Location: United States
My name is Pauline Thomas and I am an artist living off the highway leading to the Haul Road and the wild northern lands of Alaska. While the road is covered with snow and ice for half the year, the area is always blanketed with beauty, no matter the season. I use this beauty as inspiration for my artwork. In recent years, I've focused my attention to what I call 'playing with color', creating collages made of snippets from magazines, catalogs, etc. I don't use images as much as patches of color with interesting texture or shading. These little clippings come together in new expressions of color in my collages - up to hundreds in a single piece. I often feel like simply the medium through which these pieces make themselves - (I apply the glue!). The ideas seem to jump onto the paper and I'm along for the ride.
Now that I'm retired, I am privileged to devote more of my time to artistic endeavors which in turn feeds my soul. My hope is to convey the vastness and richness of this special land blessed with God's majesty.
Scenes of central and northern Alaska
The sun offers light, but not much warmth, in the spring. The low light softens the surroundings and makes the most interesting shadows.
The northern lights often pass over our house in neon green bands resembling tire tracks.
The life cycle of the fireweed is fascinating to me year after year. It 'morphs' several times over the short growing season. Here it is in its full-bloom glory.
A view looking northward to the lands of the Alaska caribou.
The weekly trip on the Elliott Highway to get spring water is breathtaking even under heavy clouds for weeks on end.
After creating a very detailed collage, I relax and play with scraps that often form themselves into their own works of art.
A beam of light shows secret jewels
Imagine looking up under thick ice, as a seal of course - otherwise it'd be way too cold and scary!
This reminds me of a New Year's Eve party - cheers!
Using up scraps
. . . is wearing an understated yet elegant gown to this year's Christmas Snow Ball.
. . . in all their glory
A dog who thinks he's a wardrobe advisor
The geese are calling it a day.
This is a scene as seen by me (see what I did there?) as I looked out my car window one afternoon. As we were driving home through a winter storm, this caribou decided to race us for a while. Through inches of snow over compact ice, it reached a speed of almost 35 miles before we left it! No wonder some people think reindeer can fly. True story!
Every kid - and dog - ought to have at least one day like this in their lives.
King of all he surveys
Snowflakes dress up for a night on the town.
This one started the series. After seeing up-close photographs of snowflakes, I imagined what they'd look like in color. This is still my favorite one.
A Christmas princess
Expressing themselves through bold color
sparkling like a star
calling up some warmth in its colors
As I recovered from ankle surgery, I couldn't imagine pushing my foot into a boot again. But boots were on my mind, and I made a list of all I could think of to use as a future project. Years later, they reminded me that they wanted their portraits done.
You can tell a cowboy boot by its toe,
pointed so it slips into a stirrup,
then you can make the horse go.
bunny boots, funny boots
white as the snow
keep your feet warm
down to 40 below
These boots are magic for those who believe
that they may make an appearance on Christmas Eve
mukluks are made of canvas or fur
they keep your feet and legs warm
so they don't say 'brrrr'
When you want an adventure
with a friend by your side,
hop into these boots,
and ride, and ride, and ride, and ride
I love quilts - but even more, I love the idea of quilts, something handmade with love and prayers handed down through the family. The humble 9-patch is one of my favorites - easy, but with almost endless variations. This project gave me an opportunity to mix different prints and colors in an unusual way.
A watery scene
too much stimulation
something's about to erupt!
a trip to space
can the sprawl be contained?
“Stripes in the Driveway”
“Heavenly Highway”
“At Home With Fireweed”
“The Big Picture”
“Cloudy, With Rain Likely”
“Shaft of Light”
“Under the Ice #4”
“Special Night Nine-Patch”
“Homespun”
“Snowflake #22”
“Jackson in the Closet”
“Day is Done - Settling Down”
“Cruisin' With the Caribou”
“A Dog and His Boy”
“Lion King”
“Snowflake #1”
“Snowflake #5”
“Neon Snowflakes”
“Snowflake #8”
“Snowflake #2”
“Cowgirl Boots”
“Bunny Boots”
“Magic Boots”
“Mukluks”
“Motorcycle Boots”
“Underwater Blues Nine-Patch”
“Nervous Energy Nine-Patch”
“Magma Nine-Patch”
“Cosmic Nine-Patch”
“Urban Planning Nine-Patch”
