A work in progress

November 'Dees, acrylic on 12"w x 6"h canvas, November 2019

Lately I've been busy preparing for the busy Christmas season ... stocking galleries and shipping out orders from my online store. The image featured here is titled November 'Dees and this painting has four chickadees perched on a birch on a snowy winter day. People sometimes give me a hard time about painting songbirds ... but when you're inspired by the landscape, I can't help but paint these friendly little feathered peeps. We had gusty winds and half a foot of snow today in northern Minnesota, and the chickadees were buzzing around, singing and eating seeds from the feeder. Perhaps they were just having fun ... or hoping I would paint them ... and they're in luck because I just did.

It's been quite a while since I've posted to this blog, as I've been primarily posting updates of my work via Facebook and Instagram. I've included links below if you'd like to follow me on those platforms, I'd appreciate it!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aaronklossart/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aaronklossartwork/

This piece is part of a show I'm having at 47 Degrees Gallery in Knife River, MN this December 2019.

Ice Crystals

Just a cool blue winter landscape painting for you today. This one features the moon radiating across the sky and sparkling off the distant ridge. The piece is anchored by rich cobalt blue, my favorite color, and is typical of the landscape around lake Superior with the stones and birch. This piece is titled Ice Crystals, and is 12"w x 6"h, currently available at Siiviis Gallery in Duluth.

Many other painting options are always being added to my website: http://www.aaronkloss.com
Feel free to contact me for more information ... and I'm also available for commissions if you'd like a special size or subject. 

Where The Moon Dances on the Water - commissioned painting

"Where The Moon Dances on the Water"  60"w x 48"h, Jan. 2016

"We've Been Old Friends All Through
The Years," Feb. 2014

What a joy it is to share a new painting today titled Where The Moon Dances on the Water which is 60"w x 48"h, acrylic on canvas. This piece was commissioned for a special place in a new home being built in the area. The clients looked at several options and decided on a piece was inspired by a canvas I had painting a couple years ago titled We've Been Old Friends All Through The Years. That painting found a home north of Grand Marais, MN, and it's fun to know that this painting will light up a new home with the warmth of a glowing moon and autumn birches at a lake. One additional challenge with this painting was that the clients desired copper colors in the piece. I tried copper colored metallic paint, and to be honest, the copper paint clashed with the golds I wanted to add in and I took a different approach. What I did was take several copper objects and view them by night to see what kind of tonal range the copper had, and used those rich dark copper colors to as a base to build upon. So the underbrush, the distant and foreground birches all have a rich rust color, with the bright coppers painted over that, with the golds increasing in brightness adding the icing on the cake ... or the sparkle on the lake. Have a wonderful weekend!
All my best, — A.Kloss

P.S. Prints of this and hundreds of my paintings are available, as well as special ordered originals to meet space and color choices, please email me if you'd like more information.

Between The Trees

"Between The Trees"  20"w x 16"h

Today's painting titled Between The Trees is a new 20"w x 16"h acrylic on canvas. The title of this painting reflects one of my earliest endeavors in painting which was to concentrate on the negative spaces of a painting ... such as the spaces between the trees in this piece which is a colorful summer birch lakescape with lush greens, blues, and sunset golds.

Artists are taught in school to paint the background first, and make the background look and feel as though it doesn't compete with the foreground or subject matter. So the background is an afterthought to whatever the subject of the painting is, and this approach never caught on with me when I was in art school. To me, every aspect of the painting is important, and the background and negative spaces of a painting can sometimes even be the subject of a painting. How you say something is just as important, if not more important, that what you say. That needs to get into the minds of art instructors. Perhaps this world would be a better place ...

But I'll stop before I get too carried away on the way art should be to me. For now, I'll enjoy this quiet summer morning, and as I view the landscape, I'll remember who I am and what I'm saying as an artist ... and take time to appreciate the space between the trees. Please contact Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais for more information on this piece.

Aurora On The Lake

"Aurora On The Lake"  20"w x 16"h, Sivertson Gallery

Today's painting, titled Aurora On The Lake, is 20"w x 16"h, acrylic on canvas, and available at Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais, MN. Wow, there was a lot of commas in that last sentence. Anyways, this painting is a playful take on the aurora borealis, otherwise known as the northern lights that are frequently visible here in northern Minnesota. In this piece, the distant rocky shoreline breaks the plane of the sky and water, causing a mirror image of bright green against a ultramarine night sky which is framed by the birches and rocks in the foreground. Who knew the night could be so colorful and full of life? What an amazing subject to paint, the aurora. Please contact Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais for more information on this piece.

Frosty Morning Cardinals

"Frosty Morning Cardinals"  12"w x 4"h

The weather has been unusually cold here in Duluth, MN as of late, with some early morning frost warnings and highs in the 50's. But that doesn't seem to phase the cardinals in today's painting which features ten tiny cardinals on birch with a rich evergreen treeline in the distance, and an icy cold pale green spring sky lighting up the sky. The birds have been active around my house in spite of the weather, I need to follow their example and think about getting lots of work done! But then there's the comfortable chair next to the warm hearth, a hot cup of coffee and warm blanket that pulls me like a magnet. :) Yet it's off to the easel I go ....

Sweet Spring Songs

"Sweet Spring Songs"

The title of this piece, Sweet Spring Songs, is descriptive of the sound of the cardinal, while the color and composition of these tiny cardinals on birch with an evergreen background is pretty sweet. This piece can be found at Red Mug Coffeehouse in Superior, WI in May, 2015

Nesting Instinct

"Nesting Instinct"

​As I was watching a robin build her nest this morning, in the same place as last year, I thought about different birds and the variation of nests they build. How do they know what to build, where to build it, what to do with it ... how to guard it? Instinct is an interesting word ... I think someone thought up the word 'instinct' to answer all of these questions. Only the good Lord knows how these creatures do what they do, but I sure enjoy observing them. That's why they make their way onto my canvases. Today's painting features a rich background of blues, teals and golds .. and of course, a chickadee. How did I decide what to paint again? Was it instinct? ;) This painting is available at DailyPaintworks.

Robin Song ... and Future Robins

Robin Song

Future Robins

I've been enjoying the activity of the birds this spring, as we have had an early spring in terms of snow melt, so that the robins have been busy yanking worms out of the ground and singing their pretty songs throughout the day. I was watching a robin hop from branch to branch today, looking for the perfect spot to build her nest. I wonder what goes into the final decision ... especially since there are no leaves on the trees as yet, how do they know where to build? Last year the robin's nest I was watching was raided by blackbirds, perhaps starlings, but not before the robin layed her eggs and spent quite a lot of time keeping them safe and warm. Today's painting features a colorful robin on a colorful background, titled Robin Song ... and I even added a small painting of a nest with three robins eggs titled Future Robins. These paintings are at Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais, MN. 

The Song of Spring

Today's painting is titled The Song of Spring and features a bright red male cardinal amongst the greens of spring birches and bright blue skies. On my morning walk I heard a mourning dove, starling, goldfinch, crow, and robin. I also watched a pigeon in the yard whom I think has taken up residence in my roofline somewhere, and doesn't appear to have an inclination on paying rent. Haven't seen a cardinal yet, though. I have the feeder stocked with safflower seeds, suet, and thistle for the finches and chickadees. You can't always see the birds, but you sure can hear them in the morning. In stark contrast to the violence, upheaval and uncertainty in the world there's one thing that's guaranteed to bring a smile to your face .. it's the song of spring. Please contact Your Art's Desire Gallery in Minnetonka, MN for more information on this piece.

Pinterest!

"Moonlight Chickadee" 6"w x 6"h

Lately I've noticed a few of my pieces tagged on Pinterest, which is described by the website as  'a visual discovery tool that you can use to find ideas for all your projects and interests.' I've started a Pinterest page, aaronklossart, which can be found here. I've started pinning a few recent works, and found some older works that others had pinned previously. Very interesting concept this Pinterest, it's almost like an interior designer art board, where you have samples of colors and fabrics, etc. for a specific theme or space. I can see why people spend so much time on such an interesting site. We'll see where it goes, but for now, feel free to pin my paintings to pinterest ... I've even added an easy pin to each image on my blog if you hover over the image to pin it. I noticed it doesn't always work in the mobile version of my blog, you may have to switch to the desktop or standard view if you're on a smartphone. My profile picture on Pinterest is this new little gem, titled Moonlight Chickadee, which is 6"w x 6"h, and featured on dailypaintworks.com Happy pinning! -Aaron

Glowing Birches

"Glowing Birches"  6"w x 6"h

Glowing Birches is a new 6"w x 6"h landscape featuring .... well, glowing birches, of course. The moon in the center is shining and sparkling off the birches and waters. While I've used my favorite color in this piece, cobalt blue, I've also used something that you'll be reading a lot about on this blog if you're a regular reader. That something is my goal for this year, which is to accentuate my singular brush stroke by using color. To say it another way, I'm intentionally leaving the black canvas ground that I paint on exposed around my brush strokes to give more visual texture and interest to my work. In order to keep growing as an artist, I assign myself new tasks every year, and that's my task. So you'll be seeing new colors, brighter colors, and more contrast, texture, and distinctive brush strokes. I find that setting an annual goal gives me time to explore that goal and stay consistent, because I'd be more prone to try new landscapes, colors, compositions, sizes, etc. on a weekly if not daily basis. While that may be exciting, as an artist, I do have to take into consideration those who collect my work or are viewing it for the first time. I endeavor to have consistency throughout my work in terms of style, color palette, subject, size, etc. And that consistency has helped me stay on track when I'm compelled to explore every deer trail I encounter while on the road. That road is leading me towards more color and expression, more interest and continuity, and in this case, glowing birches. Please contact Your Art's Desire Gallery in Minnetonka for more information on this piece.

The Season of Green

"The Season of Green"

Another piece from my ongoing spring series titled The Season of Green is 9"w x 12"h. This painting feels appropriate today as we had some lively thunderstorms roll through northern Minnesota yesterday, bringing some much needed rain. It's ironic living by lake Superior, viewing so much water and yet needing rain, but we've been dry this spring. Hopefully it won't be too long before the landscape resembles the one featured here today with the abundance of rich blues and lush greens.
Please contact Siiviis Gallery in Duluth, MN for more information on this piece.

The Edge of the Water

"The Edge of the Water"  6"w x 12"h

This recent painting, titled The Edge of the Water, may be small in size but it packs quite a visual punch. The birches and shoreline reflect in the water and sky sparkles with cobalt blue color. The foliage has it's bright green spring color splendor, and I can't help but think about casting a top water lure onto that glassy water surface to see if there's a largemouth bass lurking near those rocks. This painting was intercepted by my wife as I was preparing to send it to a gallery, and the painting now hangs on our wall and reminds me of how happy I was with this recent spring work and fills me with hope that the days will warm and the leaves will soon appear. Prints of this piece, and many others are available, please email me for more information. And if you need me, you'll know where to find me ... at the edge of the water. -Aaron

Gold Spring Sky

"Gold Spring Sky"  12"w x 9"h, Siiviis Gallery, Duluth MN

Ahhh the sun. There's something about this time of year where I long for the warm sunny days of later spring and summer but I know I'll have to patiently wait. Today we may hit 60 degrees, and after that we return to winter weather for a week before getting back to warmer temps. When you paint landscapes for a living, this type of weather can really wreck havok with your work. I find the need to assign myself tasks and goals for paintings produced until the landscape offers up it's visual treats of the season. This painting, titled Gold Spring Sky, is part of group of new work at Siiviis Gallery in Duluth, MN. This piece offers up a warm golden sky and mixes in birches, rocks, and green spring ridges. Also, there's an event at the gallery tomorrow called First Fridays where the businesses in the Canal Park area of Duluth stay open later and encourage shopping in the local establishments. I'll be stopping by, can't wait to see the new work lighting up the gallery .. and hopefully it won't be too long before the landscape reflects the spring greens I've been painting lately.

Lake of the Woods

"Lake of the Woods" 60"w x 48"h

Featured today is a major work titled Lake of the Woods, 60"w x 48"h. This scale is quite awesome, there's so much to enjoy while working on the painting that there's always an emptiness when the painting is gone from the studio. Also, working in this scale I'm moving the canvas up and down quite a bit. Even at my 6 ft. height, I reach up quite a bit, and paint on my knees too to reach the edges. It's all for a good cause, though, as this piece captures the mood and season I'm longing for ... the warm sunny days of spring where you don't need a jacket and the leaves are popping open. With this piece I also used a deep ultramarine blue for the lake and I'm glad I did as it anchors the composition and gives the contrast for the reflections and sky to really sparkle. Please contact Lizzards Gallery in Duluth, MN for more information on this piece.

Sing For The Spring

"Sing For The Spring"  24"w x 18"h

I heard a cardinal for the first time this season while on an evening walk. Imagine what these 27 cardinals would sound like! This colorful new piece is part of a new group of work at Lizzards Gallery in Duluth, MN.

Rising Greens

"Rising Greens"  9"w x 12"h, Sivertson Gallery, Grand Marais, MN

Here is a fun painting which continues my spring water reflections theme. This piece uses a bright green ascending from the rocky shoreline up into the blue sky, which also reflects in the water. One thing I like to do with these paintings when they are finished is turn them upside down and view the reflection as the top and the top as the bottom. The distorted water reflections turn into a fun visual of an abstracted landscape. You could stand on your head to view the work in this way, or turn your smartphone around, which would be easier, but less entertaining. :) Please contact Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais, MN for more information on this piece ... and please don't stand on your head.

The Music on the Lake

"The Music on the Lake"  36"w x 36"h

This painting, titled The Music on the Lake, is the first reflective composition painting I finished with this new group of spring themed landscapes. This piece features a deep blue water and tree reflection, and trees leafed out in many shades of bright green. I find myself comparing the treeline on the top with the reflection below, looking for similarities yet noting the differences. I've mentioned it before here, but I can't help but think the reflective water speaks about our memories. There are distinct memories, and then vague memories where try as you might, you just can't quite place an event or person in the past. So the reflective trees are a bit distorted and broken. But they are also bright and cheerful, perhaps noting the memories of the past one reflects on that bring a smile to the face, that ease the worry and concern of the present day and hearken to a better place. The title of this piece is from a childhood song in my memory, and the lyric goes: 'listen to the mandolin rain ... listen to the music on the lake ...' it was a beautiful song about a childhood memory, one I relate to. And I love to listen to the music on the lake. This painting can be heard at Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais, MN. Please contact the gallery for more information.

Spring Light

We've been noticing the days feeling longer lately. Even though it's still March, the brightness of the sky is a delight, giving you an extra dose of energy. The ice and snow are melting, and the sun is increasing in intensity daily as we head toward the summer equinox. This painting features a familiar lake theme with it's usual cast of characters: shadows, rocks, birches, water, distant ridges, sky, and sun. The sun captured my attention in the finished painting and inspired the titled of Spring Light. Please contact Sivertson Gallery in sunny Grand Marais, MN for more information on this piece.