Through the Trees

Acrylic on 36"w x 12"h x 2"d Canvas
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Please email me at aaronklossartwork@gmail.com for purchase information.

I've been working with subjects that are up close recently and I've felt like stepping back to take in the view from a distance. In this painting through the trees you can see the lake with the distant horizon shaded in soft purples. The rocks in the foreground protect the shoreline from rolling waves, but not today as the lake is calm and the trees cast deep shadows on the leaf covered ground.

Twilight Birches

Acrylic on 8"w x 10"h Canvas Panel
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Please email me at aaronklossartwork@gmail.com for purchase information.

With this painting I worked on capturing the lighting at the end of the day when the sky is filled with blues and purples and the trees cast long dark shadows. I also wanted to incorporate more of a uniform ambient light as opposed to a central bright source such as the setting sun. Tomorrow's painting is an expansion on this theme, it's fun to be painting small again .. almost like a breath of fresh air. :)

Autumn Birches Diptych

Acrylic on Two 2'w x 3'h x 1.5"d Canvases
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Please email me at aaronklossartwork@gmail.com for purchase information.

I had a lot of fun painting the negative spaces behind the trees in this diptych. As a whole, the two canvases measure 4'w x 3'h in dimension, so they have quite a presence in the room. The blue sky blends into golden fall foliage in this piece, with the cranberry color putting a solid ground in the bottom of the background. The birch trees have a lot of texture in their white and black areas, which is why this piece took me so long to paint. :) I think it was worth it, these will be featured in my upcoming show at The Vanilla Bean in Two Harbors. Now I'm off to stretch some more canvases!

In Progress

 This is a two part painting that I've been working on titled Autumn Birches Diptych. These progress photos are taken with my computer camera, and due to the size of this piece, I had to take a photo at an angle, so the full painting is not in view. This piece consists of two 2w' x 3'h canvases that will depict a stand of Birch trees with Autumn color behind along with a nice complementary blue sky in the background. What's amazing with this painting is how it has affected my mood as I've been painting. The sky left me feeling restful and reflective, while the yellow energized me and brought a smile to my face. So far the Birch trees have a base coat and I'm working on the background, and I need to add more browns in the bottom of the paintings and I'm also leaning towards incorporating some cranberry in the bottom as well. I'm excited to add the black and white to the Birch trees and feel the 'punch' they will give to the piece. I hope to finish this painting and have it posted this weekend. I may get sidetracked by a rummage sale that we're planning, but I'm on a good path now to have my work completed for my next show early. And in case you're wondering what a diptych is, a diptych is an image depicted in two pieces. A triptych would be three. I think you get the idea. :)

Apple Blossoms

24"w x 24"h x 2"d, Acrylic on Stretched Canvas
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SOLD

Every painting has a story behind it which makes it special and in many cases, memorable. This is the painting I worked on while I was moving to a new house. I've found the many blossoms and leaves in this painting represent everything I had to accomplish during that time. The blossoms featured in this painting are from a Fireside Apple tree, which produced the sweetest apples I've ever tasted. :)
This painting also features many negative spaces in which the blue sky sparkles and dances through as the sky fades from light to dark blue. After you've accomplished a huge task, such as moving, you take time to rest and reflect on what you've managed to achieve. This painting represents the joy of having time to rest.

... But I can't rest too long as I've always thinking on the next painting, and what's currently on my easel is a two-canvas piece featuring fall birches. In total, the piece measures 4'w x 3' tall. I'm excited to be working on a large scale painting, I hope it will sparkle and dance just like the apple blossoms. :)

In Progress

Over the last couple of months most of my time has been spent on packing and unpacking boxes as I've moved and not had too much time for painting. :( Now that we're settling in to our new home, my easel is set up and the brushes are out and fresh canvases are being prepped for painting. This 2' x2' Apple Blossoms painting is in progress and will be finished this week. This photo, taken from my built in camera on my Mac, shows the composition of the work as well as the basecoats. I'm getting close to finishing the flowers, leaves and branches and the majority of the finishing details will be in the background of the painting. (Most artists paint the background first but this painting didn't turn out that way, and I'm excited to see the finished product emerge on the canvas.)

I'm looking forward to getting back in the groove as I have a show coming up in September that I'll be preparing for. I'm thinking the show will focus on seasons and how there is beauty in every season in nature and in our lives. Some people don't deal well with change but I'm dealing better with the change of moving ... now that I have a brush in my hand and a canvas on the easel. :)
Please stop back as new work will be posted weekly. God bless.

Brighten My Day

10"w x 14"h x 2"d, Acrylic on Stretched Canvas
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SOLD

On a cold and rainy day I decided to paint something based on how I wanted to feel, not how I felt at the moment. These three birch trees with bright sunshine yellow leaves emerged on the canvas. The trees are surrounded by a rich blue background that blends to a deep blue on the bottom as the leaves cascade playfully down from the trees. This painting really brightened my day. :)

Fall Wall 3 of 3

10"w x 8"h, Acrylic on Canvas Panel
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Please email me at aaronklossartwork@gmail.com for purchase information.

Last in a three part series, this painting number three features three birch trees on a leafy hill with the historical brick wall behind them. Rainy day here in Duluth, the painting I was working on earlier today features bright yellow leaves on a rich blue background, I'll see if I can get it posted tomorrow, it really brightened my day today. :)

Fall Wall 2 of 3

10"w x 8"h, Acrylic on Canvas Panel
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Please email me at aaronklossartwork@gmail.com for purchase information.

I'm wrapping up some fall forest paintings and I'm thinking I'll branch out (no pun intended .. ok, maybe intended) to something more spring themed. Not sure just what yet, but I'll be sure to upload some new paintings as soon as I do! Beautiful sunny day in Duluth today, makes me want to paint outside, after I take the kiddos to the park. :)

Fall Wall 1 of 3

10"w x 8"h, Acrylic on Canvas Panel
Click on image above to enlarge.
Please email me at aaronklossartwork@gmail.com for purchase information.

After a brief break I'm back to painting. I chuckle as I write this because I took a break from painting to paint my house. I've been painting quite a bit, just not on canvas but on walls and wood. But I'll gladly trade a roller for a small paintbrush any day of the week. It's good to be back. Stop back soon for more images as I continue this 'Fall Wall' series of works focusing on historic Duluth bridges and landmarks.

Autumn Glory

12"w x 12"h, Acrylic on Stretched Canvas
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Please email me at aaronklossartwork@gmail.com for purchase information.

Here's another painting in the Fall Walls series. This piece is backlit similar to 'Beautiful Autumn' which I posted last week. I'm really enjoying how the light appears to shine through the iron rail at the top of the bridge. The three pine trees and rock walls have been a theme of mine for a while now, there just seems to be no shortage of ideas for subjects to paint when you're surroundings are so captivating. My next paintings are a triptych featuring fall birches, they should be finished in a few days. :)

Brown-leafed Birches

12"w x 12"h x 2"d, Acrylic on Canvas
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Please email me at aaronklossartwork@gmail.com for purchase information.

This painting is more of a fun color exercise. I forced myself to use a limited palette of blues and browns which complement the bridge wall stones. The Birches hold on to their last leaves while casting a shadow on the ground .. probably trying unsuccessfully to hide all the leaves they've already littered all over the ground. :)

Beautiful Autumn

12"w x 12"h, Acrylic on Stretched Canvas, Reserved
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NFS

I've been planning on painting a series of Duluth bridges. The old bridges feature colorful stones with interesting shapes and concrete mortar. Many of them have black railings and lightposts as well. I'm drawn to the patterns in the stones of the bridges, and the landscapes surrounding them ... Forests filled with colorful Birch and Evergreens ... Rugged terrain filled with many rock outcroppings and steep grades. I was discussing my bridge ideas with my daughter Autumn and I asked her what she thought. She said that I should paint the bridges in the Autumn with the colorful leaves. (Whenever you have creative block, just ask a kid what to do, they're full of good ideas)

So this is my first of many bridge paintings.
This one's for you, beautiful Autumn. :)

From The Top

8"w x 10"h, Graphite on Archival Paper
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Please email me at aaronklossartwork@gmail.com for purchase information.

'Intermission drawing' number three. This rose was in a vase and I drew it looking down at the vase, hence the title. I like adding in the rosebuds in the background as they help create visual interest in the composition, and also assure the viewer of more beautiful roses to come in the future. The Rose Garden in Duluth features many varieties of roses, and you often find the roses in various stages as you walk through the garden. It will be a few months until the garden is in full bloom, until then I get to draw these roses that are arranged in a vase. :)

Petaling

8"w x 10"h, Graphite on Archival Paper
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Please email me at aaronklossartwork@gmail.com for purchase information.

'Intermission drawing' number two. These drawings are an excellent way to bridge the gap between my paintings. When you work in a series of paintings, you often work on several at a time, which means you complete them more in groups. It isn't that I'm not painting, I'm just stopping to catch my breath .. and smell the roses. :)

Four Roses

8"w x 10"h, Graphite on Archival Paper
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Please email me at aaronklossartwork@gmail.com for purchase information.

This is an 'intermission' drawing. I'll post a few more of these drawings this week while I'm stretching canvas and preparing my next series of paintings. Drawing always brings me back to my roots, back to the whole reason I've been an artist my whole life. I love to draw, it's something I can do without even thinking, just get lost in the process of line and shading. Check back to the blog often, more art coming soon. :)