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Artist Information
Living in Juneau Alaska means that I get to be inspired by the beauty of the place, whether the weather is nice or not. Summer or winter, when it is sunny this place is amazing. When it is rainy, snowy, or misty, the charm is less obvious, but it’s still there. The locals here know how to dress so as to be able to enjoy being outdoors at least for awhile in any kind of weather. And when the weather is really bad, then it’s always a good choice to stay home and paint. |
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I often design paintings in my head while I’m out hiking or cross-country skiing. The patterns formed by the light reflecting on clouds, forests, flowers, rocks, snow, streams, and saltwater are what capture my attention. My paintings are intended to convey the feeling of being on a peaceful coastline or looking out from a mountainside, and hopefully the paintings let the viewer remember some similar scene or imagine being there.
While I do some plein air painting and sketching, mostly I take many digital photos, and back in the studio I use several photos as references to put together each painting. This lets me rearrange the composition, shift the colors, and vary the patterns of light and dark to try to create the atmosphere of a place. I paint by applying many layers of watercolor, gouache, or acrylic. Each layer adds light or shadow, and new colors. I like that these paints dry quickly and are easy to set up and clean up, although for me the painting process is often a slow one. If a painting isn’t going well, there is always the possibility that the next layer will be an improvement. I first came to Alaska in the early 1980’s to work as a mineral exploration geologist in remote areas of the state, and I think my background in geology enhances the way I look at the landscape. After over twenty years in Anchorage, I moved to Juneau in the spring of 2005. I have been hiking the local trails and find the Southeastern coastline, forests, muskegs, mountains, and snowfields to be a huge source of inspiration. My art education includes workshops taught by nationally known artists including Stephen Quiller, Mary Todd Beam, and Michael Schlicting, as well as classes taught by Alaskan artists including Kesler Woodward, Betty Atkinson, and Paula Dickey. I have also learned much by painting regularly with other artists over the years. Mostly I have taught myself, through many happy hours of painting and sketching. I am a member of the Plein Rein Painters in Juneau and the Alaska Watercolor Society. |
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Selected Exhibitions
December 2007 through the present – Juneau Artists Gallery July 2007 – Silverbow Backroom Gallery, Juneau July 2006 – Juneau Arts and Humanities Council Gallery 2005 through 2008 – Plein Rein shows at Juneau Arts and Humanities Council Gallery and Canvas Gallery, Juneau November 2005 - Little City Gallery, Juneau 1985 through 2006 - paintings accepted into many of the Annual Alaska Watercolor Society Statewide Juried Exhibitions, Anchorage, and received several honorable mentions. |
All photos of Monica are courtesy of Tim Strand of Juneau, Alaska |