Divas

"Divas", 6"w x 6"h, $65, Sivertson Gallery, Grand Marais, MN

Here's a fun little painting of a couple female cardinals ... er divas ... perched on birches. I enjoyed the four layers of deep ultramarine ridges in the distance. Might want to keep your distance from these divas though ...
In case you're wondering what a diva is, as my 3rd grader is asking as I type this, here's what Websters has to say:

di·va - noun \ˈdē-və\ 

: the main female singer in an opera company : a famous and successful woman who is very attractive and fashionable; especially : an attractive and successful female performer or celebrity

Please contact Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais, MN for more information on this painting.

Solitaire

"Solitaire" 8"w x 10"h, Sivertson Gallery, Grand Marais, MN

I've been quiet as of late on my painting diary ... must be the weather. I've been painting, just not feeling too inspired. This is normal for me, the sub zero weather zeroes out my energy and I feel like I'm going through the motions. But I'm keeping the brush going, painting cardinals which always cheer me up, and other landscapes as well. This piece is titled Solitaire and features a single female cardinal framed by birch trees and a single distant pine ridge anchoring the piece with rich greens. The sky is a fun lime green, all to complement the cardinal's red accent feathers. Here's to warmer weather. -Aaron
Please contact Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais, MN for more information on this piece.

Winter Forest Cardinals

"Winter Forest Cardinals" 30"w x 24"h, $600, Duluth Art Institute

Here is my painting for the Duluth Art Institute's Annual Membership show. This piece is titled Winter Forest Cardinals and features six bright red cardinals perched on birches at a lake. The snow covered shoreline has large bluestone boulders scattered across it's icy blue and white speckled surface. There are several underbrush visible in the foreground and background, and I have fun playing with the color value of the cobalt and ultramarine blues to give the depth I was after. The moon is offset to the left and sparkles across the lake which is rich in deep blue color. The moon radiates across the sky with gradually intensifying color value and is the focal point of the piece. There is also a subtle distant ridge if you look at the sky closely. This landscape is reminiscent of the endless subzero weather we've had  here that's been giving all of us cabin fever. Winter's icy grip won't last however, and soon spring will arrive and old man winter will have to move north. I'm already anxiously awaiting the spring trout run in Amity Creek and Lester River, can't wait to teach my kids how to fly fish ... and since we're stuck inside a couple more months ... how to paint. :)

Ladies' Night Out

"Ladies' Night Out" 72"w x 36"h, Sivertson Gallery, Grand Marais, MN

Since I was working on painting a new bird recently, the female cardinal, I thought it would be fitting to work them into a large scale piece. I've been enjoying night paintings lately, and so the two subjects were combined in this painting titled Ladies' Night Out. This painting was on the easel for quite some time, as I was not only working out the composition, but due to the sheer size of canvas, it just took thousands of brush strokes. This piece features birches with a blue undertone to go with the night lighting, and the foreground is also well lit, as obviously in a true night landscape you wouldn't be able to see the birds very well. But these ladies are all dressed up and up to no good, no doubt. They are probably talking about those silly bright red male cardinals, or they're just enjoying the moon sparkling in the sky and shimmering on the lake. There are some other subtle elements in the distance as well ... blue spruce rise above a rocky shoreline on a quiet lake somewhere north of here ... well, maybe not too quiet, with all these ladies perched amongst the birches ... ;)

Please contact Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais, MN for more information on this painting.