Summer Plans

Is it just us, or is summer crazy for everyone? I feel like I’m flying by the seat of my pants, and running around with my head cut off. Most of the time crunch has to do with going out to our cabin in McCarthy, which is very time consuming, but so worth the 300-mile trip one-way! Because the drive takes so long, we try to make it worth our time by spending at least a week out there. When we’re back in Anchorage, we’re catching up on painting commissions, mailing orders, doing art shows, and managing to do some house chores and hang out with our friends in between. The unrelenting summer heatwave with endless sunlight also contributes to the hyper-activity. I guess we have all winter to rest.

So, what are our summer plans? Well, Maria’s mom really loves visiting us in McCarthy, but she’s fed up with staying in our small cabin with us, so she commissioned us to build her a log cabin on our property. I’m really excited about building another log cabin, but Maria says she already built one, and is not that stoked about doing it again, because she forgot how hard it is! This project will take up most of our time, and we hope to have it completed this summer.

The foundation for the mother-in-law cabin, and some of the D logs that we have to peel for it

Other than that, we will spend most of our time working on the art business. I have two art shows happening this summer that are kicking off tomorrow on First Friday, June 3. One is my regular show at Midnight Sun Brewing that I have every year, and the second one is at a new-to-me venue, Dos Manos Gallery. I have been selling my art there for several years, but this is my first time being the featured artist in the gallery room! We hung the art there today, and I’m really happy with how it looks! I hope you check out both of my art shows, and bring your friends!

My art show at Dos Manos Gallery

We will also be vendors at two events. The first one is the Eagle River Beer & Music Festival on Saturday, June 4th. I love having a booth at beer festivals, because that’s where I find fans of my beer art! We will also be participating in the Beer, Beards and Art Market at Anchorage Brewing Co. on June 18th, 4-9pm.

Besides work, and building a cabin, we’re flying to Sitka to celebrate Maria’s birthday. She likes going to places in Alaska for her birthday that she’s never been to. Of course, Salmonfest is not-to-be-missed, and then Maria’s cousin from Germany is coming to visit with her two sons, so we’ll get to do some Alaska tourist activities with them, which are always amazing!

I hope to see you at some of these events this summer, and if I don’t, I wish you a safe and fun summer! What are your plans this summer?

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Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #146. PBR Tall Boy at an Alaska Baseball League Game

Alaska Baseball League games are great in the land of the midnight sun!  We have a wooden bat college league right here of our own.  If you show up to an Anchorage Glacier Pilots home game, you can watch the game from the Pilots’ beer garden, which has its very own bar with an impressive selection of craft beer on draft like Fresh Squeezed IPA by Deschutes Brewing, or Sockeye Red IPA by Midnight Sun Brewing!  The best part is that a pint is only $6!  Where else can you get that kind of price on craft beer at a sporting event?  I chose to paint a tall boy PBR can in this painting, because the draft beer is served in a generic plastic cup, and wouldn’t add much to the composition, but PBR is one of the beers you can get at these games.  The beer garden is so close to first base, you have to really pay attention, or your beer may be knocked over by a foul ball.  So a can is a safer bet.

Alaska baseball has been showcasing some serious talent since 1974.  Famous players like Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds, Randy Johnson, and a list of many others played here before going pro.  All got their start right here way up North.  If you are on a trip to Alaska, and you have a few extra hours, I recommend stopping by one of the four ballparks.  Every one of them is worth a visit if you are a diehard baseball fan!

Cheers to the truly all American game of baseball!  What could be better than a bag of peanuts, a cold brew, and hours of cheap, clean entertainment?

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

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #146. PBR at Alaska Baseball League game. 8″x10″, oil on panel.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #144. Solstice in McCarthy, Alaska.

On this Thirsty Thursday I am lucky enough to be in McCarthy, Alaska celebrating summer Solstice.  I painted the Ma Johnson’s Hotel with a Sockeye Red IPA that I was drinking on the deck of the Golden Saloon.  I took a bit of creative license when I made this one to show off more of the experience than what you can only see in one direction.  I love that Neil Darish, the owner of the hotel and bar, bought a Model T Ford for the lodge, it really makes the place resemble its 100 year old origins.  When I bought this Midnight Sun Brewing beer I thought it would be perfect for the Solstice Thirsty Thursday painting, because of the sun logo, and the brewery’s name.  What’s in a name anyway?  Actually a lot, especially when it is backed up by 23 years of brewing experience.  I hope you all have a beautiful Solstice tonight and enjoy the midnight sun.  Tonight sunset is at 11:16PM, but that doesn’t mean you have to stop partying!  Cheers to the longest day of the year!  Grab plenty of beer to last you the whole day.

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

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #144. Sockeye Red IPA by Midnight Sun Brewing Co. at the Golden Saloon in McCarthy, Alaska. 11″x14″, oil on panel. By Scott Clendaniel.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #143. Homebrew in Humpy Cove, Alaska.

“Life is Short, Drink Good Beer.” That’s quality advice printed on my steel pint cup.  You might not always get a great beer, but the least you can do is try.  This little painting tells a story.  For three years now I have been trying to correlate a time to go with my collectors and friends, the Kirkpatricks, to their cabin in Humpy Cove on Resurrection Bay.  After totally missing it for two summers in a row I finally nailed down a time when I wouldn’t be in McCarthy, dip-netting, or flying to a wedding somewhere out of State.  Alaska summers are nuts, but also a blast.  I try to just relax and let the insanity flow around me without letting it disturb my inner peace.  This is hard to do when the midnight sun is pulling you to do more and rest less.

Our trip to the cove was amazing!  After loading up the boat we stopped right outside Seward’s boat harbor to watch a pod of Humpback whales.  We actually saw whales every day on this adventure.  Then after arriving to the cove in the fast red boat we hung out on the dock and sipped delicious keg beer from our steel pints, while soaking in the sun.  After Taiya the Siberian Husky attacked a porcupine, and had to have a dozen quills pulled out of her paw and snout (could have been much worse), we went for a hike up the hill where the bay vistas were unbelievable.  Then Taiya went swimming and I got to play lifeguard, and got an armful of shivering wet husky.  Good thing I didn’t spill my beer!  I had to be careful around that pooch, because she likes to drink beer, so if I set my pint on the deck, it was likely to get the dog tax.

We went fishing and caught a halibut about the size of a chicken.  Maria got one that was so small, we all agreed it was the size of a large keychain.  After fishing I sat on the dock and made this painting while the boat took guests back to Seward, and Maria and Colleen went kayaking.  Yes, I drank some beer while I painted.  Overall a very noteworthy trip!  Whales, waterfalls, bluebird skies and three draft beer options made for a very exciting weekend!  Resurrection Bay is one of those places in Alaska that is definitely beautiful!  I left this painting at the cabin as a gift to our hosts for being so gracious!

Plein air oil painting of Humpy Cove in Resurrection Bay, Alaska. 8″x10″, oil on panel. By Scott Clendaniel.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #128. Rondy Brew by Anchorage Brewing Co.

Today is the first day of March, which begins my favorite stage of Alaskan winter — early Spring. We’re still in winter mode, but we get extra daylight, and with a bit of luck the snow is in perfect condition to get outside and play.  Here in Anchorage we have a big festival known as Fur Rendezvous.  Dating back a bit longer than 80 years (originating in 1935), local Alaskans (miners and trappers) traditionally met up for a huge fur auction and a bit of fun.  Today we still don our furs (or fur like garments) as it is still cold outside, only 2 degrees above zero this morning.  The fur auction is still on, but there are so many great events and traditions that it’s hard to name them all.  Maria always buys a Rondy pin, but my favorite tradition is to buy a Rondy Brew from Anchorage Brewing Co.  This year available in pint-size cans and served up in a four pack as well as on draft around town.  I am impressed with this year’s recipe, a nice IPA at 6.4% with 55 IBUs.  Brewed with Mosaic (one of my favorite aroma hops) and Idaho 7, which is new to me, but seems to be just right for drinking while watching the fireworks display.  Maybe don’t have more than one before getting on the Tilt-a-Whirl at the annual Rondy Carnival.  Best save that for afterwards!  This weekend is the end of the festival, and also the beginning of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race.  The ceremonial start is this Saturday in Anchorage on 4th Avenue, right in front of our studio building.  If you are in Anchorage, stop by the Real Art is Better headquarters (333 W. 4th Ave, Suite #4) this Saturday, March 3 for some fresh baked cookies, or to warm up.  We’ll be open 10 – 5pm.  Running of the Reindeer, another epic Rondy event is to be held at 4pm.  Don’t delay getting your Rondy-Brew on, as this is a once a year beer, and next year will be changed.  Who knows?  Gabe Fletcher may make a sour lemongrass saison again (also very good, but decidedly different).

Cheers to Rondy — a great festival, and to Rondy Brew — a great beer!

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

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #128. Rondy Brew by Anchorage Brewing Co. 11″x14″, oil on panel. By Scott Clendaniel

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #109. Wolf Pack Pilsner by Midnight Sun Brewing Co.

Happy Thirsty Thursday, beer connoisseurs!

A new, “modern” Pilsner is available from our local favorite brewery Midnight Sun Brewing Company — a brew known as Wolf Pack!  I think it may be one of the best pilsners available in the city.  It’s been my libation of choice lately when I go to Crush Wine Bistro to check on my current art show there, which will be up for the month of October.  MSBC is known for brewing bold, big beers, but this one is a bit more on the normal side.  Still a very hop forward version of Pilsner, but only 5% ABV, and compared to an IPA, not a hop bomb.  More balanced, yet still hop forward.  This beer is true to Pilsner style with more hops on the bittering end, and less in the aroma.  It drinks like an aggressive Czech, or dry-hopped German Pils.  Beers that come to mind when drinking it are Bitburger, Budvar, Pilsner Urquell, and one of my all-time favorite pilsners Berliner Pilsner.  So now when I get a hankering for the Euro flavor, but don’t want to travel halfway around the world, I’ll save the airfare and just buy a 12 pack (coming soon) of the Wolf Pack Modern Pilsner.  

Midnight Sun has a beer for just about anyone, and if you are a pilsner fan, this is a good example of a not boring version of this classic style.  Thanks MSBC for not only making huge beers like Termination Dust (I’m a fan), but making great classic session-able styles as well!  You can actually drink this beer at the brewery and still drive home safely.  

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

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #109. Wolf Pack Pilsner by Midnight Sun Brewing Co. By Scott Clendaniel. 14″x11″, oil on panel.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #77, June 16, 2016, Alaskan Brewing Co. White Wit Style Ale

Howdy, Thirsty Thursday beer painting fans!  I was hitting a wall with the art history beer parody paintings, and I was talking it over with my friend, Kara, who I can credit with the brilliant idea I used for the Spotted Cow painting.  Her uncle was visiting and had brought over a mix-pack of Alaskan Brewing beers.  These are not the most sought-after beers, but are often the most consumed ones in Alaska, kind of like Yuengling in Philly.  They are popular across the Pacific Northwest as well.  I have some of my fondest memories sitting on the beach at Point Woronzof sipping an Alaskan Amber.  Kara told me to paint a polar bear from the Coca Cola commercials drinking an Alaskan White, because it has a polar bear on the label.  I thought that this was a great idea and here it is.  Alaskan White wit-style ale is a very popular Alaskan Brewing offering, and was one of the first paintings snapped up from the original 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall painting show I did back in 2011.  I hope you find this as humorous as I do, because I intend to extrapolate on this series.  Cheers!  I hope you are enjoying your Alaskan summer as much as I am! 

This original oil painting, and 99 limited-edition prints are for sale at my Etsy shop RealArtIsBetter.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #77 by Scott Clendaniel. June 16, 2016. White wit style ale by Alaskan Brewing Co. 11″x14″, oil on panel.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #60, February 18, 2016, Feast Label for Midnight Sun Brewing Co.

Not often does a visual artist get to brew a beer in a commercial brewery.  I was lucky enough to get to do just that!  When my home-brewing buddy Chris Hilliard became the Chef for the Loft at Midnight Sun Brewing Company he told me he was going to see what he could do to get into the brewery and brew a beer.  I told him that was a dream of mine as well and that I would like to join him.  Another dream of mine was to do the artwork for a beer label.  Many people have asked me which beer labels I have designed, and I have had to say the only beer labels I am responsible for are my home-brew labels, which I normally get rushed on as fewer than fifty bottles of beer hardly warrant much of my time.  Home-brew is gone before anyone really takes the time to look at the label.  Nor does it qualify as a commercial beer label.  Chris went to bat for me and not only got me into the brewery to brew a beer with him on the big brew kettle at MSBC, but he also got the marketing crew to let me make a painting that would be the label design.  The beer, which is called Feast, due to the recipe being created by Chef Chris, is a traditional German dopplebock aged in whiskey barrels.  It is not a small beer, being around 7.0-7.5% ABV.  Dopplebock has been referred to as liquid bread, which brings to mind monks drinking beer during Lenten fasts.  We discussed all kinds of names and different images I could use for the label, but the marketing team decided to go with Feast, and I thought that it would be cool to put a bunch of Alaskan animals all around a big table at a huge feast.  The animals represent the MSBC staff members as well as some of the regulars at the Loft (I like to think of myself as the mountain goat).  I included images of the food you can eat at the Loft as well, in homage to Chris’ culinary skills.  All in all, this label took me way longer than I thought it would, but I think it turned out better than I had hoped.  The images in this post are of the original painting without any textual graphics, and the mock up of the label, which is subject to change due to the fact that it has not been fully approved by the marketing staff.  I hope this will be the first of many label designs.  I do love working with breweries.  Cheers to the Feast!  Act like a monk and drink your meal!  The tentative release date is in April.

The original oil painting will be up for auction at the Loft when the beer is released.  I am releasing 52 limited-edition fine art prints of this painting, which are available for sale at my Etsy shop RealArtIsBetter.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #60 by Scott Clendaniel. February 18, 2016. Painting for a Beer Label Design for Feast Dopplebock by Midnight Sun Brewing Co. 19″x24″, oil on panel.

Feast Dopplebock Label Mockup. First Draft.

The Evolution of a Painting

About a month ago I stumbled on a photo online that caught my eye because of its striking colors, and the combination of blues, reds and yellows inspired me to create a painting using those colors. I researched other images online with similar colors, and then created a couple basic sketches of different compositions.

Sketch 1

Sketch 2

Then I painted a small study of each sketch to see what each one would look like as a painting.  These are only 12″x6″.

Small studies.

I decided for now to continue working on the composition of the Anchorage skyline, and painted a larger study of it that is 24″x12″.  I haven’t decided yet whether I’m going to paint a larger version of the Sleeping Lady composition.  I’ll wait and see what feedback I get about it.

Larger study of Anchorage skyline composition. 24″x12″.

Finally, I was ready to start working on the large support, which is 5 feet x 2.5 feet.  I spent about five hours a day for three days working on the final painting.  I wanted this to be dry for my upcoming art show at Midnight Sun Brewing on January 2nd, so I came into the studio on Christmas Eve to finish the painting.  Here is the gradual progression.

Progress on day 1.

Day 2.

Day 2.

Final result.

Right now this painting is drying in my studio, and will be on display, and available for sale, at Midnight Sun Brewing from January 2nd – February 4th.

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #52, December 24, 2015

Lightly snowing here in Anchorage, Alaska today on Christmas Eve. Beautiful, but cold. This week’s beer painting honors David Crewdson, a volunteer beer expert, who occasionally runs the Midnight Sun Brewing brewery tour. He called me one day in the summer of 2013, and said he had a dynamite idea that he would only tell me in person, and invited me on a brewery tour.  I was in McCarthy when he called me, and since I was already planning to head back to Anchorage anyway, and MSBC is one of my favorite hang out spots, I told him I’d be there. After the tour, which I have done about six times at MSBC and countless times at other breweries, Crewdson presented his idea.  He said simply with his arms waving excitedly, “Here’s the idea… Paint mountains in the beer foam, and call it Toast to Our Mountains!” I thought it was brilliant, and he said he didn’t want anything in return, because what good is a great idea if you can’t implement it yourself? So I put the concept to the test, making five original oil paintings that all varied, but all had at least one pint with foamy mountains, or the Anchorage skyline.  I sold the last one just a few weeks ago.  So I felt it would make a great Thirsty Thursday entry and painted a sixth Toast to our Mountains painting.  The mountains in the background are the Chugach Mountains, which tower over Anchorage, and the one in the pint is Denali, the tallest mountain in North America, which I can see from my studio on sunny days, even though it’s 133 miles from Anchorage as the crow flies.

So I propose a Toast to our Mountains, and to David Crewdson — a man of honor, and integrity, with a fine mind!

P.S.  I noticed that this year has 53 Thursdays, so stay tuned next week for a bonus, and last, Thirsty Thursday beer painting of 2015!

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

Thirsty Thursday Beer Painting #52 by Scott Clendaniel. December 24, 2015. Toast to Our Mountains. 12″x24″, oil on panel.