Pastel painting of the reflections of a boat and dock in harbor water.

Pastel painting 12 inches x 18 inches   $650

Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.

I’m really excited about this new series I am starting. Reflections in water have always fascinated me. They are so transient and illusive and yet they can create lasting memories of place and time. I also like the “abstract” composition that reflections create.

I decided that this would be a perfect new pastel landscape or seascape subject to explore thoroughly in an extended series. I thought about attempting it in watercolor, but realized I will have much more control of the outcome in pastel.

I’ve been thinking about the possibilities of this exploration for a long time, and, now that I’ve finished one, I can’t wait to start the next one!

Plein air pastel landscape painting of a barn and other farm buildings.

Pastel painting 9 inches x 6.5 inches   $100

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Another  plein air pastel landscape of the farmlands around Saline, Michigan. I painted this one in the late afternoon again, waste deep in a field of wheat. It was a great location except for the millions of bugs that almost ate me alive. And of course, I forgot my bug repellant!

I’m so excited about the 4 commissions I am working on this month! I will be posting a few of them in the next couple of days.

And, (oh my god!), I’ve joined the twitter nation. If you liked to follow my tweets, catch me at http://twitter.com/jillwagnerart

Have a great 4t of July weekend!

Plein air pastel landscape of a farm and fields of spring wheat in late afternoon

Pastel painting 8 inches x 10 inches   $200

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When I paint from life outside, I usually set out in the morning. For a change, I decided to try some pastel landscapes in the afternoon light. For plein air painters, morning and afternoon are the prime times because of the lovely yellow-orange light and the great shadows at those times of day. I found this luscious field of spring wheat south of town and set up all of my equipment on the side of the road. Quite a few people stopped by to chat and one woman asked to take my photo while I was painting. Turns out this is her favorite view and she has taken photos of the scene every month or so to catalog the seasonal changes. I was happy to oblige but darn it! I forgot to ask her if she would like a pastel painting of her favorite spot!

Pastel portrait of a young father teaching his daughter to fish.

Pastel painting 8 inches x 10 inches  SOLD

I just finished this pastel portrait for a client who wanted a special present for her husband on Father’s Day. They were very happy with the results. I am doing more and more pastel commissions and watercolor commissions and absolutely loving the process. There’s nothing like creating a piece of art that makes someone happy!

I’d like to offer a special incentive for my regular blog viewers. If you send a commission client my way, I will happily let you chose one of my small artworks for your very own!

Contact me on my website and we can talk!

Pastel painting of freshly cut lilacs in a vase with sunlight streaming in.

Pastel painting 11 inches x 14 inches   $600

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Every year our backyard bursts out in purple and lavender blooms to herald the coming of spring. I love lilacs almost as much as hydrangeas so I decided to paint the ever present vase of them on our kitchen table. But, like most of my work, the real subject of this  pastel painting is light. The way the sunlight streamed through the window and lit up the vase was the real attraction for me.

Pastel painting of fading geraniums in front of an old house.

Pastel painting 10 inches x 14 inches   $600

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This pastel painting is an unusual combination of floral and landscape. I was wandering around downtown Louisville, in a neat historic section, when I ran into these fading geraniums. When I noticed the old, historic home in the background, I thought their juxtaposition would make an interesting image. I get all worked up about the way we treat our cities, trashing or abandoning whole neighborhoods in our rush to expand into the vanishing open areas. This piece was a bit cathartic for me. Ahhhh…. I feel better now!

BTW: If you get a chance, check out Tony Moffits blog. He puts out very useful and interesting information about art marketing. He featured my art work today in his blog and he also has a great site for artists looking for gallery representation. He graciously included me in his artist group on this site also.

Pastel portrait painting of a beautiful young woman in pink.

Pastel painting 8.5 inches x 11 inches   $200

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Marie was a wonderful model at our recent portrait painting session. She was a newbie, not used to the grueling hours of sitting motionless, but she did a fine job! This pastel painting was done over a 2 hour period with short breaks every half hour or so. After years of nude figure drawing, its fun to draw people with clothes on every once in a while!

Plein air pastel landscape of the bridge in Charlevoix, Michigan

Pastel painting 11 inches x 8.5 inches   $200

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I painted this pastel landscape from the balcony of our hotel in Charlevoix. The bridge lifts every hour or so to let boats pass between Lake Michigan and Lake Charlevoix. It causes quite the traffic jam but is an important part of the community and facilitates the boating tourists who visit. The psychodelic blue paint and the reflections below caught my interest. A great subject for the strong colors that are possible with pastels!

Pastel plein air painting of the Charlevoix lighthouse in midday sun.

Pastel painting 8.5 inches x 11 inches   $200

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This lighthouse is like a magnet for me for some reason. This is the third time I’ve painted it in the last 2 years. I think it attracts me because it’s so stark and minimalist against the bright blue sky. Sometimes painting pastel landscapes can be overwhelming because there is SO MUCH out there to choose from that it becomes difficult to focus. Every once in a while, its nice to approach a simpler, straightforward subject!

Pastel plein air painting of rocks along the Lake Michigan coast.

Pastel painting 6.5 inches x 8.5 inches   $100

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Back at Big Rock Point near Charlevoix. In early morning the trees cast shadows on the rocks that line the coast and create an interesting contrast to the bright sun on the water. When I sit in an an area like this to paint plein air pastel landscapes, I often think that this particular spot has looked just like this for hundreds or maybe even thousands of years. What an honor to spend a few hours recreating it in my own pastel style on paper!

Plein air pastel landscape painting of Lake Michigan coast

Pastel painting 8.5 inches x 6.5 inches   SOLD

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9 am, just north of Charlevoix and south of Petoskey. There is a sweet roadside park that I visit every year and every time I bring back a completely different landscape. Its one of those unique places where you can paint one scene, pivot 30 degrees, paint and equally beautiful view, pivot, paint, pivot, paint, etc.

Pastel paintings are especially good for this type of plein air work because they are relatively easy to set up and almost mess-free. (except the multi-colored dust all over your hands…and sometimes on your face!)

Plein air pastel landscape of a bridge and stream in Petoskey, Michigan

Pastel painting 8.5 inches x 11 inches $200

Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.

Last Friday, I set out to paint some cityscapes of downtown Petoskey, Michigan. But I got waylaid by this monumental bridge in the park below the main drag of the town. The sun streaming through the trees was gorgeous and the big old bridge was a perfect foil for the spring landscape. The mosquitos were horrendous but I managed to stick it out for an hour before I moved on to other subjects…