Pastel landscape painting of a beautiful pond with autumn trees reflected in the water.

Pastel painting 11 inches x 17 inches     $650

Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.

One of my close friends, and a long time client at our Ann Arbor advertising agency, has created the most beautiful garden and pond on the land behind their home. They own an organic fertilizer company, Ocean Organics,  and use their chemical-free products to nurture nature and make it blossom in breathtaking ways. On a sunny day last fall, I took some reference photos to paint from later in my studio. This pastel landscape shows my favorite view of the pond and the small bench where you can sit and take in the gorgeous scenery.

Plein air pastel painting of a pond and reflections in the fall

Pastel painting 11 inches x 8 inches       $200

Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.

Today I braved the stores to get all the holiday gift purchases done and it was about 40 degrees when I finally got a chance to go out with my pastels in the afternoon. It was a little chilly but I thought I could handle it. Whoa. Within a half an hour my fingers were tingling and 30 minutes later, I could not feel them at all. But the sky was bright and the atmosphere crystal clear, so I kept on going. It took me a good hour to warm up. Who would have thought plein air pastel landscape painting could be such a dangerous sport?

Plein air pastel painting of a house and rolling lawn in late autumn.

Pastel painting 10 inches x 8 inches       $200

Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.

I was sure that my plein air days were over for this year but it looks like we will have another nice weekend. I’m planning to go out somewhere exotic for a long session tomorrow but this afternoon I found time to do a pastel landscape painting right from my own backyard.  Almost all the trees are bare but there are a few colorful leaves holding on.

I broke down and bought MORE pastels. Its like a sickness. I have to try all the brands and their different colors. This time I purchased a bunch of Great American pastels in shades that were not already in my collection. I had heard they had a wonderful creamy texture and they do! Its like painting with butter! I swear I am going to produce a cool tshirt that says, in huge letters: “Whoever dies with the most pastels wins.”!

Support a local artist in your community: Give original art for your holiday gifts this year!

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

Pastel painting 9 inches x 6 inches       $100

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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

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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 painting 5 inches x 7 inches $100  plus shipping

Please contact me if you are interested in this artwork.

Finally got over the creeping crud that our family had been dealing with for the last 2 weeks and have gotten back to painting! The beautiful fall colors have now faded and it is a little too chilly for plein air work, but I was able to shoot a lot of reference photos for studio work. This pastel painting is based on some shots I took on our town’s main street. It was early morning on a beautiful, clear day and the sun shining through the trees created some dramatic shadows.