A Little Slice of Heaven

"A Little Slice of Heaven" 8"w x 24"h

 

What can I say about this piece? It was so easy to paint, the composition and color just appearing effortlessly on the canvas, making me wish the painting continued on. Some paintings are quite a struggle, as any artist would know, but this piece was just meant to be I guess. The summer greens with the sun shining off the lake amongst a bright cobalt blue sky and lush birches. With the heat and humidity we've had here, maybe I'll just go jump into this lake, a little refreshing swim in a secluded lake ... a little slice of heaven.
Please contact Siiviis Gallery here in summery Duluth, MN for more information on this piece.

A Far Off Forest

"A Far Off Forest" 24"w x 8"h

Here is an interesting piece titled A Far Off Forest which features birch trees with a distant gold ridge and background. What makes this painting interesting is the glazing of the cadmium gold paint in the background which really gives the piece depth. Another important element that I work to incorporate into my work can be best described by me as simplicity. With art, you often find people trying to put artists into boxes called 'realism', 'impressionism', 'abstraction' etc. With me, the box people try to put me in is 'pointillism'. I don't see my work as pointillism, though, as I paint with brush strokes, not points of color as pointillists have done. 'Minimalism' is another ism that I shy away from, as I'm trying to speak my mind visually as clearly as possible, not just take things out of my work to be more minimal. All this to say I'd rather not have to live in a box as it has to be dark and stuffy. I'd rather enjoy the journey of expressing myself on canvas with paint and blaze my own trail ... not to be stuck in an ism box. Perhaps I'd like to walk in a far off forest, with rich golden distant ridges providing sparks of light...
Please contact Siiviis Gallery here in summery Duluth, MN for more information on this piece.

Ahhhhh ... Summer

"Ahhhh Summer"  36"w x 24"h Siiviis Gallery, Duluth, MN

The title of this piece, Ahhhhh Summer, describes this piece much better than I can with a paragraph. It's that time of year where people wish the days would never end, days filled with beautiful weather and memories of outdoor adventures with family and friends. This is also the time of year you'll often hear the question asked 'why can't every day be like this?' ... I wish I could answer that one, but here in northern Minnesota where you have literally a few weeks of hot sunny weather in any given year, you have to take advantage of the summer weather and get outdoors to soak up that vitamin D from the sun and enjoy the season for all it has to offer. Ahhhh summer ... why can't every day be like this?
Please contact Siiviis Gallery here in summery Duluth, MN for more information on this piece.

Summer 'Dee No. 2

"Summer 'Dee No. 2" 6"w x 6"h

Here is the companion piece to yesterday's titled Summer 'Dee No. 2. Just like bookends, these paintings are almost meant to be displayed together. We'll see if someone in Grand Marais agrees, or if these cute little chickadees find separate homes. The chickadees sure like my new thistle feeder in back, and I've moved the suet feeders away as the noisy starlings take over the block whenever they're eating. Nature's pecking order, I guess. This painting is available at Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais, MN, please contact the gallery for more information.

Summer 'Dee No. 1

"Summer 'Dee No. 1"

Just a happy little chickadee, this is part one and I'll post part two tomorrow. The late start to summer has influenced my work as I titled this one Summer Dee No. 1 and there are no leaves on the birch tree. That has changed now though, as things are growing here in Duluth, and hopefully the lettuce plants and apple tree bears fruit for us, provided we keep up the nice warm sunny weather. This painting is available at Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais, MN, please contact the gallery for more information.

Cadmium Moon Cardinal

"Cadmium Moon Cardinal"  8"w x 8"h

"In The Limelight"

Here is a piece inspired by a previous painting of mine titled In The Limelight. With today's painting, the cardinal is in front of a golden moon, and the moon radiates through the cobalt blue sky, while the cardinal perched on a birch basks in the warm glow. I love to work in series, and it's quite unusual for me to pick up on an older theme or concept, but maybe it's because I felt I hadn't finished the conversation started with the first piece. At any rate, this painting is available at Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais, MN, please contact the gallery for more information.

Hope Springs Eternal

"Hope Springs Eternal" 24"w x 36"h

This night painting of Split Rock Lighthouse, titled Hope Springs Eternal is a donation to ARTcetera, which is an auction to benefit the Miller Dwan Foundation and medical concerns in our region. The event is held at the Duluth DECC's Harbor Side Convention Center and Ballroom on September 27 and features a live auction, dinner, live music, dancing ... all that good stuff. This piece is more of an autumn themed work with the sparkling golds of the vegetation on the left side of the painting. The lighthouse is perched on the cliff ever observing the great lake Superior while the moon overshadows the entire composition, casting it's golden light across the skies and waters and wrapping the stones of the cliff in its warm embrace. This painting was actually inspired during the deepest part of this past winter where we had record cold and snow, and while I gazed across the frozen tundra and saw the emptiness of the cold, snow and barren trees ... I thought of this painting, filled with golden light and life and color. And when ARTcetera contacted me for a donation, I couldn't think of a better painting to help the medical community to help those who are hurting. Winter .. and life in general, can have it's coldness and darkness .. but hope springs eternal.