Duluth Art Institute Annual Membership Show

Every year the Duluth Art Institute offers a show to it's artist members that is exhibited in the Great Hall of the Depot. I've participated for about five years now, and every year I enjoy browsing through the show to view the wide variety of artwork on display. It's fun to see art by kids, people who are just starting out and on up to full time professional artists. My wife took a photo of yours truly standing next to this year's featured work of mine titled To You I Will Always Return (Acrylic on 36"w x 24"h canvas). If you'd like to read my blog about this painting from this past October please click here. Please stop by the Depot to view the show now through February 21 2016.

Also of note are two additional shows at the Duluth Art Institute that I've had the pleasure of viewing already. The shows are Land of Wonder by Shawna Gilmore, and Public Domain: Photographs by Ken Bloom. Shawna's work is full of color, life and whimsy, and her work can be viewed online at her website. Ken's photographs are a collection of black and white prints from the 70's in Asia. Very cool. Speaking of cool, the thermostat was 20 below zero this morning in Duluth, so make sure to bring warm clothes. :) Have a great weekend.
-A

Work in Progress

A Work in progress

Today I thought I'd share what I'm working on. The finished painting will be posted here next week, but for now you can view the beginnings of a 48" x 36"h canvas. A theme this past year of mine has been one of reflection, and I've painted many landscapes where the background reflects into a lake. The reflection is slightly distorted however, which is a reference to memories being difficult to remember at times. The mirror image is also a hint at a more distracted or abstract view of the represented image. Whether the viewer enjoys this subtle compare and contrast within the image is up to the viewer, but for now you get a glimpse at my life ... I spend the majority of my time painting and viewing the work as it progresses, making color and composition corrections along the way ... while most people only ever view the finished piece. So here you have it, a northwoods lake featuring birch, maple, autumn color and rocks ... and of course a lake. Have a great weekend!
All my best,
-A.Kloss

Many other painting and print options are available on my website: http://www.aaronkloss.com 

Feel free to contact me if you have questions ... and I'm also available for commissions if you'd like a special size or subject. 

Landscape of Summer Triptych

This piece, titled Landscape of Summer Triptych (12"w x 4") is a study that was painted in conjunction with yesterday's larger piece. When you work on a large scale, it is often beneficial to know how colors will look on the canvas prior to using that color. With the study, I'm able to be confident that the color is correct without the risk of having something I'm not wanting happen on the canvas. I work dark to light, which is completely opposite of what a lot of painters do, so having the first brushstrokes correct is crucial. The whole look and feel of a piece changes if the color is too light or dark, and then what is intended to be a daytime painting turns into a nighttime painting for example. Some artists keep their studies or discard them, but I paint studies on canvas ready to hang fully intending on offering them to collectors. That's just my style, the way I roll. And right now the summer landscape in today's piece looks very inviting. I'd like to spend some time here, swim in that lake, explore the woods, maybe catch some sunnies and bass. But that will have to wait till winter gives way to spring in the northland soon. All my best, Aaron

Many other painting and print options are available on my website: http://www.aaronkloss.com 

Feel free to contact me if you have questions ... and I'm also available for commissions if you'd like a special size or subject. 

The Landscape of Summer ... commissioned painting

'The Landscape of Summer'  36"w x 36"h

Today's featured painting is a commissioned painting titled The Landscape of Summer, which is 36"w x 36"h. This piece was inspired by a previous painting of mine titled Summer Encore. I've actually been asked to paint a previous painting again a few times already this year, and each time it's a fun challenge. I primarily work from memory and emotion, so to work from a reference painting or photo is a different process altogether which often makes for a challenge. In the case of today's painting, the challenge was a great reminder that summer will soon be here again, and the frozen landscape will give way to the rich blues, greens, and golds of the summer landscape.

Many other painting and print options are always being added to my website: http://www.aaronkloss.com
Feel free to contact me if you have questions ... and I'm also available for commissions if you'd like a special size or subject. 

Memory from Feb. 2013: Departure

A few years ago I had a gallery talk at Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais, MN where I unveiled a new subject matter: the blue jay. The gallery talk went well, I did a painting demonstration, had a great time, even spilled a little white paint on the floor (and blamed it on the seagulls haha). Sometimes I look back over the past six years on the blog and reminisce, it's been a great journey, and I'm looking forward to what's ahead this year. With no futher delay, here's my post regarding a new painting titled Departure, from Feb. 2013, and also I'll include links to Sivertson's blog, and the youtube video about that presentation at the end of this post.

"Don't let the title of this post scare you .. I'm not leaving now lol. I suppose after taking a little break from the blog and then posting 'Departure' you might wonder what people may think. ;) This piece is part of new series for me featuring the beautiful blue jay. I'm super excited to see how people will react to this new forest friend ... not sure how the cardinal in today's painting feels about the blue jays though. He's thinking 'I'm outta here!'."

Link to Sivertson Gallery's thoughts on my work: https://sivertson.com/blog/klosschat/

Youtube video to my presentation: https://youtu.be/JkDSlf0pbfE

Many other painting options are always being added to my website: http://www.aaronkloss.com
Feel free to contact me for more information ... and I'm also available for commissions if you'd like a special size or subject. 

Winter Morning Song Numbers 1 & 2

Today's paintings are two cardinals titled Winter Morning Song Numbers 1 & 2. These little fellas measure in at a whopping 4"w x 4"h and were recently dropped off at Siiviis Gallery in Duluth. With the deep profile canvas, these can be displayed on a shelf or hung on a wall. I love painting these tiny canvases, they are a challenge and a reward at the same time. Working small can feel constraining to an artist, but the reward of viewing a finished piece quickly is the reward. I'll labor on a large canvas for over a week, so every so often I need to kick back, relax, and paint small. Won't be long before the cardinal sings it's spring song here in the Northland. Till then, I'll hunker down in the studio and do what I do ... paint.


Many other painting options are always being added to my website: http://www.aaronkloss.com
Feel free to contact me for more information ... and I'm also available for commissions if you'd like a special size or subject. 

Ice Crystals

Just a cool blue winter landscape painting for you today. This one features the moon radiating across the sky and sparkling off the distant ridge. The piece is anchored by rich cobalt blue, my favorite color, and is typical of the landscape around lake Superior with the stones and birch. This piece is titled Ice Crystals, and is 12"w x 6"h, currently available at Siiviis Gallery in Duluth.

Many other painting options are always being added to my website: http://www.aaronkloss.com
Feel free to contact me for more information ... and I'm also available for commissions if you'd like a special size or subject. 

Winter Morning Music 1-3

Today I'm featuring three new originals titled Winter Morning Music (Numbers 1-3). They are 6"w x 6"h, acrylic on canvas, at Siiviis Gallery in Duluth.

The series includes tiny cardinals on birch, with a distant evergreen ridge and matching sky to anchor the background. The ridge includes expressive dark green brushstrokes visible in the light green sky, and the brushstrokes portray what you would see when looking at backlit trees, there are areas that appear detached from the tree due the brightness of the sky.

These are subtle details that I often include in my work that most people may not notice if I don't mention them. Working in series is a fun challenge. You paint in similar color and composition, so you have to focus a bit more, and in the end you get to make subtle changes with each painting in the series whereas you don't have that luxury when working with just one piece.

So glad it's Friday, been a long week for me as I'm fighting a nasty bug that's sapping my energy, but I'm pressing on, currently working on a couple commissioned paintings and enjoying the last weeks of winter wonderland outside. Have a great weekend! -A

Many other painting options are always being added to my website: http://www.aaronkloss.com
Feel free to contact me for more information ... and I'm also available for commissions if you'd like a special size or subject. 

Winter Cardinaland

"Winter Cardinaland"  24"w x 36"h

What do you get when you combine over 30 cardinals with rich deep blue and purple frozen landscape, rocks, birch, a lake and a moon? Why a Winter Cardinaland, of course. This piece is 24"w x 36"h and was brought into Siiviis Gallery yesterday. This painting follows along a theme of cardinals in coversation, something I've been working with for many years. The red birds sure pop off the cobalt night sky behind them. The eye is drawn down to the many shades of blue and purple in the foreground, along with the lake and foreground shadows, but inevitably the eye is drawn back up with the tall birches and the cardinals perched on them. Anchoring the piece is the moon in the center, radiating across the sky and casting silvery light across everything. This is a view of winter I could get used to.
All my best, 
—A. Kloss
Many other painting options are always being added to my website: http://www.aaronkloss.com
Feel free to contact me for more information ... and I'm also available for commissions if you'd like a special size or subject. 

Frozen Lake

"Frozen Lake" 12"w x 6"h

Frozen Lake is the title of this new 12"w x 6"h acrylic painting on canvas recently brought in to Siiviis Gallery here in Duluth. This piece features many of my favorite themes ... birch trees, rocks, lake, central light source, rich blues ... but it also features a frozen lake. And what subject isn't more exciting to paint than a frozen lake?? Haha, well, winter features blue, which is also my favorite color, and so why not paint a winter lake. Here in Duluth, I have a nice view of the St. Louis River harbor, which is frozen over as of this early February winter day. The main lake Superior, however, is still open water, which I can see if I look left from my house. Like the impressionists who painted factories and industry as it sprung up in the landscape, I too could paint those things because they are what I look at ... but I prefer to look past them at the water and landscape and imagine what it looks like without rusty iron ore train bridges and piers, huge concrete grain elevators, warehouses, roads and piles of taconite. I like simple things like birch trees, rocks, moonlit nights, and frozen lakes.
Feel free to browse my website for more information, to view originals, prints for sale, and contact information. http://www.aaronkloss.com/

Deep Purple Sky

"Deep Purple Sky" 20"w x 10"h

Today's post is titled Deep Purple Sky, and is 20"w x 10"h, acrylic on canvas. This painting was originally going to be included in the book I illustrated this past year titled Christmas Here in Northern Lands, but ended up not making the final cut. A lot of that had to do with how to fit words onto the image ... do you stagger them between the birch trees? Well, I learned a lot from that project, and while I love landscapes, birch trees, and color ... these elements don't necessarily translate well into type and image, and that's just something to remember the next time I illustrate a book. Will there be a next time? We'll just have to see. For now, I'm enjoying painting landscapes and enjoying the winter season and the blues and purples of the shadows on the snow. 

Please contact Siiviis Gallery for more information on this piece.

Frosty Forest Cardinals

"Frosty Forest Cardinals"
6"w x 18"h

Why not kick off a new month with a cardinal painting? Well that's what I'm doing anyway, and this cool blue new painting is titled Frost Forest Cardinals. The cardinals are tiny in this piece, perhaps tricking you into thinking the painting is larger than it's 6"w x 18"h size. This painting to me is kinda like making a favorite meal. You pick your favorite ingredients and don't have to worry about how it will turn out, you know you've made it many times and it's always good. And there's no leftovers. Well, this composition with a bright central moon radiating light across cobalt blue skies, forests, and snowy foreground is a favorite of mine. And cardinals, who can go wrong with them? They're like the cherry on top of the sundae, the finishing touch. The cardinal has been elusive this winter though, appearing only on my canvases as I've searched and not found them. They've probably found a better feeder somewhere else but that's ok, I'll keep painting them, at least for another year. We'll see what 2016 brings, hopefully lots of delicious meals both literally and figuratively.

Please contact Siiviis Gallery for more information on this piece.