Constance Baltuck

This summer I answered a posting in Craigslist and brought home some 5 1/2 " x 16" x 3/4" cherry wood panels.  I thought they might make a good painting surface, but as soon as I had them at home, and really looked at them, I saw that the grain in the wood described the landscape of Southeast Alaska perfectly.  I went right back to the seller and bought another dozen!  The lines on the panels suggested mountains and valleys, cloudscapes, and the broad expanses of our inland waterways; all they needed was a little coaxing and definition and there they were; paintings that blended nature, imagination, and years of painting in Southeast Alaska.

These paintings were all made by emphasizing patterns in the wood grain with combinations of burnt Sienna, ultramarine blue, and white with detailing in brilliant metallic gold.  See them all in the photo album in the column to your right.