Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #44, October 29, 2015

Crux Fermentation Project, located in Bend, Oregon was one of the highlights of my trip to Bend, Oregon a couple weeks ago. During our short two-day stay we also managed to visit Deschutes Brewing, Boneyard and Bend Brewing. I was the DD the night we went to Crux, so I couldn’t indulge too much at this fine establishment. I learned that happy hour is during sunset, but we were late for that, because we were enjoying a great Salmon dinner with an old friend from Anchorage, Jereme Monteau. I actually met two old Anchorage friends for beer at Crux, Andrea Lubeck and Jereme. I was not let down. The tasting room is really cool with copper fermenters visible, and plenty of barrels as well.

As soon as my wife took a sip of Half Hitch Imperial Mosaic IPA from our ample sample tray, she got up and walked to the to-go fridge and grabbed two bottles. The half hitch is a knot used to tie hop bines to the poles to help the bines to grow so tall. The beer has a nice dosage of Mosaic hops, and is one of the best IPAs I drank while touring the Pacific Northwest. Fruity, floral and citrusy, this beer would please any hophead. I was blown away when I finally consumed a bottle that I brought home to Anchorage with me. I also sent one to my buddy Rich in PA, who is responsible for inspiring most of my east coast beer paintings. I only send him the finest finds, and I felt this was one. I know the half hitch is not a climbing knot, but since the beer was brewed in Bend, I painted it in front of Smith Rock, a popular rock-climbing playground. I am sure after a day of climbing, a hop-forward beer would satisfy any rope-weary climber. I hope you get a chance to grab any beer from Crux Fermentation Project. They have many options, not only hop-forward brews. I tasted a barrel aged sour beer there that was DY-NA-MITE! Unfortunately, not available in bottles when I was there.

The original oil painting sold. You can purchase limited-edition prints, or order a custom beer painting at my Etsy shop.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #44 by Scott Clendaniel. October 29, 2015. Half Hitch Imperial Mosaic IPA by Crux Fermentation Project. 8″x10″, oil on panel.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #43, October 22, 2015

Whistler’s Mother, or Arrangement in Gray and Black was originally painted by James McNeill Whistler in 1871. The original painting is quite large at 56 x 64 inches. My parody with beer is 11 x 14 inches. The original painting is considered one of the best examples of American Victorian paintings done outside the USA. Whistler’s original painting is displayed and held in the Musee d’Orsay in Paris, France where it has lived since its purchase in 1891. This painting has been described as an American icon, as well as a Victorian Mona Lisa.

Whistler describes it as a composition of grays and form. He mentioned, of course, that since it is a painting of his mother, he has different emotions about it considering the content, but due to his formalist outlook on his painting he figured that other people would only be able to view it as a painting of grays and shapes. Ironically this image is looked at as an important icon for the adoration of parents, which is far from what the artist expected. It is such a strong icon that Americans have recreated it hundreds of times. It has been in three Simpsons episodes, as well as made into a postage stamp, and is also a larger than life sculpture at the Mother’s Memorial in Ashland, PA. I hope you find it humorous to see Whistler’s mother enjoying a pint while she rests. Obviously she is a huge fan of beer in my interpretation, as she also is the proud owner of a beer painting hanging on her wall.

Cheers to mothers everywhere! I think she’s drinking a glass of Mother Ale from Denali Brewing, or perhaps Mama’s Little Yella Pils from Oscar Blues. Or you can imagine it to be your mother’s favorite brew.

The original oil painting, and limited-edition prints are available for sale at my Etsy shop.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #43 by Scott Clendaniel. October 22, 2015. Whistler’s Mother with Beer. 11″x14″, oil on panel.

A thank you note to our local community

Scott and I just got back from a two-week trip to Washington and Oregon where we visited many of our wonderful friends and family.  We had an amazing trip, but are glad to be back in Anchorage, where the pace of life is slower, and life seems easier in general.  We don’t have to structure our daily schedule around peak traffic times, there are fewer people competing for the same things, and the scenery is breathtaking.

On the first day back in Anchorage we drove around to replenish our supplies, and almost everywhere we went, we knew someone.  The best part is that several people told us they needed to meet about a painting, or a stickers order, or help with graphics.  That’s when we realized that our local community is the reason that we are able to survive on the income from our little art business.  Without long-standing relationships in our home town where we have lived for over 20 years, our business wouldn’t be possible.  So, thank you to all of you who choose to buy locally!!!  That really does make a difference!  We feel the love, Anchorage, and we can’t think of a better place to live and work!

~ Scott and Maria

Year of Beer 07.27. Thank You German Hefeweizen by Anchorage Brewing Co. Oil on panel, 8″x10″.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #42, October 15, 2015

What is a jawn? Well, according to the Urban Dictionary a jawn can be anything — a person, place, or thing. However, it must be used in context. Often the jawn in question is a female person. That being said, Neshaminy Creek Brewing put out a beer called J.A.W.N, which is an acronym for juicy ale with nugget. A beer is a jawn, because it is a thing. I put all these jawns in the background, because I felt they epitomized Philadelphia. This beer is nice and clean, with a good hop bite. It has a great label, which also depicts some epic Philly jawns. It took me a while to notice that the guy smoking a cigar on the back of the can is Benjamin Franklin.

So break out that J.A.W.N and celebrate!

The original oil painting, and limited-edition prints are for sale at my Etsy shop.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #42 by Scott Clendaniel. October 15, 2015. J.A.W.N. by Neshaminy Creek Brewing. 8″x10″, oil on panel.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #41, October 8, 2015

This week’s Thirsty Thursday painting is a parody of Gustav Klimt’s world-famous painting The Kiss. I have always been drawn to the work of Klimt, but I had problems emulating it before. He used a large amount of gold paint, which I was forbidden to use in college classrooms until I went to UAA, where it was encouraged. Now I use gold paint in every painting as an under-layer, and you can see it when light hits my paintings at a certain angle.

Klimt painted The Kiss between 1908-1909, during the height of what art history calls his “Golden” period. Austrian, Klimt painted in an Art Nouveau style and was considered a Symbolist. The Kiss is considered his most popular painting, and is now on display in Vienna at the Österreichische Galerie Belvedere museum. It is much larger than my interpretation, which I am dubbing The Sip. Mine is 11 x 14 inches, while the original is 5‘11’’ square. I hope you find this to be humorous and light.

The original oil painting, and limited-edition prints are for sale at my Etsy shop.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #41 by Scott Clendaniel. October 8, 2015. The Sip. 11″x14″, oil on panel.

“What else do you do to make money?”

When I tell people that I’m an artist, many times the next question is, “What else do you do to make money, besides selling your art?”  Well, most of our income comes from selling paintings and prints, but I do have a background in graphic design, and I create logos, or t-shirt designs for businesses and non-profits.  I haven’t promoted this service, but now that the Year of Beer Paintings is over, and the cabin is almost done, I have more time to take on new clients.  My rate is $60/hour.

I am also a distributor for a custom stickers manufacturer.  Many businesses in Alaska order stickers from me, including Skinny Raven, SkiAK, Arctic Brewing Supply, Midnight Sun Brewing, Anadyr Adventures, NOVA River Runners, etc.  One hour of graphic design is included at no charge with each sticker order.

So next time you need help with graphics, or if you want to promote your business with stickers, think of Scott Clendaniel.

Here are some examples of my work.

Poster design.

T-shirt design.

T-shirt and hat design.

 

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #40, October 1, 2015

Happy Thirsty Thursday! I am on the road tracking down tasty beers in the Pacific Northwest for the next two weeks. Although I am in the PNW, I am posting a painting of a recent acquisition from Pennsylvania – Cuvee Du Soleil by McKenzie Brew House. This is a lovely multigrain Grisette, lightly spiced with orange peel, ginger, grains of paradise and a dose of exotic Jaggery sugar. Barrel aged in a Chadds Ford cask, this beer is light and refreshing with complex flavors that intrigue the palate. McKenzie Brew House has three establishments in Pennsylvania. If the food there is as good as this example of brew, I will be sure to visit on my next trip to PA. Rich Morgan, my BEER N.E.R.D friend from West Chester has been communicating with the brewer who sent me the reference material for the backdrop in this painting. I eagerly await the barrel-aged quad that will be coming out next! Great work McKenzie Brew House!

The original oil painting, and limited-edition prints are for sale at my Etsy shop.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #40 by Scott Clendaniel. October 1, 2015. Cuvee Du Soleil Grisette by McKenzie Brew House. 8″x10″, oil on panel.