The Nomad finds a home

Valley Life editor

Growing up in Knik, Lisa Redington would always look out at the Nomad, her grandfather Joe Redington Sr.'s beached fishing boat, and dream about the day she would put the scene on canvas. Now, she is realizing her dream, having released a print of the Knik icon.

Redington now lives in Wasilla, but it's her fond memories of growing up in Knik that inspired her to paint the Nomad, a scene that many who have ever visited the Knik area know well.

"I've always wanted to get involved with art," Redington said. "I went out and photographed it in 2001, and I've been waiting two years to do it. I figured I'm not getting any younger, so I better do it."

The print, which is being released as a gicl/e print, features Pioneer Peak in the background. She painted it with oils on a 20-inch by 24-inch canvas. She includes a brief history of the boat with each print.

"I started painting with oils in 1999. I've tried watercolors and acrylics, but I really like oils a lot more," Redington said.

Redington also experimented with a number of different arts methods, including glass etching and charcoals, before finding her groove with oil paints.

Redington has also started making clocks, on which she paints landscapes and wildlife.

After she completed painting the Nomad, the print was well received, leading her to the decision to release it as a print.

Gicl/e is a printing method that far surpasses traditional lithography in a number of areas.

While lithography uses tiny dots of four colors -- cyan, magenta, yellow and black -- gicl/e printing uses inkjet technology using many more colors, sometimes up to 12 from a single printer.

The result is a brighter print with higher resolution. A side advantage is that they traditionally last longer. Gicl/e printing has increased in popularity tremendously in the last few years because of its many advantages.

While the Nomad project is her first foray into the art world, she's hoping it won't be her last. Another one of her longtime dreams is to build Nomad Art Studio.

"I've got property in Knik that sits on a hill overlooking the Nomad, and I've always wanted to build a house and a studio out there," Redington said.

Now that she has completed the project that first got her started in art, she would like to start in on other projects, probably landscapes in Alaska.

"It would be neat to paint the popular spots around Alaska," Redington said. "I want to work for myself and be able to paint Alaska's scenery."

Prints are available at Town Square Art Gallery, and by e-mailing her at lisar@mtaonline.net.