Path to Nowhere - Eklutna wildflowers in june en plein air

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      Image Description

      An impressionist oil painting depicting the Eklutna flats in Alaska during full bloom in June. The reproduction is sure to bring a breath of an Alaskan summer into your home or office. The original painting was donated to the KAKM Public Television auction of 2011, and was auctioned live for $1200.00 to a lucky and happy bidder.

      Behind the Canvas

      There are just two weeks in June when the Eklutna wildflower fields in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley are washed with ultra-violet hues of irises. Prickly roses, Shooting Stars, and Chocolate Lilies provide lovely touches of contrast to the display. While quite visible from the highway, vehicles zoom past at 65 miles per hour, their drivers seemingly unaware of the miracle quickly passing them by.

      Every summer, the Painted Ladies and I journey into the fields several times to paint en plein air (a French term meaning in open air). As I painted this scene, with the barely visible, overgrown path, I contemplated my own painting journey. There are times when this less traveled journey can seem a path to nowhere, yet to those who persevere, the path leads to places of beauty that few others will discover.