Sunset Strip

Sunset Strip

On the last day of an unseasonably warm November, I thought it fitting to share a fun new piece titled Sunset Strip, recently brought in to Siiviis Gallery in Duluth, MN. This painting is 12x36, acrylic on canvas, and features white pine flanking a rocky river, with distant pine ridges in the background. But what really sets this painting apart is the dazzling gold sky, casting gold shadows on the foreground river banks and brightening the overall feel of the piece. I don't need to go to California to see the Sunset Strip, I just need to go out on the Lake Superior Trail on any given summer evening. So long summer, hello winter.

The Next Adventure

"The Next Adventure"

I was recently going through my photos and came across this piece which a commission I painted earlier this year for a local client. They were moving out of state and wanted a memory of Duluth that incorporated their frequent boat trips on lake Superior.  I love challenges and so I had to rely on my imagination a bit for this piece, using a perspective skill I learned in grade school to sketch out a balanced composition and then picked up my trusty paintbrush and I had a lot of fun while using a touch of imagination. So the result is a colorful summer painting of Duluth from the lake with a fictional thousand footer 'saltie' ore boat heading out on her next adventure, with a golden sunset sky glowing and the aerial bridge horn giving a final farewell salute.

“We need the tonic of wildness...At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable. We can never have enough of nature.” 

-Henry David Thoreau

Walking Through Autumn Birches

"Walking Through Autumn Birches"  36"w x 24"h

Today's piece, titled Walking Through Autumn Birches, measures 36x24" and is one of those pieces where the title just says it all. We've had an incredible fall season here in Duluth, MN, and I regret that I've been so busy working that I haven't been able to enjoy it like I would want to. But I can always paint where my heart is at, and apparently, that is in a golden birch forest in northern Minnesota, which is a great place to be. Enjoy your weekend! A.Kloss
This piece was recently brought in to Lakeside Gallery in Duluth 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. :)

Falling Leaves

'Falling Leaves'

Today's piece, titled Falling Leaves, is a new 40x30" acrylic on canvas recently brought in to Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais, MN. This fun piece features a rich brown maple forest with colorful red, orange, and gold leaves. The maples at the top are decked out in color, and their leaves are quietly falling across the painting towards the forest floor which is covered in leaves. The distant ridges match the colorful spectacle, and the rich windsor blue provides a complementary background to the whole piece. The color saturation is intense in this piece, pointing towards the most colorful time of the year, the autumn season, and the deep blue sky is a reminder of the snowy season that follows. Hope you get to enjoy all the seasons have to offer this year.

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.

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.

Golden Birch Rays

This painting is titled Golden Birch Rays and is 8"w x 10" acrylic on canvas. While I anticipate the coming fall season, I reflect on the many adventures I've had hiking through the woods much like the woods portrayed in this painting. The setting autumn sun casts long shadows and the leaves sparkle and dance in the crisp fall air. It's a special time of year, one where you look at the trees in amazement, wondering if it's a dream, wondering where all this color came from. It's a short and sweet season, can't wait ... so I paint. :)  Please email me to check on availability or to commission a special painting, thanks!
-Aaron

Red Maple Lake

This piece is titled Red Maple Lake, and is an 8x10" acrylic on canvas. The maple tree is very interesting with it's large leaves and array of fall colors ranging from gold to brown, and red and orange. This particular painting features red maples and a rich blue lake and sky. Please email me to check on availability or to commission a special painting, thanks!
-Aaron

Summer Shores No. 2

"Summer Shores No. 2"

Today's painting is titled Summer Shores No. 2, and measures 8x8". This new acrylic on canvas is available at Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais and is part of a series of three featuring my latest greatest theme of lake reflections. 

Into The Forest

Into The Forest is the title of this piece which is one of a three part series of summer birch landscapes recently delivered to Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais, MN. While the compositions aren't overly complicated, the colorful punch these pieces deliver is quite pleasant, even if I didn't get the best of photos and this appears a bit on the dark side. Oh well, you can't win them all, but you can enjoy the process, and the summer season, while you're at it.

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.

Sienna Sky Cardinals

Sienna Sky Cardinals is the title of this 12"w x 4"h triptych painting, recently brought in to Siiviis Gallery in Duluth, MN. There's just something sweet about bright red and rich brown color combinations ... almost like a dessert, maybe chocolate covered cherries? Or apples and cinnamon? Whichever it is, I like it.

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.

Living by the Lake Numbers 1 - 3

  Featured today are three pieces titled Living By The Lake (Numbers 1-3). These were brought in to Siiviis Gallery not too long ago, and are a few favorites of mine. I decided to title them individually as opposed to a triptych, as I felt they were strong enough to stand alone, or would make for a nice grouping. And at 9"w x 11"h each, they fill a horizontal space well when displayed together. And they include my favorite colors .. blue and gold .. and some of the reasons I live within walking distance to lake Superior .. the birch trees, the rocks, the lake, the sky .. just some of the reasons I love living by the lake.  If you'd like to commission me to paint a custom painting for you, please email me for a free quote. www.aaronkloss.com

Glensheen Memories

"Glensheen Memories" 8x8" acrylic on canvas

Today's post is titled Glensheen Memories, and is an 8x8" acrylic on canvas. This piece is the last in a three part series from the Plein Aire week last week. This painting is of a small building on the Glensheen grounds, and the building caught my eye with the unique architectural details and blooming hollyhocks on the right. Perhaps this is a front door I'd enjoy arriving home to every day, especially with it's close proximity to the lake. The Plein Aire week was fun, and I'd like to take another shot at painting outside, especially when not pressed for time. And after last's weeks devastating thunderstorms took out power in wide swaths across northern Minnesota, I have some catch up work to do but I'm thankful the power has been restored. Have a great week.  This piece is part of three new works on display at the Duluth Art Institute now through Sept. 9, 2016 in the upper gallery.

Glensheen Garden

"Glensheen Garden"  8"w x 10"h

Today's piece is titled Glensheen Garden, and is 8"w x 10"h. When you're at the Glensheen Mansion, at the back of the house you step out onto this patio that overlooks the expansive gardens and ultimately lake Superior. I was at the corner where you can see the fountain, and thought the fountain and the lake would help combine for a nice composition.  This piece is part of three new works on display at the Duluth Art Institute now through Sept. 9, 2016 in the upper gallery.

Glensheen Estate, Plein Aire, and blog update

"Glensheen Estate" 8"w x 10"h

After a quite lengthly hiatus from blogging, I'm back with a vengeance. Just kidding, I'm back with a nice piece from my plein aire week titled Glensheen Estate, 8"w x 10"h. This piece is part of three new works on display at the Duluth Art Institute now through Sept. 9, 2016 in the upper gallery. While I was quite busy running my new gallery (Lakeside Gallery) during the week, I was able to complete three pieces which I'm quite fond of for the plein aire event. Now that the gallery is all set up, I'll be back to blogging and updating my work on a regular basis. Please stop back soon, and visit my gallery and personal websites for more information on my work. All my best, Aaron

Man's Best Friends (Commission)

"Man's Best Friends" 

Today I'm featuring a post titled Man's Best Friends which is a 24"x24" canvas commissioned by a local resident. In the process of getting relocated due to a job, the person wanted to surprise his wife with a painting of their home that featured their two dogs on the front porch. This made for a fun challenge for me, and also a memorable gift of the home they loved. Sometimes life has unexpected surprises and new adventures, I know my next adventure will be a memorable one, I'll be sharing more on that this next week ... but hopefully I'll take time to play too, those dogs sitting on the front porch look like they're ready to play fetch.
Feel free to contact me in you'd like to talk about a custom painting for your home or business ... and also please visit my website for more examples of my work.
All my best,
-A

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.