Twilight Forest Maples

"Twilight Forest Maples" 18"w x 18"h

This piece titled Twilight Forest Maples is from a recurring theme of mine that I've titled 'Twilight Maples'. One of the first landscape ideas I had was one that had a stand of maple trees with the twilight sky in the distance backlighting the maples so that they cast long golden shadows across the foreground. This theme is one I return to now and again, when I'm lacking inspiration, this theme is like a warm fire on a cold rainy day. Perhaps one day I'll feel as though I've reached the end of this series, but it hasn't happened yet, and I'm planning on painting a large scale on this theme in the coming weeks. TGIF!

This painting featured today is part of my Fall Forests show which may viewed now through mid December, 2013 at First Lutheran Church in Duluth, MN.

Orange Forest Maples

"Orange Forest Maples" 18"w x 18"h

Yet another piece from my Fall Forests show, this one is titled Orange Forest Maples. The maple trees around northern Minnesota have the most interesting colored leaves in the Autumn season. You'll have bright yellow, gold, orange, red, brown, and every color in between right next to each other. Sometimes I wonder if the trees are trying to out color the one next to it. :) The maple tree in my back yard finally decided summer was over this week and turned bright yellow ... dropping it's leaves at the same time. It is the first week of November after all lol. Well, the painting featured here today is a playful take on maples at a river, with the stones in the water sparkling more subtly than some others in this series. There are distant colorful ridges, but the subject is the river, and the stones have been quite a challenge for me. I've been adding little amounts of blues to each, giving each stone a look and feel of it's own. I'll continue to explore this theme until I feel like I've captured what I'm endeavoring to say visually. One thing's for sure ... the maples in this piece want you to notice their orange leaves.

This painting featured today is part of my Fall Forests show which may viewed now through mid December, 2013 at First Lutheran Church in Duluth, MN.

Autumn Forest Lake

"Autumn Forest Lake" 18"w x 18"h

This past summer I went fishing a few times on lakes north of my home and was outsmarted by the fish as usual. I did manage to catch a few sunnies and pumpkinseeds though, which was fun as they remind me of childhood fishing adventures. While I was in the boat, I was enjoying the shorelines of the lakes as they offered a nice selection of rocks, trees, shrubs and sky to gaze at. I took many photos and a couple friends gave me a hard time about it, but that's ok, I like the reference photos even if I don't work directly from them, as the photos will trigger ideas and give me inspiration when I'm staring at a blank canvas. Today's piece is one of many that is inspired from those fishing trips. This one, titled Autumn Forest Lake, features thin bright birch trees on a deep cobalt blue background. Autumn is in the air as the shrubs along the rocky shoreline are decked out in blazing color. The color divides the painting in thirds, and the sky and water sparkle as if trying to catch your attention. If only I could catch those fish ....

This painting featured today is part of my Fall Forests show which may viewed now through mid December, 2013 at First Lutheran Church in Duluth, MN.

Pine Forest Sunset

"Pine Forest Sunset" 18"w x 18"h

This painting titled Pine Forest Sunset stands apart from the rest of the work in the show. This one features majestic white pines and sunset over the sparkling water. The multi-colored rock formations along the water suggest this could be somewhere in the boundary waters (bwca) of northern minnesota. I took a couple trips to the bwca when I was a boy scout and remember the rocks and pines and camping right along the shore. I also remember throwing rocks at a black bear that was trying to steal our food that was suspended from a pack between two trees about 20 feet off the ground. The bear was trying to cut the rope with his claws ... something tells me he had some experience stealing food this way. He didn't get our food that night but it's a one of many fond memories of moose, bear, eagles, fish and campfires along the lake. Funny how a painting can bring back so many powerful memories. I guess a picture can say a thousand words.

This painting featured today is part of my Fall Forests show which may viewed now through mid December, 2013 at First Lutheran Church in Duluth, MN.

Birch Forest Bounty

"Birch Forest Bounty" 18"w x 18"h

This piece was painted in a theme I'm quite fond of which I collectively call Through The Birches. Last year I thought it would be fun to work on a painting that completely featured the negative space between the trees, and I was so happy with the result that I've continued in the theme over the past year or so. I'm constantly making subtle changes with each piece in this theme, adding more color, working on the composition, working on the size of the birch tree trunks in the foreground. With this piece I ratcheted up the value of the color in the distant maple ridges in all their autumn crimson, gold and orange glory. I worked quite a bit on this piece, trying to get it just perfect before I brought it in to the show. It's that chase of the perfect painting every artist seems to aspire to yet can't quite grasp. The joy of the chase has to be the forefront of your thought process, otherwise you can fall into the pitfall of dissatisfaction with the result. I try to strike a good balance between critiquing my work and enjoying it. Playing with my kids and periodically painting alongside them helps in this chase, they remind me frequently that it's the joy that is most important. Life is short, enjoy the chase, and don't forget to smile. :)
 
This painting featured today is part of my Fall Forests show which may viewed now through mid December, 2013 at First Lutheran Church in Duluth, MN.

Golden Forest Colors

"Golden Forest Colors" 18"w x 18"h

 This painting features maple trees in the foreground and the distance. I worked on the orange leaves on the maples a little more, layering the color to give the leaves that fluttering almost transparent quality that they have, especially when the sun shines on them. I also added some more color to the trunks, working on the dappled light that you would find as the sun shines through leaves. The colorful maples in the distance have the same value of color, but the object in this piece is clearly the five maples in the foreground. The cobalt blue sky complements the fall colors in this piece, the composition begs the viewer to look up ... something I often do as I walk through the forest, gazing up at the interesting branches and enjoying the sun working it's way through the thick leaves.

This painting featured today is part of my Fall Forests show which may viewed now through mid December, 2013 at First Lutheran Church in Duluth, MN. 

Maple Forest Birches

"Maple Forest Birches" 20"w x 16"h

This piece titled Maple Forest Birches continues a series of works I've collectively titled Through The Birches. It's a very simple theme, really. The negative space between the foreground birch trees becomes the subject of the painting. So what I end up with is a vibrant, colorful background which contrasts with the crisp black and white birch trees. In today's piece, the background has several gold maples, a rich brown and red underbrush and a complementary gray blue sky which brightens toward the distant horizon. Many times people have mentioned that they don't really even notice the birch trees at first. I have yet to produce a major work in the this theme, but the time is coming ... I just picked up a few 60"w x 48"h canvases and I just can't wait to work large again. :)

This painting featured today is part of my Fall Forests show which may viewed now through mid December, 2013 at First Lutheran Church in Duluth, MN.

Golden Forest Birches

"Golden Forest Birches" 16"w x 16"h

Today's painting, titled Golden Forest Birches, is another in a series featuring water and stones. I spent a little more time and effort trying to get the shadows and dappled light just right. Every painting seems to have a portion that attracted more attention during it's creation, and this one the attention was clearly on the foreground. It carries a nice range of contrast, from the deep ultramarine blue water on up to the crisp white birch bark on the trees. The golds of distant birch trees, along with the sparkling gold leaves on the trees in the foreground complement the blues of the waters and stones while the bright blue sky gives reminiscence of many a fall day spent hiking through the woods on a sunny day.

This painting featured today is part of my Fall Forests show which may viewed now through mid December, 2013 at First Lutheran Church in Duluth, MN.

Colorful Forest Jewels

"Colorful Forest Jewels" 20"w x 16"h

How can you improve upon a subject such as a northern Minnesota maple tree in all it's fall color? Well ... you can't, really. But what you can do is add in elements that complement and or contrast with the vibrant subject matter. Elements such as other warm colored trees and shrubs, and complementary colored stones and waters. This piece featured today is titled Colorful Forest Jewels and features maples at a lakeshore reflecting their crimson red leaves in the water which fills the foreground. There's a sense of space behind the maples as the negative space between the trees is filled with a bright cobalt blue sky. Interest is added with the colorful fall shrubs and stones which divide the foreground and background. What I like most about this piece is, as usual, the background which leaves one wondering 'what's back there?' where does that lead? Asking questions and wondering is often what makes painting so fun, you never quite know how a painting will turn out, and you always wonder what you can accomplish next.

This painting featured today is part of my Fall Forests show which may viewed now through mid December, 2013 at First Lutheran Church in Duluth, MN.

Fall Forest

 

"Fall Forest" Acrylic on 16"w x 20"h canvas

I gave my show the name Fall Forests based on the general theme of the works themselves, and also from today's painting which is titled Fall Forest.  This piece features a river theme, something I've been working on quite a bit as of late. I just love Amity Creek which runs close by my house in Duluth. The creek is full of stones that you can jump across when the creek is low. So this element of the landscape finds it's way into my work, along with the stones scattered about. I've enjoyed working different shades of blue and gray into the stones, adding little bits of light to them so that they have depth. There are also the ever present birches in this piece, along with a distant crimson ridge. Perhaps what I enjoy most about this painting is the space between the trees, and the trees themselves have a nice range of sizes. There's just something about a fall forest.

This painting featured today is part of my Fall Forests show which may viewed now through mid December, 2013 at First Lutheran Church in Duluth, MN.

Copper Leaves and Copper Birchland

"Copper Birchland" Acrylic on 8:w x 10"h canvas

"Copper Leaves" 10"w x 8"h

Last week I had finished all the framing, wiring, labeling, etc that my work required for the Fall Forests show ahead of schedule. So I took some extra time to work on a couple small 8"w x 10"h canvases and I was pleasantly surprised by what happened. There are subtle differences in these two pieces featured here today as opposed to the rest of the work. There's just a bit more of the different ground colors exposed, and because of that, there's more contrast which causes the birches to really pop on these paintings. I gave them the names they have based on the copper tonal quality of the burnt sienna color as I mixed other paints, changing the value.

These paintings featured today are part of my Fall Forests show which may viewed now through mid December, 2013 at First Lutheran Church in Duluth, MN.