niebruggestudio.com

“Copper Center Lodge” pen and ink drawing by Gail Niebrugge, Sold. Limited edition prints Sold Out.

This historic road house is still in operation today in Copper Center, Wrangell-St. Elias region of Alaska. Many years ago I did a series of pen and ink drawings of historic road houses and artifacts. They were made into limited edition prints and sold one-by-one to collectors who passed through Glennallen. Today all are long gone. Every now and then I get a call from someone searching for one of these historic prints, unfortunately I have no idea how to to find any.

More tomorrow,

Gail Niebrugge, painter of Alaska historic sites

“Coppess Stove Co.” original drawing with pen and ink, and ink wash by Gail Niebrugge, Sold.

This hand-made wood burning stove in a remote cabin in the Wrangell Mountains was a good subject to sketch while staying indoors one blustery cold morning. It even boasted a hand-made plaque engraved with the name of the builder. This cabin showed incredible pride of ownership. All the building materials were transported miles over rough terrain on sleds pulled by snow machine.

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Gail Niebrugge, Alaska wilderness artist

“Al’s Kitchen” original pen and ink drawing with watercolor by Gail Niebrugge, Sold.

Sketching still life subjects inside on location during inclement weather is a good way to pass the time and sharpen your drawing skills. I painted this piece while staying in a remote cabin in the Chugach Mountains in the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. The rustic kitchen was well stocked with cooking equipment, but the cabin got too hot when using the wood burning stove, so we cooked most of our meals out of doors over a campfire, rain or not.

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Gail Niebrugge, Alaska wilderness artist

Original pen and ink drawing “Alaskan Gingerbread” by Gail Niebrugge, Sold.

I rarely sketch or paint plein air today, but in my early years in the Wrangell-St. Elias region of Alaska, I enjoyed drawing and painting on location. I made this ink drawing in the fall when temperatures hovered near freezing and the water on my pen nib often froze. What attracted me to this scene was the cast shadow from the moose antlers. Antlers are often used as architectural adornment in rural Alaska.

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Gail Niebrugge, Alaska Wilderness Artist

“Bishops Beach” original ink and watercolor drawing by Gail Niebrugge, to purchase original call for price and availability.

Another drawing from my sketchbook during my recent visit to Homer, Alaska. Bishops Beach is strewn with piles of driftwood, huge tree trunks scattered along the high water line like monster pick-up sticks. It is a great place to explore. When the tide is out miles of beach are exposed and become an endless playground for walking, running or hunting sea shells. During high tide the drift logs stacked on sand become warm shelter from the wind, or a challenging maze to search for treasures from the sea.

I started this drawing by splattering and randomly applying watercolor, then sketched the logs and sand with pen and ink. The contrast between the hard ink lines and the flowing wet on wet paint creates texture and gives the “look” of hard dry wood against the soft vegetation.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska landscape painter

“Big Bear and Raven” original ink drawing by Gail Niebrugge, to purchase original call for price and availability.

Homer, Alaska, is host to a number of wood carvers. Some use chainsaws, others use chisels and hammer, but whatever the tools the people in town love these sculptures and they are everywhere. One of the most prominent is Big Bear, who resides on the board walk on the Spit and is happily holding a huge wooden halibut with fishing pole in hand, advertising fishing charters. Another frequent Spit visitor are ravens, they are as common as seagulls. I think this little drawing characterizes the artsy, fun, fishing community of Homer perfectly! Homer has often been described as an Alaskan drinking community with a fishing problem.
Gail Niebrugge, pen and ink artist

“Salty Dawg Saloon” original pen and ink drawing by Gail Niebrugge, to purchase original call for price and availability.

Another small original pen and ink drawing for my First Friday Show in August at Homer’s Art Shop Gallery. This famous historic landmark named the Salty Dawg Saloon is located near the tip of the Homer Spit, and today is known as a raucous, wild, crazy saloon and bar. The original log cabin built in 1897 has undergone numerous additions and the lighthouse tower was added to hide a water storage tank. I employed many techniques with pen and ink including crosshatch, stipple, lines, and scribbles to obtain the shapes and values in the drawing.

Gail Niebrugge, pen and ink artist

“Cafe Cups” original pen and ink drawing by Gail Niebrugge, to purchase original call for price and availability.

I’m working on some new small originals for my First Friday in August show at the Art Shop Gallery in Homer, Alaska. This drawing is of one of my favorite places to eat, Cafe Cups, located next door to the gallery. It is a charming, eclectic place, fun to see and the food is great! The front of the building is decorated with wild, whimsical cups and crazy memorabilia, one walk is made of colorful chunks of broken pottery, as is the unusual mosaic on the front right corner. I used the techniques of crosshatch and stipple to create the shapes and values in this pen and ink drawing.

Gail Niebrugge, pen and ink artist

One must always draw, draw with the eyes, when one cannot draw with a pencil. (Balthus)

This quote really applies to me. Looking back over my last few Blog entries I can see that I have been storing images in my brain from the stimulus of my garden and nature. Even as a child I was often reprimanded in school for “daydreaming” instead of being busy, and I always felt embarrassed so I tried to hide my seemingly lazy behavior. It was years before I realized that I was memorizing “things;” objects, shadows, sunlight, tree branches, the arch of someone’s neck, the placement of a hand a rest or at work, the patterns of leaves on the ground or pebbles…… I was drawing without a pencil.

I’ve been drawing without a pencil for weeks now, and today I feel the strong need to draw with a pencil, or a pen and ink, or maybe add a splash or two of watercolor for emphasis. Drawing satisfies a part of me that wants to “loosen-up” and play. It is quick and results are immediate, yes, I find immediate gratification seeing an idea emerge and take shape, and change, and fill a page. Painting for me is much slower, although none the less rewarding. But, somehow there seems to be a time and a place where drawing is more appropriate, or a better vehicle to sharpen one’s ability to see and understand something.

It is hard to explain. If I look at a tree, and start to draw it with my eyes, I find so many more details and characteristics that were not evident on first glance, or will ever be visible in a photograph of the same subject. Drawing from life unravels the complexities of structure, reveals the truth, the flaws and the singularity of an object or place and allows the artists feelings to emerge.

One must always draw, without drawing we soon forget and loose understanding, draw with the eyes, when one cannot draw with a pencil. These words bring great comfort to me and make me very eager to actually draw with a pen and ink today. Immersed in my visual memory, uninterrupted by the world of business, totally connected to the line on the paper, I’m in my zone.

Gail Niebrugge, pen and ink artist

“Fire in the Woodpile” original pen and ink and watercolor painting by Gail Niebrugge, sold.

The small kindling woodpile by the back door is almost invisible in the summer, smothered by tall weeds and swathed in fireweed. Stuff gets lost there, a bucket, a prize piece of wood, and things that are temporarily set on top then fall off. This wild spot at the back of the cabin is where I first learned about all of the stages of fireweed.

In the beginning I love the brilliant fuchsia-colored blooms that appear, then I begin to expect them to be there every day. They need no tending and last almost six weeks. After the blossoms fade long pods form, turn red, then split spewing a white fluffy cotton. It is a fascinating looking plant at this stage, surrounded by its rich green leaves. Within a few weeks the leaves progress from green to all shades of red and yellow, and the split pods shrivel brown, begin to curl, and tangle in the cottony down. Soon the air is full of white fuzz, fireweed seed sowed by the wind. And, the woodpile with its hidden treasure is exposed. Finally enough is enough, I quit watching and sat down on the ground with pen and ink and watercolor and painted “Fire in the Woodpile”.

More tomorrow,

Gail Niebrugge, watercolor painting

“First Return” original acrylic and watercolor painting in pointillism by Gail Niebrugge, sold.

Every spring I watch and wait, listening for the first sounds of the trumpeter swan as they return to the Wrangell-St. Elias in the Copper River Basin. This region is home to one of the largest populations of nesting trumpeter swan in the nation. They often return to the same location, so I know where to keep watch. These two swans are fastidiously preening their feathers, a ritual that takes place many times a day. I record activity, dates, times, and places in my journal and make quick sketches with notes in my sketch book. My camera has become one of the major tools for gathering reference material, but nothing can replace personal knowledge and observation. Painting from someone else’s photograph is no substitute for a complete understanding of the subject. A lifetime is not long enough to paint everything of beauty that I see in Alaska.

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Gail Niebrugge, Alaska watercolor painter

“Kennecott Complex” original pen and ink drawing by Gail Niebrugge, sold.

Sometimes I just like to sit down at the drafting table and drag out my ancient crow quill pen nibs, dip them into a jar of india ink, and crosshatch, stipple, and squiggle may way into a wonderful ink drawing.  The old fashioned way.  The way we were taught before half tone screens and digital pixels.  Just pure, clean, marks with a pen nib. One at a time. It is rewarding, relaxing, and allows no room for mistakes.  I feel totally in command, knowing each and every stroke is important and cannot be changed.  I loved inking this drawing.  It is rather large and took some time, but it is a thing of beauty to behold.  An accurate rendering of the Kennicott Copper Mill in the Wrangell-St. Elias, Alaska, many years before stabilization efforts began.

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Gail Niebrugge, Alaska pen and ink artist

“The Office” original ink/watercolor drawing by Gail Niebrugge, sold.

Back to the series on my early days living and painting the Wrangell-St. Elias. One of my favorite buildings at historic Kennicott Copper Mine in the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is the small log building that served as the managers office. It is a simple little structure, dwarfed by the surrounding mill buildings, but charming in its own way. It is especially attractive when fireweed are in bloom, a great patch of the wildflower extends from the side yard down the cut bank and adds a nice touch of color to the building when viewed from below. I enhanced this pen and ink drawing with watercolor and while it was still wet and sprinkled it with table salt. The individual specks of salt absorbed the pigment and created a pattern of random white dots, sort of a forerunner to the technique of pointillism, a style that I developed several years later.
More tomorrow.

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska Art

“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

“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

“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.

More tomorrow,

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska wilderness artist

“The Woodshed” pen and ink drawing by Gail Niebrugge, collection of the artist.

On a rocky peninsula jutting out into the canyon 800 feet above a creek stood an amazing cabin with an even more amazing outhouse. This privately owned property is located many miles up the Nugget Creek trail and can be reached only by all terrain vehicle in the summer, and snow machine in the winter. To access the cabin we parked the ATV’s in a small pull-out along the trail and climbed down the cliffs using a narrow footpath to a very small ledge where the little cabin is perched on a pinnacle on the edge of the steep canyon. The outhouse shares space with the woodshed and is placed next to a sheer drop off. The view from the outhouse is spectacular and scary, from the seat inside you can see the river far below. The narrow canyon is only about 200 yards wide and its’ vertical walls are higher than the cabin. We were struck dumb by the meticulous construction at this difficult site, knowing all the materials had to be hauled in over the same trail we just traveled. Our stay at this delightful place was restful and full of wonder. I made many sketches of the area, kept a journal, and drew maps and elevations of the building site. Having permission to stay in this remarkable place is an honor and a privilege.

More tomorrow,

Gail Niebrugge, Artist of Alaska

“Nugget Creek Cabin” pen and ink drawing by Gail Niebrugge, collection of the artist.

One of the few trails accessible by ATV in the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, is Nugget Creek. It crosses quite a few streams as it follows the Kuskulana River about 15 miles to the public use cabin at Nugget Creek. We loaded a week’s worth of gear onto the front and rear racks of our two four-wheel drive all terrain vehicles and headed down the trail. The stream crossings were fairly easy, only one was so deep that our wheels lost touch with the river bed and the ungainly vehicles floated downstream with the current. Fortunately our tires touched ground before we were swept past the trail on opposite shore. The cabin is well built and protected from bears with stout window coverings and a solid wood door. I sat on the seat and used handlebars of my ATV as an outdoor easel creating plein air pen and ink drawings and pencil sketches for use as reference for future paintings to be completed at my studio. We traveled further up the trail to spectacular views of the Kuskulana Glacier and Mt. Blackburn, finally reaching our destination at an incredible privately owned cabin perched at the top of a steep outcropping in a canyon with access only from one direction. An amazing place.

More tomorrow,

Gail Niebrugge, Artist of Alaska

Hannigita Heaven original pen/ink/watercolor by Gail Niebrugge. Sold.

A plein air drawing of my Hannigita Lake retreat. I brought watercolor, pencils, pen and ink and gesso prepared masonite panels to use during my week at the lake. Inside we felt secure and safe from bears that roamed the area. Each window had a stout rusty saw blade mounted across the opening, a definite deterrent. The door could be barred shut by a heavy plank that slid across its width, secured by a latch. On a nice warm night it got very stuffy and hot inside, so sometimes we took a risk and cracked the door open for ventilation. In the crisp, cool air of morning we pre-warmed our clothes by the wood stove. At night I was always wide-eyed and alert for wildlife as I crept across the rickety plank trail to the outhouse with heart beating wildly, and raced back to the safety of the cabin. It would take awhile to settle down and fall asleep again. We were wonderfully scared, brave, and in love with Hannigita, and Alaska.

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Gail Niebrugge, Alaska Artist

“Airtight” pen and ink drawing by Gail Niebrugge. Sold.

During our brief tenure in the Caribou Cabin we learned the art of keeping the woodstove drafted and banked. After a few months we moved to a place that had an oil burning furnace, or we would have frozen to death that winter. The cabin wasn’t chinked tightly, or made for winter living, it was a summer place. Even with the airtight burning red hot I felt a chill when the wind blew as it crept through the cracks in the logs and caused the curtains inside to blow horizontal. We nicknamed the woodstove the “Airloose” because most of the fittings were no longer snug, we often saw flames through the seams and the smoke stack would randomly belch into the room.

Nonetheless, it was a marvelous subject to sketch and draw and I spent many hours using the stove and surrounding objects as still-life subject matter.

More tomorrow,

Gail Niebrugge, Alaska Artist