Exhibitions

Blue, Front and Center; This Patch of Ground; Orange, Orange

The Venue, Fairbanks – Art Auction for Fairbanks Children’s Museum Fundraiser – July 2023

A botanical selection . . .

Snowflakes of a Different Color

Bear Gallery, Fairbanks – Fairbanks Arts Membership Exhibition – July 2023

A continuation of my fascination with snowflakes . . . .

The Morel of the Story, How Many Meals

Bear Gallery, Fairbanks – Fairbanks Arts Association Juried Spring Show ‘Food’ – April 2023

Food – a favorite topic for many!

The morel mushroom is so bizarre-looking, but tastes delicious.  They were fun to interpret in paper.

Our set of cast-iron pans sits on the stove-top each day, awaiting their next assignment.  I wonder how many meals they’ve participated in!

Snowflakes’ Night Out

Bear Gallery, Fairbanks – Fairbanks Arts Association Limited Edition Small Works Show – November 2022

Inspired by the photographs W. A. Bentley made of snowflakes a hundred years ago, I added color to these designs and imagined that the snowflakes (or snow crystals, as Mr. Bentley called them) were dressing up for a night out.  These collages are only about 3.5″, so the pieces are crazy tiny.

The Birch Tree-O (Shadow Stripes, Popsicle Trees, Stripes in the Driveway)

UAF Office of Sustainability Art Show 2021 – University of Alaska Fairbanks and Annual Earth Day Poetry Walk – Creamer’s Field and Downtown Fairbanks – April 2021

I love looking at the birch trees outside my windows.  As the sun strengthens in early spring, the low light makes the most interesting shadows.

THE BIG PICTURE

Virtual Art in the Arctic Art Show – Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Facebook – March 2021

A surprise visit of a caribou herd along the Elliott Highway in 2019 led me to think about their home on the arctic tundra.  Its vastness, remoteness and stark beauty filled my imagination.  Although this picture doesn’t represent an actual scene, it is more of a combination of the types of landscape that make up the wildlife refuges that I see in the distance each day: the snow-covered mountain peaks, the lower tree-covered hills, the valleys and flats, the rivers, and the plant life that makes the most wonderful palette of early fall colors. As one of the last undisturbed places on the planet, it represents the truly big picture, one that we as citizens of the earth need to consider carefully and protect diligently.

This picture was one of the first I’ve made to actually fit a frame (what a concept!).  My husband had found a large frame on the ‘free’ table at work and brought it home to me.  Since it was so large (around 30″ x 20″), it needed a grand subject matter to fill it.  The arctic tundra landscape seemed just right for the occasion.  I worked on this project throughout one whole winter and then this art show opportunity came up right as it was completed – serendipity! https://www.facebook.com/arcticnationalwildliferefuge

RESILIENCE

Fairbanks Arts Association Virtual Spring Exhibition – Spring 2020 to Present

Birds have always fascinated me – especially the birds who share our great home of Alaska.  To thrive in this wild land requires a special set of tools, not the least of which is resilience. www.artandresilience.org.

CHRISTMAS WEAVINGS

Fairbanks Arts Association Limited Edition Exhibition in Bear Gallery – November 2020

These are some fun paper weavings made over last Christmas break: Christmas Plaid; Red & Green; Snowy, Blowy Day; and Star on Thar.

Day is Done . . . Settling Down

University of Alaska Fairbanks 2020 Sustainability Art Showcase (Virtual Social Distancing Version) – April 2020

It’s been a while since I’ve had any art in a show.  Life gets in the way, opportunities are limited, rejections are becoming common – but still, art must go on!  During the recent stay-at-home experiment, I had the opportunity to work on this piece which was one of the most fun ones I’ve done.  It just came together!

True Colors

Arctic Java Cafe – University of Alaska Fairbanks, October 2018

This collection shows my latest pieces, which are ‘character studies’ of individual colors, exploring their depths and layers.  They were combined with other pieces made over the last few years to present different phases of my art journey.

Comfort Cards

One Lump or Two: Cup of Comfort Artist Trading Card Swap — Quilting Arts Magazine, December 2017/January 18 issue

Artist trading cards are similar to baseball cards in size and purpose – to collect or trade.  In thinking about what comfort means, I could hardly stop and ended up making 5 cards, one of which made it into the magazine!  These cards combine drawing and collage.  The front and back of each card are shown here.  I made packets of the set of cards to send as Christmas presents – because everyone could use more comfort in their lives.

A Dog and His Boy

UAF Biomedical Learning and Student Training Office & Student Engagement Center – October 2017

This call for artwork was based on the theme of ‘One Health’, the concept that human health, and the health of animals and the environment are inextricably linked.  This image came to my mind right away.  Sadly, I think this is a pleasure few children get to have these days – just laying back in a grassy meadow and daydreaming while watching the clouds.  Here you may see the progress of this piece as it came together.

Medicine Wheel Twist

Convergence: Fairbanks Arts Association Spring Juried Exhibition in Bear Gallery – April 2017

When I thought of this theme, convergence, I thought of all the cultures that converged upon the American Indians as the United States of America came into being – and all the blending that has been happening ever since.

Suddenly

UAF Sustainability Art Show, April 2017

This reminds me of all the wonders to be found in the woods, like when you suddenly come upon a patch of flowers that may be seen by no one else but you and the animals.

Joy to the World

UAF UpRise Women’s Art Show, March 2017

These two pieces were made over winter break while listening to Christmas music.  The joyful colors look like they want to just burst!  Only the one on the right was in the show; the other one went to my friend who helped me with this website.  It’s called ‘A Bunch of Science’.  Why?  The flower petals in both collages are actually made from graphs and diagrams found in scientific magazines!

Content / Under My Heart

3rd Annual Fairbanks Breastfeeding Coalition Art Show, April 2017

The blanket was really fun to make in ‘Content’.  It’s too bad that we don’t remember the totally contented feeling of feeding in our mother’s arms as a baby.  There’s not much more that’s cozier than that!  ‘Under My Heart’ made its second appearance in this show, being appropriate for the theme.  I remember reading that phrase in the book, ‘Kristin Lavransdatter’ (an excellent epic tale of 14th century Norway), in which the title character often has a babe growing under her heart, eventually bearing 8 sons!

July Bouquet / August Storm / September Afternoon / October Sunset

Fairbanks Arts Association Limited Edition Exhibition in Bear Gallery – November 2016

I guess there’s a month theme going on here.  There was a fifth piece I entered, which actually sold (my first one!) before I got a photo of it.  I guess that makes me a professional now!

Inside a Delphinium / California Poppy / Wild Rose

UAF Sustainability Art Show – April 2016

These were made during the time of year when a person is starved for color, so I thought they’d be fun to share at this annual art show put on by the Office of Sustainability during Earth Day week.  All of the artwork included is made from recycled materials.  ‘Inside a Delphinium’ got an honorable mention!

Under My Heart / Curls

UAF Women’s History Month Art Show – March 2016

Pregnancy and hair – two important topics for women!

Fairbanks City Lights / Love, Mom / Encouragement / First Light

UAF Arctic Perspectives: An Arctic Art & Science Event – March 2016

In March 2016, UAF hosted the 2016 Arctic Science Summit Week, which brought together international scientists and policymakers involved in Arctic research.  This juried show was one of the events showcased that week.  I chose to focus on the optical phenomenon which occurs in the different ways light refracts off ice crystals in the air.

‘Fairbanks City Lights’ shows light pillars.  We are sometimes treated to a magical light show on subzero mornings.

‘Love, Mom’ shows both a sun halo and circumzenithal arc.  I saw a sky very similar to this on a frigid February afternoon, just days after my mom died.  It felt like getting a smile from heaven.

‘Encouragement’ shows both a sun pillar and sun dogs.  This was a scene we saw coming back from getting water (we pump our weekly water supply from a nearby spring) as the sun rose about 11:00 on a December morning, well below zero.  At a time when we were in need of some reassurance, we were gifted from the heavens with a reminder that our lives are in the hands of the God who created the world, and all will be well.  Ahhh!

‘First Light’ shows astronomical twilight, the moment when the land is distinguished from the sky.  This didn’t translate well in the photo, but I hope you get the idea.

Cold as Ice Blues

Beauty at the Core Art Show: UAF Museum of the North: March – August 2016; West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide Camp – January 2017

This was given an honorable mention at an Antarctic Art Contest, which called for artwork that explores and interprets Antarctic research and science.  Not being a scientist myself, I focused more on the beautiful colors of the ice.  Check out the art show on the ice in Antarctica here, kinda surreal!  The local newspaper even wrote an article about me!

Belcher Islands, Canada

The Masterpiece Called Earth Art Show: University of Alaska Fairbanks – May 2015

Please see the story about this art show, which started me on my current art path, in the section ‘How It All Started’.