Today the Sea Lion Gallery enjoys a great reputation for exhibiting some of the finest Alaskan artists. The walls and display cases exhibit a good variety of both original work and limited editions. You might find an antique twined Aleut basket from the 1920's beside a finely carved contemporary Inupiat Eskimo walrus ivory needle case by Jerome Saclamana. A handsome original oil of Canada Geese by duck stamp artist John Lofgreen might hang on the wall beside a sold out original stone lithograph "Legend of Otter Woman" by Anchorage artists Jacques and Mary Regat. The Sea Lion is fortunate to be among the few galleries currently chosen by Karla Morriera to feature her vibrant, mystical hand-painted limited editions of sea creatures.
Gary & Terry Lyon
The Sea Lion Gallery started in 1993 as an additional way for Gary and Terri Lyon to sell their art work. In 1993 the gallery building was one of the smallest shops on the Homer Spit boardwalks. The new art gallery was a success the first year but limited by its small footage. It could fit about 15-20 people. Once inside that number of people would begin to feel crowded and then a mass exodus would occur. People would again begin to come back inside until that critical mass was reached, again mass exodus. The next few years small additions were made. In 1996 finally the roof came off and the front wall was extended out to eight feet, the full amount allowed by the boardwalk owner. A second floor was added for two rental suites. The gallery then began to enjoy great success and more adequately display the work of many other artists.
Valisa Higman
Influenced by her father, a wood-carver, her grandfather, and mother who both hand cut silk-screens; Valisa began working subtractively at a young age. Her cut-paper artwork all starts as a sheet of black paper. Carving away at the background using an exacto knife, her images are revealed in an intricate lacework of lines. Using the black as her foreground, she fills the negative space by piecingtogether layers of paper in vibrant colors and textures. As a finishing touch, she adds the last details and shading with watercolor. Her work reflects her love of community, food, and nature.
Valisa was born in Seldovia, Alaska, and studied psychology and art at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. Along the way she has found inspiration in her surroundings. From the mountains of Colorado to the tea houses of Eastern Europe, the deserts of Africa to the limestone cliffs of Laos, she is forever moved by the beauty and grace the world has to offer. Her artwork has been featured in cafes and galleries throughout her journeys. Recent juried shows included the Mayor’s Art Show in Eugene, OR, and The Clay Cup, a national juried exhibition at the George Caleb Bingham Gallery at University of Missouri.
Valisa recently moved back to Seldovia after spending the last five years in Eugene, Oregon with a small community of friends she met while volunteering on the Gulf Coast after hurricane Katrina. Being home has proved both nostalgic and eye opening, sparking new ideas every day.
Dan Twitchell
DAN TWITCHELL, OPAartist and photographer
Dan Twitchell is a longtime Alaska resident and has spent many years photographing and painting Alaska's amazing landscapes and wildlife. The rugged beauty of this great State and the abundance of wildlife serve as inspiration for his paintings and photography. Dan is a self taught artist and photographer, and paints in both plein air and from reference photos taken during his excursions around the State.
His painterly style reflects his interpretation of Alaska’s beautiful wildlife and rugged terrains through his vibrant colours and loose expressive brushwork. “I do not merely want to capture the image with my brushes; rather with careful, colourful strokes of paint. I strive with each finished work to breathe life into my subject. My goal is share the beauty of Alaska with the world through my art and my lenses. “
Dan is currently represented by Galleries throughout Alaska and the Pacific Northwest.
Dan Twitchell is a longtime Alaska resident and has spent many years photographing and painting Alaska's amazing landscapes and wildlife. The rugged beauty of this great State and the abundance of wildlife serve as inspiration for his paintings and photography. Dan is a self taught artist and photographer, and paints in both plein air and from reference photos taken during his excursions around the State.
His painterly style reflects his interpretation of Alaska’s beautiful wildlife and rugged terrains through his vibrant colours and loose expressive brushwork. “I do not merely want to capture the image with my brushes; rather with careful, colourful strokes of paint. I strive with each finished work to breathe life into my subject. My goal is share the beauty of Alaska with the world through my art and my lenses. “
Dan is currently represented by Galleries throughout Alaska and the Pacific Northwest.
Jacques & Mary Regat
Jacques Regat's career began in France where he taught himself to paint and carve in clay, wood and stone. At the same time, working with metal while learning the trade of machinist, tool and die maker which eventually led him to graduate from the College d' Enseignement Technique DeVitry, France. He also apprenticed himself to an Italian carver and a Chinese decorator. In Alaska while sharing his talent at the Native Welcome Center he developed a strong kinship and respect for the cultural myths and history of its people. This became an inspirational theme reflected in many of the Regat's works. He graduated cum laude from the University of Alaska in Anchorage, with a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts and an Anthropology minor.
Mary Regat, primarily a self-taught artist, began sculpting while living in a remote logging camp on Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska. Her first effort was a 28-foot dug out canoe. Traveling north she took up residence in Anchorage, Alaska and began sculpting in stone. Her style is expressive and impressionistic, capturing the emotions and moods of her subjects. Twenty years ago, making Anchorage their home, Jacques and Mary met and married, and they began combining their talents to create pieces which extended beyond what either one could do alone. "Sculpting together is like having a whole set of new tools to work with," said Mary. Together they studied art at the University of Alaska, Mayan Toltec art in Central and South America and European art in France.
Mary Regat, primarily a self-taught artist, began sculpting while living in a remote logging camp on Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska. Her first effort was a 28-foot dug out canoe. Traveling north she took up residence in Anchorage, Alaska and began sculpting in stone. Her style is expressive and impressionistic, capturing the emotions and moods of her subjects. Twenty years ago, making Anchorage their home, Jacques and Mary met and married, and they began combining their talents to create pieces which extended beyond what either one could do alone. "Sculpting together is like having a whole set of new tools to work with," said Mary. Together they studied art at the University of Alaska, Mayan Toltec art in Central and South America and European art in France.
Byron Birdsall
Byron Birdsall is one of Alaska’s most reknowned artists and one of Annie Kaill’s bestselling artists. His paintings feature brilliant landscapes, as well as uniquely Alaskan images such as puffins, eagles, and fishing boats. An artist with a national reputation, we are proud to represent Byron Birdsall at Annie Kaill’s.
Born in Arizona and raised in California, Byron Birdsall came to Alaska in 1975. A self-taught artist, Birdsall was a master of his preferred medium, watercolor. Best known for the variety and drama of his Alaskan landscapes, Birdsall’s unique ability to capture light is evident in all of his paintings.
Besides landscapes, Birdsall produced florals, still-lifes, puffins, and period pieces, nostalgic renderings of historic Alaskan scenes. A prolific and immensely popular artist, Birdsall each year released several limited edition prints. Byron Birdsall and his family lived in Anchorage, and traveled extensively around Alaska and around the world, generating inspiration for new artworks.
Born in Arizona and raised in California, Byron Birdsall came to Alaska in 1975. A self-taught artist, Birdsall was a master of his preferred medium, watercolor. Best known for the variety and drama of his Alaskan landscapes, Birdsall’s unique ability to capture light is evident in all of his paintings.
Besides landscapes, Birdsall produced florals, still-lifes, puffins, and period pieces, nostalgic renderings of historic Alaskan scenes. A prolific and immensely popular artist, Birdsall each year released several limited edition prints. Byron Birdsall and his family lived in Anchorage, and traveled extensively around Alaska and around the world, generating inspiration for new artworks.
Barbara Lavallee
Barbara Lavallee’s whimsical paintings depicting Alaskan life have made her one of the most celebrated artists in the state. In addition to her beautiful prints, she has also illustrated several children’s books, including the incredibly popular bestseller, “Mama Do You Love Me?”.
Barbara Lavallee was born in Iowa and grew up in Wisconsin. Her mother was an art teacher and Barbara graduated from Illinois’ Wesleyan University with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts. A professional artist since 1976, Barbara Lavallee developed her stylized figures by first working with silkscreen prints before turning to the watercolor medium.
Barbara lived for 12 years in Sitka, Alaska, teaching art to Native students at Mt. Edgecombe boarding school before moving to Girdwood, Alaska where she now lives. Her interest in Alaska Native cultures and the Eskimo Olympics are evident in her work. Barbara’s paintings and limited edition prints also reflect her world of kids, cats, and everyday Alaskan life. She especially enjoys painting women, who are usually depicted in bright colors doing things as diverse as picking berries, sitting in a hot tub, or doing aerobics.
Barbara Lavallee was born in Iowa and grew up in Wisconsin. Her mother was an art teacher and Barbara graduated from Illinois’ Wesleyan University with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts. A professional artist since 1976, Barbara Lavallee developed her stylized figures by first working with silkscreen prints before turning to the watercolor medium.
Barbara lived for 12 years in Sitka, Alaska, teaching art to Native students at Mt. Edgecombe boarding school before moving to Girdwood, Alaska where she now lives. Her interest in Alaska Native cultures and the Eskimo Olympics are evident in her work. Barbara’s paintings and limited edition prints also reflect her world of kids, cats, and everyday Alaskan life. She especially enjoys painting women, who are usually depicted in bright colors doing things as diverse as picking berries, sitting in a hot tub, or doing aerobics.
PETER LIND, JR.
Peter Andrew Lind, Jr. was born in Dillingham in 1964 and raised in the Bristol Bay area. He comes from a long standing fishing family - his father with a drift permit for the Bristol Bay and sisters with set net sites. He started doing art work in the late 1980's, when fishing was bad. The year that Bristol Bay went on strike, he had to find alternate work. Peter had grown up in a small village and would spend his time building models and working with his hands. As he got older he would watch his father carved beautiful pieces of artwork and he knew he could use his model building talent to carve. He wanted to work with traditional items in a more modern way. He started with small items such as pins and earrings with beadwork around them that his wife Susan did, then slowly worked his way up to the beautiful art that he creates now. Peter makes a variety of items such as, shadow boxes with miniature replicas of Aleut Hunting gear; he has sets of these in hotel lobbies and offices around the state. He also makes bentwood visor from steamed Sitka Spruce, and Atlatls (throwing darts) made in the traditional ways. Some of the new pieces he does are Spirit Hunters, the center is a hunting visor and it is circled with the gear and animals hunted. He is now doing traditional grease dishes, which are carved bowls used to hold seal oil in which food was dipped.
He started with simple bazaars and native craft shows. Once he was a little more known, he then started donating to charities and auctions. In 1991 he did his first donation with the Alaska Native Heritage Park Art Auction. In 1996 he started selling in the Aurora catalog, an Alaskan catalog. In the May/June 2001 issue of Alaska magazine Peter was interviewed by Dana Stabenow. He does a variety of Native art shows throughout the year such as AFN and Fur Rondy. During the 2000 Fur Rondy Peter was interviewed for Heartbeat Alaska. His website, Bits of Alaska, was the feature in a First Alaskans magazine in 2001. During the 2003 Fur Rondy, Peter's Aleut Hunter carving took both division and first place in the juried competition. Starting in 2004 he started doing presentations in local schools to give the children a look at how native hunters lived and hunted. In 2005 he was one of the artist featured in a first Friday Gallery opening for the Alaska Native Heritage Center. In 2007 he was awarded a grant from the Alaska Native Arts Foundation.
Peter hopes to use his artwork to educate and preserve Native culture for the younger generations.
He started with simple bazaars and native craft shows. Once he was a little more known, he then started donating to charities and auctions. In 1991 he did his first donation with the Alaska Native Heritage Park Art Auction. In 1996 he started selling in the Aurora catalog, an Alaskan catalog. In the May/June 2001 issue of Alaska magazine Peter was interviewed by Dana Stabenow. He does a variety of Native art shows throughout the year such as AFN and Fur Rondy. During the 2000 Fur Rondy Peter was interviewed for Heartbeat Alaska. His website, Bits of Alaska, was the feature in a First Alaskans magazine in 2001. During the 2003 Fur Rondy, Peter's Aleut Hunter carving took both division and first place in the juried competition. Starting in 2004 he started doing presentations in local schools to give the children a look at how native hunters lived and hunted. In 2005 he was one of the artist featured in a first Friday Gallery opening for the Alaska Native Heritage Center. In 2007 he was awarded a grant from the Alaska Native Arts Foundation.
Peter hopes to use his artwork to educate and preserve Native culture for the younger generations.