The Apple in Still Life

Ida Red, oil, 6x6, $250 framed - SOLD

Kettle and Apples, oil, 8x8, $395. framed

Pitcher with Apples, oil, 12x12, $850. framed

Small Basket of Apples, oil, 6x6, $250.framed


Living near the fruit belt of western Michigan, I love to visit the farmer's fruit stands. I like to hand pick the fresh harvest for still lifes and then for eating. My apples of choice in these still lifes are Ida Reds and Golden Delicious. The basket was borrowed from Brechting Farm on Six Mile Rd.

End of the Rainbow

Sign of the Covenant, oil on linen, 24x18

I never thought I would do a painting with a rainbow in it, but I just needed to try it to see if I could pull it off.  I worked from some of my photo reference, and used my artistic license in a few places because photos are just not the same as the real thing. I did several plein air paintings of this same lake in the evening hours and some in the morning. A rainbow happens so fast it would be difficult to quickly capture it in a study, so observation is the key. The lake is in the Upper Peninsula, where wonderful things happen in nature.

Plein air painting at Riverside Park.

Creek on November Day, oil, 10x8

Last Saturday the Plein Air Artists of West Michigan (PAAWM) met at Riverside Park to paint. Riverside is a well loved park along the Grand River in Grand Rapids. This creek (I need to research the name of it) flows past the Veteran's Facility on Monroe Ave. and into the Grand River.  I painted just past the small footbridge along the creek. If you happened to be at the park last Saturday, you would have noticed about a dozen painters enjoying the lovely day. We had a group critique under a gazebo. It is always great to see everyone's work. To learn more about this active painting group, see the PAAWM website.

PAAWM.

November Still Lifes (so far)

Bouquet and Milkweed Pod, oil, 6x6, $250. framed

Aubergine and Pumpkin, oil, 6x6, $250. framed

Golden Pear, oil, 6x6, $250. framed - SOLD

Golden Pear, Apple and Mums, oil, 6x6, $250. framed - SOLD


These little still lifes are a joy to set up and paint. I am hand picking the fruit from Brechting Farm. The  flowers are from my gardens and the milkweed pod is growing in abundance along the road. 

More Artwork on Bell's Amber Ale

These are the other four paintings chosen by Bell's for the new Amber Ale collection.

Isa Lake, oil, 24x18, SOLD
This pond is on the Continental Divide in Yellowstone National Park.  It also reminds me of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

A birch forest on Drummond Island, MI.

"Creek Banks - Spring", pastel, 24x18, SOLD
The wispy light purple of the red bud tree and white carpets of Trilliums assures us that spring is here.

"Shalda Creek", pastel, 24x18, SOLD
A beautiful place in the Sleeping Bear Dunes Lakeshore near Glen Arbor, MI.

Paintings on the Amber Ale!

Bell's Brewery Blog about the new Amber Ale paintings>

Yah! The newly designed Bell's Brewery Amber Ale is available for purchase! Earlier this year, Larry Bell purchased seven paintings with the idea of putting art on the labels of their Amber Ale Beer. The six pack carton has the "Lake Michigan Dunes" painting that was in ArtPrize last year. Each six pack will feature a different painting on the labels.

Lake Michigan Dunes, oil, 30x52

This painting is on the six pack I just purchased.

Sunset Over the Bay, pastel, 24x18

More pictures of the other label paintings in the next blog!

Painting Trip to Glen Lake

Last week, I was invited by Holly to go on a day trip to Glen Arbor to do a little painting. The leaves were still on the trees and it looked like a promising day. Holly is very familiar with the area so we stopped at the base of Sleeping Bear Dunes to paint and then drove around Glen Lake. I was interested in painting Glen Lake, so we stopped at Inspiration Point, and it did not disappoint!

Birch and Sleeping Bear, oil, 8x10

Glen Lake - Autumn, oil, 9x12
Inspiration Point Looking West

Inspiration Point - Glen Lake, oil, 8x6
Inspiration Point Looking North