Shifting Light - Matanuska Glacier

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      Image Description

      Alaskan oil landscape of the Matanuska Glacier surrounded by the Talkeetna mountains and fertile greenery, painted in the impressionist style by Oregon artist Talya (Tali) Johnson.

      Behind the Canvas

      This sparsely settled area along a steep and dramatic stretch of the Glenn Highway is a place like no other! The Matanuska Glacier gleams on the floor of the Talkeetna Mountain canyon it has carved. It is visible intermittently from the scenic byway that clings to the cliff above. It is the largest glacier in Alaska that you can drive to, with a face 4 miles wide. The fertile terrain on either side is graced with stunning birch, spruce, and aspen clinging to ancient rock. The glacier and the Matanuska River that flows from it are attractions to tourists and locals alike.

      Painting the massive hunk of ice is an exercise in chasing light. The glacier seems to create its own weather patterns as the snow capped peaks surrounding it appear then disappear again behind their cloudy blanket. I wanted to capture this shifting light as I quickly laid in my colors. My visitors from out of town were entertaining my children with a short hike while I scurried to capture the essence of the place.

      May the image of this original oil painting bring you a shift in your own light as you embrace natures ever changing moods. ~Tali