I had the privilege of spending two weeks in the deep wilderness of Alska in September of 2008. I shared this adventure with a small group of close friends which only furthered to enhance the experience. Words and photographs simply did not convey the enorimity of what I witnessed in that region of our country, therefore, I set about painting one year ago in order to share, not so much what there was to see, but how it felt.

As a painter, I would describe myself as a simple realist. The French painter Courbet once said, "I do not paint angels because I have never seen one." I share this philosophy in that I try to convey the reality and accuracy of my experiences as carefully as possible. I use photography as a reminder, but pride myself on working free hand so that something of me comes through in the work. I have always enjoyed wilderness themes, whether it is a vast landscape, or a person experiencing the unexplored as a small temporary figure within a larger world. Subsequently, my paintings take on a somber natural tone devoid of the trappings of the modern world. I hold in high esteem turn of the century painters, Thomas Eakins, Winslow Homer and John Singer Sargent.

If when viewing this exhibition you feel that you can smell the pines, touch the cool water or hear the wind, I will consider it a success.

- Ron Dixon