Through the Summer Birches and Four in Blue

"Through The Summer Birches" 12"w x 12"h

"Four in Blue" 4"w x 4"h

Here's a couple of birchscapes on a rainy June day. Fun to revisit these after dropping them off at the gallery. Every once and while I seem to hit the perfect shade of cobalt blue with the blend from light to dark that I'm always seeking after. There are two layers of greens in the piece titled Through the Summer Birches. The landscape is so lush around here with all the rainfall, I could have put in several more layers just to be more realistic lol. But there's an element of minimalism in my work that always years to capture the true essence of the image. My life and my artwork is a work in progress. So far, so good. :)

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

Summer Moon

"Summer Moon"

"Summer Sonata"

Adding a quick post this Friday afternoon of some new cardinals available at Siiviis Gallery in Duluth, MN. Have a great weekend! -A

Mossy Birchland

"Mossy Birchland", 16"w x 20"h

Today's piece features a new element for me ... moss. I've tried to capture the color of mossy rocks before, but with this new work I was influenced by the moss growing on birch trees around my home. I took some reference photos and put some thought into what may look best. I enjoyed the greens on the birch trees, and pictured a landscape where the trees, rocks, and forest floor all echoed the greens in the black areas of the birch trees. What this painting has done has opened up a wide range of new ideas and the tough part is picking which to paint! I'll be sharing more down the road, but for today, this painting makes me smile, looking forward to what another day will bring. All my best, Aaron

Fine Pines

"Fine Pines" 8"w x 8"h

Today's piece is part of a collection of eight new landscapes that will be available at Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais, MN in the next few days. This piece was inspired by a summer sky that was so blue it was just too beautiful and I had to paint it ... the white pines and rocks are a familiar sight in this part of the world. The lake is a deep ultramarine blue, reflecting the sky ... and there's the wonderful greens in the distance and foreground ... this time of year, the trees are still leafing out and the leaves are a wonderful collection of bright greens. -A

Gold Waters

"Gold Waters" 12"w x 12"h

This was painted along with a lot of input from my kids. They just loved the concept of a distant stand of trees at the lake. The rocks and birch trees are a familiar theme for my kids as they frequently accompany me during my little wilderness hikes around our home in Duluth, MN. My oldest was especially fond of the gold reflections in the water and commented on the trees reflecting on the water reminding her of grandpa & grandma's cabin on lake Kego. The rocks in this painting are a signature element for our little region of the world, and my kids frequently jump across them at the lake shore while mom anxiously tells them to be careful. As far as my take on this piece, it gives me a smile, I just love the shades of blue and the gold playing off each other, along with the different sizes of the birch trees ... this piece makes me feel like a kid again, jumping across the rocks without a care in the world. -A

Spring Sky and the arrival of summer ...

"Spring Sky" 16"w x 20"h

After endless weeks of cold and rain, it appears that summer will finally arrive this week here in the northland. Temps are forecasted to be in the 70's with sunny skies, which is a tropical heat wave for us who live here lol. I thought this piece titled Spring Sky would be a nice transition from spring to summer. The birches and distant ridges have lightly colored green leaves which are a sure sign that the leafing out process is well underway. The foreground has many shades of green as the undergrowth makes it's way through last year's autumn leaves and will soon cover the forest floor in thick lush greenery that is sometimes impossible to walk through. All this and a sparkling blue sky.
As far as this week, new work will be posted here and sent on out to the galleries and hopefully we'll be finding more people around town with a smile on their face now that summer has arrived. -A