Pastel portrait painting of a young mother and her son at the ocean.

Pastel painting 10 inches x 13 inches   SOLD

My collector has given his wife this portrait painting for Christmas, so I can finally post it without spoiling the surprise! He called me on Christmas day to tell me how much she liked it…and how she cried when she opened the package. What a joy to make someone happy by making the art I love to make. Another part of my life that I am very thankful for.

I hope you all have a wonderful new year!

This artwork was created with:
Paper: Kitty Wallis White Pastel Paper
Medium: Rembrandt Pastels and Sennelier Pastels

Plein air watercolor landscape painting of a sailboat at a dock.

Plein air watercolor painting    6 inches x 9.5 inches

This  plein air watercolor landscape is painted on plastic yupo paper. I tend to go back and forth between that and more traditional Waterford. I get frustrated with one paper and technique and switch to the other. Yupo lets me paint more like an oil or acrylic painter. The paper doesn’t absorb the paint and gives a completely different effect.

Pastel landscape painting of a light-filled afternoon on the Lake Michigan coast.

Pastel painting 14 inches x 10 inches

Still deeply focused on my new set of paintings of Italy. I turn Andrea Bocelli music waaaaay up and sing in Italian as I paint. It’s actually pretty embarrassing but it seems to be working for me…

Every once in a while I have to take a break and do some pastel paintings of different subjects. Northern Michigan is one of my favorite places on earth and the gorgeous scenery always calls to me. This pastel landscape shows a little cove that I have painted many times, between Charlevoix and Petoskey along Lake Michigan. I’ve stopped at various times of day and this water scene always inspires me. On this piece I worked mainly with my Great American pastels. They are square and flat like Terry Ludwigs, and great for working loosely and eliminating unnecessary details.

I just ordered a 100 new Terry Ludwig pastels with the gift certificate award I received for my marsh painting in The Pastel Society of North Florida’s National Exhibition. I am excited but overwhelmed by the prospect of adding MORE pastels to my already huge collection. I should be set for life!!!

Don’t miss the Artist Reception for the Saline Plein Air Painters Exhibit at My Favorite Cafe in Saline. Friday, 7-9pm, 101 South Ann Arbor Street.

Plein air pastel landscape painting of a Lake Michigan Beach near Charlevoix

Pastel painting 11 inches x 8 inches

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

Right near the Charlevoix light house on Lake Michigan, there is a beautiful pristine beach. Most of the bathers swim near the park area and this sandy stretch stays relatively empty. I sat under one of the  covered picnic areas and painted this pastel landscape in the shade.  I liked the simple, bold and dynamic composition of this scene. While I was setting up, two old advertising friends from Ann Arbor strolled up, hundreds of miles from home. I tell ya, its amazing how we are all connected in this big old world…

Plein air gouache landscape painting of an approaching storm over the ocean in Florida.

Gouache painting 6 inches x 9 inches $100

Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.

Although we had wonderful weather on our trip, one day a huge storm moved in toward our island. I sat on our deck and tried to get the feel of the turmoil in a gouache seascape. It was dramatic for a while, but luckily the storm only created a short, refreshing rainfall. Since gouache is opaque, I was able to overpaint the waves in white to highlight the gazebo on the shore.

Plein air watercolor painting of colorful sailboats on the beach

Watercolor painting 6 inches x 9 inches 100

Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.

I saw these colorful sailboats on the beach every day and finally one morning, I braved the sand and wind to do several  watercolor paintings of them. The vibrant primary colors really shimmered in the bright sunshine.

Plein Air watercolor painting of fishing shacks in the Harbor at Woods Hole on Cape Cod.

Watercolor painting 9 inches x 6 inches       $100

Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.

Another quick watercolor painting from our Cape Cod trip. This little shack looked like it had a bunch of “renovations” over the years, each time in a new style and color…

Plein air watercolor painting of the harbor at Woods Hole on Cape Cod

Watercolor painting 6 inches x 9 inches       $100

Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.

Last week, I, my sisters, and a stray husband or two traveled out east to Cape Cod and Boston. I had high hopes of painting the old historic architecture and quaint villages. But there was so much to see and we were moving fast. I did get an hour to do a few watercolor landscapes when we stopped at Wood’s Hole on the cape. Most of the penninsula was deserted but this little town, known for its Oceanographic Institution, was bustling. The gang stopped for coffee at a cool little shop and I stole a few minutes on the harbor…

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 landscape painting of water reflections beneath a dock and boat.

Pastel painting 12 inches x 18 inches

Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.

This is the second pastel landscape in a series that I’m doing on water reflections. I’m really enjoying zeroing in on this “micro landscape” and exploring color and composition within a restricted space.  I especially like the way the rocks slowly recede into the water in this piece.

The first pastel in this series will be available at my new gallery in Harbor Springs in August. Tvedten Fine Art is a wonderful gallery filled with amazing art by Michigan and national artists. I am so pleased to be joining these talented artists including Margaret Tvedten, the owner and artiste extraordinaire!