Pastel landscape painting of a summer sky filled with cumulus clouds in Michigan.

Pastel paintings   18.5  inches x 15 inches

Ever since I was little I have kept my eyes to the skies and have reveled in the millions of compositions, colors and textures that happen there every day. It has always been a goal of mine to tackle some pastel landscapes where the focus is on clouds and light, not on the land below. This is my first large-scale studio attempt inspired from photos I took last summer when I was painting en plein air. I learned a lot on this one and plan on learning more in the sky studies to come!

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

Pastel landscape painting of a path in the hills of Umbria, Italy.

Pastel painting     6  inches x 6 inches  SOLD

This little pastel painting of Italy is from the front of the La Romita monastery in Umbria. A wonderful, little bus would come and pick us up here every morning to take us out to exciting new explorations. Very good memories for me!

This year marks a real transition for me. After years of a fulfilling career in advertising, I have sold my agency to my partners and am moving on to become a full-time artist. I’ve reached some of my goals during these last 12 months, including winning an award in the Pastel Society of America Show, and organizing, painting and exhibiting over 45 paintings of Italy at a well attended show. (30 of the artworks are off to new homes!) But the best part of this journey for me is the process. I hope to spend many years painting en plein air and in the studio, stretching my skills and finding new joy in art.

During this holiday season, I reflect on how much I have to be thankful for in both my personal and my art life. I especially appreciate the people who take this journey with me and follow my blog. Thanks so much for your continued interest! Happy holidays and may you have wondrous and art-filled New Year!

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

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 landscape painting of an old Michigan farmhouse in the sunlight.

Pastel painting 11.5 inches x 8.5 inches

Yay! This Michigan artist is finally smiling! We actually had sunshine here on Saturday. I did my usual plein air thang and wandered the back roads til I found something that caught my eye. I was yearning for bright light and shadows and this old farmhouse did the trick. I love doing paintings of architecture – especially historical buildings. The owners told me his home was built in 1847 and it’s still a gorgeous structure. After I finished this pastel landscape, I drove for an hour looking for another spot, not wanting to waste the sunshine.  Somehow I ended up back at home, painting at the pond in our subdivision. Go figure.

Plein air pastel landscape painting of light streaming through the woods near a river in Saline, Michigan

Pastel painting 6 inches x 9 inches     $100

Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.

Another one of my pastel landscapes from Wellers a couple of days ago. The light bursting through the trees was almost psychodelic and had to be captured in pastel! Linda and Karen were out at the mill painting too, each working on a different scene. Its nice to have some buds to create art with. I really enjoy watching how other plein air artists approach their subject and how they use their chosen medium. There are always so many new things to learn!

Spring Cleaning Sale through June 15th! Any small blog painting (under $300) on sale for 30% off! Please contact me directly for your special piece of art.

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

Please contact me if you are interested in this artwork.

I think this is my favorite Treescape pastel painting so far. I really liked being able to capture the light filtering through the leaves of the tree. It has almost an abstract feel to it yet you know exactly what it is. This should be available at one of my galleries soon and I am working on a couple more in the series.