Pastel plein air painting of a beautiful statue of a woman in a spring park.
Pastel painting 8.5 inches x 11 inches $300
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Wellers is a historic mill in Saline, Michigan. The grounds are absolutely amazing and the scene of many weddings in our area. Our plein air group was given permission to paint there last weekend. I started working in watercolor but the rain forced me under a canopy so I decided to switch to a pastel painting. The many statues on the site caught my attention and I focused on this young Spring Maiden with a bough of flowers. The sun peeked out at the last minute and I was able to place the warm highlights. I loved this scene because I could do a figure drawing and pastel landscape at the same time!
Plein air pastel landscape painting of a spring farm seen from the fields
Pastel painting 12.5 inches x 6 inches $200
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Yeah! The first plein air pastel landscape of the year! I’ve been pining to get out and paint but much too wimpy to brave the cold. This pastel painting was created on a burgundy sanded paper at an old farm site with last year’s sheared crops still visible in the fields.
Pastel painting of an extreme close up of ripe apples on a tree in the fall.
Pastel painting 25.5 inches x 12.5 inches $850 (Giclee prints are available)
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I’m continuing to work on my new series of orchard pastel paintings. Although I really enjoyed creating in a square format for the first two works, I felt that a horizontal composition might work better. I started with some photographs I had taken last fall. I cropped the image tightly in photoshop, added some apples, took out some leaves, and generally fussed with the elements till I felt that they made a pleasing composition. The color palette is very similar to the first paintings, but completely unlike the actual photo. I pushed the vibrancy in some areas and toned it down in others. I figure that photos are great for reference, but that I have no responsibility to copy them exactly…
Plein air watercolor landscape painting of a sidewalk pathway between buildings
Watercolor painting 10.5 inches x 6.5 inches $80
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Sometimes i do a watercolor painting just to see if I can capture what I see in front of me. It might be a simple scene like this one, not really monumental or impressive. I remember someone telling me that you can waste an awful lot of time trying to find the “perfect” watercolor landscape view to paint. When in reality, an artist should be able to translate almost any scene into a piece of art. Plus, I know that its only through constant sketching and painting of the everyday things around me, that I improve my skills. In other words, its not so important that you paint drop-dead gorgeous subject matter, as it is that you just keep painting!
And extra note:
I was very excited to find out that I has a pastel landscape painting accepted into the Great Lakes Pastel Society National Show at the Dow Museum of Art and Science in Midland, Michigan. One of my goals this year was to enter more national shows. I find that competing with the country’s best artists forces me to constantly increase the quality of my work. Below is the pastel painting that will in the exhibit from May 8th through August 1st.
Pastel landscape painting of a path wandering through a snowy field
Plein air watercolor painting of sunlit pillars on a fenced walkway
Watercolor painting 9.5 inches x 6.25 inches $80
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I’m all about light and shadow. Its always what attracts me to a plein air subject, even when I’m just hangin out at the pool. I did this watercolor painting of a fenced walkway specifically because I liked the way the sunlight and shadows played on the pillars. I also love architectural and sculptural elements so the little pineapples on the tops of the pillars were and added bonus!
Plein air watercolor landscape painting of a beautiful pond with a bridge reflected in the water.
Watercolor painting 10 inches x 6.5 inches $80
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The resort where we stayed had some really intriguing landscaping. I was especially taken with this little bridge over one of the many ponds on site. I sat on the shore and did this watercolor painting during the sunniest time of the day. I like to choose subjects where there is a strong focal point and I can let some of the other background images fall out of focus. When I do paintings of architecture I pay more attention to all of the structural details.
Plein air watercolor landscae painting of trees in a Carolina Marsh
Watercolor painting 6.5 inches x 10 inches $80
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We just got back from a week in North Carolina. We stayed in a touristy area without many inspiring views. But one day I got a chance to walk out in the marshland and did a watercolor painting. I’d really would have liked to spend more time in the wild outdoor areas–as opposed the the wild college spring break areas–but I’ll have to do that on our next trip down. I did this watercolor landscape in the morning when the sun had just risen a bit in the sky.
Pastel portrait painting of a young man leaning on his knee
Pastel painting 11 inches x17 inches $300
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In our pastel figure drawing session last week we had a handsome, strapping young model. I’m sure he thought posing was going to be a cinch. I think it proved to be a little more difficult than he thought, but he did an admirable job. I really enjoyed painting his pastel portrait, and liked the challenge of working with the complimentary blues and oranges.
What a cutie! This little Polish Lowland sheepdog was an absolute joy to work with. She posed for the camera as if she had been a top model for years! I swear she knew what her “best side” was. We had a ton of great photos to pick from and her owner was especially taken with this view.
Creating a pastel pet portrait is always challenging when your subject is someone’s cherished buddy, but I think I caught this little pup’s likeness. And her owner seemed to like the outcome of the pastel painting too!
Check out her response and other client’s comments on their paintings here.
Watercolor landscape painting of hilltown in Tuscany, Italy
Watercolor painting 10 inches x 10 inches SOLD
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I’m researching some art workshops in Italy this fall. My idea of pure heaven. It got me so excited that I decided to do a watercolor painting of a scene from one of my previous visits to Tuscany. I’m half Italian, and that might increase my obsession, but I just can’t help it. I adore the Italian countryside. I’ve painted many Tuscan watercolor landscapes and I can’t wait to paint more plein air.
