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.

Standing Tall

"Standing Tall" 4"w x 12"h

The third in a series of small vertical pine compositions featuring rocks and water. What gives me satisfaction with this series is how they each have such a life of their own, yet make a strong group when viewed together. This painting titled Standing Tall is the lightest and brightest of the three, the bright sky offsetting the pines and rocks of the foreground. As I work, I notice I get into grooves where the paintings flow naturally and are very cohesive. But at the same time, I notice when that happens I look for new tributaries to follow, looking for that little spark in the painting that signals a new direction. There is a little spark of sorts with these three pine paintings, and I'm excited for the challenge and new direction they may spark in my work. Please contact Riverwood Gallery in Eau Claire, WI for more information on today's piece.

Summer Green Pines

"Summer Green Pines" 4"w x 12"h

I must admit that the winter snow is pretty. The blue shadows cast by the trees along with the warm color of sunshine on the snow compliment the cool grays of the skies. Today the snow is softly falling due to a warm front rolling through bringing us a few days of reprieve from the last couple weeks of subzero weather. In a couple days, the subzero returns for the near future, and that has me thinking and dreaming about summer weather. Today's painting titled Summer Green Pines will help with the winter blahs. We're approaching the winter solstice next week which will mark the shortest day of the year. After that, we gain daylight every day until spring melts away the bitter sting of old man winter and the warm colorful carefree days of summer begin again. Please contact Riverwood Gallery in Eau Claire, WI for more information on today's piece.

White Pine River

"White Pine River", 4"w x 12"h

Instead of complaining about how cold the weather is here in Duluth this past week, I thought I'd post a summer painting of white pines along a lazy flowing river somewhere north of here. As I paint, there are works that have a natural satisfaction to them as I complete them, and there are works in progress as I like to call them, works that don't feel right. This was one of those in progress pieces, titled White Pine River, one that I wasn't sure was going to ever take off. I struggled with the sky, as you view the top of the piece, you'll see a deep cobalt sky, and it was just too dark for me. At one point, I wanted to start over, the whole piece was just too dark, but I took it as an opportunity to just load the paint on the canvas and see what happens. When it was all said and done, this piece was my favorite of the three in this series that I'll be posting here in the next couple of days. Because I started dark in color and added several layers, I achieved a depth of texture in this piece that may actually influence my work going forward. It's that time of year that I reflect on what I've accomplished in the past year, and going forward into a new year, there just may be some depth of color and texture that will give my work the visual punch I so often desire. Now, if only I could walk along this white pine river for a while, in the summer heat, listening to the water splash and tumble along the rocks, listening to the wind rustle through the pine needles ... please contact Riverwood Gallery in Eau Claire, WI for more information on today's piece.

Orange Forest Maples

"Orange Forest Maples" 18"w x 18"h

Yet another piece from my Fall Forests show, this one is titled Orange Forest Maples. The maple trees around northern Minnesota have the most interesting colored leaves in the Autumn season. You'll have bright yellow, gold, orange, red, brown, and every color in between right next to each other. Sometimes I wonder if the trees are trying to out color the one next to it. :) The maple tree in my back yard finally decided summer was over this week and turned bright yellow ... dropping it's leaves at the same time. It is the first week of November after all lol. Well, the painting featured here today is a playful take on maples at a river, with the stones in the water sparkling more subtly than some others in this series. There are distant colorful ridges, but the subject is the river, and the stones have been quite a challenge for me. I've been adding little amounts of blues to each, giving each stone a look and feel of it's own. I'll continue to explore this theme until I feel like I've captured what I'm endeavoring to say visually. One thing's for sure ... the maples in this piece want you to notice their orange leaves.

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.

Pine River

"Pine River" 18"wx18"h, Sivertson Gallery, Grand Marais, MN

I titled this painting Pine River after it was complete due to the distant pine ridge in the background. The title is a bit ironic as I had some fancy birch river type of title in my head as I was working, yet the background becomes the subject and title as it so often happens in my work. The rocks in the piece have some variation of color hue, size and shape, and the river sparkles in ultramarine blue tones. The light source is a bit on the subtle side, with the evergreen shadows on the different parts of the riverbank give a glimpse of distant ambient light. My work has been becoming more intricate as of late as well, something new for me ... but I enjoy the challenge of new subjects and styles. But running thoughout this piece and others of mine as well is the concept of minimalism. How do I paint this subject as simply and clearly as possible? That's a question I often ask myself as I work. I endeavor to answer that question with a singular brush and limited color palette. Please contact Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais, MN for more information on this piece.

Sparkling Rocks

"Sparkling Rocks" 24"w x 24"h

Today's painting titled Sparkling Rocks, along with yesterday's titled Autumn River, both feature a subtle change I've noticed in my newer work. I'm focusing more on capturing the dappled light that filters it's way through the trees in many shades of color. The rocks in the paintings also have a lot of thought and pondering put into them as I've worked on them. The subject of many of landscapes has always been the trees and skies ... yet in these pieces the subject is clearly the foreground waters and rocks. It was quite a struggle to work on these paintings initially, then it was a joy at the end, and I found myself sad to see them go, almost like saying goodbye to a friend and finishing a good book. I know there are more chapters to write though, more thoughts and words to be shared in the coming future as I explore this theme more in depth. You can't judge a book by it's cover, yet I like what I see so far, and I hope my collectors do as well. :)

Please contact Lizzards Gallery in Duluth, MN for more information on this piece.

Autumn River

That colorful season called Autumn is just around the corner as the record heat we've had here in Northern Minnesota gradually subsides this week. The cool weather, bright blue skies and warm color of changing leaves inspired this piece which is available at Lizzards Gallery in Duluth, MN. The rocks in the river are an assortment of cobalt blues and warm grays that I've been wanting to experiment with for some time. My many hikes along Amity Creek by my house have given me some fresh ideas and I can't wait to work them onto the canvas. I have one more new piece with these types of rocks that I'll post tomorrow. In any landscape painting, there is a subject. Sometimes the artist places the subject intentionally, such as a bird or deer, but in this case, the subject rocked. :)