A work in progress

November 'Dees, acrylic on 12"w x 6"h canvas, November 2019

Lately I've been busy preparing for the busy Christmas season ... stocking galleries and shipping out orders from my online store. The image featured here is titled November 'Dees and this painting has four chickadees perched on a birch on a snowy winter day. People sometimes give me a hard time about painting songbirds ... but when you're inspired by the landscape, I can't help but paint these friendly little feathered peeps. We had gusty winds and half a foot of snow today in northern Minnesota, and the chickadees were buzzing around, singing and eating seeds from the feeder. Perhaps they were just having fun ... or hoping I would paint them ... and they're in luck because I just did.

It's been quite a while since I've posted to this blog, as I've been primarily posting updates of my work via Facebook and Instagram. I've included links below if you'd like to follow me on those platforms, I'd appreciate it!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aaronklossart/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aaronklossartwork/

This piece is part of a show I'm having at 47 Degrees Gallery in Knife River, MN this December 2019.

Three Frost Dees

Here's a first of many chickadee paintings titled Three Frost Dees, acrylic on 8x10" canvas. The chickadee is a favorite of mine, residing in Minnesota year round, their familiar call and markings distinguishing them from the flock of songbirds that migrate annually. Long live the chickadee. This piece was recently brought in to Siiviis Gallery in Duluth, MN.

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

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!

Jive Talking

"Jive Talking"  6"w x 6"h

I titled this piece Jive Talking as I thought that's what these two chickadees were doing. What is jive talking anyway? I don't even know ... but the shoe seemed to fit. As far as chickadees go, I haven't seen any recently as I have several starling families living around my house that have taken over the feeders. They can clean out the suet feeder in a day or two. Usually, there's at least a dozen starling chicks at the feeders, and they are full grown now, so I think it's time for them to move on to greener pastures. I'll trade the squawking starlings for songbirds any day. :) Please contact Siiviis Gallery in Duluth, MN for more information on this piece.

Two June 'Dees

"Two June 'Dees" 6"w x 6"h

People have really seemed to connect with my more recent chickadee paintings. The friendly disposition of the chickadee is what I hear the most about, and people really appreciate the markings of the birds as well. They sure are a joy to paint, I find myself watching them more closely at the feeders now, and will be posting several new works along this theme soon. Please contact Siiviis Gallery in Duluth, MN for more information on this piece.

Friendly Little Fellas

"Friendly Little Fellas"  12"w x 4"h

If I was a bird, I'd want to be a chickadee. That's all there is to it. They are just the friendliest little bird ever. This painting is titled Friendly Little Fellas and is available at Siiviis Gallery in Canal Park, Duluth, MN.

Baby Chick 5 & 6

Here's baby chick numbers five and six in the series of small chickadees I posted to my DailyPaintworks web page. I've received quite a bit of feedback on these, people noticing the subtle shades of blues and light browns in the birds and birches. Funny how people notice the little things, sometimes I think people just glance at my paintings, but when they point out some details, I know they're noticing what I'm noticing. I'm noticing I have some work to so so I'm going to get to it .. happy St. Patrick's Day!

Two Birds on Birch

"Two Birds on Birch", 12"w x 4"h, Lizzards Gallery, Duluth, MN

Here is the last of this horizontal format chickadee works titled Two Birds on Birch. I had so much fun with this series that I could just keep painting them ... and I just may! But, alas, I only had three of these canvases ready to paint. I have several 4"wx4"h chickadee paintings from this series as well that I'll be posting in the coming days. On another note, I broke shovel number four yesterday. This winter has been the coldest and snowiest of my mere 39 years in Minnesota. It was a record setting season, and I'm ready for the next one. Yesterday, we had 50 degree temps and I was clearing several inches of ice off the sidewalks when the shovel said one last uff da and joined the stack of cracked shovels in the garage. I guess I'm going to buy shovel number five before the next snowfall forecasted for Wednesday. This time, I'm buying a wood handled steel shovel. We'll see how old man winter likes that. lol.
Please contact Lizzards Gallery in Duluth, MN for more information on this piece.

Three 'Dees

Here is another work in a series of chickadees titled Three 'Dees. I find that when I work in series, it's easy to talk about the first piece, then it gets more difficult to find things to say when you continue on a theme. Today the thought that I've been able to soften my subject matter, the chickadees, to reflect their gentle and playful interactions with each other. The brightness of these works keeps drawing my eye, perhaps a reflection of things to come.
Please contact Lizzards Gallery in Duluth, MN for more information on this piece.

Four In Feathers

 

Featured on this fine day is a fun piece titled Four in Feathers. This piece, which measures a whopping twelve inches wide by four inches high, is part of a new series of small chickadee paintings that I'll be posting here in the coming days. This series is very uniform in color, composition, and brushwork. Working in series gives you a great exercise in consistency as an artist, something I'm constantly working on. The series is also much brighter than recent works which focused on the darkness of the winter season. Perhaps it's the spring like weather we're getting a taste of this week that has prompted the brighter color. I'm not sure, but I did enjoy this series, and I hope you will too.
Please contact Lizzards Gallery in Duluth, MN for more information on this piece.

Winterberry Chickadees

Selection of 4"w x 4"h chickadees at Siiviis Gallery in Duluth, MN

I thought I'd end this year's painting blog posts with a fun selection of chickadee paintings currently available at Siiviis Gallery in Duluth, MN. There are half a dozen or so, and they're all 4"w x 4"h on 1.5" deep profile canvas. Just like the chickadee, the paintings are very crisp and graphic in color. The color pop provided by the bright red berries on the branches of these paintings reflect the fun, colorful and playful personalities of these delightful little birds. Perhaps these birds are stocking up, preparing for the arctic blast that will bring -20 below zero temps and highs below zero to ring in the new year here in Duluth, MN. The birds will be hunkered down just like the people, staying warm and thinking about the warmer spring weather that's sure to arrive soon. Until then, I sit by the heater, hot cup of tea in one hand, paintbrush in the other ...
Please contact Siiviis Gallery for more information on these paintings.

Chick Magnets

"Chick Magnets" 8"w x 8"h, $85

I had a little fun with the title of this piece, Chick Magnets. Chickadees are one of those subjects you'd think would be so easy, yet I find that subjects that should be easy are often difficult. It has to do with capturing the subject correctly, making it feel natural. I like challenges, and that could explain why I enjoy painting birds. Each one is different, having a unique quality that sometimes emerges with the last brush strokes. Fresh snow here in Duluth, MN today, perhaps I'll find time to paint some snowscapes, I'm up for the challenge. Please contact Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais, MN for more information on this painting.

Chickadees!

"Winter Chickadee" 4"w x 4"h

"Strike A Pose" 4" w 4"h

Featured here today are some birds everyone loves, chickadees. These little feathered friends have the most friendliest of songs which goes something like this: chick-a-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee ... You can get away with this if you're a cute little northern Minnesota songbird. I know if I walked around all day singing my name, people might think I'm strange, certainly annoying.

But these little fellas are sure fun to paint, they are the same color and contrast as the birch trees they rest upon, and the color comes from the background. Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais has ten new paintings of chickadees and six cardinals that will be featured on this blog in the coming week, you may also find them online here. Chick-a-dee-dee-dee....

Please contact Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais, MN for more information on these paintings.