Sitka sketches

Sitka, Alaska is a beautiful little town. We are tied up at the dock and daily walk (uphill) into town to look at all it has to offer. The Indian River is chock full of salmon now. The cruise ships have tied up near downtown (I always hate that part) and the streets are jammed with tourists. Better are the days when no cruise ships crowd the harbor and we can wander at our own pace.

St Michael's Cathedral sits at the heart of downtown and reminds everyone of the Russian influence here. Gift shops are filled with stacking dolls, Russian pottery, and furs. On one of my walks, I watched four 20-something year old guys playing basketball. They were razzing one another IN RUSSIAN! Sadly, the original cathedral (Russian Orthodox church) was burned in the 1960s and rebuilt. The copper spires are still nicely aged and green.

As I put this post together, I can look out the window of the boat and see bald eagles swooping down to catch fish in the harbor. Just the other day, I was talking to a friend on the phone when a mother and baby orca swam within 100 feet of me! This photo of a page of my sketchbook is typical of what I do when I am busy out and about while we are tied to a dock. Quick sketches and then running to catch up with my husband. Color comes later.

Finally, a quote from Ezra Pound, "The artist is the antennae of the race." Do you agree? Disagree?

We'll be leaving Sitka tomorrow and starting our journey back South, toward home. About 1000 miles of Alaska, British Columbia, and Washington before I rest my head on my pillow at home. More art ahead. And flat water, I hope!

Sitka posts from my sketchbook

As I stepped off the boat today, a fisherman nodded to me and I said, "Hello."

"Nothing worse than a leaky boat unless it's a complaining woman," he responded. Even though I laughed out loud over his statement, I was a little stung. I admit it, I've been complaining lately. I think I'm just tired of this trip. We are more than 1000 miles from home and even though we are heading back south, it will be a while before I sleep in my own bed at home. I guess I am worse than a leaky boat. Sheesh.

I am a sucker for cemeteries and I never pass one by without going in and looking at the stones. This one, in Juneau, kept me busy for a few hours.

Masks are irresistible!

Between Juneau and Sitka: Appleton Cove

Painting while we hang on the anchor has been a comedy of errors. And a source of frustration. If the wind blows or the current/tide shifts (which it always does), then my subject is no longer visible.

While we waited for the weather to improve and the wind to stop blowing through Peril Strait, I decided to try something new. I studied the arc of the boat and selected three subjects along that arc. Then, I painted all three paintings at once. As the boat swung, I just painted what was in front of me.

Swinging on the hook. I will try this again.

Between Juneau and Sitka: Tenakee Inlet

On a long boat trip, it's important to get out and walk when the getting is good. From my standpoint, walking on a logging road with bears in the woods nearby is OUT OF THE QUESTION! But, when we turned into Tenakee Inlet, we were able to tie up at the dock of Tenakee Springs and walk through the charming small town. With a population of less than 100, this is a very small town. Homes line the 10'wide (1.5 miles long) dirt road and we walked the road and talked to the people we met.

We anchored near Crab Bay in Tenakee Inlet and I painted this in the time before our 10:00 sunset.