Blue Landscape Triptych

"Blue Landscape Triptych"  12"w x 4"h

There was recently a blue moon over Duluth, MN where I live, and that moon reminded me of this landscape I had painted a couple weeks previous. This piece, titled Blue Landscape Triptych is 12"w x 4"h, acrylic on canvas, and features the color blue. In the foreground, there's the typical stones and birch trees that are so plentiful in my part of the world .. but then there's that blue sky. I just love the color blue. It's fairly common for me to walk into a gallery to deliver new work only to realize the new work is all predominately blue and my work already there is ... blue. So I actually have to put the tubes of ultramarine, cobalt, cerulean, cyan, and windsor blues away to work in warmer tones for a while. But it isn't long before I once again return to the color that soothes my eyes and calms my soul. Ahhh blue. I'm drawn to you like a moth to a ... blue sky. Please contact Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais for more information on this piece.

Cobalt Winter Birches

"Cobalt Winter Birches"  6"w x 6"h

This 6x6 inch piece, titled Cobalt Winter Birches, is part of a series of paintings I began several years ago. My intent with this series was to feature rocks and birch trees, with the emphasis on the birch trees growing amongst the rocks, almost as if anchored in and supported by the stones. The rich blues of the rocks, ridges, and winter sky all play against eachother to keep your eye moving, and while I don't quite remember the reasoning for this series, the series has pulled me back to itself many times over the years. Perhaps it's times like these when I'm fighting a nasty flu virus during the darkest week of the year that the significance of the birch trees and their stone anchors becomes apparent. -Aaron

Warm Winter Sky

"Warm Winter Sky"  30"w x 15"h

This piece, titled Warm Winter Sky, conveys a feeling of hope and warmth in the midst of an icy blue early winter landscape. The frosty trees, rich blue lake and icy blue stones complement the bright golds of the sky ... and the reflection of the sun in the lake ties the two color elements together. Perhaps this piece was inspired by the recently warming temps here in Duluth, MN after the freezing spell we recently went through. Every painting has a sweet spot, a place in the piece you enjoy, and for me, the sun in the sky does it for me. Maybe I just need to soak up some sun. :)
Please contact Siiviis Gallery in Duluth, MN for more information on this piece.

Frost on the Lake

"Frost On The Lake"  6"w x 6"h

On a cold November morning I thought this 6"w x 6"h piece titled Frost on the Lake would be a fitting blog post. Birches, stones and a snowy foreground are witness to a light purple lake and distant purple ridge. The sky is a lazy hazy shade of winter, but all these elements combine for one interesting cool blue composition. I recently read that Lake Superior is starting to freeze over the earliest in the winter ... at least in the last forty years. I believe it, with the January weather we've had for the past several weeks. At least we're supposed to have a more moderate mid winter. There's always hope ... in the meantime, there's always frost on the lake in November. Please contact Sivertson Gallery in frosty Grand Marais, MN for more information on this piece.

Vertical Endeavor

"Vertical Endeavor" 8"w x 24"h

This piece, titled Vertical Endeavor, is the last of a series of fall themed landscapes featuring the 3-1 format (three times as high as wide). This format allows for me to capture the height of the birch tree, which often only has leaves on the top 1/4 of the tree. This format also allows for many layers. The title sums up the feeling this painting gave me upon completion, and also is a good name for the group of works posted to my blog in the past week.  

Please contact Your Art's Desire Gallery in Minnetonka, MN for more information on this piece.

Golden Birch Stones & Sienna Birch Row

"Golden Birch Stones" 24"w x 12"h $300

"Sienna Birch Row" 10"w x 8"h, $85

Today it's a two for one special. I thought I'd feature these pieces together as they were painted together, so it just made sense. These both have burnt sienna as the predominant color and birch rows as the subject. I think I'm drawn to the burnt sienna as it's such a comforting warm brown color, and I can't help but try to work it into every painting. I really enjoy how the Golden Birch Stones painting has dappled lighting throughout the stones and the birches. I used to work on blending the white bark dark to light, but now I focus more on the visual texture, which means I stagger the final white brushstrokes and it gives the bark a life of it's own, very striking. I'm working on a large canvas now where I'm going to try the same technique, I feel as though I'm on to something, we'll see. Lots of art to share here on this blog, please stop back soon! -Aaron Please contact Lizzards Gallery for more information on today's pieces.

Golden Forest Birches

"Golden Forest Birches" 16"w x 16"h

Today's painting, titled Golden Forest Birches, is another in a series featuring water and stones. I spent a little more time and effort trying to get the shadows and dappled light just right. Every painting seems to have a portion that attracted more attention during it's creation, and this one the attention was clearly on the foreground. It carries a nice range of contrast, from the deep ultramarine blue water on up to the crisp white birch bark on the trees. The golds of distant birch trees, along with the sparkling gold leaves on the trees in the foreground complement the blues of the waters and stones while the bright blue sky gives reminiscence of many a fall day spent hiking through the woods on a sunny day.

This painting featured today is part of my Fall Forests show which may viewed now through mid December, 2013 at First Lutheran Church in Duluth, MN.

Colorful Forest Jewels

"Colorful Forest Jewels" 20"w x 16"h

How can you improve upon a subject such as a northern Minnesota maple tree in all it's fall color? Well ... you can't, really. But what you can do is add in elements that complement and or contrast with the vibrant subject matter. Elements such as other warm colored trees and shrubs, and complementary colored stones and waters. This piece featured today is titled Colorful Forest Jewels and features maples at a lakeshore reflecting their crimson red leaves in the water which fills the foreground. There's a sense of space behind the maples as the negative space between the trees is filled with a bright cobalt blue sky. Interest is added with the colorful fall shrubs and stones which divide the foreground and background. What I like most about this piece is, as usual, the background which leaves one wondering 'what's back there?' where does that lead? Asking questions and wondering is often what makes painting so fun, you never quite know how a painting will turn out, and you always wonder what you can accomplish next.

This painting featured today is part of my Fall Forests show which may viewed now through mid December, 2013 at First Lutheran Church in Duluth, MN.

Fall Forest

 

"Fall Forest" Acrylic on 16"w x 20"h canvas

I gave my show the name Fall Forests based on the general theme of the works themselves, and also from today's painting which is titled Fall Forest.  This piece features a river theme, something I've been working on quite a bit as of late. I just love Amity Creek which runs close by my house in Duluth. The creek is full of stones that you can jump across when the creek is low. So this element of the landscape finds it's way into my work, along with the stones scattered about. I've enjoyed working different shades of blue and gray into the stones, adding little bits of light to them so that they have depth. There are also the ever present birches in this piece, along with a distant crimson ridge. Perhaps what I enjoy most about this painting is the space between the trees, and the trees themselves have a nice range of sizes. There's just something about a fall forest.

This painting featured today is part of my Fall Forests show which may viewed now through mid December, 2013 at First Lutheran Church in Duluth, MN.

Birch Forest Blues

"Birch Forest Blues" 10"w x 10"h

This night painting has a very calming effect on me. Life has been a little too fast and the cobalt blue skies and deep foreground shadows make me want to pause and take it all in. This piece is featured on my Daily Paintworks page ... which is an online artist community. I don't frequently post there, I just enjoy the fellowship and will add work every so often so they can get a feel for my style. That's all for now, happy Friday!!
-A

For more information on today's painting, please visit:
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/aaron-kloss/birch-forest-blues/129399

Bluestone Winterland, Blue Ice & Winter Blues

"Bluestone Winterland" 12" x 12"

"Blue Ice" 4" x 4"

"Winter Blues" 4" x 4"

If you love cobalt blues (like me), you'll love today's post which features three new originals currently available at Siiviis Gallery in Duluth, MN. These were painted in a familiar theme of mine, that being birch trees amongst a twilight blue sky and blue stones. I decided to feature them together as they were painted simultaneously. I have a large scale work in mind featuring this theme in the future as I'm drawn to this color and subject matter. It also fits this time of year when the days aren't quite as long, and the forest floor resembles the blue ice that I used to title one of the smaller works. I'm off to work on some new canvases that feature a new theme I've never tried before, but it will be a challenge and will be posted next week. Have a great day! -A

Please contact Siiviis Gallery for more information about these paintings

Golden Reflections

"Golden Reflections" 12"w x 12"h

I just love this theme of reflecting water. Perhaps in comes from my love in symmetry. Compositions are considered more interesting when asymmetrical, but I beg to differ. :) This painting combines many things I'm drawn to, such as deep water, cobalt blue skies, blue stones, golden birch ridges and of course the moon. These are just a few of  my favorite things. :)

This painting is currently available at Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais, MN.