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.

New cardinal paintings at Sivertson Gallery!

Colorful Sky Cardinals No. 1

Now available at Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais, MN is a new series of small landscapes featuring cardinals as the subject. These paintings range in color, composition, scale, and format. A total of seventeen paintings with a whopping 54 total cardinals painting ensure you'll get your fill of bright red! I'll be featuring some of these delightful little pieces here on this blog this week.

The paintings featured today are titled Colorful Sky Cardinals, Bright Night Cardinal, and Singing in Evergreen. To view all my work currently available at the gallery please visit my website. Hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! All my best, Aaron. 

Singing In Evergreen

Bright Night Cardinal

Sunny 'Dee

"Sunny 'Dee"  6"w x 6"h

I couldn't help but think of this painting, titled Sunny 'Dee, today as I was hiking with my family along Knife River north of Duluth. We hiked for a few hours along the river which had some interesting turns and rapids, and had lunch. Along the way, we played in the river a bit, discovered an ancient copper mine from 1863, and had a great time in the woods amongst the pines and birches. The weather was perfect, 75 and sunny, and bright sunshine filtered through the trees as we hiked, just like the golds in the sky of this painting featuring a chickadee on a birch. He's basking in the glow of the sun, and so did I today ... a day I wish would last just a bit longer. Please contact Lizzards Gallery in Duluth for more information on this piece.

Robin Song ... and Future Robins

Robin Song

Future Robins

I've been enjoying the activity of the birds this spring, as we have had an early spring in terms of snow melt, so that the robins have been busy yanking worms out of the ground and singing their pretty songs throughout the day. I was watching a robin hop from branch to branch today, looking for the perfect spot to build her nest. I wonder what goes into the final decision ... especially since there are no leaves on the trees as yet, how do they know where to build? Last year the robin's nest I was watching was raided by blackbirds, perhaps starlings, but not before the robin layed her eggs and spent quite a lot of time keeping them safe and warm. Today's painting features a colorful robin on a colorful background, titled Robin Song ... and I even added a small painting of a nest with three robins eggs titled Future Robins. These paintings are at Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais, MN. 

Spring at Lake Minnetonka

"Spring at Lake Minnetonka" 48"w x 30"h

Today's painting is titled Spring at Lake Minnetonka, 48"w x 30"h. This piece continues my recent series of spring works that feature vibrant blues, greens, golds, and water reflections. Lake Minnetonka is filled with islands and is quite an interesting lake with all it's bays and towns surrounding the lake. I have many childhood memories of this lake, from YMCA summer camp to driving around the lake and swimming, boating, and fishing. My memories of this lake are warm and colorful, and I really wanted this painting to reflect those memories with a bright gold sun in the center of the piece and light reflections off the water and surrounding landscape and foliage. I imagine the maples are leafing out now around the lake, and it won't be long before other children are making summer memories of this lake. Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be. -Whitney Houston. Please contact Your Art's Desire Gallery in Minnetonka for more information on this piece.

Art for Earth Day Gallery Hop & Spring Colors

Spring Colors

It's that time of year again! The Art for Earth Day Gallery Hop is an annual treat where folks can do something I love ... gallery hopping! You can go to a few or all of the galleries listed here and enjoy works of art from many local and regional artists between 11am and 5 pm. My work is on display at Siiviis Gallery in Duluth, and at Lizzards Gallery in Duluth you'll find spring paintings and a fresh batch of small chickadee paintings brought in just yesterday. The image today, titled Spring Colors, is one of many new works at Lizzards Gallery in Duluth .... and you just may bump into me at the gallery hop if you go. I promise not to eat all the treats at each gallery this year. :)

Colors of the Night

"Colors of the Night"  40"w x 16"h

Today is a new nightscape titled Colors of the Night, 40"w x 16"h. I enjoyed saturating the canvas with cobalt and ultramarine blue brushstrokes with this landscape. The gold moon in the center reflects off the water and sky. When you keep the background color dark, the birch trees and foreground rocks really pop. While everyone has been enjoying the northern lights recently, the moon is saying 'hey, don't forget about me!' Who knew the night could be so colorful? Perhaps that's why I love nightscapes, the rich blues and complementary golds are personal favorite colors. 

"Night time is really the best time to work. All the ideas are there to be yours because everyone else is asleep." ~Catherine O'Hara.  

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

The Song of the Season

"The Song of the Season"  36"w x 36"h

This piece, titled The Song of the Season (36"w x 36"h) is one of many new pieces available at Your Art's Desire Gallery in Minnetonka, MN. The gallery is gearing up to celebrate it's tenth anniversary May 2, and I'm thankful to be amongst such great art company at the gallery. This particular painting is about as bright as I've ever painted in terms of the color green. The bright red cardinals complement the color and jump right off the canvas with the reds and greens playing off each other. The rocks and distant evergreen ridges anchor the piece, and provide a deep color punch to highlight the bright background and birch trees. The cardinals steal the show, though, as they always do ... you can never miss a cardinal in their bright red feathers and beautiful song of the season. Please contact Your Art's Desire Gallery in Minnetonka, 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.

Lake of the Woods

"Lake of the Woods" 60"w x 48"h

Featured today is a major work titled Lake of the Woods, 60"w x 48"h. This scale is quite awesome, there's so much to enjoy while working on the painting that there's always an emptiness when the painting is gone from the studio. Also, working in this scale I'm moving the canvas up and down quite a bit. Even at my 6 ft. height, I reach up quite a bit, and paint on my knees too to reach the edges. It's all for a good cause, though, as this piece captures the mood and season I'm longing for ... the warm sunny days of spring where you don't need a jacket and the leaves are popping open. With this piece I also used a deep ultramarine blue for the lake and I'm glad I did as it anchors the composition and gives the contrast for the reflections and sky to really sparkle. Please contact Lizzards Gallery in Duluth, MN for more information on this piece.

Rising Greens

"Rising Greens"  9"w x 12"h, Sivertson Gallery, Grand Marais, MN

Here is a fun painting which continues my spring water reflections theme. This piece uses a bright green ascending from the rocky shoreline up into the blue sky, which also reflects in the water. One thing I like to do with these paintings when they are finished is turn them upside down and view the reflection as the top and the top as the bottom. The distorted water reflections turn into a fun visual of an abstracted landscape. You could stand on your head to view the work in this way, or turn your smartphone around, which would be easier, but less entertaining. :) Please contact Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais, MN for more information on this piece ... and please don't stand on your head.

Changing Seasons art show at Red Mug in Superior

If you're in the area on Tuesday, March 3, 2015, please feel free to stop by the opening reception of my newest art show titled Changing Seasons. The show will be available for viewing during the month of March 2015 at Red Mug Coffee in Superior, WI. The show features over thirty pieces of art for sale. From originals in many sizes to framed prints and giclees, this show is sure to melt away those spring fevers and fill the space with the vibrant blues, greens, and golds of the season.

Changing Seasons

"Changing Seasons" 24"w x 18"h

Featured today is a piece, titled Changing Seasons, from my upcoming solo show at The Red Mug in Superior, WI during March 2015. This piece, like all work in the show, is full of bright spring color. This particular piece is very compelling with it's long foreground shadows, and bright yellows in the sky, distant lake and foreground. Just when you think winter will never end, spring comes, and the seasons change. This show will feature several new mid sized paintings, along with framed prints, and will fill the space with color, and hopefully soon the landscape will be filled with the colors of spring.

This piece is part of my 'Changing Seasons' show which may be viewed during business hours at The Red Mug in Superior, WI.

Spring Lake Shadows

"Spring Lake Shadows"  30"w x 24"h

While I haven't been too active blogging these days, I have been working on some bright new pieces. The winter often compels me to hibernate, but it won't be long before Spring arrives, and that thought inspired this painting titled Spring Lake Shadows. Every year I challenge myself with new subjects, compositions, and colors. My style has been consistent over the years, and I've never felt like departing from my signature singular brush stroke. But I'm working on exciting new adventures in painting, which I'll be sharing here from time to time. In the meantime, enjoy this spring themed northwoods lake which is saturated in greens, golds and blues ... and think warm thoughts. :)
-Aaron