~ by Maria Benner
One of my side gigs is working as a freelance guide for a local tour company, guiding only 2-3 trips per year. This allows me to see many different places in Alaska, and to do the fun things that mostly tourists get to do. I get to meet interesting people from around the world, and the extra income is a bonus. So a couple years ago I guided four different groups that all had an identical itinerary. That may seem redundant, but the tour included a train ride to Spencer Glacier, and a flight around Denali with a glacier landing. So in a span of less than two weeks, I got to land on Ruth Glacier on Denali three times! The fourth group got to fly around Knik Glacier, because Denali was unapproachable by plane due to a storm. We flew with K2 Aviation. One of the guests exclaimed as she stepped down from the De Havilland Otter onto the glacier on Denali, “If I had known about this, it would have been on my Bucket List!” That really sums up the whole experience.
One of the fun parts of my job as the Business and Marketing Manager for Real Art Is Better is brainstorming with Scott about ideas for new paintings. So, a couple months ago, I remembered that summer that I got to fly around Denali three times with K2 Aviation, and I suggested that he paint one of the the iconic red airplanes flying in front of Denali. He painted this piece, which is 20 inches x 30 inches, oil on panel. The painting was on display at Scott’s solo art show at Midnight Sun Brewing Company this month, and it sold on opening night. Scott allows customers to take the paintings right when they buy them, so the painting is now hanging in its new home.
If you haven’t taken this flight, I highly recommend it. Put it on your Bucket List!
Limited-edition art prints of this painting are for sale at our Etsy shop RealArtIsBetter.
Flight Around Denali. Oil on panel. 20″ x 30″. Scott Clendaniel
The person who bought this painting posted a picture of it on Instagram hanging in its new home, along with another one of Scott’s paintings that he bought at the same time of the Coastal Trail in winter time.
“New art makes me happy #alaskanart #art #mountainart #anchorage #oilpainting #beautifulart @realartisbetter“
Real Art Is Better! 