Pastel floral painting of a pot of fading geraniums on a table.

Pastel floral painting   18  inches x 18 inches

I’m heading down south looking for some warm weather and it reminded me of the plants and flowers I love to paint. This floral pastel hits close to home. Ever year we buy potted geraniums to adorn our deck and every year, right around August, they start to loose their luster. I actually find them much more interesting when they are crumbling and on their way out, than I do when they are all perky and pristine. I really liked the close, cropped composition of this piece, and was especially taken with the bold stripes of the chair in the background.

This artwork was created with:
Paper: Terra Cotta Art Spectrum Pastel Paper
Medium: Rembrandt Pastels and Sennelier Pastels

Plein air pastel landscape painting of a flower urn along a garden path.

Pastel painting 9 inches x 12 inches

Another pastel garden painting! This property is amazing. It has every type of garden you can imagine. Formal shaded areas, large sunny meadows, wild flowers, wooded trails and creekbeds. Everything a Michigan plein air artist could hope for. I’ve painted on their beautiful grounds quite a few times and am starting to feel like one of the family. I always knock on the garden owner’s door to let them know I will be wandering their property. Its too creepy otherwise.

There was so many views to consider, it was almost overwhelming. I settled on this “small” scene since it was so hot and I knew I would not be able to take the heat for more than an hour or so. Plein air painting is not for sissies!

Plein air pastel still life painting of an elk skull, flowers and stone wall.

Plein air watercolor painting   6. 5 inches x 10 inches

The lodge at Bonanza Creek is comfortable and inviting. It’s surrounded on one side by a stone wall with western paraphernalia arranged among the rocks. One day, after riding, I decided to do what I rarely do: a watercolor still life. Granted, the elements are a little different from the usual apples, lemons and wine bottles. But it seemed appropriate for this Michigan artist visiting Montana!

Plein air pastel floral painting of a pot of begonias in the sun.

Pastel painting 6 inches x 8 inches

Quick sketch of newly planted begonias on our back deck. They made such a bright and hopeful subject, I just couldn’t resist doing a flower pastel painting of them!

Hope you all have a sunny, happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Pastel painting of sunlit cascading geraniums on a stair step.

Pastel painting 18 inches x 18 inches $800  (Giclees are available)

Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.

I’ve been working on this large (for me!) floral pastel painting for about a week now and I THINK it is finally finished. I really wanted to capture the feeling of bright sunlight hitting the flowers against the cool shade of the building.I’m hoping to have this piece placed in one of my galleries by the summer season. (Unless, of course, it sells right off the blog or website!)

I just purchased a new set of Sennelier colors and I am like a kid in a candy shop. Unfortunately the mounds of pastels are starting to take over my studio. But not to worry. I truly believe the saying: “whoever dies with the most pastels wins!”

Pastel painting of a pot of geraniums on a sunny deck.

Pastel painting 6 inches x 8 inches $80

Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.

This pretty arrangement was sitting on my daughter’s inlaw’s deck and I just had to do a couple of pastel paintings of the explosion of color. Glenn Lake is in the background. The light was so strong it almost made the colors look psychidelic–just like they should in mid summer! I used a limited palette from my plein air pastels and concentrated on light and shadow, my favorite part of any floral painting.