Gold Sky

"Gold Sky"  7"w x 5"h

Here's a happy little birch landscape featuring the color cadmium yellow lighting up the sky behind some bright birches and stones. It's hard to be in the studio today as the sun is shining and the birds are singing outside. I've been busy on a 48"wx48"h commmission which I'll post tomorrow. It's summer ... time to work hard and play hard. This piece is part of my show at the Art of Hair on First in Duluth now through September 2015.

Gold Moon Rising

"Gold Moon Rising"  6"w x 6"h

This cardinal may have a rich gold moon behind him lighting up the night sky, but the cardinal knows he doesn't need no rich gold moon to light up the forest with his brilliant red color and song that will soon hearken the return of spring. But for now, the snow quietly falls in the forests surrounding my home in Duluth, MN.

Sweet Maple Shadows Triptych

Acrylic on 3-4"wx4"h canvases totaling 12"wx4"h, $75
Available at Sivertson Gallery, Grand Marais, MN

I just love painting these small triptychs. If you've followed my work you know I love painting images across several canvas panels, it's probably something about the horizontal scale. Today's piece is a simple series of three maples on three panels, shimmering and sparkling and casting long shadows across the sun speckled foreground. Sweet.

Sun Dance

Acrylic on 40"w x 30"h x 1.5"d canvas
Click on image above to enlarge.
Please email me at aaronklossartwork@gmail.com for purchase information.

Another piece from my 'Twilight Maples' series. I've enjoyed exploring this series in the past several months, making subtle changing in color intensity to change the mood of the different pieces. I'd like to make an online portfolio or slide show of the works in this series so they could be viewed in succession, perhaps that's something for the near future. This particular piece features the light source that demands your attention, saying 'look at me! look at me!' I added multiple shades of yellows for the sun, imagining the light dancing around the canvas, keeping it's intensity even as it travels farther from the source. The foreground shadows are crisp, due to the intensity of the light source, and the leaves above are bright. I resisted the urge to brighten the foreground even more, opting to keep the color hue consistent with the leaves, because I didn't want to detract from the sun. I've felt a sense of completion with this piece, like I've shared all that's within me regarding this 'Twilight Maples' series, and I'm ready to explore more landscape subjects. I'm not saying that I won't return to this series in the future as it holds a special place in my heart. But I am feeling that it's time to move on at the same time. What will result I cannot imagine, but perhaps the next painting will give that direction, providing a spark of inspiration, directing me onward. :)

Mossy Maple Ridge

Acrylic on 12"w x 12"h x 1.5"d canvas
Click on image above to enlarge.SOLD
One more little 12x12" canvas featuring fall Maples and Evergreens. The deep greens of the Evergreens influenced the background with the multiple shades of green fading off into the distance. I'm happy that the use of green puts special emphasis on the foreground highlights and shadows. I feel so drawn to the way light filters through trees and casts shadows on the ground that I feel that I may explore this even more, delving deeper and deeper into the forest, looking for the early sunrise and late twilight sunsets. I'm already thinking several canvases ahead, when this happens, you need to make a special effort to paint and create, to capture what's in your head and heart. Up next this week is a 36"w x 24" Maple sunrise forest, then some Lester Park Pines ... I'm thinking vertical, but we'll see. :)

Serene Symmetry

Acrylic on 15"w x 12"h x 1.5"d canvas
Click on image above to enlarge.
SOLD


As I've been driving around lately I've been enjoying the Birch forests around my house and noticing small underbrush still holding onto their fall colored leaves. There are also many winterberry trees (I call them winterberry trees, but I'm sure they have other names too). I love the complimentary deep cranberry reds and deep greens of the evergreens in the distance. The birch trees and rocks scattered about this colorful backdrop are just too irresistible to paint! I'd love to explore this birch/red/green theme some more ... so many ideas ... so little time! I guess I'd rather have the problem of having too many inspirations versus staring at a blank canvas with no vision. :) I titled this painting 'Serene Symmetry' after a friend observed that my work felt 'serene' to them. The symmetry comes from the composition. Compositions are more interesting when they aren't symmetrical, but sometimes I beg to differ and intentionally center a composition horizontally or vertically. Symmetry can be serene if you know what I mean.
God bless, -A

All That Glitters

Acrylic on 12"w x 15"h x 1.5"d canvas
Click on image above to enlarge.
SOLD


These Birch trees were one of those images I had in mind to paint and finally just got around to painting it. I envisioned featuring several Birch trees with golden leaves, and the bright blue sky showing through the leaves. I used many shades of gold for the leaves, painting in several transparencies, getting the depth I was looking for. The dark gold of the distant tree ridge and gold-leafed foreground anchor the piece, while the sun rises in the sky with it's bright yellows, not to be outdone by the birch trees. I  have a stack of paintings I need to get uploaded to the blog and website, I'll keep posting 'til I have them all finished. Remember all that glitters isn't gold ... unless it's a Birch tree leaf. :)

Festive Fall Forest

Acrylic on 40"w x 30"h x 1.5"d canvas
Click on image above to enlarge.
Please email me at aaronklossartwork@gmail.com for purchase information.

On a cold weekend, I was feeling the need to paint a warm painting. So the beautiful golds and reds of distant maple tree covered ridges found themselves a home in the background of this painting that I've titled 'Festive Fall Forest'. This painting really nailed an 'optical illusion' I've been trying to accomplish with recent works. The foreground with it's sunset rays and rocks really pop off the canvas and the birches behind them contrast nicely with the background that incorporates complementary colors. The depth all these layers brings really gives me a lift and I'm already thinking of ways to carry the energy from this work onto subsequent works.

This painting just makes me feel warm ... like snuggling up to a nice warm fire with a hot cup of coffee on a cold winter's day. This one will be hard to part with ... I think I'll hang it in my living room and enjoy it a while before I bring it to the gallery. :)

The Birch Forest Beckons

Acrylic on 40"w x 30"h x 1.5"d Canvas
Click on image above to enlarge.
Please contact Lizzard's Gallery for purchase information.

The Christmas holiday season had me traveling and shopping and wrapping (and eating cookies), which occupied my time and thoughts so this painting was worked on over a longer period of time. The longer time resulted in another layer of birch trees behind the trees in the foreground. The birches in the background are a light blue and don't demand your attention .. they are content to hide in the hundreds of shades of blue in the sky behind them. Along with subtle twilight lighting, I enjoy adding 'leaves' to the foreground in many shades of burnt sienna and 'birch' gold. :) I'm really loving the crisp white birch trees, I think I'll continue exploring the birch tree as it's found in the landscape. The birch trees are beckoning me, gotta go...

Maple Valley

Acrylic on 12"w x 12"h x 1.5"d canvas
Click on image above to enlarge.  

SOLD

Part of painting is limiting yourself. You could go crazy with hundreds of paint colors and brush stroke sizes, not to mention glazes, mediums, textures, etc ... but what you're trying to do is convey an image. And that image always packs more punch when simply stated. I suppose you could say a successful painting is like enjoying a beautiful summer sunset from a cozy adirondack chair while on vacation versus sitting in highway rush-hour traffic and watching a sunset. Which one would you prefer? I know there are some who prefer the latter but I favor the former. The lighting in this series emanates from the ground up, a phenomenon of the twilight sky in contrast to the bright daylight shining down from above. This series has been called 'Twilight Maples' and includes many paintings who have found their way into people's homes and hearts just like a peaceful twilight sky. There's no limit when your limit yourself.

Up next is another 12"x12" maple landscape, it features rock formations, trees, mossy green ambient lighting and cranberry colored leaves. It will make it's way from my easel to the web in a day or so .. and then hopefully into someone's home ... and heart. :)

Twilight Birch Triptych

Acrylic on three 10"w x 30"h x 1.5"d canvases
Click on image above to enlarge. 
Please contact Lizzard's Gallery for purchase information.

It's no secret that I've been working on capturing twilight lighting on my canvases in recent history. There's just something about the deep blues and shadows during the last light of the day that compels me to paint with the rich colors that I use. I can't imagine at this point painting any other subjects without the depth of colors. I just dropped off this painting at Lizzard's Art Gallery in Duluth, it was fun to see the gallery all decked out for the holidays. Lots of unique gift ideas in the gallery, and soon I'll be back to take some photos of all my latest work hanging together, can't wait. :)

For now I'm content to stay here, deep in the forest as the sun sets. The birches contrast strongly with the fading light and even though the birches are clothed in crisp white bark, even they too will soon be covered in a deep blue veil of night.

Blaze Maple Rays

Acrylic on 36"w x 24"h x 1.5"d canvas
Click on image above to enlarge. 
Please contact Lizzard's Gallery for purchase information.

The title is self explanatory. This was painted during an overcast couple of days and as usual, I seem to paint the opposite of how I feel. So the colors are bright and punchy and full of depth and texture. This one just makes me smile. :)

Solace Triptych

Acrylic on three 12"w x 36"h x 2"d canvases
Click on image above to enlarge. 
Please contact Lizzard's Gallery for purchase information.

Solace has a few different meanings in the dictionary, but the best definition that relates to this triptych is 'cheerful place' or 'place of deep peace'. For long periods of time I've sat and viewed this painting and it has been very calming to me during a time of busyness. In this piece the last light of the day is visible in the upper left over the distant rock ridge and casts shadows across the foreground. I was very careful with this painting to keep the color darker and I spent countless hours adding texture with subtle highlights and shadows. Hope it brings you peace. :)

Rock Quarry

Acrylic on 6"w x 6"h x 2"d canvas
Click on image above to enlarge.
Please email me at aaronklossartwork@gmail.com for purchase information.

This painting makes me chuckle as I've been busy digging up my backyard, removing an old storm shed over a 12' x 24' tuckunder garage attached to my house. The garage had a asphalt driveway and block retaining walls on either side that were leaning precariously in. So after calling in some help from my folks, I've managed to make some progress digging and landscaping the entrance to my new studio space. I've unearthed at least 40 80 lb. concrete blocks and hauled them to the recycle center.

Duluth is full of rock quarries such as the one I painted ... it's just that no mere mortal man with a shovel and pickaxe could ever move them, and they shouldn't be moved, but left for all to enjoy.

Golden Glow

Acrylic on 4"w x 4"h x 1.5"d canvas
SOLD

More backlit Maples, I was experimenting with making the sky look like it was yellow leaves off in the distance. 
I've been busy working on my 'new' studio, pics coming soon. :)

 Acrylic on 4"w x 4"h x 1.5"d canvas
Click on image above to enlarge. Please contact Lizzard's Gallery for purchase information.
 
This theme has featured large rock outcroppings which are scattered all over the landscape here in Duluth. I found myself focusing on the rocks, working to give them a rich textural quality while keeping their edges soft. I want the rock formations to complement the soft leafy shadows in the foreground, not contrast them. While the small size of the canvas is a challenge, the composition is simple. I'll work on these rocks a few more days before adding in more elements ... almost like a chef adding ingredients to a delicious dinner ... bon appétit!

Golden Shadows

 Acrylic on 8"w x 10"h Canvas Panel
Click on image above to enlarge.
Please email me at aaronklossartwork@gmail.com for purchase information.

At first I was going to feature the gold toward the horizon but decided to go big and cover the sky with gold. Sunsets can be captivating with their range of color in varying degrees of intensity. I often wonder if things were reversed and the sky was sunset colored all day and turned sky blue at sunset if we would be so captivated by the blue because it's different. We'll never know the answer to that thought but I find blue skies and sunset skies both captivating. :)

Inching Closer

Acrylic on 12"w x 22"h x 2"d Canvas
Click on image above to enlarge.

SOLD

I've been really enjoying painting the negative spaces of paintings. Some painters cringe at the thought of a vast blue sky and how to paint it to look interesting, but I've been looking for negative spaces within compositions, such as the space between tree limbs or other elements. This painting features four trees that are hanging on to each other, inching closer to the edge, just curious about what's down there. Whenever I hike along a rugged stream or lake, I want to look over cliff edges myself .. there's just something about coming close to the edge. It's better to have someone to hold onto if you slip too. :)

Casting Shadows

Acrylic on 18"w x 36"h x 2"d Canvas
Click on image above to enlarge.
Please contact Lizzard's Gallery for purchase information.

Romping through the woods has given me lots of inspiration as of late and this painting reflects this. I've encountered rock formations that were so interesting that I just had to photograph them and place them in my memory for future reference. It's always amazing how the trees can grow right out of the rocks, it reflects a lot of determination of the tree's behalf. Growing where no tree has grown before. Maybe we can learn something from them. For now, I'm content to paint them and enjoy them in all their fall color. Casting their shadows on the forest floor and enjoying the view they have.

More Autumn Reference

With the Autumn leaves rapidly approaching peak color, I've been out in the woods snapping up photos as fast as I can. Yesterday we hiked along Skyline Parkway around 40th Ave. West in Duluth where there are some massive rock outcroppings reaching up towards the sky. I've always wanted to explore this area, and I was able to get right up to the base of the cliffs and snap some interesting photos in the shadow of the ridge, along with the setting sun filtering through trees. In these reference photos you can see the ridge in the background appearing like a mountain.

The rocks are crumbly, giving the impression based on their mossy texture that they've been there forever and the trees have grown up all around them. It's amazing to find pines and maples growing out of the face of the rocks or out of cracks, wherever they can find room. The leaves and ferns are blazing gold in color, but the green leaves mixed in tells me I still have time to enjoy the season's color. Today's expedition will be to Lester Park, the famous Seven Bridges Road and Lester Falls.

I'll be bringing my camera. :)