L
astsummer,I spentthemonth
ofJulyasanartist-in-residence
atTogiakNationalWildlife
Refuge.Located 350 milessouthwest
ofAnchorage,Alaska,therefugeis
madeupof7.4millionacresofmoun-
tains,glacialvalleys,lakes,rivers,
sandandgravelbeaches,andcoastal
cliffs.I sawonlya smallportionofit.
It’sa remotedestination(covered
mostlybytundra)that’saccessible
onlybyboatorplane.Duringmy
timethere,I stayedinthesmall
townofDillingham,locatedon
BristolBay.
Becausemyhusbandwasa refuge
manager,byprofession,I’velived
onvariouswildliferefugesfromthe
CanadiantotheMexicanborders,
whichpreparedmeforthisopportu-
nity.Whilecertainlychallenging,it
wasalsoexcitingandcomfortable.LivingLower
ontheFoodChain
Asa wildlifeartist,mygoalforthe
residencywastosee,experienceand
absorb.I wentpreparedwithclothing
thatcouldbelayered,rainandhik-
inggear,a backpackanda drysack.BELOW AND OPPOSITE
This bear had caught a salmon but then
sighted a bigger one coming. I used the photo
as a reference for my pastel Brooks Falls
Fisherman (13x20).My essential
gear included
a large dry sack
to keep supplies
waterproof, a
backpack and
a good pair of
hiking boots.The dry sack (a waterproof duffel
bag) was big and roomy, and came in
handy shortly after I arrived. I was
flown to Cape Peirce, and because the
tide was in, I needed waders to get
from the plane to the beach. I carried
everything that I’d need for the next
five days to the beach and then a mile
or so on from there, through very
tall, wet grass. My destination and
home for those days was a cabin, sur-
rounded by a solar-powered electric
bear fence.
Togiak is home to animals that
certainly aren’t common sights for
a Colorado resident like myself.I observed caribou, fox and a
multitude of birds and seals.
Because Grizzlies are also among the
residents at Togiak, I became very
aware that I wasn’t at the top of the
food chain. The refuge manager and
interpreter carried a gun wherever
we went.
The magic of sharing moments of
time with wildlife was always present
throughout my residency, and the
information I gathered from these
observations was helpful. When
watching most big game move, for
instance, I found that they rarely get
their jawbone above their withersWe were dropped off on
the beach at Cape Peirce,
where the sand was covered
with caribou tracks.ArtistsNetwork.com 11