Even as I prepare for our upcoming Baja and Sonoran Desert Field Arts Bootcamps, settled back in relatively warm Arizona (which is experiencing some substantial winter storms!), I am enjoying reflecting on our first winter at our historic log cabin in downtown Fairbanks, Alaska. It was a real learning curve for us desert kids: the week we arrived, temperatures dipped to 39 degrees below zero (Fahrenheit)!

With good outdoor gear, we soon acclimated, however, and I got out in the -30 temps to at least do a tiny bit of sketching for my Winter Solstice 2022 entry — adding the mountains and compass points using a Rite in the Rain pen which is supposed to stay fluid to around -30. It did, though I didn’t last longer than about 10 mins at a time. It was gorgeous, a clear calm day from the university heights overlooking the Fairbanks valley and the Alaska Range.

We also ventured out to cut our own Christmas tree (one of us fell deep into a snow drift, face-first!); enjoyed a 2-mile. hike in the local wildlife refuge on New Year’s Day; and made daily walks to the post office, coffee shop, and co-op market.

I even tackled the challenge of watercolor painting at sub-zero temperatures, using gin or vodka as the medium for my colors! Below are some images from our adventures and my journals.