Katherine Rae Fancher:
A snapshot

Katherine Rae Fancher is very busy working on her goals for the future. Her day is crammed from 6:30 a.m. when she wakes up to exercise until late at night when she finishes her homework. Rae works at KPC as a Math & ESL tutor in the Learning Center and volunteers at ACC. Rae is currently in the application process for the Naval Academy. Rae excels in Math, and intends to use this skill in the future to get an Engineering degree to one day, “…construct buildings. Not just design them.” Rae is taking two classes at ACC and six classes at KPC. Living on her own since her junior year in high school, Rae has always remained busy and very early on, “…learned to rely on myself. I am not so easily shaken or deterred.” Rae is semi-fluent in Inupiaq and the Yupik languages and helps others with English as a second language.

Rae, born and raised in Alaska, has been many other places including California, Oregon, Washington, Mexico, Hawaii and all over the East Coast. Rae confided that she felt, “…stressed from the moment my foot hit the ground [on the East Coast]. The personal agenda’s of the people she met there, and their impersonal demeanor, frankly scared me.” Rae did conclude that she wants to retire in Alaska, where, “I belong. This is home.” Rae says she plans on a career first and then possibly a family, but first she leaves for Boot Camp in May or June for the Navy. Rae was preparing for the intake interview, in Anchorage, and according to all accounts “blew their socks off.”

Rae is attending ACC for her second year, although this is her first at KPC. Her brother Donald attended KPC previously and she heard many great things about KPC, prompting her decision to attend. “I heard Gary Turner once relate the difficulties that many people have attending the larger universities after being raised in a small community. This is a great middle ground from the small town, small campus to the large town, large campus.” Rae considers ACC her home and her extended family. Rae is noticing her family scatter across the country and only some of her family remains in Anchorage.

Although Rae continued to work diligently, baking for her peers at ACC, answering questions, accepting deliveries and remaining calm and pleasant. Rae remains pressed for time for another interview and her Naval intake interview the following day. Rae’s intelligence and determination are obvious, but is tempered by a kind and warm demeanor conveyed by her extraordinary smile. Despite a few harsh lessons life has thrown her direction, Rae’s indomitable spirit shines through and her spirit imparts a measure of peace on those who know her. You can see Rae in the Learning Center, or warming the halls with her picturesque smile.

Katherine Rae Fancher:
In her own words

I was born in Nome on November 4, 1985. After a few relocations, my family finally settled in Bethel where I preceded to attend school. As life went on, my parents procreated for the last time, end results being five children; I’m the second oldest. I don’t remember too much of my childhood, except the occasional memories of making mud pies and giving my (unwilling) cat Pity an un-needed bath (you know… just for the fun of getting her wet). There are pictures of camping, berry picking, hunting, and swimming… the “typical” native lifestyle. When I look at the pictures, the memories are like vague dreams with parts missing.

My dream-life became harsh reality when my parents began fighting. In 1993, they began a five year divorce process that has forever changed my perception of life. By the time I was 13 I had learned to stand alone and rely on myself while acting as a mother to my three younger siblings. Standing alone is powerful, but only to a point. When I was 17 I moved out of the house and began paying bills; for those of you who do this, I sympathize in the stresses of rent, gas, food and the like.

I graduated from Bethel Regional High School in 2004, and decided to attend Alaska Christian College (ACC) for my first year of college. I learned of the school through my older brother Donald, whom some of you might know as he has attended KPC in the past.

Attending ACC this past year has brought a lot out of me, I’m realizing what it means to be human. If you met me 15 months ago, I was goal-driven with no emotion… a robot. If an unpleasant occurrence interrupted my life, I would look past it without flinching. I was standing alone in fullness: financially, physically, and emotionally. Like I said, standing alone is powerful to a point. I’m beginning to come around, warm up, and reach out. It’s only in Christ that my life, with adversity prominent, that I am who I am today.

I would say that my maturity level is somewhat above average and I like to look at life from an objective point of view. Mixing it all together, I guess I’ve developed some sort of superiority complex. But now that I’m de-programming my emotionless make-up, I’m finding a balance. I hurt and bleed, I find peace and joy. I’m learning I’m just like you. And in this truth, I find it easier to be comfortable in who I am, not what I am.

Born October 10, 1983 in Wausau, Wisconsin, and raised with his three brothers by his father in the rural northern hamlet of Boulder Junction. Paul Tornow and his brothers had a happy and secure childhood. Always content with paper and pencil in hand, Paul has drawn “forever.” Paul’s father remembers him actively drawing by the age of three. His maternal grandfather, a graphic artist, began teaching him to draw bass, other fish and animals, and outdoor scenes at age six. By fourth grade, Paul began taking formal art lessons from noted realist impressionistic watercolor artist Melinda Schnell. Schnell became Paul’s mentor and taught him about composition in art and introduced him to the masters such as Picasso, Van Gogh, Paul Klee, and Henri Matrisse. Working with Schnell, Paul applied techniques of each of the masters, plus Schnell, to one subject. The finished products gave Paul, at age 10, a sense of how differently artists see the same subject, and how different styles are still art, “one does not have to just paint trees and mountains realistically to be considered a real artist."

At age 13, Paul entered his first Wisconsin Federal Junior Duck Stamp contest where he placed second in the state. Five years later, at 18 and with a broken left wrist (his dominant hand), Paul drew his duck right-handed, entered the contest a second time, and again garnered second place. Over the years Paul refined his drawing techniques by practicing drawing the human figure.

Although not wealthy in the financial sense, the Tornow family was always active and athletic. The boys knew their dad would do anything to keep them together, and they all spent countless hours together outdoors hunting, fishing, camping, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, snow boarding, and exploring what nature has to offer. Along with their outdoor activities, the Tornow boys were active in sports such as football, basketball, wrestling, and track. This exposure to nature kept them fit and attuned to the beauty of the rural world around them.

Bypassing official art classes in early high school, Paul continued to draw on his own. Finally in his last year of high school Paul joined a structured art class once again. After high school Paul spent his summer working 70-80 hours a week and decided to move north to Alaska. Paul loaded his vehicle, promised his dad to be careful and struck out for Alaska. Two weeks after leaving his home and everyone he knew, Paul landed in Soldotna, soon after landed a job selling cars and began to settle in the community. Paul discovered the same outdoor activities he grew up with in Wisconsin such as, hunting, fishing, hiking, and enjoying the wonder and beauty of the outdoors. His second winter in Alaska, Paul decided to broaden his artistic horizons and enrolled in the Advanced Watercolor class at Kenai Peninsula College. Paul was challenged to expand his knowledge base under the tutelage of Celia Anderson, but Paul enjoyed the challenge.

The success he found in his first college art class inspired Paul to take more classes, and in the Fall 2004 semester he registered in Life Drawing, Acrylic Painting, and Digital Photography courses. All these classes helped Paul develop his eye for composition and drive home his love for creating art.

Paul became more involved in the Kenai Peninsula College. He is a founding member of the Art Students League Association and serves as the club’s first President. Paul hung ASLA art shows at Kaladi Brothers coffee shop and Coffee Concepts in March of 2005. Paul has art featured in a slide presentation being developed for the Orca Theater.

Paul is building plans to take a trip to Italy with ASLA in an effort to expand his cultural insight and art appreciation. Paul would like to augment his journey by taking his camera and sketchbook with him, to Italy, to capture as much of his trip as possible. On his return to his studio, Paul will reveal his experience on canvas and develop an art show that will give others a sense of standing in Italy with him.

Invited to submit a piece of art for the 2004 Safari Club International Banquet in Soldotna, Paul provided a watercolor painting, Autumn Refelection, which won the People’e Choice Award. For the Biennial Juried Exhibit at the Kenai Fine Arts Center, spring 2005, Paul submitted two paintings for consideration. Out of 108 submissions, 64 were chosen by New York juror Daniel Nisbeth, including both of Paul’s works. One of his pieces, Rhythm & Blues, took fourth place in the show. Lately Paul has painted several commissioned works including people, animals, cars, a fishing boat, and a Georgia O’Keefe like mural. While working as a deckhand in Homer during the Winter King Derby, Paul had his easel out on the stern of the boat and was painting scenes of the commercial vessels around him. During which Paul was approached by a camera crew from Korean National Television which asked to video tape him while he was plein air painting. During spring recess 2005, Paul gave workshops focusing on watercolor, acrylics and oil pastel for school age students, Paul now gives private lessons.

Whether out ice fishing, traveling, fishing, hunting, or hiking, Paul can be seen all over the Peninsula. On mountain tops to remote lakes, at the cannery, or in your front yard, Paul always has his sketchbook or canvas and easel ready to visually chronicle his experiences in the last frontier, the great state of Alaska.

The Kenai Peninsula College is fortunate to sustain Paul’s love of art and education. The Art Student League is privileged to function under the leadership, vision and determination of the emerging luminary in art, Paul Tornow.