Art of the wild

New Kenai visitor center show features the vivid colors of nature

Laura Dewey has had the same artistic style since she was a child: vivid colors of the great outdoors.

“My paintings, even from when I was a little kid, are kind of the same colors — I’ve just always been drawn to turquoise and oranges,” she said Wednesday. “They’re all based on scenes from Alaska.”

Dewey’s most recent exhibition, displayed at the Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center, is a series of Alaska terrain-inspired paintings and prints.

“My paintings are kind of either landscapes or things that I’ve seen outdoors,” she said.

Dewey grew up in Anchorage, and then went to the University of Oregon to study art. She moved to the Kenai Peninsula three years ago.

“I kind of just developed naturally over time,” she said. “I’ve always loved to do art my whole life.”

Her pieces showcase brilliant orange sunsets, lush-green forests and deep blue mountainscapes, among other scenes.

“That’s just kind of how I see things, I guess,” Dewey said. “I just really like bright colors (and) a lot of blues.”

Now she mainly paints but also does some printmaking. In college, Dewey said, she also dabbled in pottery and ceramics.

The pieces will be on display at Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center until March 25. Dewey also sells her art on Facebook, Instagram and through her Etsy Shop — LauraDeweyART.

Reach reporter Camille Botello at camille.botello@peninsulaclarion.com.