Alaska Friends began with four friends painting watercolors together once a week at their homes.
Aqua Four was the name selected at the time; circumstances brought about one more Friend. Realizing the restriction of painting space in our homes, and wishing to keep the group small enough to fit that venue, the group became "AQUA FOUR + ONE."
With our studios located along the Kenai River area of Alaska’s spectacularly beautiful Kenai Peninsula, we continue to paint and share creative inspirations that we find in our Kenai environment as well as from our diverse experiences, studies, travels and imagination. While critique of our painting endeavors is of prime importance to our group, we gather together to share access to information, to assist each other in promoting our art, and to review our artist involvement with other art groups. This is in pursuit to improve our artistic abilities and to gain artistic growth.
Each artist primarily paints in watercolor; however, we enjoy other mediums when interpretation dictates. Our paintings reflect original painting styles and include landscapes, still life, portraits, floral and abstracts.
Having participated in various local venues, and scattered about the USA, the group is still painting together and keeping in contact with one another. And showing online with the new title of "ALASKA FRIENDS."
Perhaps prominent artist/teacher David A Leffel describes our pursuit in just three short sentences: " Learning to paint is relatively easy. An artist learns 'how to see'. A painter sees only 'what to paint'. "