Thanks for the responses; I thought I'd respond en masse rather than individually.
Of these options, my personal favorites are Arctic Light and Fireweed. It seems that these drew stronger responses than most of the others (not necessarily favorable in every case).
Explanations for where the names come from and why they have personal significance to me:
Arctic Light refers not just to the northern lights (although, those too) but to the distinctive quality of light at high lattitudes -- the clear air, long sunrises and sunsets, and unique colors of the sky. The sky up here looks different from anywhere else I've been.
The down side to Arctic Light is that I don't think it rolls pleasantly off the tongue -- sounds slightly harsh and awkward. It's also the name of an elementary school in Fairbanks and a photography studio that I found via Googling.
Fireweed Studio is my second favorite. The magenta-colored fireweed flowers are ubiquitous in Alaska and northern Canada in late summer, and because of their vivid color and tendency to grow (and bloom) in huge photogenic fields, pretty much every tourist publication on Alaska and the Yukon Territory includes pictures of sweeping vistas of fireweed with mountains in the background. It's very much a part of what makes me think of Alaska and home. It's also a symbol of renewal, being among the first plants to come back after a fire. This has special significance for me right now because of the vast forest fire that burned within 15 miles of where I live last summer.
Fireweed's down side is that it doesn't sound as pretty as it is. Dunno if I agree with Neosquirrel's assessment of the name, but if someone hasn't seen a fireweed plant, it doesn't really conjur images of beautiful hardy flowers.
Fox Tale Studio -- I wish this didn't sound so cutesy and gimicky, because I really would like to use it somehow. I live in a town called Fox and there are also wild foxes galore in our neighborhood. But, while I don't have any problem with puns in general, using a pun as the name of my business doesn't seem like a good idea.
Sleeping Lady -- that's what Susitna Mythographics was *almost* called, because the other name for Mt. Susitna (where I grew up) is The Sleeping Lady (because of its shape).
Raven Dreams -- like Fox Tale, I like it and it has significance for me, but I have trouble with the trendiness of it.
Black Spruce -- my third favorite after Arctic Light and Fireweed, though it doesn't seem to get a good response from my "beta testers". Ah, the under-appreciated black spruce, the only tree I can consistently and reliably draw. Our property in Fox is full of them, as they're one of the only large plants that can grow in permafrost. But, like Arctic Light, the words don't go together very well, and like Fireweed, it doesn't bring up a vivid, accurate picture in the mind of someone who hasn't seen one.
Hm.
Thanks again for the comments ... I'm off to think some more.
no subject
Of these options, my personal favorites are Arctic Light and Fireweed. It seems that these drew stronger responses than most of the others (not necessarily favorable in every case).
Explanations for where the names come from and why they have personal significance to me:
Arctic Light refers not just to the northern lights (although, those too) but to the distinctive quality of light at high lattitudes -- the clear air, long sunrises and sunsets, and unique colors of the sky. The sky up here looks different from anywhere else I've been.
The down side to Arctic Light is that I don't think it rolls pleasantly off the tongue -- sounds slightly harsh and awkward. It's also the name of an elementary school in Fairbanks and a photography studio that I found via Googling.
Fireweed Studio is my second favorite. The magenta-colored fireweed flowers are ubiquitous in Alaska and northern Canada in late summer, and because of their vivid color and tendency to grow (and bloom) in huge photogenic fields, pretty much every tourist publication on Alaska and the Yukon Territory includes pictures of sweeping vistas of fireweed with mountains in the background. It's very much a part of what makes me think of Alaska and home. It's also a symbol of renewal, being among the first plants to come back after a fire. This has special significance for me right now because of the vast forest fire that burned within 15 miles of where I live last summer.
Fireweed's down side is that it doesn't sound as pretty as it is. Dunno if I agree with Neosquirrel's assessment of the name, but if someone hasn't seen a fireweed plant, it doesn't really conjur images of beautiful hardy flowers.
Fox Tale Studio -- I wish this didn't sound so cutesy and gimicky, because I really would like to use it somehow. I live in a town called Fox and there are also wild foxes galore in our neighborhood. But, while I don't have any problem with puns in general, using a pun as the name of my business doesn't seem like a good idea.
Sleeping Lady -- that's what Susitna Mythographics was *almost* called, because the other name for Mt. Susitna (where I grew up) is The Sleeping Lady (because of its shape).
Raven Dreams -- like Fox Tale, I like it and it has significance for me, but I have trouble with the trendiness of it.
Black Spruce -- my third favorite after Arctic Light and Fireweed, though it doesn't seem to get a good response from my "beta testers". Ah, the under-appreciated black spruce, the only tree I can consistently and reliably draw. Our property in Fox is full of them, as they're one of the only large plants that can grow in permafrost. But, like Arctic Light, the words don't go together very well, and like Fireweed, it doesn't bring up a vivid, accurate picture in the mind of someone who hasn't seen one.
Hm.
Thanks again for the comments ... I'm off to think some more.