Knik River Crossing

Alaska is a land of breathtaking natural beauty—from the local giants of Pioneer Peak and Matanuska Peak to the world-renowned summit of Denali. Towering mountains, winding rivers, dense forests, rolling hills, and miles of rugged coastline define this vast, untamed landscape. It’s a place of striking contrasts and quiet grandeur—a beautiful place to call home.

The Alaska Railroad is nearly as iconic as the scenery it passes through. Founded in the early 1900s in Seward, the railroad pushed steadily northward, shaping the geography and history of the state. Anchorage itself began as a tent city for railroad workers, and the line eventually extended all the way to Fairbanks, laying the foundation for many of the communities we know today.

This painting aims to capture that deep connection between landscape and legacy: a train crossing the frozen Knik River in winter, with the snow-covered Chugach Mountains towering in the distance. With Anchorage behind and the wilderness between Wasilla and Fairbanks ahead, the scene reflects the pioneering spirit of those who braved the elements to build not just a railroad, but the communities that grew around it.

I’ve tried to reflect the stark beauty of the Alaskan winter—snow-blanketed mountains, a partially frozen river—interrupted by the vivid flash of the train’s yellow and blue as it charges across the landscape, a symbol of progress cutting through the stillness of nature.