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“Mc Carthy Lodge” original ink drawing by Gail Niebrugge, original sold, limited edition prints sold out.

I return to the series of my early years living and painting in the Wrangell-St. Elias wilderness. The owners of the McCarthy Lodge during this era grew flowers and plants everywhere, tin cans full of herbs set along the window sills, rows of flower beds along the front, galvanized tubs served as large planters as did any kind of empty container, you name it and it had a plant growing inside. The green foliage and colorful blooms created a cheerful, welcome place to stop, rest, eat, drink a beer, or shower. A homey atmosphere prevailed, the smell of hot pies cooling on the kitchen window ledges drove even the antisocial inside with a smile. I have good memories during this period of history at the lodge. And, many fine drawings and paintings of this period of history in the Wrangell-St. Elias wilderness of Alaska.
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Gail Niebrugge, Alaskan Art

This very grainy photo taken in the early morning darkness caught the trio of culprits red-handed who have been munching the plants in my yard! I’ve observed their footprints in the snow every day but finally saw them this morning. I’m sure it is the same cow with calves that were here last fall.  I don’t mind them visiting they are really fun to watch as long as they stay clear of my treasured perennials.

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Gail Niebrugge, Artist of Alaska

My daughter, Tawny Buck, and me working at the “Promoting Positive Partnerships” Conference held last weekend at the Best Western Hotel, Wasilla, Alaska.

I changed hats last weekend and worked as a volunteer for the LINKS “Promoting Positive Partnerships” Conference helping my daughter who is the Director of Development of this most worthy organization.  The mission statement of LINKS is; “Mat-Su Parent Resource Center is dedicated to providing information, support, and assistance to parents of children with disabilities, their professional partners, and their communities. We are committed to listening to and learning from families, and encouraging full participation in community life by all people”

The training workshop conference, a first time event, was very well attended with excellent speakers from Alaska and the lower 48 states.  This is the first of many planned events in the Matanuska Valley to educate, train, and assist parents and professionals who work with disabled children.  I am impressed with this group and their sincere dedication. Congratulations LINKS, a job well done!

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Gail Niebrugge, Alaska Artist

“Locals Welcome” original acrylic painting by Gail Niebrugge, permanent collection of Alaska Airlines Corporate Headquarters, Seattle, Washington.

Establishing the brand new Wrangell-St. Elias National Park created turbulent times and chaos for the local people. Powerless to stop the United States Government, the only recourse open to the residents was to refuse service to the park rangers as they arrived to set up operations. The locals refused to sell fuel, to rent space or homes, to sell groceries, to charter airplanes, and on and on. It was a foolish tactic and grew ugly before it ended, for the powerful resources of the government were no match for these fiercely independent folks. Years later I still found small reminders, somewhat forgotten in remote places, like the sign on the chalkboard at the door of the bar at McCarthy Lodge. I smile when I see this painting, and know how many of those same people and their children are now employed by the park and proud of their jobs. What great subject matter this period made for me, an artist seeking material for original paintings and drawings, creating a contemporary history through my work.
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Gail Niebrugge, Artist Alaska

“McCarthy Lodge 1979″ original acrylic painting by Gail Niebrugge, sold.

To find out the latest local news, visit the McCarthy Lodge.  Anything that happens in the area is eventually discussed over coffee in the dining room, or while drinking beer in the bar.  The small dining room is often used as a meeting place for community events, or conducting business.  It is the hub and the center of town.  This one of my very first paintings of this area, and it is fun to look back and see the changes in the lodge over the last three decades.  My work serves as a contemporary history of the region.

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Gail Niebrugge, painter of the Wrangell-St. Elias

“Protest During Winter” original ink/watercolor/acrylic painting by Gail Niebrugge, collection of the North Star Borough School District, Fairbanks, Alaska.

Returning to my series of living and painting in Wrangell-St. Elias, Alaska.  Most of the people who chose life in this wilderness did so because they loved the freedom from government rules and regulations, the freedom to live a subsistence lifestyle, to hunt, fish, trap fur, and gold mine in the rich abundance of the region. They lived quietly, worked hard, are independent almost to a fault, their skills and ingenuity keep them alive in the harshest conditions, they built and maintained trails and airstrips in the wilderness to remote sites to trap, hunt, fish and mine. They were the last people on earth to want their wilderness turned into a national park, albeit the largest national park in the nation.

The people’s response to the acceptance of the Antiquities Act in 1989 creating the largest national park in the nation was; shock and disbelief, anger, fear, and outrage! They banded together as never before, a group of no more than 4,000-5,000 strong, and tried to stop the Federal Government of the United States. They marched in protest, signed petitions, met with officials, and when nothing worked and the park rangers began to arrive, they did the only thing they knew how to do; refuse to give information, service, and support. History shows it did not work. But they tried, and how colorful the times were way back then. And how I loved painting these times.
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Gail Niebrugge, Alaska Art

At 8:00 this morning Bob is busy rearranging our first big snow of the season.  The rest of South Central Alaska has been buried in snow for weeks, but for some reason the storms would miss us.  Two days ago our lawn was completely exposed.  This snow is just what we need.  I can’t wait to see everything in the daylight.

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Gail Niebrugge, Alaska artist

“Back Yards of McCarthy” original acrylic painting by Gail Niebrugge sold.

This painting is about 30 years old and serves as testimony for how fast vegetation grows in Alaska. I found this scene while scouting back roads and alleys of McCarthy during May, nothing is green yet and patches of snow still remain on the north sides of the buildings. I liked the combination of old wood, tin roofs, gray skies, and snow piles on damp, dark earth. It represents true life in McCarthy, complete with outhouse. Recently I revisited this site to document changes, and try as I might I could not see anything through the dense undergrowth and woods. Today the buildings are completely surrounded with vegetation from this vantage point. This painting is about a moment in time and a vanishing way of life.

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Gail Niebrugge, Art of Alaska

“Anderson House” pencil sketch of a place in McCarthy taken from a 1986 sketchbook by Gail Niebrugge.

One of the most useful tools an artist can use for gathering reference material is a sketchbook and box of colored pencils.  These items are easily portable, compact, and can be quickly utilized to record a moment, or place.  The practice of making quick sketches is an exercise that will keep your eye sharp and develop eye-hand coordination.  I have saved all of my sketchbooks and use them regularly for reference.  Not only do I make quick sketches, I add notes about shadows, colors, detail, and any other aspect of the scene that I want to remember.  Sometimes I record entries about a place or event that are important, somewhat akin to keeping a journal or diary.

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Gail Niebrugge, Alaska artist

“Mc Carthy from Flo’s” original acrylic painting by Gail Niebrugge sold. An acquisition for the Valdez Public Library, Valdez, Alaska.
On a side road in Mc Carthy there is a charming, vintage rustic home with everything needed to be comfortable and and warm. A heavy cast iron wood burning stove dominates the main room, and collections of found relics and memorabilia from the copper mining days line the window sills, shelves, and ledges, and are tucked into every nook and cranny inside and out. The best part of this wonderful place is the view from the front yard, replete with historic buildings, natural landscaping and beautiful mountains. A place to retreat, restore the mind and spirit, and to remember, sometimes with tears…..

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Gail Niebrugge, Alaska Art

“Mc Carthy Back Road” original acrylic painting by Gail Niebrugge, sold. An acquisition for the Valdez Public Library, Valdez, Alaska.

I find interesting places by taking a back road to a less traveled location, then scouting the little used trails beyond. Sometimes I am rewarded with great finds and good material for future paintings, but often I end up stuck in a field, or in a tight spot where I can hardly turn my vehicle around. Through the years my husband has learned to be patient with my circuitous routes and has bailed me out of some hairy situations.

A back road that is rewarding is the Mc Carthy Road in the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. My favorite time to poke around the side streets and alleys in this historic town is the first week in September when the colors of summer quickly change to fall.

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Gail Niebrugge, Art of Alaska

One of my reference photos showing the famous old McCarthy truck parked near a mud puddle alongside McCarthy Lodge during spring break-up in 1977 in the Wrangell-St. Elias wilderness. This old truck has been included in many of drawings and paintings. I don’t know why, but I’ve always had an affinity for really old vehicles. Even as a child I had a collection of old cars on my bookshelf. Funny thing for a girl to collect? My girl friend had a collection of story-book dolls in gorgeous elaborate gowns.

So, when seeking subject matter for future paintings, don’t rule anything out. You never know when you might need to incorporate some obscure item into a scene to make it more interesting or believable.

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Gail Niebrugge, Alaska artist of historic subjects

“Mc Carthy Truck” original ink drawing by Gail Niebrugge, original drawing sold, limited editions prints sold out.

Many years ago this wonderful truck graced the streets of the remote historic town of Mc Carthy and was one of only a few ancient vehicles in the community. To put things in better perspective, at that time their were a handful of people living year-round in the region. It was great fun to climb into the back of one of the ancient pickup’s and take the wild, bumpy ride five miles up to the abandoned Kennicott mill site. I’m not sure where this icon resides today, it isn’t on the streets of the town anymore. The last I heard, it was parked, forgotten behind the lodge near the incinerators. I wish someone would put it back on the street as an icon, or symbol of the history of this place.

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Gail Niebrugge, Art of Alaska

“Mc Carthy Lodge, Closed Until June” original watercolor by Gail Niebrugge, sold.

In the center of the historic town of Mc Carthy is the lodge, the hub for news, activity, food, libations, and lodging in the community. Its look and amenities change with each new owner. On my first visit in the spring of 1977, the building was open only during summer and I painted this original watercolor from that trip. Today the lodge is a year-round sanctuary, serving the needs of groups of hardy winter visitors. It is fun to see the place evolve throughout the years.

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Gail Niebrugge, Alaskan Art

Photo of the newly constructed footbridge to Mc Carthy, Alaska, around 1996. After the tram was upgraded visitation to Mc Carthy increased and people began demanding a bridge. A compromise of a footbridge was finally made between the opposing factions in the region; the “no growth” people who want to keep things the way they are, and the growth people who want to promote tourism and see the area preserved as a historic destination. After the footbridge was built many changes, both good and bad, began to happen. I try to stay out of the controversies and keep quietly studying, watching, observing, and recording events in my journal, with my camera, and in drawings and paintings. An artists record of contemporary history.

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Gail Niebrugge, Alaska wilderness artist

Left to right, photo of artist Paul Calle, his wife Olga, and Joann Franks carrying luggage across part of Kennicott River on a makeshift footbridge. Access to McCarthy and the Kennicott by road was pretty primitive in 1991. I enjoyed spending time and learning from Paul during a photo research trip in the Wrangell-St. Elias wilderness, Alaska.  This jerry-rigged bridge is now replaced with a well-built steel foot bridge.
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Gail Niebrugge, Alaska wilderness artist

My daughter boarding the tram to McCarthy, Alaska, in 1979. Yesterday I posted one of my paintings of the upgraded tram. Before the upgrade this crude platform was the method for crossing the river during the summer. I prefer to fly to the airstrip near town and not have to deal with the tram and hauling gear on foot.  During the 1980’s and 1990’s I spent many, many hours researching subjects for original paintings in this fabulous historic location.

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Gail Niebrugge, Alaska wilderness artist

“Tram Fun” original painting in pointillism by Gail Niebrugge, sold.

In the past, a series of precarious hand-pulled trams served as river crossing transportation to the town of McCarthy in the Wrangell-St. Elias wilderness, and they were not without problems. I loved using the trams, they added to the mystique and adventure of the area, but with the formation of the national park not only came the problem of providing safe access for tourists, but an efficient means to transport materials and supplies for the restoration of buildings. I remember the first tram, nothing more than a couple of wooden planks suspended from a cable that would regularly slip out of the pulley leaving us stranded, swinging over the river. With no one within ear shot, we sat hanging on for dear life, teetering precariously over the cold, glacier-fed river for hours until someone came along and put the system back together. Today I can only shrug and smile when I hear tourists complaining about the inconvenience of having to walk on a footbridge.
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Gail Niebrugge, Alaska Art

“McCarthy Road” an original pen and ink drawing montage by artist Gail Niebrugge, sold.

Back to the series about my early life as an artist living and painting in the Wrangell-St. Elias region of Alaska’s wilderness. Mc Carthy, one of my favorite places in the Wrangell mountains can be accessed by road, although it is not for travelers on a limited time schedule and certainly not for large RV’s. It can be done, but the cost to RV’s traversing the occasionally graded washboard, potholed, dirt surface is usually not worth the effort. Plus, after many hours of slow, bumpy driving the road ends at the Kennicott River where the bridge is washed out. Today, visitors can access Mc Carthy and Kennicott via a foot bridge, but that wasn’t the case until recently.

This pen and ink drawing depicts the journey along the McCarthy road, from the ancient gas pump in Chitina where the road begins, the bridge over the Copper River, a historic old vehicle and wagon along the way, the Kuskulana a famous old railroad bridge, the remains of a trestle from the Copper River and Northwestern Railway, and finally the old tram at the Kennicott River. Today the tram has been replaced with a footbridge for public access to McCarthy and the Kennicott copper mill.

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Gail Niebrugge, Alaska wilderness artist

A few days ago I listed my basic palette and mentioned that I could not find my favorite color Acra Violet by Liquitex listed anywhere on the Liquitex website, so I submitted my question. Amazingly I received a very complete answer from the product manager, Alexis Dykstra. Here is the scoop taken directly from her email;

“Thank you for your email. Lots of changes have happened with Liquitex over the last couple of years. I would like to share a few of them as I hope this will help answer your question.

For a long time, we named all of our colors that contained Quinacridone pigments by the short version “acra”. In 2005, we updated our product names. All “acra colors” are now referred to by their proper pigment names “Quinacridone.” Thus, Acra Violet would turn into Quinacridone Violet, HOWEVER, at that same time we simplified some of the names of our colors. Prior to 2005, Acra Violet was actually known as Acra Magenta/Acra Violet. NOW you can find this color by simply looking for Quinacridone Magenta.

In case you are not aware as well, in 2005 we also changed the names of our products from Viscosity to Body. Now Medium Viscosity colors are Soft Body Colors. High Viscosity Colors are Heavy Body Colors…..”

Unfortunately I doesn’t seem to come in 8 or 16 oz. jars, only in tubes. I need big jars. So, I guess I’ll have to start a new search for a replacement. I hate it when I have to do this, I do so love my favorite colors and find it very annoying to have to make new purchases to test colors that I will probably not use.

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Gail Niebrugge, Alaska pointillism artist