A Lake Superior Sky

Today's painting is titled A Lake Superior Sky and measures 20x16, acrylic on canvas. Lake Superior is 'the view that never gets old' if you ask me. I enjoy venturing down to the big lake with the family to explore beaches and experience the waves crashing against the shore. People drive for hours to visit the lake, we walk a few blocks. It's something I don't take for granted, and something that becomes the subject of many a painting. Have a great Tuesday.

Frost Cardinals Nos. 1-3

Just a few frost cardinals recently brought in to Lizzards Gallery for a frosty Monday. We received 6 plus inches of fresh snow yesterday here in Duluth, MN. Now I'm off to shovel before the snow freezes. Have a great week! -Aaron

All the Colors of Autumn

All the Colors of Autumn is the title of this colorful new 36x24 acrylic on canvas recently brought in to Lizzards Gallery in Duluth. I painted the lake in the foreground a deep blue to make the colorful tree reflections pop off the canvas. This continues my series of reflections which focus on memories and how can be fuzzy and bit distorted, but the memories are also a reflection of who we are. Deep thoughts for an artist who isn't quite awake yet today. Have a great weekend! All my best, Aaron

Welcome To Winter

With today's frosty temperatures, the first snowfall of the season, and the Christmas City of the North Parade all converging, I thought it fitting to share a new original titled Welcome to Winter. This piece measures 36x24" and features a winter birch forest with distant icy ridges, and a winter moon shining brightly in the sky. The long shadows in the foreground are a hint at the short days that feature below freezing temps and endless blue and white vistas. I've always struggled with the cold myself, but enjoy the season nonetheless. This piece was recently delivered to Lizzards Gallery in the wonderful winterland of Duluth MN. You betcha.

Golden Dee Series

Today's paintings are titled Golden Dee Numbers 1-3 respectively, and measure 6x6" each. These acrylics on canvas have for a subject the chickadee, perched on a golden birch branch with a rich cobalt sky behind them. I paint a lot of birds, and always enjoy the expressions the birds often take. Usually this is by accident, but just a slight angle of the brushstroke can determine if a bird happy, sad, angry, or curious. I'll let you decide what you think these birds are feeling, and if you're feeling like collecting these, they were recently delivered to Lizzards Gallery in Duluth, MN

Cardinals on Gold

'Cardinals on Gold'

Today's piece is titled Cardinals on Gold, and is 18"w x 6"h, acrylic on canvas, and recently brought in to Lizzards Gallery in Duluth. This painting is just a fun take on warm color with the red cardinals and gold background, and the cardinals appear to be in conversation. I'm busy painting several commissions at the moment, but I also make time to share the little paintings I love to paint, I often think that these small scale paintings are insignificant, but they are affordable to paint and collect, and I don't have any plans on stopping creating them anytime soon. Have a great week! -Aaron

Please email me if you'd like more information on commissioning a special painting for your home or office.

Spring Cardinals in the Wood

This piece is titled Spring Cardinals in the Wood and was recently brought in to Lizzards Gallery in downtown Duluth, MN. I've recently enjoyed listening to all the birds around my house, the finches and robins being the most prominent, but I have yet to see the cardinals or hear their song. I'm starting to think the finches have something to do with this, as I have several dozen small brown finches emptying my thistle feeders and making a lot of noise and a big mess, but they are fun to watch with their chatter and jostling for the best perch at the feeder. The cardinals in today's painting are a bit more relaxed, no doubt talking about how the Minnesota Twins aren't doing so well this year haha. TGIF!

Please visit my website for more examples of my work, and feel free to contact me regarding commissioning a custom painting for your home or office space.

Moonlit Spring Birches

"Moonlit Spring Birches"

Moonlit Spring Birches is the title of this 6"w x 18"h piece recently brought in to Lizzards Gallery in Duluth, MN. Because who doesn't love a moonlit landscape in the early spring in northern Minnesota. I sure do. Busy week finishing off several large commissioned pieces. Off to the easel ... have a great Thursday! All my best, Aaron

Please email me ... aaronklossartwork [at symbol] gmail.com ... if you're interested in commissioning me for a custom painting of any size, and please visit my website for more examples of my work and to purchase prints.

Baltimore Orioles

"Baltimore Orioles"  24"w x 12"h

Wow, it's been a busy spring and I've realized I haven't been posting as much as I'd like to! This piece is titled 'Baltimore Orioles' and is 24"w x 12"h, recently brought in to Lizzards Gallery in Duluth, MN. Bright orange birds on crisp white birch with a rich windsor blue sky to complement the orange orioles really make this piece pop.

Please visit my website for more examples of my work, and feel free to contact me regarding commissioning a custom painting for your home or office space.

Spring Rainstorm

"Spring Rainstorm"  40"w x 30"h

Spring Rainstorm is the title of this new 40x30" acrylic on canvas recently brought in to Lizzards Gallery in Duluth. We've had quite a bit of rainfall this early spring, normally we are shoveling out from the season's last snowfall this time of year, but the winter has been mild. While the landscape isn't greening out just yet as depicted in this spring forest, I'm longing for a good rainstorm, complete with some distant thunder. This piece continues my theme of water reflections and features green birches, rocks, and blues and more blues. Blue and green, the colors of spring, the colors of new life, the colors of my palette lately. :)

Please visit my website for more examples of my work, and feel free to contact me regarding commissioning a custom painting for your home or office space.

Sixty Cardinals Triptych

"Sixty Cardinals Triptych"  36"w x 36"h

While the end of the year always brings hustle and bustle to my life, I thought I'd try to end the blogging efforts of 2015 with a favorite subject of mine: birds. So I plan to publish a new bird painting here on this blog frequently as we approach 2016 ... and I'll be sure to write my year in review which is a perennial favorite. Sometimes you have to stop and take a look at where you've been to appreciate where you're going. And with commissioned paintings to do and many other things, it's great to publish works here to give me a moment to pause and reflect. This particular painting was so fun to paint, and the simple evergreen forest in December is anchored by a rocky foreground, but stealing the spotlight are sixty cardinals perched in the birches. Go ahead and count them, I'll wait. ;) They are talking to each other about how warm this winter has been, about what surprises and blessings 2016 holds, about how to avoid those loud blue jays and ravens, about why some guy in Duluth MN insists on painting them ... What does 2016 hold? Wait and see. And for now, enjoy Sixty Cardinals, a new piece that's 36"w x 36"h and available at Lizzards Gallery in Duluth, MN.

Colors of the Wind

"Colors of the Wind"  15"w x 30"h

Colors of the Wind is the title of this new 15"w x 30"h acrylic on canvas, part of some new work brought in to Lizzards Gallery in Duluth today. I love the calm color in this piece, the large areas of rich deep blues really pop the fall colors off the canvas. And then there's that irresistible moon glowing in the center, radiating across the sky while the distant stars sparkle. It's a place I'd like to call home, a quiet place full of color and light. Please contact Lizzards Gallery for more information.

Three new cardinal paintings at Lizzards Gallery (Golden Curtain Ns. 1-3)

Happy Monday! Mondays are made much better with colorful artwork and coffee. Featured today are three new cardinal paintings at Lizzards Gallery in Duluth. These warm works include bright red cardinals on crisp white birch trees, and the background sparkles with golds and browns. The warmth of these paintings remind me that the autumn season is soon upon us, and I just love hiking through the colorful landscapes that will inspire my work through the long cold winter. But we have some beautiful weather to enjoy in Duluth this week with highs in the mid 80s and sun. I think a trip to lake Superior is in order. Have a great week. -A.Kloss

To view my inventory of current works for sale at Lizzards Gallery, please visit my website: http://www.aaronkloss.com/lizzards-gallery-duluth.html

Chickadee Blues

Today's paintings are titled Chickadee Blues Nos. 1-3 and is 6"w x 6"h, acrylic on canvas. I've been working in series lately, creating painting similar in theme, composition and color. It's always a fun exercise to work repetitively in a subject matter, exploring the different subtleties only found in more in depth study.

These colorful little blue gems are currently available at Lizzards Gallery in Duluth, MN. Happy Friday!

Blooming Iris paintings

What better way than to end the month of July with some beautiful Iris paintings? These are all 4"w x 4"h, acrylic on deep profile canvas, and are available at Lizzards Gallery in downtown Duluth, and at Siiviis Gallery in Duluth's Canal Park. 

What a month it's been! Vacations, biking, swimming, fishing, hiking, parades, amusement parks ... and oh yes, painting. :) It's hard to say goodbye to July. But I look forward to what's ahead during the next several months, where I'll work towards stocking galleries as the busiest time of year for me in painting continues through the end of the year. 

Happy Friday! -Aaron

"Iris Bloom No. 1" 4"w x 4"h

"Summer Iris No. 1"  4"w x 4"h

"Iris Bloom No. 2" 4"w x 4"h

"Summer Iris No. 2"  4"w x 4"h

"Iris Bloom No. 3" 4"w x 4"h

Golden Land Iris

"Golden Land Iris"  24"w x 12"h

The iris is such a fascinating subject. The shape of the flower is so expressive, it moves and changes color minute by minute. With such a fascinating subject, my endeavor isn't to recreate a masterpiece, but to share my impression of the subject via paint on canvas. In this case, it's purple iris on a radiant gold background. The colors complement each other and intensify each other's hues. Perhaps a subject can do that to an artist ... the subject and the artist intensify each other's strengths and passions bringing a combination that achieves a visual spark. Well, that's all I have to offer on a sultry summer evening. Please contact Lizzards Gallery for more information on this spark titled Golden Land Iris, 24"w x 12"h, acrylic on canvas.

Blooming Iris

"Blooming Iris"  36"w x 24"h, Lizzards Gallery Duluth MN

The iris have been blooming around my home in Duluth MN recently, and I couldn't help but find myself drawn to their color, form, and beauty. Capturing them on canvas is a challenge as the flowers I chose were solid purple with little distinguishing features where the petals overlapped. So I made sure to paint them open so that the negative space around the flowers could be filled with color. I had quite a fun time in this series, and will post new works in an iris theme for the next several days. Please stop back soon .. and take a minute to stop and smell the iris. :) Please contact Lizzards Gallery for more information.

Sunny 'Dee

"Sunny 'Dee"  6"w x 6"h

I couldn't help but think of this painting, titled Sunny 'Dee, today as I was hiking with my family along Knife River north of Duluth. We hiked for a few hours along the river which had some interesting turns and rapids, and had lunch. Along the way, we played in the river a bit, discovered an ancient copper mine from 1863, and had a great time in the woods amongst the pines and birches. The weather was perfect, 75 and sunny, and bright sunshine filtered through the trees as we hiked, just like the golds in the sky of this painting featuring a chickadee on a birch. He's basking in the glow of the sun, and so did I today ... a day I wish would last just a bit longer. Please contact Lizzards Gallery in Duluth for more information on this piece.

Art for Earth Day Gallery Hop & Spring Colors

Spring Colors

It's that time of year again! The Art for Earth Day Gallery Hop is an annual treat where folks can do something I love ... gallery hopping! You can go to a few or all of the galleries listed here and enjoy works of art from many local and regional artists between 11am and 5 pm. My work is on display at Siiviis Gallery in Duluth, and at Lizzards Gallery in Duluth you'll find spring paintings and a fresh batch of small chickadee paintings brought in just yesterday. The image today, titled Spring Colors, is one of many new works at Lizzards Gallery in Duluth .... and you just may bump into me at the gallery hop if you go. I promise not to eat all the treats at each gallery this year. :)

Fields of Spring

"Fields of Spring" 24"w x 18"h, Lizzards Gallery Duluth MN

Just for fun I thought I'd paint fields as opposed to lakes and trees. This is the painting I came up with, titled Fields of Spring which is 24"w x 18"h. This piece features repetition of form and color as design elements with the many shades of green in the fields and distant spring ridges. Large white puffy clouds form a break between the foreground and cobalt blue sky. It was fun to paint these fields ... it would be even more fun to run through them like a child without a care in the world. Please contact Lizzards Gallery for more information.