Plein Air to Studio

   I decided to use the "Apple Orchard-May" plein air study (from the last blog) as a reference for a pastel painting. It has been awhile since I painted an orchard scene in pastel, especially one that is back lit.
   Since I was not satisfied with the "back lit" effect on the plein air study, I also used reference photos when working on the pastel in the studio. I wanted to achieve a bright sunlit morning, so I accentuated the tree shadows and tried to keep the core of the apple trees darker than the edges. The blossoms in shadow had to be a blue/purple mixed with a blue/green. The blossoms hit by the sunlight were indicated with a warmer tint, even using a warm peach in a few areas.

Apple Orchard - May II, pastel, 12x16, $800 
Framed with a wide warm silver frame.

Thank you for viewing my work!
This painting will be on exhibit at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts Fair, June 7-8.

 See all of my upcoming shows on my new website under Events.

Orchard Blossoms II

  The weather here has finally turned and we had beautiful weather for plein air painting this past week! I was able to paint in the orchards three times this week and hopefully again next week unless the forecasted rain puts and end to them.

   With each orchard painting, I felt like I was improving. Painting trees with white blossoms is more difficult than it seems. The trees are a slightly darker value than the blue morning sky. The core of the tree is a darker value than the sunlit grass on a flat plane of ground. The white blossoms are really not white but should appear so in the painting. I used cool and warm tints.

Apple Orchard Reflections, oil, 8x10, $250 unframed

The subject of an orchard and reflections in a pond. The tree on the right was not so pretty, so I used my artistic license and substituted another.

 Another morning, I tackled this difficult subject of a back lit orchard. 

The corner of an apple orchard, backlit in the morning light.

The start of my blocking in the large masses. I was working on the  apple tree masses when I took this photo, trying to figure out the right tone.

Apple Orchard - May, oil, 11x14, $400 uf

This study will translate well into a pastel painting!

Thank you for viewing my paintings! Please contact me if you are interested.
To see more plein air work see my website: www.KalinowskiFineArt.com

Orchard Blossoms

A Farmer's Orchard, oil, plein air, 11x14

Old Pear Orchard, oil, plein air, 12x16

This is the scene for The Farmer's Orchard painting. I think these are apple trees...but I may be wrong because they were in blossom before the large orchards of apple trees across the street. Of all the years I have been painting in this area, I have never painted this viewpoint with the barn behind the trees. I like it.

A photo of the easel and orchard in the background.
The blossoms were just coming out full force last week. The twisted old pear trees are about 60 years old and I return to this orchard every spring to paint.

Early April plein air

Brechting Barn, oil on linen panel, 6x8, $100. uf
On a nice evening, I had several hours to paint near 4 Mile, west of Alpine. I decided on the Brechting Barn. My girlfriend from middle school lived here and now her brother owns the farm. The barn is very tall and has a rounded roof style. The sun was setting quickly and the light was a warm rose color, giving the gray barn a reddish glow.

Plum Orchard, oil on linen panel, 12x16, $500. uf
Again this year the plum trees were the first to bloom and I again painted at the Chase farm. This time, the light was different with a late afternoon sun.

Warm Spring Day, oil, 9x12, $350. uf
Another warm morning and I was off to paint at a nearby farm. The cows were great, though always moving. Last summer I painted here, see the painting "Farmyard Conversation" on the Oils page of the website, Kalinowski Fine Art.



I am offering these plein air works at a lower price, unframed. Call or e-mail if you are interested in owning one of these new paintings.
Thanks for viewing my artwork!

A Day in Leelanau County

Leelanau View, oil on linen panel, 9x12

Leelanau Cherry Trees, oil on linen panel, 8x10, $475. Treeline Gallery

Last Sunday I was invited by artist Holly Sturgis to take a drive north. We dropped off paintings to Treeline Gallery, saw friend Margo Burian's work in Glen Arbor and painted in two different locations. It is a treat to paint in Leelanau County. Everywhere you turn, you see a painting. I should be living there for endless inspiration! 

Capturing the Essence of Spring

"Red Barns and Orchard", oil, 12x16

I am always looking for the essence of the current season and trying to take advantage of the motifs that help communicate it in a painting. I sometimes paint at the same location off and on throughout the years, finding that there is always a new way to see what is there. "Creek in May" is one of those spots that I really love in the month of May. I had to change the scene slightly by moving the red bud tree and lowering it a bit like I remember it a few years ago, but the essence of the scene is the same as you see it in the painting.
I was looking forward this spring to painting "Red Barns and Orchard". I was in almost the same spot last fall painting the pumpkin field in the foreground, in front of the apple trees.

"Creek in May", oil on linen panel, 14x11

Spring Breezes

Last week I went to back to paint at the farm that I had visited last fall. I remembered a few good spots and wondered how it would look with the orchard blossoms. The farm sits on one of the highest points in Ottawa County and on a clear day you can see Lake Michigan and the dunes. It is also very windy most of the time and that morning was no exception. I quickly painted my two pieces, hanging on to the easel from time to time so it would not blow over. The spot with the pond was the first painting that I started. As I was painting though, I kept turning around to see this incredible sky and the back lit orchard trees. I put the pond painting away after I got a good start and proceeded to paint the other scene. This is not the normal way that I work, but sometimes you have to try to catch those moments as they happen. After battling the wind, the paintings were finished and I was really glad to be back in the warm car but am happy that I took the chance to go back to this beautiful place.

Cherry Orchard Reflections, oil, 8x10

Cherry Orchard and May Skies, oil, 8x10

Blossoms and Bees

Pear Orchard, oil on linen panel, 8x10, $500. framed

Blossoms and Bees, oil on linen panel, 8x10, $500. framed

The warm weather has me outside painting on a regular basis...when it isn't raining. We have had our share of rainy weather lately. So when it rains I work in the studio.
I always look forward to painting the fruit trees in blossom and there are some wonderful orchards near my home. I so admire the farmers and their dedication and love of working the land. Some orchards are changing as the owners decide to take out the old trees and substitute young new, more efficient varieties of trees. This kind of makes me sad because the knarled old trees have so much character. As I paint in the orchards, I imagine the history behind the tree, how old it is and how much fruit it must have produced through the years for us to enjoy. The pear orchard is over 60 years old and I am sure the orchard has been in the same family for that long as well.