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Alaskan Wildlife & Landscape

Birds

 

Our home sits on a mountainside overlooking an ocean entrance called Nichols Passage, in Alaska's SE archipelago. On a clear day you can see headlands over 40 miles distant. There isn't much that flies or floats that can escape our view and birds are omnipresent. From eagles, hawks and ravens, to woodpeckers, or hummingbirds, we have at least a hundred species appear throughout the year, including the flocks of thousands of ducks, swans and geese making their annual treks along the Pacific flyway migration route. 

 

 

Alaskan Mammalia

People often ask me to tell them the stories behind my paintings. I find that telling these stories adds a whole new level of interest and understanding to my work, so I'm starting to write them down—and share them here. The story of "Black Wolf, Romeo" begins like this:

Romeo was a black Alexander Archipelago wolf (Canis lupus ligoni), a rare subspecies of gray wolf, who lived near Juneau, Alaska, between 2003 and 2009. Known for his unusually friendly and social behavior, Romeo captured the hearts of many in the community by interacting playfully with local dogs and humans in the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area. Unlike typical wild wolves, which are shy and tend to avoid consorting with people, Romeo sought out the companionship of local dogs and, even, some lucky humans. It’s difficult to say why he exhibited these uncharacteristic behaviors, but it’s likely due in part because he was a lone wolf, orphaned as a pup. 

 

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Mama Bear teaching her cubs how to fish
Sea Otter Siesta
The Alaskan landscape is so vast and varied, it would take volumes to describe. Millions of dollars are spent attracting tourists to this state and it’s done primarily with pictures—words just can't describe it, especially not in a 30 second sound byte! The old adage that a picture paints a thousand words might be especially true here. From glaciers to volcanos, desert to rainforest, plains to rugged mountain ranges, Alaska has it all and then some. An artist can make a career painting landscapes in Alaska, and never run out of subject matter in several lifetimes.
Alaskan Landscapes
The painting featured here, Village Island Sentinel, was inspired by a trip to this tiny island in SE Alaska. It was the only totem pole left standing from the once-vibrant Tlingit natives who lived there. When you purchase this painting, you will also receive a copy of my account from that day. It's called "The Shaman's Grave: A Tale of Pilfered Artifacts, Pesky Ravens … and Practical Jokes," which you can also read here!

© 2025 Terry Pyles Art
 

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