About the Authors and Artists
Abraham Fields
Abraham Fields is an Alaskan artist interested in the surreal mysteries of life and the complexities of being human. Through the use of photography, painting, collage, and other materials, Abraham seeks to find truth wherever his intuitive art process leads him. This often involves becoming hyper-fixated on a material or idea and spending countless hours working with it till, like scratching off a scab, he is satisfied. His works often involve barely clothed bodies, vibrant colors, and the natural world. He was born and raised in Kodiak Alaska and counts his experiences growing up in the bush as most formative to his artistic practice. He now spends part of the year in Alaska, and the other in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Abraham hopes that by looking at the world differently, he can inspire curiosity and excitement in others.
Annie Darst
Annie, a native of the gulf coastal region of Texas, has made a home here in Kodiak. Annie has dabbled in a multitude of mediums including acrylics, water colors, and pastels, and oil pastels. Her new favorite is alcohol markers. Annie enjoys spending time at the many beaches of Kodiak, hiking, exploring, and being part of her church family.
Cindy Jones
Cindy Jones loves to be creative but has never considered herself an artist. Reading, writing and storytelling, however, have always been part of her life. Making up Alaska stories for her kids at bedtime, writing puppet scripts for day camp and preschool chapels, writing Istories for and with her preschoolers to journaling and writing daily for herself are all ways she owns her self-proclaimed title as a word girl. Cindy recently published a Kodiak Island alphabet book and hopes to write more children’s books. It took my daughter to affirm in me that even though I do not paint or draw well, I am,in fact, an artist.
Damon Hargraves
Damon Hargraves and his family have lived in Kodiak since 2011. Damon can often be found outside enjoying beautiful Kodiak with his wife Heidi or at a youth sporting event watching his kids Axel, Asa, and Waverly. Damon currently serves Community Baptist Church as church clerk and deacon.
Darin Hargraves
Darin Hargraves and his wife Julie moved to Kodiak in 2022 to work at the Kodiak Island Borough School District. His brother and family were already Kodiak residents. With so many family members now on island, their parents, Darroll and Savanah, soon followed. Darin currently works managing the BOSS contract on the USCG Base Kodiak. He and Julie have four children and five grandchildren.
Leslie Leyland-Fields
Leslie Leyland Fields is a writer, international retreat leader, and founder of the Memoir Masterclass, an online community of writers from around the world. Her greatest joy (besides kayaking and smoking salmon) is leading others in discovering their worth and belovedness in Christ through their stories.
Marilyn Davidson
Marilyn Davidson, born and raised in the glories of Southeastern Ohio, has lived in Kodiak for over 35 years and has been part of CBC for all that time. As an artist, she is primarily a musician and writer with a bit of theatre experience thrown in. She is venturing out with this visual art offering. Since brush strokes and good paints are not in her wheelhouse, this medium is what is available in a house frequented by her grandchildren: tempera paints and sponges. Her primary goal in life is to follow Christ as nearly as possible and her hope is that others will occasionally glimpse Him in something she might do.
Robert Wagner
Local artist Robert Allen Wagner found his calling at age eight, winning 2nd place in the 1983 Minnesota State Fair with artwork based on E.T. His earlier Kodiak school years awarded him for drama club and many art contests. 1993 brought him 2nd place in a nationwide advertising campaign contest for Jurassic Park and Mother's Cookies. Robert's art goes beyond the canvas, and includes producing independent films, props, and sculptures. He’s produced hundreds of business logos, and hundreds of paintings. He's also produced everything from bumper stickers, t-shirts, a coin, book covers, and Kodiak Crab Festival posters. Robert’s muse is music and the spiritual world surrounding all of us!
Shelley Paulson
Shelley Paulson has lived in Kodiak for 27 years and considers herself more of a hobby artist. She’s dabbled in many different art disciplines during her art journey such as watercolors, acrylics, paper collage, glass etching, mosaic and more recently tin jewelry making. Her most notable art piece was the 2018 Crab Festival poster. She enjoys creating pieces that reflect the beauty of Kodiak.
Stephanie Slabinski
Stephanie Slabinski has always had a passion for creating art and helping others discover their own creativity. She has shared this passion as a classroom teacher, painting instructor, mural artist, and homeschooling mother of seven. In 2016, she founded Little Works of HeART as a ministry outreach, using paint nights to encourage women and children, create meaningful artwork, and share the light and love of Jesus. She and her husband, Tony, have been serving as missionaries in Alaska for the past eight years.
Steven Darst, Pastor
Pastor Steven Darst is a recent addition to the Kodiak community. In July of 2025, Steven and his family moved to Kodiak to pastor and serve the people of Community Baptist Church. Steven has been an artist since the earliest stages of his life. He has worked with several media including charcoal, watercolors, acrylics, oils, graphite, clay sculpting, and oil pastels. He enjoys painting wildlife and landscapes.