Painter sets sail with the great ships

You might say Captain Cook is “waiting (perhaps praying) for his ship to come in” in the new hazardous seafaring painting “Rough Seas” by renowned Alaska artist Charles Gause. Gause, who was born in Yakima, Wash., and ventured north to Alaska for pipeline work in the 1970s, resides with his wife in nearby scenic Eagle River.

The new limited-edition release “Rough Seas,” from an original acrylic painting portrays the drama of the HSM Resolution that left Nootka Sound on April 26, 1778, and encountered a storm that “blew a perfect hurricane,” as told by Captain Cook in his historic journal.

Anticipation of disaster may not be on the viewer’s mind while observing the painting, but the artist, having done his research, is totally aware of the tumultuous misfortune that ensued when the Resolution sprung a leak during the gusting winds. The painting portrays the perilous struggle of the ship and its crew, who are “taking in the sails and re-rigging, in order to survive the storm,” Gause said.

“There is a lot of reading and research involved in painting an accurate sailing ship,” is his unceremonious response when asked about the choice of subject matter.

On Alaska waters in his rigid inflatable boat, Gause travels to “new scenic viewpoints and to actual locations that Captain Cook and Vitus Bering have visited” as research. He adds that “the occasional rough water experience is not wasted because (he is) always watching the way water moves and logging it away, in the corners of (his) mind, for future use.”

As far as the technical aspects of manifesting a masterpiece such as “Rough Seas,” which took about two months to complete, he comments that the most difficult part is painting the rigging.

“Starting and ending at specific points is a challenge,” he explains, and that he diligently “thins acrylic (paint) enough to make the long, fine-curved flowing lines,” getting the consistency right, for ideal results.

And how did he get started?

“I used to sketch Navy ships as a kid, and drew color crayon pictures of sailing vessels” in grade school. “I had two uncles in the Navy and (my) grandpa had photos of their respective ships that they served aboard that he let me look at and draw pictures from when I was about 10 years old,” he continues.

By high school, Gause had completed his first acrylic sailing ship painting and was soon to find himself on the way to a future in art.

Ships are not the only interest of this highly accomplished Alaska artist. His love of nature, spurred on by the Alaska landscape, has given him great visions for wildlife and scenery that appear in many of his sold out editions displayed on www.charlesgause.net

When he retired from being the “Official Iditarod Fundraising Artist” it reduced the pressure and stress of producing on a timetable. Now, he says, “My goal is not really any set quantity, but rather consistent quality.”

Being a dog lover enhanced his experience as he followed the Iditarod race to Finger Lake, Rainy Pass, McGrath, Iditarod and Nome during the “10 years of doing the Iditarod print series.”

A previous owner of huskies and malamutes, Gause presently boasts of “a 14-year-old chocolate Labrador, Griffy, and a 3-year-old yellow Lab, Jasper, who (have) hunted waterfowl with me. Many of my ideas have come from my times afield with my dogs.”

Whether carving decoys, “sewing up (his) own simulated moss camouflage suit” to wear while photographing wildlife and water fowl, or letting the “grandkids loose with some paints when they visit,” his love of art is inherent in his existence.

Other family members have followed suit, with his wife painting lovely watercolors of flowers and now managing a large greenhouse, and his oldest daughter became an artist and lives in Seattle.

His commitment to community extends from Anchorage, where he participates in a weekly Bible study at McLaughlin Youth Center, to Kenya, where Heroes of the Nation benefiting 300 orphans is a recipient of proceeds from certain art sales.

About artwork on the horizon, he generalizes that “I have a few large major works still tumbling around and fermenting in my head for a future date.” Then specifically back to the ship theme, he enthusiastically indulges, “I plan to take my ships to the worldwide nautical art market and have been advertising in Sea History magazine. I may also expand to the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii soon. I have some really large ships planned.

“There is something liberating about imagining oneself sailing off to explore the world on a tall ship, and I get to somehow experience that feeling every time I paint one. Hopefully the people who buy my paintings get that same experience.”

Just as Captain Cook relentlessly set sail, so does Charles Gause as he propels us into unknown territory with his artwork, and we eagerly await his next ship to come in.

Suzanne Bach is a local artist and teaches a Mat-Su College.