Footprints on Katmai Watercolor Series

This is the story that inspired our 12-part watercolor series. Each a unique experience and opportunity to see the big picture of impact on remote places like Katmai Alaska.

Come with me to Katmai Alaska! Today we are going to take the first step and make the first mark — together! I will share with you my inspiration for the creation of the film Footprints on Katmai and together we will paint the first piece of a bigger picture. In today’s lesson I will be using our Unicorn Kit and my Trail Tiles.

We are going to have a whale of time in today’s lesson! I am also excited to introduce you to my friend Bree, a Research Biologist for the University of Alaska. Now, take a D E E P breath and dive into the magical world of whales and why they are so important to us and our oceans.

Come with me, below the surface, to learn even more about the wild and wondrous world of fish and phytoplankton. I’ll reintroduce you to my friend and Marine Biologist Peyton, who you would have met in my film Footprints on Katmai. She is crazy for fish, and by the end of today’s lesson, you will be too! Grab your snorkel, a snack and lets sink a bit deeper!

One of my favorite memories as a new father — The first time we took Kip to the coast of Cape Cod! I saw every grain of sand through his curiosity of this magical new world. Today, with the help of my friend Franziska from Glass Half Full, we will learn why this environment is SO important to the health of our plant. Now, let’s play in the sand without getting any actual sand in our paints!

I am often asked, “How do you get to a remote place like Katmai Alaska?” There are two ways to experience these remote places, either by sea or by sky. In our film, we take to the high seas, and today we are going to paint the very boat that brought our team to Katmai. Helping to ensure we arrived safe and well fed was my long-time friend Rachel, a professional mariner and cold-water surfer! She knows these waters best and shares her experiences in today’s lesson.

I use to think I had to leave Alaska to experience the world until I learned that many of the world’s birds migrate to Alaska! Which feels a little bit like the whole world comes to my home state every year. Isn’t that wild? This means today we are taking to the skies above Katmai and will hear from my friend Dr. Veronica, a member of the Aleut Community of St. Paul Island. We have an incredible conversation about some very impressive birds while brining their “home” to life with watercolor.

They don’t call Alaska the last frontier lightly, and today the Executive Director of the Alaskan Wilderness League, Kristen, will help put it all into perspective! It only seems fitting that we also paint one of the stunning peaks of Katmai.

For Alaskans bears are an important part of daily life here, where we live in their home — not the other way around. In today's lesson I will introduce you to my friend and Wildlife Biologist Shannon Finnegan. She studies these amazing animals right here in Alaska and will share her experiences with you.

What happens below the surface can often be hard to explain and do I ever have the perfect person to help us understand. My friend Kat Knauer, a polymer scientist from the University of Colorado Boulder joins us in the tutorial and I hope you learn as much as I did!

I use to believe that what was happening below our feet was, well, dirt simple! Boy was I wrong, and my friend Adam Nordell, who use to be an organic farmer in Maine and now works for Defend Our Health helps me see and understand the bigger picture of the earth we stand on.

Hi Friends! There is a little glitch at the very VERY end of this video, after we complete the watercolor lesson. We’ll have it fixed soon! Thank you for your patience!