When I made this painting I was thinking only of the eagles; their fierce and joyful presence at Eagle Rock, the retreat built by Ernest and Dorothy Gruening in the early 1950's. Only later did I come to think of the eagles as spirit reminders of Ernest and Dorothy Gruening themselves. They were leaders in national and state politics and the arts, great original thinkers, and strong believers in public service; their legacy is one that has been honored by the creation of Ernest Gruening State Historical Park and the Artist-in-Residence Program that was recently established there.
In June, last summer, I had the opportunity to spend two weeks at Eagle Rock, painting as the AIR Program's first resident artist; my work from that experience will be shown at Kaill's Gallery on Front Street in Juneau next month, with an Opening Reception on Friday, February 5th, from 4:30 to 7:30 pm. I hope you can stop by!
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