Snowshoe Trek - new acrylic on canvas

Snowshoe Trek

Today's piece is a winter landscape titled Snowshoe Trek. This piece is 12x12", acrylic on canvas, and was recently delivered to Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais, MN. I love the rich blues of the winter landscape, the late afternoon and evening shadows on the snow are captivating, and the inspiration for this piece and several others like it. The moon in this painting is a bright complementary gold and lights up the sky. We could use some more snow here in Duluth, MN soon, we've had warmer temps and the landscape has patches of grass visible, with lots of ice from melting and freezing ... nothing a few inches of fresh powder wouldn't fix ... and then it would be time to lace up the snowshoes.

To see all my originals for sale at Sivertson Gallery see the following link:
http://www.aaronkloss.com/sivertson-gallery-grand-marais.html

Frozen Birch Forest

Today's painting is titled Frozen Birch Forest, 24x36, and is part of a new group of winter landscapes at Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais, MN. The birch forest was frozen when I painted this night landscape that features the moon in the center, sparkling and shimmering across the sky and snowy foreground. We are currently enjoying a January thaw, but no doubt we'll have a couple more arctic blasts before the end of winter. But for now, I'm enjoying the blue shadows of winter, while eagerly yearning for Spring.

Autumn at the Depot

"Autumn at the Depot" 36x24

It's a new year and along with changing the calendar I have some new paintings ready to go, and endless ideas to explore this coming year. I thought I'd start this year off with a special piece, this painting is titled Autumn at the Depot, and is 36x24, acrylic on canvas. This piece is my contribution to the Duluth Art Institute's annual membership exhibition. The show is always a fun assortment of emerging artists and grumpy old professional artists like myself .. and everyone inbetween. If you're in the Duluth area anytime between Jan. 26 and Feb. 24 2017, please stop by the Depot to view this piece and many more interesting pieces from the other members. I had fun painting this one, reminiscing on my many trips to the Depot with my children when they were younger to see the trains and play at the children's museum. I used my imagination on this one as well, painting the depot in Autumn while using a winter reference photo I had taken, and also using a night setting which allowed the golds of the foliage and the light cream color of the building to pop against the night sky. The roof is a greenish grayish color, and I also didn't want to try to pair that color against a light blue or gray sky. Otherwise, I slaved away on this piece as the roofline and window details kept me making constant adjustments, but I didn't mind as I wanted this to be a memorable piece, which it is. Here's to a wonderful 2017 filled with life, laughter, color, and joy ... and many more memorable trips to the Depot.

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.

Just Another Night in Northern Minnesota

I had a little fun with the title of this new 36x24" piece, with the title Just Another Night in Northern Minnesota. I implied that every night is like the one depicted in this painting, with a warm full moon reflecting off a lake with thousands of rich blue speckles dancing across the sky. Is that accurate? Well, I guess you just need to visit or move here to find out. :) From a warm summer night to a sub zero winter night, you find beauty in northern Minnesota .. that much is true. This piece was recently delivered to Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais, MN.

Blue Jay Moon Rays

This piece, titled Blue Jay Moon Rays, measures 8x10" and is a new acrylic on canvas recently delivered to Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais. There has been many blue jays flying around my house, making lots of noise and chasing all the birds away. They sure are a pretty bird with their blue coloring, and impressive in size, and they are fun to paint. In this case, this blue jay is backlit by a moon, and is perched on a golden maple tree ... what a peaceful setting for such a noisy bird. :)

Ultra Marine Moon

'Ultra Marine Moon'

This piece includes a favorite things of mine ... the moon, night skies, lakes, and ultramarine blue. This piece is titled Ultra Marine Moon and is 6x18", acrylic on canvas, recently brought in to Lizzards Gallery in Duluth, MN. Rich ultra marine blue fills the skies and waters, with the horizon line of rocks breaking the plane from skies to distorted water ripples, and the moon shines bright in the sky, along with the stars and distant blue ridges .. just a few of my favorite things.

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

Stars

'Stars'

Today's painting is titled Stars, and is a new 8x10" acrylic on canvas recently delivered to Siiviis Gallery in Duluth. This piece is a playful take on a moonlit lake. Stars are scattered across the sky and the full moon shines bright and reflects on the lake, illuminating the rocks and birches in the foreground. I'm off to the races ... enjoy your day ... and night.

I'm available for custom work. Please email me if you'd like to order a special painting or print.
www.aaronkloss.com

A Light for the Night

"A Light for the Night"

A Light for the Night is the title of this new 8x8" acrylic on canvas. This piece features a favorite theme of mine, the cardinal on a birch tree. This cardinal is backlit by the moon, and the blue sky and green leaves complement the colors and make for a colorful summer landscape. This piece is available at my new gallery called Lakeside Gallery in Duluth, or online at the following link until sold: http://www.aaronkloss.com/store/p68/A_Light_for_the_Night.html

If you'd like to commission me to paint a custom painting for you, please email me for a free quote, and visit  my website www.aaronkloss.com to view all my available originals in their respective galleries, and to view a wide selection of originals and prints in my online store.

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.

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 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/

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.

A Midwinter's Night

"A Midwinter's Night"  18"w x 6"h, Siiviis Gallery, Duluth MN

After taking a blogging break for a few weeks, I'm back with a pretty purple painting titled A Midwinter's Night. This 18"w x 6"h piece features the silver moon casting it's bright light across the frozen birch landscape. The sky is a deep rich purple color, and the undertones of the painting are the same purple. In the deep winter you can find beauty, especially in the colors of the shadows on the snowy landscape. Winter is a time for me to reflect on my accomplishments and plan for a new year. What will 2016 bring? We'll just have to wait and see ... but I have a good feeling about this next year. I've been in a good rhythm lately, painting many large commissions and also a nice selection of small canvases like this one currently at Siiviis Gallery in Duluth, MN. Please stop back soon, and enjoy that midwinter night moonlight.

Where The Moon Dances on the Water - commissioned painting

"Where The Moon Dances on the Water"  60"w x 48"h, Jan. 2016

"We've Been Old Friends All Through
The Years," Feb. 2014

What a joy it is to share a new painting today titled Where The Moon Dances on the Water which is 60"w x 48"h, acrylic on canvas. This piece was commissioned for a special place in a new home being built in the area. The clients looked at several options and decided on a piece was inspired by a canvas I had painting a couple years ago titled We've Been Old Friends All Through The Years. That painting found a home north of Grand Marais, MN, and it's fun to know that this painting will light up a new home with the warmth of a glowing moon and autumn birches at a lake. One additional challenge with this painting was that the clients desired copper colors in the piece. I tried copper colored metallic paint, and to be honest, the copper paint clashed with the golds I wanted to add in and I took a different approach. What I did was take several copper objects and view them by night to see what kind of tonal range the copper had, and used those rich dark copper colors to as a base to build upon. So the underbrush, the distant and foreground birches all have a rich rust color, with the bright coppers painted over that, with the golds increasing in brightness adding the icing on the cake ... or the sparkle on the lake. Have a wonderful weekend!
All my best, — A.Kloss

P.S. Prints of this and hundreds of my paintings are available, as well as special ordered originals to meet space and color choices, please email me if you'd like more information.

Red Maples in Memory of Dick

I'm baaaaaack! I just wanted to start the first blog post of 2016 with something cool and I'm baaaaaack! is it. :)  I've taken a blog break as I've been focusing on finishing a list of commissioned paintings the likes of which I haven't ever seen. It's exciting and lots of work all at once, but it's also challenging and has me thinking outside my normal box of artistic inspiration and that's great. Normally this time of year sales are slow and I find myself wallowing in despair wondering if I'll ever paint again until temps warm up and gallery business picks up ... so commissioned work fits well into this time of the year.

Featured today is a painting that was commissioned at the end of 2015, titled Red Maples in Memory of Dick. This piece corresponds to a book I'm reading titled When Maples Turn Red, written by Richard King, here's a link to the book: http://outskirtspress.com/bookstore/details/9781478712282
I enjoyed the reds of this piece as much as I'm enjoying the book. Tomorrow I'll post a corresponding piece to this one ... here's to a new year full of color, inspiration and life.

Autumn Moonlight

Featured today is a sweet little autumn landscape titled Autumn Moonlight which is 9"w x 12"h, acrylic on canvas, at Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais, MN. I've heard some reports of snow flurries this week, but we've had a wonderful warm autumn season this year which has inspired many paintings ... like this one. :) Please contact Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais, MN for more information on this piece.

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.

October Moonrise & new paintings at Siiviis Gallery in Duluth's Canal Park

"October Moonrise"  8"w x 8"h, Siiviis Gallery, Duluth

Today's painting is titled October Moonrise, and is one of six new acrylic on canvas paintings I just brought in to Siiviis Gallery in Duluth this afternoon. The wind was cold off lake Superior today, along with a light wind, but the color and warmth of the gallery brightened my spirits. The six new works feature birds and birch trees to coincide with the works from the show I'm having at the gallery, along with another local painter Adam Swanson. So far the show is going well, many pieces have found new homes, and I'm happy to keep the wall fresh with some vibrant colors. This piece has a rich blue sky and waters to complement the golds of the moon and reflection ... framed in by birch and stones. Sometimes I forget how awesome it is to live here as the hustle and bustle of life pulls and tugs on me. So painting landscapes settles me down and reminds me to slow down ... and not let the wind and rain dampen my spirits. Please stop by Siiviis Gallery to view my new work, you may also find a nice gallery of works for sale at the gallery on my website by clicking here. Have a great weekend! -A