Preview of Summer Color

Lilies and Phlox, pastel, 20x30, $1900. framed with AR glass

Summer is a few months away and I am craving more color! Michigan is very drab this time of year.
I have painted in this garden many times through the years and it has provided an large source of inspiration for me. This new painting is a studio painting. I used my artistic license to change the background and changed the pink phlox to white. This is the same corner garden, only looking towards the bench instead of the trellis, and I left out the fence. You can do those things as an artist and I hope you think it works. I may still paint a studio piece based on the Garden Shadows, below.This new pastel painting will be featured in my first summer show at the KIA, Bronson Park, Kalamazoo on June 7-8. See my web site for my complete summer show schedule for 2013.

oil plein air, 2011, SOLD

Garden Shadows, oil plein air, 2012, 11x14, $800.

Day 14 - "30 Paintings in 30 Days"

White Hollyhock, pastel, 12x9

$500. framed
Send an e-mail if you are interested in purchasing this painting!

I might just continue this momentum alternating landscape and still life, with pastel or oil.

This was a nice change of pace. When not painting plein air, I often use my reference photos on my computer. The Mac screen is large enough to see what I need to see. Then I use my knowledge of warm and cool colors, values, creating depth and edges.... which all work together.

This old fashioned hollyhock was on the Armond Merizon farm where I was painting this past summer. There is never enough time to paint everything that I would like to paint. My artist friend, Barb Schilling did a wonderful oil painting of one of these flowers at that paint out. It was lovely!

Thank you for viewing my paintings!

A Successful Show in Kentucky

Under the Weeping Cherry, SOLD

Pear Blossoms and Bee Box, SOLD

The weather was chilly, but the sun helped to keep us warm. Overall, the show was a success with some nice sales to my collectors. The St. James Court Art Fair is a large juried show with artists attending from many states. We enjoy the southern hospitality and love staying at the Gallery House B&B! Thank you Gordon and Leah!

Awaiting Fields, SOLD

Garden Brilliance, SOLD

Peony and Nectarines, SOLD

Nectarines in a Silver Bowl, SOLD

Sunflower Field, SOLD

August Garden

Garden Shadows, oil, 11x14
I arrived at Betty's garden last week eager to do a painting of her beautiful garden. She was apologetic on the state of the blooms, I should have been there three weeks ago! Anyway that did not deter me and I thought it was nice anyway. I decided to paint a back-lit view, one that I have not tried before. I am happy with the outcome and the impressionistic brush marks suggest the many shades of pink and dark red of the phlox.

Sunny Garden, oil, 11x14, $800. framed
I painted this in 2009 at Betty's garden and still love it. I try to paint there at least once a summer. I have decided to come up with a larger composition using both studies as reference.
I hope to have this finished for the upcoming art fair at St. James Court in Louisville, KY.

Daffodils are Spring

Two Daffodils, oil, 6x6

Daffodils and Pansies II, oil, 6x6

The daffodils are just arriving despite the unusually cold spring weather we have here in Michigan. I did a few small daffodil paintings this weekend to help cheer me up when they were predicting snow. When it did snow yesterday, I did several more daffodil paintings, this time with pansies, which always perk me up, they look so cheerful. My Grandmother's favorite flower.

Daffodils in a Bottle, oil, 8x6, Grand Gallery

Daffodils and Pansies, oil, 8x6 Grand Gallery

I hope these paintings cheer you up!

Exciting News

I am so excited to see that I have two paintings accepted in the Salon International 2011! This is a juried exhibition of oil paintings hosted by the Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art in San Antonio, TX. This is the third time my work has been accepted in this prestigious show. These are new paintings that will be put on my web site soon.

"Pond with Pink Lilies", oil on linen panel, 16x20, $1600.

"Tending Her Garden", oil on linen panel, 16x20, $1600.

Two New Pastels

I just finished two new paintings that will be shown at the St James Court Art Fair this weekend. I really like the pastorial motif and so that was my inspiration. There are many such scenes with farms, pastures and fields here in West Michigan and in the midwest. I try to capture not only the light but the atmophere of the day.

September Sunlight, pastel, 12x18, $900.

Out to Pasture, pastel, 18x24, $1400.

St. James Court Show

More new work that will be featured at the St. James Court Show opening Oct. 1 - 3, 2010.

Lilies and Beebalm, pastel, 18x12, $500.

Grandma's Hollyhocks, pastel, 9x12, $500.