Pastel landscape painting of a road leading to an old barn in winter.

Pastel painting 6 inches x 9 inches     SOLD

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The warm sunlight and cool shadows on snow make it really fun to paint pastel landscape paintings from winter scenes. This barn, right down the road from our home, looks really stunning around 1 pm. in the afternoon. The sun creates a perfect highlight on the snow covered shed roof.

Busy day at our Ann Arbor advertising agency tomorrow, but Friday I’m hoping to start on another winter pastel painting.

If you have a chance, come by the opening for the Braun Farm show at My Favorite Cafe in downtown Saline on Friday night 7-9pm!

Pastel pet portrait painting of two sleeping cats.

Pastel painting 9.5 inches x 5.5 inches SOLD

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My friend, Peg, has the cutest little cats I’ve ever seen. They are siblings, very petite and just adorable. Although I’ve always favored dogs and have never been a big “cat person”, I’m a sucker for these two little devils. I asked her for some reference photos and thought this pose, with them cuddling together, would make the perfect dual pet portrait. I really enjoy painting animals in pastel and trying to capture their unique personalities.

Pastel landscape painting of a wandering creek in a grassy field in Michigan.

Pastel painting 11 inches x 14 inches    SOLD

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A couple of weeks ago, I found this small, meandering little creek while I was out walking. It just called out to be captured on paper.

I’m really excited about the pastel landscape painting of it that I finished last night. It closely approaches the original vision I had of the piece when I started out. Sometimes I have a very strong idea of how I want a completed artwork to look and yet it comes out totally different. Sometimes my ideas change midstream and I spark off that, other times I just can’t reach the original dream and have to hope for a better outcome on the next piece. On this pastel, I feel that all my artistic intuitions “played well together” and we came to a good conclusion!

Plein air pastel landscape painting of a distant farm from the autumn fields.

Pastel painting 10 inches x 8 inches       SOLD

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Some of the painters around Saline, Michigan are coming together to exhibit artworks of a special farm near our town. “Visions of Braun Farms” will be displayed in January and February of next year in downtown Saline. I have completed one piece, but on Sunday I thought I’d try another plein air pastel landscape painting of the beautiful old farm. The fields had all been plowed under and there was very little local color this late in November. But I was drawn to the buildings on the crest with the tractor tracks leading up to them. As I painted, a storm clouds appeared to be moving in so I included them to create a little drama.

9-canvas watercolor family quilt painting

9 separate watercolor portrait paintings.     Finished size 36″ x 36″.     Not for sale.

I’ve been working on this project for a couple of months–which is a very long time for me. I usually paint very quickly because I have absolutely no patience and I want instant gratification. Kind of like a child, no?

But this piece was important to me and worth the wait. These are portraits of 2 generations of my family–myself, 2 sisters, husbands and children. I plan to expand it to 16 watercolor portraits and add my mother, grandkids and new nephews as they marry into the family. But I wanted to have at least part of the quilt finished and mounted on the wall for our family Thanksgiving which will be at our house this year.

Because, after all, this IS what I am most thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!!!

(these 9 images were painted on the 12 by 12 inch watercolor canvas that has recently become available. I used only 3 colors throughout to harmonize all of the painting: alizarin crimson, utltramarine blue and cadium yellow medium. To finish and protect the paintings, I sprayed with Krylon finishing spray. No need for glass!)

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.

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

Pastel painting 9.5 inches x 6 inches       SOLD

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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…

Watercolor landscape painting of Seminary Ridge in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Watercolor painting      6 inches x 9 inches SOLD

I have a close friend whose son-in-law is a Gettysburg fanatic. I can totally relate. After our last visit there, I think I have become a life long devotee. The place is filled with awe inspiring history and emotion.  When you understand the story, and the horror, of those few days in 1863, it absolutely astounds you. My friend asked me to create a watercolor painting for her son-in-laws’s birthday and I was honored to do it. This watercolor commission recreates the view from Seminary Ridge, where the famous Pickett’s Charge began.

Plein air pastel painting of sunflowers in August.

Pastel painting 8.5 inches x 11 inches   SOLD

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Spent a lovely afternoon with my plein air group painting in one of our member’s garden on Wednesday. There were so many great views, I didn’t know where to start. I finally decided to zero in on her fence of sunflowers since I had never painted them in either pastel or watercolor before. I love doing flower paintings in sunlight because of the interesting light and shadow effects that occur. That’s what its all about for me…light patterns!

Off to work on my watercolor commission of Gettysburg!

Well…so much for no rain. It poured all day Saturday with just a few peeps of sunshine. But the intrepid plein air painters gutted it out and produced an amazing amount of really fine art. The reception at Tvedten Fine Art was wonderful and many works were sold to benefit the area’s Nature Conservancy. Including two pastel landscapes I did of Angell Farm! Great fun!

Watercolor landscape painting of Portofino, Italy

Watercolor painting      10 inches x 8.5 inches SOLD

I just delivered this watercolor commission to a woman who asked me to create it as a birthday present for her best friend. They had recently visited Italy together and she wanted this watercolor landscape to commemorate their trip. THey both loved Portofino, a beautiful Mediterranean port on the east coast. I worked from a photo she provided but made composition changes and simplified the scene a bit. She was really happy with it. Now I can’t wait to hear what her friend thinks about her surprise art present!

Pastel pet portrait painting of a chocolate labrador

Pastel painting 8 inches x 10 inches   SOLD

I delivered this pastel pet portrait painting to my client yesterday morning. I think she liked it. When she saw it she hugged me and got all “verklempfed.” There is nothing like creating a piece of art that really connects with the new owner. Absolutely makes my day!

I spent the rest of the day painting plein air pastel landscapes of the the countryside north of Ann Arbor and will post some of those images in the next few days.

Looking forward to the Saline Paint Out on Saturday, July 25th. We will paint all around the Saline area and then have a reception at the Two Twelve Arts Center from 4-6pm with the paintings available for sale.  If you are interested, contact Taylor Jacobsen at

salinemills@provide.net