Plein air watercolor painting of the harbor at Woods Hole on Cape Cod

Watercolor painting 6 inches x 9 inches       $100

Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.

Last week, I, my sisters, and a stray husband or two traveled out east to Cape Cod and Boston. I had high hopes of painting the old historic architecture and quaint villages. But there was so much to see and we were moving fast. I did get an hour to do a few watercolor landscapes when we stopped at Wood’s Hole on the cape. Most of the penninsula was deserted but this little town, known for its Oceanographic Institution, was bustling. The gang stopped for coffee at a cool little shop and I stole a few minutes on the harbor…

Pastel portrait of an stately older woman.

Pastel painting 10 inches x 13 inches   $200

Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.

Hot off the presses from yesterday’s pastel figure drawing class! Our sessions last about 3 hours with frequent breaks. Just long enough to keep me from completely overworking the sketch. I had missed a week when we were on vacation and was really anxious to get back to portraits. But every time I looked out the window and saw the perfect 65-degree autumn day, I wished I was outside doing pastel landscapes.

Ahhhhh….so many paintings….So little time….

This is my 200th blog posting! I can’t believe I’ve made that many paintings and stuck to it this long. I recommend it highly. It FORCES you to paint and, by default, you improve!

Pastel portrait painting of a woman

Pastel painting 10 inches x 13 inches   $200

Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.

In our  pastel figure drawing class this week, we had a “newbie” model who did a great job. If you’ve never modeled before, you might think it is a glamourous task. Au contraire. Although I’m sure it is somewhat interesting, it’s also difficult, uncomfortable and boring! We are so thankful to have people who are willing to sit for us. Most of our family members have reached the point where they refuse to be our subjects and you can only draw your own portrait in the mirror so many times!

Pastel painting commission of dowtown Saline, Michigan

Pastel painting 18 inches x 24 inches       SOLD

I was so honored when River Gallery notified me that the art consultants for the new wing of the Saint Joseph Mercy Saline Hospital wanted me to create a large pastel commission of downtown Saline. I shot a lot of photo references and we settled on this storefront scene of the area on South Ann Arbor Street. Its a quaint little row of antique stores, barber and coffee shops and always looks picture perfect. I like painting architecture and I LOVE painting local scenes so this was a dream come true! I’m in the process of framing it and when it is done it will hang in the new community room of the hospital.

Watercolor cityscape painting of a building in New York City

Watercolor painting 9 inches x 9 inches       $300

Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.

I visited New York City a while back and shot a lot of reference photos of interesting street scenes. I wanted to try some looser architecture watercolor paintings. Sometimes I tend to paint a little tight and I wanted to go for a more abstract approach. This piece was done on yupo, a plastic like paper, which causes the color to pool on the surface instead of sinking in. It forces the artist to be decisive and not overwork the image. If you try to paint over an area, the previous layer of paint tends to come off and you end up with quite the mess. Its a challenging but fun process!

Plein air pastel landscape painting of a golden autumn field and distant tree line.

Pastel painting 9 inches x 6 inches       $100

Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.

After the nice farmer man offered me his “back yard” to paint in, I drove way back in to his fields til I found this intriguing scene. I liked the strong diagonal of the grassy lane and the endless golden fields. The colorful little trees in the background made a perfect focal point. I painted quickly because now it was after five p.m. and REALLY cold. But I’m happy I stayed to add this pastel painting to my autumn landscape series. In a couple of months, when winter descends,  I’m sure I will be pining for this type of “mild” weather…

Pastel plein air painting of a dirt road framed in autum leaves.

Pastel painting 6 inches x 9 inches       $100

Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.

It was friggin cold on Sunday afternoon. But I persisted. The colors in southeast Michigan are starting to burst out and I refused to miss the explosion! The back roads were filled with orange and yellow and this little lane looked like a perfect place to set up for a pastel landscape painting. Within 20 minutes, my fingers were absolutely numb. I was packing up to go when a sweet man who owned a farm on this road stopped to chat. He told me how beautiful the fields behind his house were and invited me to paint there. I couldn’t refuse. I will post that painting in a couple of days.

SafeHouse Center, an organization that fights to stop domestic violence and sexual assault in Michigan is very close to my heart. I designed a calendar filled with the art of local women artists as a fundraiser to help offset the huge funding cuts they are experiencing. The art is really amazing and the cause is so important. For a donation of $15 for 1 or $40 for 3 you can make a difference for thousands of women and children.

Thank you to the many artists who donated, to my friend and wonderful copywriter, Linda Fitzgerald, and to Kelly Parkinson and the Allegra Print and Imaging gang for making this calendar happen!

The calendars wold make wonderful holiday gifts. Please contact me if you are interested!

Pastel landscape painting of woods reflected in the water along a river bank.

Pastel painting 10 inches x 10 inches   $450

Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.

This pastel landscape captures the place where Roxy and I go for walks every so often. The river wanders through this natural preserve in Saline and, at every curve, there is an awe-inspiring vision to paint! I am a sucker for reflections. They just draw me in every time. Plus, they are a useful tool in my quest to loosen up. I think I am definitely getting there on this pastel painting.

I’m working on a new watercolor portrait series right now. There will be at least 9 in this group and possibly 16. 3 are done. When I have a few more completed, I’ll post some.

Pastel portrait painting of a rugged western male.

Pastel painting 10 inches x 13 inches   $200

Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.

Jack, one of our favorite models, is the subject of this recent pastel figure drawing. When he posed last week, he looked like a rugged old prospector from the 1800′s. He has a really interesting face, wise and full of experience. And he is just about as sweet as they come.

I am talking with a couple of art lovers about pastel commissions for gifts this holiday season. Let me know if you have a special idea for one of your loved ones or friends…

Plein air pastel painting of sunlit fields in autumn

Pastel painting 11 inches x 8 inches       $200

Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.

Another pastel landscape painting from my plein air travels last weekend. I was wandering around the farms south of Ann Arbor and noticed the sunlight illuminating the soybean crops and the green fields beyond. The colors were almost psychedelic and the stand of trees in the foreground made a perfect focal point. I’m really drawn to the way forests in the distance turn a vibrant shade of blue when seen through the atmosphere…

Visited the Chelsea Painters show at the Riverside Arts Center in Ypsilanti last night. Wonderful portrait and figure paintings inspired me to work on a new series of watercolor portraits!

Plein air pastel landscape painting of a distant barn seen from the fields

Pastel painting 9.5 inches x 6 inches       SOLD

Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.

This beautiful old farm on Judd Road in Saline caught my eye last weekend. On cloudy days, it would seem like the landscape should be dull and drab, but its really the exact opposite. All the colors become hyper saturated in relation to the dismal sky.  I love autumn in Michigan when all the crops turn rusty ochre. To me, a pastel painting of golden soy bean fields can be more exciting than the traditional landscapes filled with brightly colored fall trees. I painted this piece on white paper that I had underpainted with a bright red watercolor wash. I like to leave some of that red color peaking through the pastel to unify the painting.

Hope the weather holds so that I can get out again this weekend…