niebruggestudio.com

Two of Alaska’s finest photographers, actually two of the United State’s finest photographers, live in Wasilla, Alaska.  Recently, husband and wife Fred and Randi Hirschmann approached me with an idea to experiment photographing and digitizing my paintings.  It was an offer I couldn’t refuse.  One snowy day I hauled “Juneau’s Glacier” to the charming log home/studio hidden in the woods and learned a lot about photography.  Both Randi and Fred are perfectionists, it is very evident in their work.  We used Randi’s dog photography studio to set up the shot where they made 4×5 transparencies and digital images for me.  Then we spent time in the production office where Fred used a big Hasselblad scanner to give me a perfect digital image!  The above photo shows Randi and Fred using string in a creative effort the find the center of the canvas, from the center they shot a lazer back to the center of the lens.  Lots of adjustments with umbrella lights and a light meter were used to eliminate any glare and to ensure the strobe lights were evenly placed so that all corners of the canvas were lit equally.  What a pleasure it is to use such an accurate digital image.  I really appreciated their efforts on my behalf.  Thank you Randi and Fred!

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska glacier artist

At this stage of the Mendenhall Glacier painting I’ve run out of ideas and I’ve been so absorbed in the painting that I can’t look at it objectively any longer. When I reach this stage I let the painting rest for awhile. I’ll look at it upside down, I’ll evaluate it in the reverse by looking at it in a mirror, and I’ll just let it sit on the easel and contemplate. Is it finished? I don’t know yet. Maybe. Maybe not. I’ll know in a few days. Meanwhile, I’ll start a new one, and that will distract me. I’ve enjoyed spending time at this pretty little spot along the shore of the Mendenhall Lake, and I will miss my daily journeys. But, alas, it’s time to visit a new place and I think it will be just as nice.

After letting the painting rest a few days I declare, “it is finished!” I’ve signed it and gave it the title “Juneau’s Glacier”, dimensions 30″x40″ acrylic on canvas. It might be hard to see in this tiny photo, but I painted the figure of a Semipalmated Plover on the ground in the lower right corner of the canvas. These birds build their nests on the ground along the shores of Mendenhall Lake.
More tomorrow,

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska glacier artist

Detail of the middle ground in the Mendenhall Glacier painting.

I’m nearing the final stages of the glacier painting and now is the time to begin to add detail. I do this by using much smaller dots. The maze of underlying colors from the previous layers of dots give the painting multiple dimensions. I’ve darkened the darks with many values of deep color and added lots of light dots to enhance highlights and create depth. Notice that the green bushes on the spit of land in the distance are a much grayer green, and have softer darks and highlights than the bushes along the foreground shore. The illusion of distance is achieved by the careful selection and mixing of color. I will not paint every single leaf and branch, but by using judicious placement of values the essence of fine detail emerges. The top and bottom thirds of the canvas are still awaiting the painting of detail, then I will add the bird on the ground.

More tomorrow,

Gail Niebrugge, landscape painter

At this point in the Mendenhall glacier painting you might think that I’m beginning to “loose it”, because I’ve obliterated the three dimensional look of the foliage in the foreground. This is a step many new painters would not have the courage to take. But I’ve layered many, many dots in the foliage using the mid range of values to give a rich, wonderful base of colors and textures. The highlights and the shadows will be added last, and the painting will finally come together. I’m also toying with another idea. Since so many birds are nesting in this area, I’m really thinking about adding the figure a small bird to the foreground. The tiny bird will be almost invisible, but will lend truth and reality to this scene.

More tomorrow,

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska glacier paintings

At this stage in the Mendenhall Glacier painting I grayed back the mountain at the top behind the glacier using greens and blues mixed with each of their complementary colors, and deleted all definition. Doing this caused the mountain to appear as if in the far distance or obscured by mist. Then, I added more definition to the ridge on the top upper left and painted an area of sunlight at the bottom of the ridge. These two changes gave the illusion of depth in the painting. The glacier ice appears to have some “punch” and stands out better than before because of the new background. My next job will be to define the short ridge to the left above the water, then I’ll begin work on the foreground. No details will be added until the very end.

More tomorrow,

Gail Niebrugge, landscape painting

At this stage in the Mendenhall Glacier painting, I’ve darkened the water and I like how it looks. I’ll deal with the lost lupine later. I also darkened the ridge on the upper left behind the glacier. I’m not sure if I’m satisfied with this yet, it seems to need a lot more work. I may lighten it half way between the way it is now and the way it was before. Not sure yet. Before I do any more changes to that ridge, I need to deal with the sun-lit rocks that come down to the mid point of the glacier, they don’t look believable right now. I also need to begin adding all the many values to the foreground. Once that is done I’ll re-evaluate the dark ridge. It might work, it might not. This is the fun part of the painting. Figuring out how to make the painting “pop”. And, of course, it is all still being done in pointillism but the dots are getting smaller, and smaller now.

More tomorrow,

Gail Niebrugge

At this stage in the Mendenhall Glacier painting I’m evaluating the values in the glacier, and am convinced that I need to darken the water to give the ice of the glacier more dominance. I’ll figure out how to make the green bushes with the lupine stand out against darker water later. One thing at a time. I want the glacier to really dominate this painting, so I’m going to try some changes. If they don’t work, I can always re-paint things the way they were before. This confirms what I said in yesterday’s post that there is no formula guaranteed for making a good painting, for me it is always trial and error and experimentation.

More tomorrow,

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska Artist

In this close-up view of the Mendenhall Glacier painting I begin to add light values of color to the white space that is the glacier. This is the rough initial application, and many more layers of dots will be added before I’m satisfied. I think the water below the glacier needs to be darkened, and even though I lightened the water behind the foliage, I’m thinking I will darken it to give more “punch” to the glacier. My paintings go through many changes and revisions during the process. There is no standard formula for a successful outcome, it is more a trial and error process with many, many changes along the way.
More tomorrow,

Gail Niebrugge, Landscape painting

This close up detail of the Mendenhall Glacier painting shows the many values of dark paint used to establish the shape of the branches in the small spruce tree as it is surrounded by the colorful blossoms of the wildflower lupine. Many, many shades of green dots make up the base layer of the foliage.

This detail shows new dots placed over the original dots in the water at the top. This layering process of dots over dots will continue until all the important shapes in the painting are defined.

Gail Niebrugge, Wildflower painter

At this stage of the Mendenhall Glacier painting I’m adding dots to the white spaces between the first layer of dots, using different colors. I’m still working in mostly mid-values, except in the areas between the branches of the tiny spruce trees in the foreground. Here I’m beginning to formulate the shape of the trees with darker dots. Sound confusing? It can be, especially when working up close. So, I take frequent breaks and observe the canvas from a distance of 25-30 feet. Doing this helps me keep everything in perspective. The glacier ice is still unpainted and will be the next area that I tackle.

More tomorrow,

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska glacier paintings

Contrary to popular belief, the dots that I use to create paintings in pointillism, are not round, are not equal in size, and are not carefully placed. This close up of my Mendenhall Glacier painting shows the random placement and irregular size of the dots.

In this detail I realize that I need to lighten the water behind the purple lupine on the right side, or the flowers won’t stand out against the background. They are too close to the same value as the water.

More tomorrow,

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska landscape painter

At this stage I’m working to establish mid-values in dots throughout the entire canvas on the new Mendenhall Glacier painting. Since the glacier will be mostly light colored values, I’ve left it blank for the moment. Painting with dots can get confusing at this point, so many random strokes are covering up the loose sketch underneath that I’m really re-creating the image from my memory and intuition. The highlights and darks will be painted near the end. And detail will be left until the very LAST. Most students start with the detail first and then can’t figure out why the painting doesn’t flow and looks so stiff and tight. Forget the detail at this point, establish the values and the color patterns, and most importantly make sure the composition works.

Gail Niebrugge, pointillism painter

At this stage of painting the Mendenhall Glacier I started to layer dots over most of the canvas. Doing this will allow me to evaluate the total composition, and establish color values. I’m beginning with the mid tones, and will add the darks and lights after all the mid values have been painted.

Gail Niebrugge, pointillism painting

Photo of a large canvas with a pencil sketch of a view of the Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, Alaska. I began by adding many different colored dots to the top of the canvas showing a section of the mountains above the ice field. At this point I think the colors of the distant mountains are too strong and don’t convey depth.

At this stage I’ve grayed back the colors in the distant mountain, and added more dots to begin to define the ridge along the left side of the canvas. Because of my experience when visiting the Juneau glacier last summer, I’ve chosen to show only a section of the ice field and include more of the foreground. It is a very people friendly area, and trails abound all along the edge of Mendenhall lake. Views of the glacier change depending on the trail.  Wildflowers are abundant all along the trails, and many birds are nesting in the area.  A truly beautiful place.
Gail Niebrugge, Alaska landscape painter