Every once in a while you encounter artwork so stunning, and of such high quality, that it transforms your view of the world. Loren Adkins was an artist who had been given this gift, and in turn shared it with those around him. He passed away in his new found home of Brazil on September 25, 2005 and is survived by his wife, mother and two sisters. We are honored to have known him and to have had the opportunity to experience the awesome beauty of Alaska through his eyes. Thank you, Loren. Taku Graphics will continue to carry Loren’s art cards and prints. "Each of my paintings originates from a profound moment in the vast silence of nature." Loren Adkins His painting began during frequent journeys into the immense wilderness surrounding his home in Gustavus, Alaska. He traveled quietly, lightly, by kayak or on foot, often alone, seeking images and what he described as a "clearing of the spirit". For reference later, he recorded his discoveries with a camera. Back in his studio, the process continued. In Mr. Adkins' words, "My mind becomes perfectly quiet, enabling the transcendence of that moment in the wilderness to shine through the developing form of the painting." He worked with pastels, a medium "subtle, luminous, easy to refine." He usually did hundreds of revisions, often rapidly, shifting colors, softening or hardening edges, adjusting their weight and flow. The fine tuning was exhausting, exhilarating, and it took weeks or months. The results are visions of serenity and power. Mr. Adkins' six Reflections Series paintings are placed in the United Nations center in Geneva - the first gift of art to be presented by the United States to the United Nations.