May 2012 Elise Tomlinson

This Page Last Updated: April 24th, 2012

Light of a Clear Blue Morning is an exhibit of colorful new oil paintings by Douglas artist Elise Tomlinson. This new series of paintings was inspired by photographs Tomlinson has taken around the Juneau/Douglas area over the past year. It was about a year ago that Tomlinson began carrying her camera with her everywhere, trying to capture at least one nice photo a day to post on her artist Facebook page: Alaskan Artist Elise Tomlinson.

Paintings inspired by these daily photos include skunk cabbage in the spring, devil’s club and fireweed in the summer, russet-colored mountaintops in the fall, and a view from the Black Bear lift at Eagle Crest mid-winter. Around half of the pieces include women enjoying solo outdoor activities, such as reading in a hammock, playing the guitar in a rainforest, or stopping to feel the warmth of the sun. Paintings range in size from 16” x 20” to 36” x 36”. One of the most challenging pieces in the show is a large stylized painting of the Mendenhall Glacier inspired by a photograph taken this winter. “Painting glacier ice is a lot more time-consuming than I’d thought it would be” Tomlinson admitted, “but I’m pleased with the finished results.”

Tomlinson says it’s sometimes hard working directly from photographs, especially of places she knows intimately. “I’ve had to make compromises, choose between remaining faithful to the source material or creating paintings that are more visually balanced, in the end I usually go for balance. Ultimately I’d rather capture the essence of a place than create an exact replica.”
Tomlinson’s paintings will be on display at the Juneau Arts and Humanities Council Gallery for the Month of May, with an opening Reception First Friday, May 4th from 4:30-7:00pm.

Tidings of Spring

Night Comes Early

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