Brave Heart Buoys 2025
See the Buoys
Sitka Sound Science Center Middle School Buoys
​Multiple Artists
9" - 13" buoys​
Buoys created by middle school students in the Sitka Sound Science Center's Fan Friday program, run by STEAM Coordinator Maia Carter. Students participated in a marine debris clean-up before painting and donating buoys to Brave Heart Volunteers.
From Top-Left counter-clockwise:
Purple, by Ivy and Viola
Quartered Sections, by Neveah
Fish, by Layla and Mari
Globe, by Jebow
Basket Star, by Katie and Juliette
White Fish, by Jaylee
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King Rufus
Chad Vickery
9" buoy
Live Auction Exclusive
"Coming back to Sitka Alaska after being away for years I was greeted with the sight of a Rufus hummingbird searching the wildflowers for a meal. Seeing the colorful little flyer made we want to depict him.
Many aspects of life in Alaska are of the epic scale from the wildlife; bears, eagles, halibut, salmon runs to the expansive waterways surrounding the rugged mountains. With such grandeur it is easy to overlook the small things. So I wanted to highlight and enlarge some of the small aspects that we run across on this lovely island."
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Flora and Fauna
Liz Morrow
11" buoy
Live Auction Exclusive
"For my buoy I wanted to celebrate some of my favorite flora and fauna in the Sitka area. On one side of the buoy there are undersea creatures and plant life, and on the other side are topside creatures and plants.
For the undersea side I included salmon, kelp, a seal, sea star, and an otter mama and baby. For the land side I painted a slug, ermine, mussels (which also count as undersea, but they’re topside during low tide!), salmonberry, ravens, lupine, and a bald eagle."
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Inkling
Angie Eaton
9" buoy
Live Auction Exclusive
"Buoy represents: A glimmer of hope! As we live our daily lives we hope for the best. We do everything to move forward, but we are unaware of the obstacles, the dangers that could present itself at any moment! As we move through our lives it is with hope that we can find a path worth living and see all the beauty that lies ahead.
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It is with family, friends and a strong community that we survive our battles , and return to a feeling and place of hope to live a beautiful life! "
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Angie Eaton
623-8642
Floating Forget-Me-Nots
Annie Causey
7.5" buoy
"One of the first signs of Spring colors are the meadows of Dandelions and Forget-Me-Nots. Spring brings a breath of fresh air to the world around us and I thought I'd try to capture a part of that by covering the buoy in Forget Me Nots. I hope this buoy reminds someone in the darker times to Not Forget! Colorful sunny Spring is coming!"
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Sea Turtles
Pat Kehoe
9" buoy
Live Auction Exclusive
​"I've always been fascinated by Sea Turtles swimming majestically through the deep blue seas, sometimes as far north as off-shore SE Alaska. The algae and sea grasses they eat tint their cartilage green thus their name. My turtles swim silently through larger than life diatoms eaten frequently by younger turtles. These turtles inspire me to respect our shared oceans and try to keep plastics out of their diet."
Pat Kehoe has lived and painted in SE Alaska for 45 years and spent most of that time on or around the sea appreciating the beauty of our world. You will see more of Pat’s art at Island Artist Gallery.
One Wish
Kate Pino
13" buoy
"'One wish' by Kate Pino is a reflection of the shared hope of all mothers. A safe, nourishing environment for all children to thrive. I chose the image of a humpback whale and baby because I’ve been fascinated with these majestic creatures since the late 90s when I came to Sitka to attend Sheldon Jackson. I recently learned that they go through menopause and are part of a matriarchal society which has just deepened my love and respect."
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Wildflowers of Sitka
Sandra Butler
12" buoy
Live Auction Exclusive
"While my home base is in New England, I am beginning to feel like a “local” after spending three full winters in Sitka - and now an extended period of time, as my husband and I support my 92 year old father-in-law.
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The wildflower theme was suggested to me by my mother-in-law, Irene Shuler, who sadly passed away this April -right when her brilliant tulips were in full bloom. She loved all flowers, particularly the beautiful wildflowers of Sitka, and urged me to give them a try. She shared her deep passion and knowledge of wildflowers with me and I was amazed to learn that she knew, by heart, the Latin names of most of them. This buoy is dedicated to her."
Can you distinguish all 10 flowers?
1. The Sitka Rose (rosa rugosa)
2. The Nootka Lupine (Lupinus nootkatensis)
3. Labrador Tea (Labrador Tealedum Groenlandicum)
4. Shooting Stars (Dodecatheon pulchellum)
5. Wild Iris (Iris setosa)
6. Fireweed (chamerion angustifolium)
7. Western Columbine (Aguilegia formosa)
8. Chocolate Lily (Fritillaria camschatcensis)
9. Dwarf Dogwood (cornus canadensis)
10. Forget-me-nots (Myosotis alpestris)
Floral Buoy Inspiration
Holly Morris
13" buoy
I used the cracks and pits I found on the buoy to create floral patterns using acrylic paint pens. I started by outlining the shapes with a black pen and then colored the shapes. In a few cases, I let the raw color and texture of the buoy become flower petals.
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Born in Connecticut and raised in Colorado, Holly Morris is a lifelong artist. Her artistic parents filled her early years with outdoor adventures in the mountains, plains and deserts. Holly’s rich artistic childhood led her to attend the University of Northern Colorado art program and its Study in Florence, Italy. After her UNC graduation, she was employed as a geologic map painter, an experience that led her to pursue a geology degree from the University of Colorado. Holly has worked as an artist/geologist in Alaska since 1995 and currently calls Sitka home. Some of her artwork is available on Instagram @hollyartgeo.
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Diving Southeast
Abigail Bradey
9" buoy
Live Auction Exclusive
"Although I started with hardly a plan save my adoration for urchin tests/shells (Mesocentrotus franciscanus) - soon the inspiration for this buoy was made evident by my love for the waters of Southeast Alaska. Urchin tests are one of the treasures I actively look for during SCUBA diving at local dive sites. There is always a little thrill to find one of significant size and in such pristine shape! Of course I also enjoy the occasional uni (sea urchin eggs) and always try to keep the test undamaged for they make remarkable aquatic souvenirs. On the flip side, literally, are parts of dive sites I enjoy most. In early summer the salmon fry are swimming in schools amongst the kelp, little glimmers of silver in the clearing murk. On nice days when the sun shines through the growing kelp, it casts warm glows across the ocean floor. Greenlings and varying rockfish dart into rocks in your presence, though some are courageous or aren't bothered. These peaceful moments in the first 30 minutes of diving is what I cherish most, before the chill really sets in!"
Look Up
Angie Delmoral
7.5" buoy
Live Auction Exclusive
"Loneliness and grief can leave anyone feeling hopeless or isolated, and these are the challenges I pondered while painting my buoy. I called it, Look Up, to serve as a reminder that, even in our bleakest moments, it can help us to look up to gain a new perspective and believe that things will eventually start to look up again. The birds on my buoy are meant to encourage us to lift our eyes to find renewed hope and brightness."
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Connected!
DJ Robidou
7.5" buoy
Salmonberry Delight
Jessica Killeen
13" buoy
While painting this buoy, I was channeling my awe and appreciation of all that this land . Food and medicine from the land and sea. We embark into breathtaking landscapes and, there, find abundance. Vibrant, resilient, potent. The harvest is an adventure itself. The harvest is a memory, best shared. These are my salmonberries, in gratitude and delight.
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Hanging Pansies
James Poulson and family
13" buoy
The buoy was started by James Poulson, who overcommitted himself. His daughter, a genius at time management, art and consideration, finished it and gave it back as a Christmas gift to return for the Brave Heart Volunteer fundraiser. Pat Kehoe put the final touches on it. Best Christmas gift ever.
Tree Buoy Inspiration
Holly Morris
7.5" buoy
Live Auction Exclusive
"Southeast Alaska landscapes were the inspiration for the trees depicted on this buoy. Acrylic paint pens were used to depict the vegetation, tidal zone and sky, and I let the orange buoy shine through as the distant mountains. Also, I worked around/kept the rope and hook that were attached to the buoy when I selected it."
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Born in Connecticut and raised in Colorado, Holly Morris is a lifelong artist. Her artistic parents filled her early years with outdoor adventures in the mountains, plains and deserts. Holly’s rich artistic childhood led her to attend the University of Northern Colorado art program and its Study in Florence, Italy. After her UNC graduation, she was employed as a geologic map painter, an experience that led her to pursue a geology degree from the University of Colorado. Holly has worked as an artist/geologist in Alaska since 1995 and currently calls Sitka home. Some of her artwork is available on Instagram @hollyartgeo.
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Peeking Through the Kelp Forest
Kim Gleason
9" buoy
Live Auction Exclusive
"My name is Kimberly Gleason, and I’ve lived in Alaska for over 35 years-31 of those in Sitka, which I proudly call home. I grew up in Wisconsin and attended the University of Wisconsin Whitewater, where I focused on elementary education and art.
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Art remains a passion of mine, and it’s truly an honor to be invited each year to create a buoy for Braveheart. This year’s piece holds a special meaning for me. I call it Peeking through the kelp forest – a title inspired by the quiet mystery of Alaska’s underwater landscapes. The figure in the painting bears a striking resemblance to my beautiful daughter Tyla, which makes this piece especially close to my heart."
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@itskimjo_yo
Kimberly Gleason
We're All in this Together
DJ Robidou
9" buoy
Live Auction Exclusive
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Lighthouse
Dorothy M. Olsen
Live Auction Exclusive
"I was born and raised in Sitka but spent the first 12 years of my life growing up on my father’s fishing boat and running the beaches in Kalinin Bay in the summer time while dad fished for a living.
As long as I can remember I have always been interested in art and music. Through the inspiration of my father, Kermit Olsen and his passion for carving full size eagles, I was inspired to learn relief carving in 1991. In my first attempt at carving my first set of eagles I was given several “First Place” awards. It was not until the years of 2000-2007 that I learned to carve song birds in full scale at The Guge Institute of Wildlife Art under the artist Bob Guge in Lac Du Flambeau in Wisconsin.
My passion for decorative painting started in 2001 and received my certification under Donna Dewberry in Florida and started teaching classes at the College in Michigan, Wisconsin and Alaska as well as local schools.
Through the years I have attended numerous workshops with other world renowned artists to learn different techniques and gain the knowledge for constant self improvement
There is so much to learn and see in Southeast Alaska with its outstanding beauty it is motivation in itself. It has inspired me to get into painting landscapes, animals and birds and with its entire splendor, I am hooked.
I found out that if you have the desire and the passion for something you truly want to do, the rest will all fall in place and it will happen."
The Walk's End: Beach Side
Normal Campbell
Mixed Media on Bristol (Pen, Ink, Colored Pencil)
"Art is a simple record of my own movement through the world. It is a reflection, a bit of hope, it is looking forward, noting color or line…it is simple things.
Art is my attempt to move quietly and easily through the physical world, leaving a gentle mark on its surface, a record of one passing by a spot.
I am interested in creating my own internal (but real) world, full of what I perceive to be richness or grace or fullness…It is created to flesh out my own existence.
Working well is an open journey with a sketchy road map. Each new form or color or line is built solely on what came before and on what might appear later. Just as a journey unfolds in front of us, so does the creation of a work. For the journey to be personally fulfilling one can’t bring all the answers and experiences to the early steps. It must grow a step at a time."
Yellow Cedar Stool
Randy Ferguson
"I was having a hard time figuring out what to do with a stool and then my wife, Susan, said, 'How about just a simple stool with some huckleberries carved on the corner?' I liked it, so I ran with it. I enjoy working with yellow cedar and it's always fun to add a carving."
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