Bliss part of new art show at Bagels Alaska

Work by Chugiak artist Pat Bliss is part of a new art show titled “Off the Easel,” which opens with a public reception from 3 to 5 p.m., Aug. 12 at Bagels Alaska, on the Palmer-Wasilla Highway. The show hangs through Oct. 5 and features Tracie Tompkins, Jim Leach and Bliss.

BACH: What is a typical day for you as an artist?

BLISS: When I put on my “artist hat,” I need a quiet environment, so I usually paint late into the evening when the house is quiet.

BACH: Who has influenced you the most in your decision to be an artist?

BLISS: My mother Bernie, most definitely. She gave me an art box, supplies and art lessons for my birthday one year. That’s all it took.

BACH: How many different media have you tried? What is your preference?

BLISS: I’ve tried watercolor, oil, acrylic and recently pastel. I love watercolor. It creates itself at times. The rest of the mediums can be controlled a lot easier.

BACH: Do you favor certain subjects?

BLISS: I love to paint animals, old buildings and landscapes. One day I’ll tackle oceans.

BACH: Many of your art pieces are small. Do you prefer the small format?

BLISS: I like painting small because I love detail work and I can finish a painting in a timely manner. I can also keep the price of my paintings reasonable. What’s the point of creating beautiful art if you can’t share them?

BACH: What are some of your greatest challenges in your art career?

BLISS: So many wonderful subjects to paint and so little time! Finding time to paint is my biggest challenge.

BACH: What are some of the biggest rewards?

BLISS: My biggest reward is painting something someone else loves.

BACH: Tell me about your career other than art and how you got into it.

BLISS: My first career came out of high school. I trained to become a bookkeeper. But when I could get out of the office environment, I enjoyed photography, which fed my creative juices and kept me wanting to paint.

BACH: What honors and/or rewards have you received?

BLISS: I’ve won ribbons at both the Southcentral Fair and the Southeastern Alaska Fair, also the Fur Rondy art show in Anchorage.

BACH: How important is networking with other artists to you in your career?

BLISS: Artists keep other artists connected; without them, you stagnate. I paint more when our art group (Valley Fine Arts Association) meets during the long winter months (Mondays from 4 to 8 p.m., at Mat-Su College).

BACH: Have you done extensive traveling as an artist?

BLISS: The farthest I’ve traveled is East Africa (Tanzania), on a mission trip. I saw and experienced a whole different world. Some beautiful and some tragic. I travel whenever I get the chance, and never without my camera.

BACH: Is Alaska considered home?

BLISS: Alaska has been my home for 18 years now. The first nine were in Southeast Alaska on the island of Wrangell. It was there that I began to paint in watercolors.

BACH: What keeps you in Alaska?

BLISS: My husband’s job keeps us in Alaska, at least until he retires in four years. Our family is all down in the Lower 48. Who knows?

BACH: Do you have a supportive network when it comes to your art?

BLISS: I lost my greatest fan when my mom died in 2007, but I’ve found friends in the VFAA art group and I get a lot of support and help when we all meet and paint.

BACH: What are your goals as an artist?

BLISS: One goal, as an artist, is one day to be asked to be a part of “Artist in Residence” at Denali National Park. That would be a dream come true. Another is to become more proficient at plein air painting, painting from real life.

Suzanne Bach is a guest writer for the Frontiersman and fine arts coordinator at Mat-Su College.