MIST D'JUNE
Mist D’June’s artistic journey is as intricate and captivating as the Alaskan landscapes she renders on her canvas. For over four decades, Alaska’s rugged beauty has been both her muse and her home. The journey that brought her from the midwest to the quaint town of North Pole is one woven with threads of adventure and a love for the natural world. Here, amidst the quietude of winter snows and the biting embrace of extreme cold, Mist found her sanctuary. Her life was dedicated to the academic pursuit of knowledge in the natural sciences at the University of Alaska, nurturing the minds that would continue to cherish and understand the land she holds dear.
The transition from academia to part-time artist was a seamless one for Mist. The same patience and precision that guided her through two decades at the university now fuel her passion for the unpredictable and challenging medium of watercolor. In the ebb and flow of translucent hues, she finds a reflection of life’s own impermanence and beauty. Retirement has offered her the luxury of time, which she divides between various pursuits.
"It's patience training."
Mist’s artwork is a testament to her deep connection with Alaska. Each piece is a convergence of water, pigment, and paper that somehow captures the ethereal play of light over snow, the subtle gradations of twilight skies, and the vividness of a landscape that is as harsh as it is beautiful. The challenge of watercolor, with its demand for control within spontaneity, mirrors the balance she observes in the wild—where serenity meets survival, and harshness is interspersed with moments of profound beauty.
Her latest endeavor—a commissioned piece for The Libby Group’s holiday card—has brought her much excitement. As a patient, she’s experienced the warmth and professionalism of their dental team firsthand and imbues this gratitude into her artistry. The artwork is not just a festive greeting but a peek into Alaska, a heartfelt tribute from a woman who has found her calling amidst its splendor. Mist D’June paints not just with watercolors, but with both the details and essence of the north itself.
