Hours:
Tuesday – Friday, 11:00 – 6:00; Saturday, 11:00 – 5:00
Closed Sunday and Monday

Additional Hours on First Fridays 5:00 – 7:00 pm
907-563-2787 • 3555 Arctic Boulevard • Anchorage 99503

Ayse Gilbert
Botanical Drawings:
Common and Uncommon Plants
Opening Reception,
Friday, September 4, 5:00 – 7:00

Ayse Gilbert

Botanical Drawings:
Common and Uncommon Plants

Botanical art has a long and interesting history, as it combines art with history, science, ethnology, and horticulture. In recent years, interest in this form of art had expanded around the world, with more classes, exhibits, and symposiums available. A fabulous, and vast website to explore is Botanical Art and Artists, that includes much historical information of botanical artists, as well as information on books, classes and exhibits.

 These pieces would be considered botanical art, not botanical illustration, as they are less technical than illustrations. They are somewhat stylized, and yet still accurate renderings of each plant. All the work was created starting with living specimens, collected from gardens, alleys, or natural landscapes. For each piece, a number of worksheets (rough drawings) were made, mostly at size with multiple color choices, and with as much detail as possible. Usually more than one plant was collected in order to see variations, and often a final piece is a combination of many worksheets. For some plants, it might take a year to draw a number of worksheets, showing different stages of growth. A final drawing on tissue is transferred to clean paper, at which point the outlines and underdrawing begin. These pieces are all drawn on Stonehenge 100 percent cotton paper, using colored pencils, and a small amount of watercolor. Ayse Gilbert

At South Restaurant
Jana Latham
Dreaming of Alaska

Artist Statement
New Work

After owning and running my own art gallery locally in Anchorage, Alaska for 14 years, in 2016 I discovered my true creative love…digital art.

Since 2016 I have practiced, experimented, and grown as a digital artist. I’m a self-taught artist, and I have taken many classes in digital art including in-person as well as online classes. I’ve watched countless hours of instruction and tutorial videos that have helped me learn new and constantly improving painting techniques. I’ve invested in software and hardware as well as several design programs that help me with my art. There are so many skills to acquire and explore!

My process starts with an idea, and then a photograph–either my own, or with a licensed photograph I purchase. Then the painting starts on my computer or tablet and can take many hours or days as I often go back to perfect and hone my vision. I use digital brushes, color pallets, layers, crops, fades, cutting and pasting, textures, and experimentation. I may start with a photo or several mixed photos as a base, but the end result is a piece of artwork straight out of my imagination.

I get my inspiration from the many wonderful, talented artists that were a part of my Anchorage gallery. After reflecting back on those gallery years, thinking of these dedicated and persevering artists helps to give me the gumption and bravery to put my art out there to the masses. Thank you friends.

At Crush Bistro

Denis Ryan
Life Appearing From
the Alaska Landscape

Life Appearing from the Alaska Landscape shows how life and place are inseparable. Created in Alaska’s vast and shifting wilderness, this body of work explores the relationship between land, wildlife, and sky, where every season reshapes the environment and every living thing responds to it.

Through photographs of bears moving across rivers, coastlines, and mountain valleys, Denis seeks to show animals not as subjects apart from nature but as part of a larger living system. Their daily rhythms mirror the cycles of the land itself, abundance and scarcity, movement and stillness, resilience and rest. Above them, the northern lights stretch across the dark sky, reminding us that even the atmosphere participates in the story of this place. Together, earth and sky form a quiet dialogue that defines life in Alaska.

Originally from rural County Tipperary, Ireland, Denis’s relationship with wilderness began early and grew through years of travel and exploration across the world. Yet it was Alaska that felt like home. Drawn by its raw landscapes, powerful wildlife, and sense of scale, he moved here out of a deep love for the place and now lives and works surrounded by the environments that inspire his photography.

With these images, Denis hopes to inspire people to connect more deeply with nature and wildlife. When we connect with the natural world, we move closer to living in harmony with Mother Earth. Through each photograph, he strives to bring viewers into the wild, to witness an animal in its own environment, to feel the quiet story in its behavior, and to awaken the bond that inspires protection, respect, and care.