Beauty In The Buff

Alaska is a place with a very varied climate. In the summers, the days are long and often warm, sometimes reaching the high 70F’s, while the winters can be extremely cold with hurricane-force winds, heavy snow and temperatures in the negative teens.

This painting captures a moment during the Christmas Break of 2023, when the temperatures in southcentral Alaska were brutally cold. We braved the temperatures for a holiday sleigh ride through the frozen landscape.

On this particular day, it was -23F (-30C). It was cold, even with the gear we brought with us to try to stay warm, including several layers of blankets, layered clothing as well as hand and foot warmers.

The photo of my wife Elisabeth that was used as a reference for this painting was taken during a brief pause in our ride, and the painting quite accurately reflects how we all felt that moment. We were bundled up, exposing as little skin as possible in our attempts to retain as much body heat as possible. Frost from our breaths layered our scarfs, hats and facial hair. 

Yet, in this brutal cold, there’s the inescapable beauty that is evident in the piercing blue eyes and the blonde hair that escapes the confines of the hat and hood. It’s this moment of silent suffering and serene beauty that I’ve attempted to capture with this painting.