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

Aerial Lift Bridge No. 3: Sun Sparkles

"Aerial Lift Bridge No. 3: Sun Sparkles"  24"w x 36"h

This painting is part of an ongoing series that features Duluth's Aerial Lift Bridge. This piece is titled Sun Sparkles and was inspired by a recent trip to Duluth's Canal Park where the lift bridge welcomes great lakes travelers to Duluth's beautiful shores. The sun had set and was sparkling off the deep blue waters and the air temp was in the low 80's. There was quite a bit of humidity in the atmosphere, causing the sky to have a misty blue hue. It was a pleasant evening, one you wish could happen more frequently, but it will be remembered in paint on canvas as the evening the sun sparkled. Please contact Siiviis Gallery in Duluth, MN for more information on this piece.

Aerial Lift Bridge: Cobalt Sky

"Aerial Lift Bridge: Cobalt Sky" Acrylic on 24"w x 36"h canvas

I love to hike and travel the trails around Duluth and the north shore of Lake Superior, where I find my inspiration to paint. And as much as I love the woods and waters of the area, there is an element in the landscape that cannot be dismissed: the aerial lift bridge. It welcomes visitors to the area. It raises to let 1,000 ft. ore boats pass beneath ... and also small sailboats. It bridges Duluth and park point. It draws visitors and is visible from the hilltop as you enter Duluth. It's one of the most visually interesting structures I have ever seen. So it's only natural to get asked to paint the bridge if you live and work in Duluth. I've been asked to paint the bridge so many times I've just stopped counting. It's a challenge, that's for sure ... and for an artist that wants to paint the woods, it's a challenge to just depart from nature to paint a structure. But I've always been one that wanted/needed a challenge, and so here's the result of my latest effort. This piece is titled Aerial Lift Bridge: Cobalt Sky, and is 24"w x 36"h. This is actually my second attempt at this subject matter. My first attempt was back in July of 2012 with a painting titled Aerial Lift Bridge Number 1, which is included in this blog post in a smaller format. I remember this first attempt well. I worked so long on this piece that I was happy to have it finished and thought I'd never return to this subject ever again. But after many requests, I've painted the bridge once again. The bridge. What would Duluth be without it? Just another port city, I suppose. But with the local economy booming, jobs plentiful, people moving in town causing a tight housing market, the landscape bountiful with recreational opportunities, and a bright future, Duluth is poised for growth. It's a beautiful place to live and work. And it's home the aerial lift bridge. Please contact Siiviis Gallery in Duluth, MN for more information on this piece.