Original Art, Prints and Cards
Tokyo, Japan, is the last port on Bob and Gail Niebrugges cruise, next the ship begins the trip to Alaska crossing the International Date line sometime during the final week. The couple visited The Sankeien Garden while in Tokyo, it was established in 1902 and contains mature Bonzai trees surrounding many ponds and trails with [...]
Osaka, Japan, a modern city with monuments from the past served as a one-day stop for the Niebrugges on their journey by sea back to Alaska. Pictured above is Bob standing next to a few of the thousands of stone lanterns that line the way to to the Sumiyoshi shrine, a Japanese National Treasure. Both [...]
Busan, South Korea, charmed Bob and Gail Niebrugge as they spent a full day touring this clean, modern city. It was a significant contrast to the congested, industrial China with its heavily polluted air. Busan sports a very efficient infrastructure, elevated freeways and long, curving bridges. Gardens and trees are profuse. The above photo shows [...]
Dining alone on an empty ship at the dock in Dalian, China, while all the passengers went on tours, Alaska artist Gail Niebrugge explored the smoggy city by herself while husband Bob was confined to their stateroom under a 48 hour quarantine. The Diamond Princess is using extreme caution with passengers showing any signs of [...]
Touring Bejing, China, Alaska artist Gail Niebrugge and husband Bob visited the Great Wall and climbed hundreds of steep steps up the steep hillside for a great view. Truly an amazing historic place. The couple also toured the summer and winter palace grounds, both in beautiful locations surrounding small lakes. The city of Bejing itself [...]
After 24 hrs of travel and 2 hours of sleep, Alaska artist Gail Niebrugge and her husband Bob spent a full day touring Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and Hutong in Bejing, China. It was a labor holiday in China and the city was full of tourists from all parts of the region. The Niebrugges [...]
Alaska Artist Gail Niebrugge loves the white Snow Geese and their contrast with dark colored Canada Geese. Both of these birds are in great abundance in the fields and marshes of Palmer, in the Matanuska Valley Alaska during the spring migration. Feeding, preening, and resting, a brief respite from the long flight before resuming travel [...]
During the Alaska spring bird migration in the Matanuska Valley, hundreds of Sandhill Cranes occupy fields and marshes and begin the noisy, mating ritual. Alaska artist Gail Niebrugge spends days chasing all over the valley to find the best vantage point for sketching and photographing these large, beautiful birds.
Frozen Alaska ground thaws slowly, melting snow forms temporary ponds where great flocks of migrating geese congregate to feed and rest. Within weeks the water will absorb into the warming earth, fields will dry and the birds will be gone. But for this short time, Palmer, Alaska is transformed into a sanctuary for migrating [...]
The skies over Palmer, Alaska, are alive with thousands of birds as they migrate north for the summer. Hay fields in motion with hundreds of birds feeding at once, Snow Geese, Canada Geese, Sandhill Cranes, and temporary ponds from snow melt the magnificent Trumpeter Swan repose. Sounds of wings and bird calls fill the [...]
Alaska Artist Gail Niebrugge“Rare White Fireweed” 14×20 acrylic on rag board, framed under glass 21×27 Original Painting SOLD The following is a quote from artist Gail Niebrugges book Alaska Wildflowers; “Dwarf fireweed, the stubby cousin of common fireweed, carpets the sandy riverbed below my studio during the summer with its magenta-colored blossoms. On one of [...]
Beautiful spring sunshine and above freezing daytime temperatures are causing the snow to melt. Alaska artist Gail Niebrugge believes it will be a slow thaw and break-up this year. The lake ice is is still 3′ thick, and covered in snow. Skiing and walking on the lake in the late afternoon is lovely, needing only [...]
Alaska Artist Gail Niebrugge “Sound of Silence” 11.5×12.25 acrylic/watercolor on rag board, framed under glass 17×18 Original Painting SOLD Niebrugge painted “Sound of Silence” in 1993 from research gathered in the coastal town of Valdez, Alaska. The artist is drawn to the light, early morning or late evening is best, most of her paintings are [...]
Alaska Artist Gail Niebrugge “Meadow Brook” 18×13 acrylic on Sintra panel Original Painting SOLD, Commissioned by Alaska Percent for Art at the Teeland School Library “Meadow Brook” is one of a five panel commission installed in the Teeland Middle School Library, Wasilla, Alaska. Artist Niebrugge depicted one of the many small brooks and streams that [...]
Alaska Artist Gail Niebrugge “I Love Fireweed” 12×17 acrylic on rag board, framed under glass 18×23 Original Painting SOLD The wildflower fireweed is the subject of many of artist Niebrugges paintings, she professes to love this plant. In the summer fields and fields of dazzling pink and fuschia blooms will literally carpet the landscape. “I [...]
I thought I’d chat about a few random things that I’ve been doing or planning. Sometimes it seems that there is no time to paint, so much mundane, minutia in my day. I always think that I’ll be better organized, but seem to be driven by mood and instincts. If it is cold and dreary [...]
Continuing her adventures in Alaska, the young artist pursued her private pilots license, taking lessons at the Gulkana airport. The photo above shows Gail standing next to her airplane, a Cessna 170B nicknamed “Charlie”, parked at the upper gravel strip in Copper Center, Alaska. Niebrugge obtained her license in 1978 and flew throughout the Wrangell-St. [...]
Young adventurer, artist Gail Niebrugge, arrives with her family in Copper Center, Alaska, during the summer of 1976. Niebrugge planned to complete 15-20 paintings and return to their home in Lakeside, California, where she intended to exhibit her Alaska work. By the end of summer the entire Niebrugge family decided to stay to experience a [...]
Once the Niebrugge family decided to stay in Alaska they needed a source of income. Back then and even today, making a living as an artist is nearly impossible, especially for an emerging one. The family acquired the Glennallen Tastee Freez in 1977 and the dining room quickly became a gallery for Gail’s work. Soon [...]
Pictured above is Gail in the original studio in 1980. During their tenure in the Copper River Basin, the Niebrugges converted part of their daylight basement into a space for Gail’s studio. Gluing a thin sheet of cheap felt carpet onto the cement slab, covering open studs with 1/4″ paneling, and hanging several 4 bulb [...]
Gail Niebrugge (Knee-brew-ghe) born and raised in California has pursued art since childhood, winning a poster contest on the Johnny Jet television show at the age of twelve. Gail began her career as an illustrator for the US Navy and Marines in San Diego, and later established the Instructional Media Center for the Grossmont High School District in La Mesa, California. The Niebrugge family fell in love with Alaska while on vacation in 1976 and never returned home, instead they established a residence and studio in the remote interior settlement of Copper Center where the artist painted … [Read More...]
Wikipedia defines pointillism as; "a style of painting in which small distinct points of primary colors create the impression of a wide selection of secondary and intermediate colors." It goes on to say that the mind and the eye mix the color spots into a full range of tones and that it is closely related to Divisionism. Divisionism was practiced by Georges Seurat during the Neo-Impressionism period. He broke his color into basic elements and painted very small and regular dots. His dots are carefully placed as to not touch each other, so the white under painted canvas shows around all of the dots. I call my painting technique pointillism, but technically it is incorrect according to Wikipedia. The difference between my technique and true pointillism is that I use … [Read More...]