Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #119. Lush IPA by Fremont Brewing.

Well, this is the last Thirsty Thursday of 2017.  Don’t worry, the series will continue for many years to come, or until my body rebels against my beer drinking habit.  This week’s beer painting is of Lush IPA, a great new offering from Fremont Brewing in Seattle, Washington.  And in case you are aware of another Seattle, Washington in this Universe, Fremont Brewing specifies that it’s the one on Earth.  I like to drink at the brewery, but if you get bored and want a place to drink slightly obscured from public view, I would suggest going under the Fremont Bridge.  You might have to battle this huge troll that lives there.  I would suggest a paper bag to be discreet in case the troll decides to rat you out to the police.  Lush IPA is one of my favorites, more fruity than most IPAs with tropical notes.  This is one of the new styles of IPA that has been making the world notice how great American crafted beers can be.  If you can get your hands on a can of this particular beer, I recommend giving it a try… you won’t be disappointed!

Cheers to hidden gems, whether they be trolls under a bridge, or fresh cans of delicious IPA!

This original oil painting, and 52 limited-edition prints are available at our Etsy shop RealArtIsBetter.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #119. Lush IPA by Fremont Brewing. 8″x10″, oil on panel. By Scott Clendaniel.

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Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #118. Darkest Hour Imperial Stout with Coffee by Anchorage Brewing Co.

There is a darkest time of year, and for that time we need beer.  Not a golden, effervescent, belly-filling swill of a brew, but a dark, dank, barrel-aged libation.  As black as midnight on the longest night, and robust enough to warm even the weakest of souls.  Add coffee to combat the instinctual hibernation that is inevitable at this time of year.  You may find this in Java Cask Coffee Bourbon Stout, or Speedway Stout.  If you are an Alaskan you should drink Anchorage Brewing Company’s Darkest Hour Imperial Stout with coffee.  Happy Winter Solstice, the light begins to come back tomorrow!

Cheers to return of the light!  Celebrate Solstice!

The original oil painting sold. Limited-edition prints are available at our Etsy shop RealArtIsBetter.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #118. Darkest Hour Imperial Stout with coffee by Anchorage Brewing Co. 8″x10″, oil on panel. By Scott Clendaniel.

10 Reasons to Collect Art

~ by Maria Benner

Athena’s Owl. 8ft 4ft. Oil on panel. By Scott Clendaniel. https://www.etsy.com/listing/230045463

The name of our business is Real Art Is Better, because often when people buy a Clendaniel piece of art, they exclaim, “This is my first piece of Real Art!”  Although there is no accepted definition of Real Art, people know it when they see it.  We have several patrons who are avid collectors of Clendaniel art, many of them living in other States.  So, if you don’t have an art collection, here are ten reasons to start one.

1. To express your personality and your vibe.
2. To make your place cozy, vibrant, YOURS.
3. To remember special occasion, or epic trips.
4. To have interesting conversation pieces for your guests.
5. To invest in the arts and in your future.
6. To preserve history.
7. To make connections with artists.
8. To pass on a legacy.
9. To support the arts.
10. To have a meaningful and fulfilling hobby.

If you feel like you need some education about art before you begin your collection, here are 10 art history classes you can take online for free.

After that you can start your collection.  Our Etsy shop RealArtIsBetter is a good place to start looking for your first piece 🙂

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #117. Slow Down Brown by Denali Brewing Co.

Every year the sunsets come earlier and earlier, the leaves turn golden and the air becomes crisp.  The hectic schedule Alaskans experience all summer begins to slow down.  Autumn, the fore-bearer to winter, is a time that all Alaskans start to prepare for the winter experience.  In the animal kingdom it is referred to as hibernation.  I might not sleep like a black bear, which forgo drinking and eating while hibernating.  I just take it easy.  Sleeping more, doing less.  During the summer it’s a get-it-done-while-you-can attitude. There is road construction, fishing, building, and recreation that can take up to 20 hours of the day.  People hardly stop to rest.  In the winter we experience what Alaskans call “down time”.  Time to hone the tools, do indoor projects, fix the fishing nets, eat, sleep, and well… sleep some more.  The fall is what we call the shoulder season and we begin to slow down.  The brewing geniuses at Denali Brewing Co. made a seasonal beer to honor this phenomenon called Slow Down Brown.  It is a spiced brown ale that has a bit of a kick at 6.1% ABV.  Sri Lankan spices and chocolate malt make this a precursor to a winter warmer.  I last drank this around a campfire and it was the perfect complement to the dark skies and early snowfall this year.  If you are an Alaskan, or just love things AK, I urge you to seek out a Slow Down Brown and to take it easier.  It’s a good idea to rest up for the craziness that will ensue shortly after the spring equinox rolls around.

Cheers to taking it easy with a Slow Down Brown!

This original oil painting, and 52 limited-edition prints are available at our Etsy shop RealArtIsBetter.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #117. Slow Down Brown Ale by Denali Brewing Co. 8″x10″, oil on panel. By Scott Clendaniel.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #116. Prairie Ale by Prairie Artisan Ales.

Whenever I get a chance to taste a brew from Prairie Artisan Ales, I take it!  I picked up this lovely saison when I took a speedy road trip across the country with a good friend from Philadelphia.  Although I was in Ohio when I purchased this bottle, I was stoked!  I look forward to the day when I set up my painting kit at either the Prairie Ales taproom, or at the brewpub, and make a painting live!  I have never been to Oklahoma, but when I do go I will be drinking Prairie artisan ales the whole time, and I plan on returning home with a suitcase full of this delectable brew!  Cheers to the brewers that bring a smile to my face!

This original oil painting, and 52 limited-edition prints are for sale at our Etsy shop RealArtIsBetter.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #116. Prairie Ale by Prairie Artisan Ales in Oklahoma. 11″x14″, oil on panel. By Scott Clendaniel.

Shipping to and from Alaska is cheaper and faster than you may expect!

~ by Maria Benner

One of the biggest misconceptions we Alaskans deal with on a regular basis is that mailing things to and from Alaska is unreasonably expensive, and takes a long time.  Some businesses assume that only FedEx and UPS ship to Alaska.  We often get almost to the end of a checkout process on a website only to find out that shipping to Alaska (and Hawaii) is not available, or costs more than the item(s) in the shopping cart.  The struggle is very real, and completely unnecessary, because we know for a fact that USPS can deliver to and from Alaska at affordable rates.

Our business, Real Art Is Better, relies heavily on USPS Priority and First Class Mail to send online orders all over the world.  The cost to mail one print domestically is only $7.95, and an original oil painting that is 11″x14″ can be delivered as far as Vermont for under $15.  The shipping time is only 3-5 days.  Often on Monday mornings, we receive reviews from Etsy customers about art that we mailed on Friday afternoon!  So don’t hesitate ordering from our Etsy shop, even though we are in Anchorage, because the USPS somehow manages to deliver orders surprisingly quickly, and affordably.  The last day for orders to be shipped in time for Christmas is December 20 for USPS First Class and Priority Mail, and December 21 for Priority Mail Express.