23-year-old Wrangell artist has first solo show

A 23-year-old artist from Wrangell had her first solo show in Petersburg on Friday, where she was stunned by the turn out and support.

The artist, Jaynee Fritzinger, was nervous for her first show at Firelight Gallery and Framing in Petersburg. For two weeks before, she had been waking up before 5 a.m., painting about 10 hours a day.

"I was nervous that I wouldn't have enough pieces," Fritzinger said, "or nervous that people wouldn't show up, or nervous that maybe my art wasn't good enough."

Fritzinger brought about 13 original paintings to Petersburg, selling more than half so far, along with several prints and stickers, which sold out. She even showcased two that she ripped from her sketchbook.

"They were really pretty paintings, but they had the rough edge from my sketchbook still attached to them," Fritzinger said. "And the gallery was able to mount those in a floating frame, and they seriously just looked so cool."

The featured piece, something of a main event, was a painting called "Orca Love," an original acrylic that's priced at $2,500. Fritzinger was still working on the orca piece the night before the show. It took her about two weeks of full-time work to finish, and she plans to make digital copies of it to sell as prints.

"Bit of a high price tag on it," she said, "just because I'm so attached to it."

Fritzinger's art career became serious when she started to gain an audience on Facebook and Instagram. Her following became loyal enough to where her fans came to the show.

"And that was incredible," Fritzinger said. "I was able to put a face to these people and tell them thank you for all their kind words."

Fritzinger has painted most her life, and her style is a reflection of commercial fishing, and it wasn't until after last seining season when she decided to take art seriously.

"I made some really pretty paintings while I was out on the boat," she said. "And as soon as seining was over, I actually invested most of my check into this art business."

Fritzinger moved to Wrangell when she was 13 and then to Washington after high school. She spent about five years there before moving back to Wrangell at the beginning of this year.

"When I decided I wanted to pursue art," she said, "I just knew that I needed to move back to Alaska."

Above all, Fritzinger expressed shock that people even showed up to her show, and gratitude for the fans that she hardly imagined having.

"It's these people who have made this become a thing," Fritzinger said. "A year ago I didn't think my art would be going anywhere."