Pastel landscape painting of sunlight shining through the woods.

Pastel paintings   12.5 inches x 25.5 inches each  $850   (giclee prints also available)

I’ve been painting and framing Italy paintings for so long that I started to miss working on some of my other series. For one of my first new works, I decided to delve back into my Treescape pastel paintings. This piece is hot off the easel! I’ve always loved the atmosphere and sparkling light in deep forests…it feels almost magical…and is an enticing challenge to capture in pigment on paper.

My Treescape series has been popular with both individuals and corporations–especially health care organizations. I’m not sure, but I think they have a soothing effect that is beneficial for both harried business people and worried patients. I love that fact that my art has a positive effect on people…. ahhhhh….!

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

Plein air pastel painting of water lilies about to open in the morning.

Pastel painting 13.5 inches x 9 inches

I’d never painted a water lily before last month. Suddenly, I am in love with them and can totally understand why painters through the ages have been drawn to them. Every leaf is interesting and unique and the bright flowers create a perfect focal point. But my favorite part is the endless variations of how sunlight hits the surrounding water, creating highlights and deep shadows.

The Naples Botanical Gardens has a huge variety of water lilies in their many themed “rooms.” I spent a few Tuesday mornings working on floral paintings there. This is the only pastel painting I did, but I experimented with quite a few watercolor versions.

Watercolor still life painting of a single orange and shadow.

Watercolor painting 9 inches x 6 inches

A very simple piece today. This week I have been spending my studio time working on a set of large paintings of Umbria and haven’t done many small pieces.

This is another still life painting from my work shop in Italy, painted on Waterford cold press paper (my favorite!). Below is a painting of oranges that I posted a while ago, done at the same time, of the same oranges, but on Yupo plastic paper. You can see that the paper has A LOT of affect on the final outcome of painting. If you want to control the outcome, it s very important to have a vision before you start painting and choose your paper accordingly. If you don’t need total control, experiment with different substrates!

Still life watercolor painting of two oranges.

Watercolor painting 11 inches x 9 inches

When I was in Italy, one of our instructors, Fritz Kapraun, encouraged us to paint some of the local flora of the region. He has a wonderful way with watercolor and inspired us all. There was a lovely orange tree on site and a few of us tried painting the fruit on our studio days.

I painted this watercolor painting on Yupo paper. I love the “serendipity” of this surface. You can’t really control what will happen with the paint on Yupo. It puddles and congeals in ways that you can’t imagine ahead of time. You just have to go with the flow and relinquish your ability to direct the outcome. Something that is very liberating for a control freak like me…

Pastel painting 10 inches x 10 inches   SOLD

Please contact me if you are interested in this artwork or a commission.

I decided to take another look at the beautiful old oak tree that was my subject in the Treescape pastel painting I posted on December 20th.  I love the how strong, yet ancient it looked out there in the field all alone. Instead of focusing on its strength and texture, I wanted to show its “separateness” in this piece so I chose a square format that allowed more of the receding landscape to show. I really find it fascinating how the same subject can inspire different approaches.

Pastel painting 12.5 inches x 25.5 inches $850   (Giclees are available)

Please contact me if you are interested in this or similar artwork.

I just put the finishing touches on this new pastel painting in my Treescape series. This old oak is down near the pond in our neighborhood. I always notice it when I walk along the water with Roxy, so, early one morning in August, I took a bunch of research photos. It is such an ancient, impressive specimen, I couldn’t resist callling it Forte!

Pastel painting 12.5 inches x 25.5 inches $850   (Giclees are available)

Please contact me if you are interested in this artwork.

With fall colors starting to take over, I had to do one more summery piece. I just finished this 4th pastel painting in my Treescape series. I called it “Breeze” because it reminds me so much of the sunny day up north with the leaves rustling in the wind. We were up near Petoskey and Harbor Springs and I was struck by how clean and clear the colors were, especially the new leaves which had just come out.

Pastel painting 18 inches x 18 inches $850  (Giclees are available)

Please contact me if you are interested in this artwork.

One last Hydrangea pastel painting to see summer off. I really fell in love with these flowers this year, and when the next crop matures, I will explore them further. We are having a beautiful falI, but I probably won’t get in a lot more plein air painting. It’s serious studio time now. I think I will focus on my pastel Treescape series….