We are two artists and friends in Alaska. Alaskan artist Jon Van Zyle and Alaskan photographer Jeff Schultz. Our Double Vision Alaska book is a hard-cover, coffee-table book combining our two talents. We have similar but different visions of our art. Hence the name of our book: Double Vision—Alaska.

Watch the original KickStarter video which explained why and how we are doing this unique book project.

Watch the video showing Jon in his studio as he paints a fishing and camping scene on one of Jeff’s fall landscape images for the DOUBLE VISION –ALASKA book.

We are both long-time Alaskans. We both have a love for Alaska; for nature, wildlife and outdoor adventure. And we think it shows in our respective art forms. Both of us have won awards for our respective art throughout our careers.

For many, many years we crossed paths through our association of Jon being the official artist of the Iditarod sled dog race and Jeff being the official photographer of the Iditarod.

Seven or so years ago we saw each other at a Jr. Iditarod banquet. Jon suggested we team up and do a collaboration where Jon would paint a complimentary scene on top of one of Jeff’s photos; an unusual type of art we really had not seen before. We both thought it was a great idea. But we got busy so just never got to it.

Until the summer of 2017 when we collaborated on a limited-edition art-on-metal print. This print was to raise some money for Jeff’s son Ben after a horrific, life-threating and life-altering, 95-foot fall that happened while on his job as an Anchorage firefighter/paramedic. Jeff sent Jon a photo of a dog team on the Iditarod in Rainy pass. Jon drew his memory of a cabin at dusk and some trees, very much complimenting the original photograph. The 125 prints sold out in just a few weeks.

A year later, we produced another metal print where Jon painted his memory of a musher with his dogs around a campfire and above and in the back is Jeff’s photo of the Chugach Mountains with the Aurora lighting up the sky. Again we liked it and received good compliments.

With the success of these two prints and our love of everything Alaska, we decided to collaborate on what we think is a one-of-a-kind book — combining both painting and photography; a book to show off what we love about Alaska. We don’t believe this has been done before in Alaska.

The book is broken up by the four seasons, with each of the four chapters having both wildlife, landscapes and outdoor adventure scenes.

There are a number of images where we two have collaborated. By this we mean, Jon has melded his painting of additional elements on top of, and to enhance, Jeff’s photograph.

The book contains many pages where we show one of our individual images large, with a complimentary smaller image from the other on the opposite page. This will make up the majority of the book.

The is written by Jon’s wife, Jona, and by Jeff’s wife, Joan, about the life of the artist, the image as it is (location, species, etc.) and the season of Alaska.

Jona has written several books including the 2011 “My Wrangell Mountains”” with photographer Ruedi Homberger; as well as stories inside “Iditarod-First Ten Years” and Jon Van Zyle’s “Iditarod Memories”. Jona also completed a coloring/field notes children’s book for Wrangell/St. Elias National Park and Preserve.

For more of Jon’s work, visit: www.jonvanzyle.com

AlaskaLimitedEditions@gmail.com (907) 688-3627

For more of jeff’s work, visit: www.schultzphoto.com

info@schultzphoto.com  (907) 279-2797