My trip to Alaska to paint landscapes lasted less than two weeks. I spent the entire time in Glacier Bay and Juneau. The two most startling things about the trip were the immenseness of the landscape and the colors of the palette. I had never seen such expansive views before, and I had never seen such intense colors of blue. Why weren't there any famous 19th century paintings of Glacier Bay, I wondered, and then I realized that two hundred years ago this area was covered in ice. It has only been relatively recent that the fjords and glaciers have become visible. The other intriguing factor for a painter working 'en plein air' was the long hours of daylight. I found that in late June I could still be painting at 10:00 P.M., and then start again at 3:00 A.M.
—Lewis Bryden |
