Poppy Fever

I came down with poppy fever in early March, 2013 in Tucson, Arizona, after stumbling across some magnificent poppies in full bloom. I couldn't get them off my mind for the next few weeks while I was busy with travel and other things, but their intense color and graceful shapes kept me feverish the whole time.  I have painted poppies before, but really wanted to do these . . . . .  better.   Finally, I sat down in my studio and began painting, rejecting, repainting, and finally, experimenting with different colors, papers, and techniques.  I had to get out of my comfort zone.  After a week or so of obsessive laboring, my fever broke, and this is what I ended up with:

1.  Electric Pops uses watercolor, and vodka as a wetting agent, on yupo, which is a slick, plastic paper.  I was inspired by some creative techniques learned from another Fairbanks artist, Steve Cross.

Electric Pops,  11x14"

2.  Jazzy Pops has unryu--a translucent mulberry paper--covering the painted layer, which was done on 140# Stephen Quiller cold press paper.  The unryu paper adds a nice  texture and softness, and is a technique I borrowed from well-known artist, Karlyn Holman.

Jazzy Pops, 11x14"

3.  Spicy Pops brazenly takes advantage of strong complements--yellow & orange set against a blue & violet background--to make the flowers more pronounced.  It is painted on 140# cold press Arches paper.

Spicy Pops, 8x11"

4.  Shimmer Pops is painted on a Chinese rice paper called raw shuan paper, which was first glued to 140# hot press Arches paper.  This results in a rich and delicate painting surface which absorbs paint without runs or spreading.

Shimmer Pops, 5x11

5.  Juicy Pops is painted on Arches hot press paper, then covered with a layer of fibered unryu paper glued on with diluted matte medium, then painted again over areas of the background.

Juicy Pops, 7.5x10"

6.  Sassy Pops is painted on hot press Arches in a spontaneous, unplanned style to keep the composition simple, bold, and dynamic. 

Sassy Pops, 7x11

Illustrating Poetry Leads to Fevers

My Excursion Inlet neighbor and everyone's good friend, Jack Campbell, is an avid outdoorsman, fisherman, hunter, educator, gentleman, and published poet.  He's one of those friends you treasure for their quiet sincerity, civility, and thoughtful conversations.  When he asked me to illustrate his first book of poems, Four Fevers, I was honored, and hoped I could do his poetry justice.  

You can see a description of his book, Four Fevers: Musings of an Alaskan Bush Poet, on Amazon at http://amzn.com/1578334136

Jack was a teacher in rural Alaska villages for many years, and drew on his rich experiences living in some of Alaska's harshest environments when he composed this collection of poems.  His poems have often been published in Alaska magazine, Fish Alaska, and other publications over the years.

Above, Jack is reading his poems at our cabin in Excursion Inlet during a neighborhood gathering in the summer of 2008, standing by the illustrations I penned for his book.

The poems in this book are mostly focused on village life, with some fishing and reflections on nature mixed in.  This unique collection gives a glimpse of life in Alaska through the eyes of someone who has experienced first hand much of its wonder and glory, inhospitality and remoteness;  I recommend it to anyone desiring to share in this experience.

Following are the illustrations I made for Jack's poems, most of which were included in the published book.  I sketched these with ink on smooth bristol board, scanned them, then added shading and other details using photoshop to get the final illustrations.

  

Four Fevers

Sidetrack

Martha's Slough

Thirty Days Hath November Above the Arctic Circle

Freeze Up

Flatfish

Southeast Mirage

Bethel - Terminal Inwardness

Hospitalized

The Swings - St. Mary's

This was a exciting experience for me as an artist, one which I thoroughly enjoyed! 

Southeast Alaska Flowers

These are ready to go!  Each is 9x12 and framed nicely in white 16x20 frames. 

Lupine, Arctic Daisies, and Mint    

I painted four similar florals this summer on Yupo paper, which is slick and non-absorbant.  This keeps the pigments very strong and colors vibrant, plus it causes some unpredictable flowing and pooling of the paint which I like.

Columbine, Bluebells of Scotland, and Lousewort

These are wildflowers that I found growing around our cabin in Southeast Alaska.  I wonder why the Bluebell of Scotland is so named, since they are definitely more purple than blue.

Wild Rose and Ferns

The rose above was in my neighbor's yard, and is similar to the prickly rose found in Interior Alaska, only bigger and darker red.  

Black Currant, Fireweed, and Salmonberry

The black currant plant has red-orange leaves all season. which are a beautiful contrast to the deep purple berries.