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. :)

Light The Night

"Light The Night"

While visiting the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, MN last week, I had the opportunity to get up close and personal with many of my favorite artists from the impressionism and post-impressionism movements. One artist whose work really caught my attention at the gallery was Monet. I had viewed his works many times in books over the years, but while viewing it in person, I noticed things that photos don't reveal. The brushstrokes and color were so fascinating to me, almost as if viewing the work for the first time. One of Monet's habits was to work in series. For example, his haystack paintings, while famous, were to him a lesson in lighting. He painted the same haystack over and over in different lighting throughout the day. For him, it helped him understand color and light, but for his career, it launched him and his life changed. While I'm not one to copy anyone else, I do learn from their habits and working in series for me is great way to explore light, color, technique and subject matter. It takes the pressure off of what to paint, and focuses it on the series and you end up with a body of work that's cohesive and that helps to establish your artistic voice. This piece today titled Light Up The Night features a simple autumn ridge with a dark ultramarine blue sky, but the subject is the moon. It's so large that it's partly concealed by the ridges of crimson and burnt sienna. This is a first for me, and I like the outcome. I envision many works in this theme focusing on light.
For more information on this piece please contact Siiviis Gallery in Duluth, MN

In The Limelight

"In The Limelight" 8"w x 8"h

I loved this little fella so much I just couldn't part with him. :) The soft blue moon surrounding him, along with the deep cobalt sky just brought a smile to my face after the title popped in my head, as it often does right as I'm completing a canvas. I haven't kept a painting in quite some time, this one now hangs in the kitchen, in the limelight.
-A

Sugar Maple Birches and Boston, MA

"Sugar Maple Birches" 36"w x 12"h

I'm back from a trip to Boston where I had the rare opportunity to view artwork in person from some masters whose work I've viewed many times over the years in print. I was amazed at the color and texture of the work, and also of the style in which they painted which still seemed so fresh even after hundreds of years. Van Gogh, Monet, Manet, Picasso, O'Keefe, Warhol, Gauguin, just to name a few. I took some reference photos with my iphone for my own personal memories, yet the photos don't do the work justice. The trip itself was like stepping back in time in many ways, to revisit work which as so inspired me, and to walk the streets and sidewalks of those who lived during the revolutionary war time. Standing at Paul Revere's house, looking up at the steeple of the Old North Church where he hung the two lanterns, taking a Freedom Trail tour with a guide dressed in colonial attire ... all of it made a lasting impression on me and I appreciate the rich history of our nation all the more.

Here's a painting I dropped off at Siiviis Gallery in Duluth last week titled 'Sugar Maple Birches' which features distant maples dressed in their green summer leaves and crisp white birches in the foreground. The sky is a medium cobalt blue. I've been painting but not posting and I've missed the time to pause and reflect on my work, something that perhaps the trip to Boston reminded me of .. slow down and take time to reflect. I've been on quite a fast pace as of late, perhaps I'll post some recent work this week to get caught up on my reflecting time now that I'm back in town. :)

Luscious Autumn Lake

"Luscious Autumn Lake" 10"x 10"

"Blue Night"x 4" x 4"

Today as I'm wrapping up a new series of paintings that feature the sun, moon and stars ... I thought I'd share a couple recent pieces that have similar subject matters, compositions and colors. There's an element of simplicity that runs through my work like an undercurrent in a stream. When I look back at my work, I can see where I'm fascinated by a sky or other element and work hard to get it just right ... to get that depth of color that comes from countless brush strokes of intensifying pigment and color value. In the case of today's painting, I was fascinated by the sky and found satisfaction in the outcome, even though the subject of the piece is the moon reflecting on the lake, along with the rows of brightly colored autumn ridges. It's just a reflection of mine on my work, what attracts my eye and makes me smile to many may be unnoticed, and that's ok as long as they connect with the piece visually. I find worth and accomplishment in the simple things ... and hope to continue that through my work until it achieves the purpose of art ... to convey the message in a way that is clear and singular in purpose, thought, and execution ... and in a way that is completely unique to the artist and comes from within. Simple, right? :)

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

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.