Golden Glow on the Lake, and A View To Remember

Today's post is a two for one special. These two pieces were painted for a collector as a gift to family members. These two paintings depict a sunrise and a sunset over lake Superior with the cabin deck in the foreground. While the reference photos had the cabin and deck silhouetted against the bright sky, I added in some color and detail so that the pieces would be brighter, happier, and also work well if displayed together.

These two 20x16 acrylics on canvas are NFS, but I'm always available for commissions, feel free to contact me for a free quote via email. All my best, Aaron

October Morning

"October Morning"

You just can't beat a lake Superior sunrise. Endless skies and waters ignited by the rising sun sparkling across the lake with thousands of dots of bright yellows. That's the inspiration behind this new 20"w x 16"h acrylic on canvas titled October Morning. This piece was just brought in to Amity Coffee, where I've had an ongoing art show for the past year. Please stop by Amity for some great coffee .. and art too, what a sweet deal! :)

Lake Superior Sunrise

"Lake Superior Sunrise" 36"w x 24"h

Featured today is a piece titled Lake Superior Sunrise which is 36"w x 24"h. The titled reflects the painting which reflects on a sunrise reflecting off Lake Superior. As I've been reflecting on this piece, I've been really enjoying the sun speckled skies that have found their way into my work, and when these paintings are finished I find myself wondering how they came to be. Really, it's just the process of adding paint to the canvas, layering color until the painting feels finished. A lake Superior sunrise just has to be experienced ... the rich blues, the golden sun, the waves crashing on the stones ... ahhhhhh .... reflect on that for a while. Please contact Your Art's Desire Gallery in Minnetonka, MN for more information on this piece.

Sunrise Birches

"Sunrise Birches", 24"w x 30"h

Wow, it's been a while since I posted a painting! I've been working hard, just not doing a good job of posting work here. There's a reason for that ... I've been working out of a space that doesn't have internet, funny how integral my website and blog have been to me in terms of chronicling my work and helping me keep track of things. I've been working on a body of work for an art exhibition coming soon ... more on that next week.

For now, here's a painting I'm submitting for Artistic Duluth which is a fine art auction benefiting the Duluth Art Institute. This piece titled Sunrise Birches features a bright sunrise rising through a brightening cobalt blue sky. The birches are in their golden autumn glow and the sun reflects off the distant golden ridges. The foreground also sparkles with the golds and the birches cast long shadows across the burnt sienna landscape.

Back to the Duluth Art Institute ... my family takes advantage of the free art instructional days the DAI provides once a month. It's a joy to watch my kids express themselves in clay, sculpture, color and texture. So it's a good feeling to support the DAI with this piece which will be on auction at the event. More information here. I promise to put down the paintbrush and blog more often .. so much to do .. so little time! -A

Golden Summer Sun

"Golden Summer Sun" 8"w x 8"h

"Sunrise" 4"w x 4"h

The days lately have been warm and sunny here in Duluth, MN. The sun is definately packing a punch this time of year, and the heat sometimes gets to me especially towards the end of the day. The sun rises and sets ... and is so frequently forgotten or overlooked in landscapes. As an artist, I find myself trying to always find a new composition, the latest subject matter, or a way to paint something completely new and creative. Yet it's often the simple things that speak so profoundly to people. Like the sun in the sky simply shining in it's strength, today's paintings are simple and bright. Perhaps it's the contrasting color that draws me to this subject matter, or the shape of the sun along with my simple brushstrokes that complement eachother. Whatever it is, I'm enjoying this subject thoroughly, and currently have several new canvases on the easel which feature the moon as well. We'll just see where it all leads ...

Please contact Siiviis Gallery in Duluth, MN for more information on these pieces.

Sparkling Birches

"Sparkling Birches" 16"w x 20"h

I stopped in at Blue Lake Gallery the other day and one of the staff mentioned that I'm known as the 'birch tree guy'. When I heard that, two things came to mind ... one good, one not so good. On the good side, you want people to easily recognize your work as an artist. The last thing you want people to have to do is try to figure out who's painting they are looking at. On the not so good side of things, I don't want to limit my artistic vocabulary too much. So there's the balance of wanting to show off all my creativity, yet reigning it in so that my work is cohesive.

Ultimately, I want to paint what I'm passionate about. I love birch trees ... and blue stones ... and blue skies ... and intense color ... and square brush strokes. Did I mention birch trees?

Please contact Blue Lake Gallery in Duluth, MN for more information about this piece.

All That Glitters

Acrylic on 12"w x 15"h x 1.5"d canvas
Click on image above to enlarge.
SOLD


These Birch trees were one of those images I had in mind to paint and finally just got around to painting it. I envisioned featuring several Birch trees with golden leaves, and the bright blue sky showing through the leaves. I used many shades of gold for the leaves, painting in several transparencies, getting the depth I was looking for. The dark gold of the distant tree ridge and gold-leafed foreground anchor the piece, while the sun rises in the sky with it's bright yellows, not to be outdone by the birch trees. I  have a stack of paintings I need to get uploaded to the blog and website, I'll keep posting 'til I have them all finished. Remember all that glitters isn't gold ... unless it's a Birch tree leaf. :)