas: 30 by 40 inches; wraparound canvas with art (including artist's signature) continuing around the edge. This is a more finished version of the preliminary painting also shown. I used what I learned doing the preliminary to complete the final, larger version. I like it and so does everybody else who has seen it. $500
ALASKAN LANDSCAPES: (Preliminary & final version). Both paintings for $600