Creativity as connection

A Homer artist working in a variety of mediums, June Denver’s creative outlets nurture both her creativity and her mental wellbeing.

Working primarily in acrylic paint and oil pastel, Denver also occasionally dabbles in oil painting and sculpture. She paints on canvas, wood panels and driftwood in the way of reclaimed construction scrap and waste wood that she collects from local beaches and across Kachemak Bay, diverting the wood from the landfill and repurposing it into art.

While not a full-time artist, art plays a very impactful role in Denver’s life. She most often paints during the quieter months of winter, with her painting providing an opportunity for reflection and working through emotions.

“Painting brings me joy because it allows me to create something for others to enjoy, gives me a way to quiet the noise of everyday life and is a meditative practice,” she said. “I’ve faced challenges with my mental health and painting has been a way to process those experiences. I see the pursuit of creativity as an important tool for mental health, healing and personal growth.”

During previous mental health struggles, Denver’s work often reflected darker themes. Today she is drawn to painting more bright, vibrant colors that help to lift her mood. Inspired by nature, the ocean and the local art community, Denver strives to paint works where the subject matter may differ, but that share the common theme of connection.

Currently on display at the Homer Public Library’s Fireside Lounge gallery are sixteen pieces of work created by Denver over the past four years. Now at a point in her life where she is purposefully growing as both an individual and an artist, Denver was drawn to showing her work at the library for the natural way people would come upon her work.

“I wanted to exhibit at the library because it’s such an accessible, community space,” she said. “People encounter art there in a natural way, not just people who already seek out galleries.”

When choosing from her collection of work what she wanted to display at the library, Denver decided on pieces that she felt are connected in theme and tone.

“I chose pieces that together tell a broader story and invoke a sense of joy, calm and refuge,” she said.

“The Color of Joy” is an acrylic painting on canvas that Denver created this fall. Painted in bold, vibrant blues and greens, the work features blueberries and leaves and was inspired by the simple joy she feels while berry picking.

“This painting was inspired by the simple joy of a favorite summertime activity — berry picking and putting up food for winter, subsistence and happiness in the stillness of the woods,” she said. “Painted in a style that leans towards expressive rather than realistic, I strove to capture the essence of the subject rather than precise details and evoke feelings of contentment, happiness and the pleasure found in seasonal rituals. The piece celebrates the small, joyful moments in life and the connection to nature that sustains us through the year.”

“A Moment of Peace Below the Surface” is an oil pastel on reclaimed driftwood that depicts a salmon gliding along a riverbed beneath the surface of a body of water.

“The colors are natural yet soft, with cool blues and greens evoking the clarity and tranquility of a river and the texture of the driftwood adding depth and dimension that enhances the tactile sense of water and riverbed,” Denver said. “This was inspired by the calm of Alaskan rivers in summertime and the quiet, meditative moments found in nature. It is meant to evoke serenity, reflection and a sense of connection to the natural world.”

“Solitude’s Sanctuary,” an acrylic painting on driftwood, shows a vibrant landscape and depicts mountains at sunset. Painted during this past spring and summer for a friend, this piece is intended to evoke peace, reflection and the quiet beauty of Alaska summers.

“I painted this in bold, bright colors that showcase the glow of a summer evening and using expressive brushwork that emphasizes light and atmosphere over realism,” Denver said. “The textures evoke both the ruggedness of the mountains and the softness of the sunset sky, inspired by walks on the beach while observing the mountains at sunset. This one celebrates the connection between land and sea and the contemplative moments of observing nature’s transitions at sunset.”

Denver comes from a creative family, including a grandfather who painted, did mural work, drew cartoons, made jewelry and worked in sculpture, her mother who did folk painting and an aunt who paints. She began painting eight years ago as a way to explore her own creativity and express herself visually, learning through practice and experimentation. She continues to experiment and practice and has added taking local art classes and painting with friends to her artist’s toolbox.

A Homer resident on and off since 2014 and full time since 2021, Denver returned time and again and finally settled in, drawn to both the natural landscape and local art community.

A selection of works currently on display at the library were previously exhibited at Homer Council on the Arts in 2024. In that exhibit titled “Support Your Locals, Winter’s Long,” Denver donated a percentage of sales of her work to the Homer Farmers Market and a Children’s Trust.

She finds inspiration in Alaska’s natural landscapes and the Homer’s art community.

“I love capturing life’s phases and special moments through my work, and I’m continually inspired by the creativity of fellow artists and the vibrant art community in Homer,” she said. “Living here deeply inspires my work, with the landscapes, light, natural beauty and community influencing both my colors and subjects. In previous places I lived, my scenes reflected the environment around me, but the pull to paint wasn’t as strong as it is in Alaska. Alaska has had a particularly strong impact on my artistic expression.”

Among her short- and long-term creative goals is continuing to improve her overall skills, capturing more of what she envisions on canvas and experimenting more with sculpting and three-dimensional work. Down the road, she hopes to exhibit with driftwood as her main painting surface, reinforcing the link between the artwork and the natural environment it depicts, emphasizing transformation and reuse.

Denver’s creative outlets are part of her journey to finding her voice and her path, providing opportunities for visual self-expression and to nurture her mental wellbeing. She is eager for her work to inspire others to be open about their own struggles, in knowing that they are not alone and that it is okay to ask for support.

“I want my work to offer a sense of calm, spark connection and conversation, and bring light and joy,” she said. “By using light and color instead of graphic imagery, I hope my paintings create a space where people feel less alone and more open to talking about mental health. And I hope that my being open and public about my own struggles in an honest and simple way resonates and help others with theirs. A lot of people feel alone, and this gets amplified in the winter and holidays. I’m working on finding my voice and a soft gentle way to express it in a manner that doesn’t speak over the art, but alongside it softly.”

Denver’s exhibit at the Homer Public Library is viewable through the end of December. Additionally, a body of work that includes older and newer pieces depicting Alaskan life and natural beauty is on display at Latitude 59 well into the new year. Find her online, June Denver on Facebook and Instagram, where she can also be contacted for commission work.