Flying to Mc Carthy
“McCarthy Terminal” original acrylic painting by Gail Niebrugge. Sold.
One of my favorite places in Alaska is McCarthy/Kennicott in the Wrangell Mountains, and I visited often in my own single engine Cessna 170B. It was a short flight from my home in Copper Center and in bad weather access via the Chitina River route was usually open. I made many good friends in this remote settlement during the late 1970’s and early 80’s. One friend in particular, Flo Hegland, invited me to stay in her home where we painted together plein air. It was not unusual to find us working at a scenic location with canvas, easels, and palettes full of paint executing our newest creations. My little airplane opened up the world in the Wrangell Mountains to me. This painting depicts the Post Office and terminal at McCarthy in 1977, a new, bigger airstrip serves the community today.
More tomorrow,
Gail Niebrugge, Alaska’s Artist