New cardinal paintings at Tree to Tree

"Green Ridge Cardinal", 8"wx10"h

"Blue Sky Cardinal, 8"wx8"h

 After the dust settled from setting up my September show at Beaner's I had that all too familiar post-show burnout. The point where you stare at a canvas and wonder if you'll ever want to pick up a brush ever again. I think the best thing someone with 'writer's block' or 'artist's block' can do is take some time to work on what you're passionate about. All too often putting the pedal to the metal or our noses to the grindstone can put out the flame of creativity and we turn into happy little worker bees. I put so much effort into my show that I just didn't want to paint for a while and ended up working on my kitchen remodeling project for a week.

"Autumn Cardinal" 10"wx8"h

I eventually returned to paint some familiar themes .. cardinals and birch trees. The result are a series of works that I'll be posting during the next several days that are rich in color and playfulness. I approached these works with no pre-conceived plan or objective. I just wanted to paint my red cardinal friends in the landscape and have some fun .. and I'm happy I did. Vibrant reds, blues, greens, and some fall color have worked their way onto the canvas once again. These little rascals are available at Tree to Tree in Two Harbors, MN.