Entries

Sunday, September 21st

Rainy Day Hike

I went for another hike on Mount Roberts today...you can see that the colors have changed even more since last weekend. It started raining and I got pretty wet, couldn't stop taking photos though so my camera got pretty wet.

Then I popped into the restaurant at the top of the tram and sat in the window seat overlooking the channel and had hot cocoa. It was pretty wonderful. Actually, I'm trying to get out for a walk every day, mostly before work, trying new trails to add a bit of adventure and exercise to my day.

I have to say, I love it! So superior to going to the gym. I'd trade florescent lights and the buzz of treadmills and the smell of sweat for misty morning skies, burbling brooks and the smell of rotting leaves any day of the week! It's good for the soul I tell ya!

Elise on 09.21.08 @ 11:17 PM AK [link]

Thursday, September 18th

Letter to the Editor

Today they posted my letter to the editor in the Juneau Empire.

I'm also having a relatively nice day because I've been waking up earlier than usual this week, and going for a walk outside before work. Every day I'm trying a different trail and I'm having a lot of fun. It's so much nicer than going to the gym!!!
:confused:
Elise on 09.18.08 @ 02:09 PM AK [link]

Sunday, September 14th

Salmon tastes good...

Earlier this week my honey went fishing and caught a gorgeous coho salmon. We grilled some on Friday and tonight he poached the rest of the fillets and they turned out incredibly tasty. Probably the best I've had. He made up the recipe so I thought I'd share it in case anyone else wants to give it a try.

Aaron's salmon marinade

two cloves of garlic minced fine
tablespoon of olive oil
fresh ground pepper
tablespoon of dijon mustard
teriyaki sauce
2 teaspoons of brown sugar

First put salt on the fish fillets, then spoon on the marinade, puts some sliced onions on top and cook in the oven in a baking pan with a cup of water in the bottom and cover with aluminum foil.

Cook at 300 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Yummmmmmmy!!!!!

Elise on 09.14.08 @ 10:08 PM AK [link]

Afternoon on a Hill

Yesterday Aaron and I took the tram (we have a season pass) up Mt. Roberts for a hike. The tram takes you about half way up, and there are trails to go up the rest of the way. The colors were gorgeous, we took around 260 of them! The ones below are a sample, though it was really hard to pick only a few, as there were so many incredible scenes up there. I'm going to use these for some new paintings. It was very inspirational.

mount-roberts-juneau-4hikin (236k image)

mount-roberts-hike-july-cha (138k image)

mount-roberts-juneau-hike-3 (201k image)

mount-roberts-hike-july-big (150k image)

mount-roberts-juneau-hike-r (233k image)

mount-roberts-hike-july-gra (140k image)

mount-roberts-juneau-hike-5 (187k image)

mount-roberts-juneau-hike-9 (213k image)

mount-roberts-juneau-6hikin (130k image)

mount-roberts-juneau-hike-7 (243k image)

Afternoon on a Hill
Edna St. Vincent Millay 1892-1950

I WILL be the gladdest thing
Under the sun!
I will touch a hundred flowers
And not pick one.

I will look at cliffs and clouds
With quiet eyes,
Watch the wind bow down the grass,
And the grass rise.

And when lights begin to show
Up from the town,
I will mark which must be mine,
And then start down!

Elise on 09.14.08 @ 03:37 PM AK [link]

Saturday, September 13th

New Paintings

OK, these are the only beginnings...first drafts...I'm just painting whatever I want for awhile. Not worrying about it too much. And it's FUN!!!

This painting is based on an awesome photograph by Patrick McGonegal!

wild-alaska-cotton (115k image)

Elise on 09.13.08 @ 01:45 PM AK [link]

Monday, September 8th

Confessions of a Guilty Artist

Last week I sold a print online which set several things in motion. First of all, the print she ordered was technically out of stock, though I had ordered more prints a long time ago I had never picked them up from the printers; I had an out-standing balance that had gone woefully overdue. The truth is, it was rather a lot of money and the printer couldn't take credit and I never had the cash to get the prints out of hock. Every time I thought about it I felt a huge pang of guilt, as not paying a debt is very uncharacteristic of me.

Well, since the order came in I was forced to come clean with the printer, which was exactly what I needed to do. I "borrowed" the cash from our honeymoon account.

I was also feeling guilty about my art "business" as I had canceled my July show at the Canvas Gallery (due to getting married) and I haven't done any new work in awhile and I've been freaking out that I'll have to do my business taxes and have nothing to show for this year in terms of sales.

I do have an exhibit coming up in Anchorage in December, but I haven't done much in the way of work towards it. I have also turned down 3 commissions this year. The first two because they wanted me to paint outside of my "style" and I am unrelenting on that point. The third because it was a male nude, and though I truly wanted to feel inspired by it, I just wasn't. And I'm not going to just crank out paintings that don't inspire me in order to make a quick buck.

So, I have been feeling artistically guilty for awhile now.

However, after the sale of the print, the same person also commissioned (she'd actually asked me some time back but I was too busy) me to do a painting that I'm feeling every excited about. That is a *very* good thing, as is having a couple of sales under my belt!

So, freshly inspired and with a "paid in full" clear conscious...I started 3 new paintings this weekend. I had a bit of a breakthrough in a way...I realized that for my show in Anchorage in November, I have enough finished work already (some of it older but never exhibited in Anchorage) that I could have the show tomorrow no problem using older work.

So now I can just play, paint whatever comes to mind without it having to be perfect and without the pressure of an upcoming exhibit to stress me out. Also, Friday the state of Alaska will pump 1.3 billion dollars worth of free money into the local economy through the largest ever permanent fund dividends (PFDs). $3,269.00 will go to every man woman and child in the state this month...starting with direct deposits this Friday.

I'm considering having (as most businesses in the state do) a PFD Sale from Sept. 12th-Oct. 12th. Say, a 25% discount on specified unsold paintings and prints. That would make a $400 painting $300, a $300 painting $225...and a $100 print, only $75.

If it increased sales at all, it would help eliminate some paintings which are taking up space in my house, as well as rectify the problem with so few sales so far in 2008 and the effect that would have on my business taxes.

What do you think? Is having a "sale" on art work a good or bad idea? Is that something that makes collectors who bought at full price feel upset about? I've never held a "sale" before, so I'm pretty clueless.

Elise on 09.08.08 @ 11:39 AM AK [link]