Pastel painting of Queen Anne's Lace in a meadow in Michigan.

Pastel painting 10 inches x 10 inches   $450

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A couple of weeks ago, I went out to the Matthaei Botanical Gardens to photograph the flowers that were blooming. I snapped a few interesting photos, but the surrounding meadows, teaming with Queen Anne’s Lace, really grabbed my attention. I’ve done a few pastel paintings of wild flower fields lately. I like the randomness of the blooms blowing in the breeze. They seem so pure and free and make dynamic flower paintings. To me, they are a gorgeous and perfect symbol of late summer in Michigan.

The Ann Arbor Pastelists are having a reception for our new show at Mallet Creek Library in Ann Arbor on Friday night. Please stop by from 6:30-8:30 pm to see amazing works from talented pastel artists!

Pastel painting of the reflections of a boat and dock in harbor water.

Pastel painting 12 inches x 18 inches   $650

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I’m really excited about this new series I am starting. Reflections in water have always fascinated me. They are so transient and illusive and yet they can create lasting memories of place and time. I also like the “abstract” composition that reflections create.

I decided that this would be a perfect new pastel landscape or seascape subject to explore thoroughly in an extended series. I thought about attempting it in watercolor, but realized I will have much more control of the outcome in pastel.

I’ve been thinking about the possibilities of this exploration for a long time, and, now that I’ve finished one, I can’t wait to start the next one!

Pastel painting of freshly cut lilacs in a vase with sunlight streaming in.

Pastel painting 11 inches x 14 inches   $600

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Every year our backyard bursts out in purple and lavender blooms to herald the coming of spring. I love lilacs almost as much as hydrangeas so I decided to paint the ever present vase of them on our kitchen table. But, like most of my work, the real subject of this  pastel painting is light. The way the sunlight streamed through the window and lit up the vase was the real attraction for me.

Pastel painting of fading geraniums in front of an old house.

Pastel painting 10 inches x 14 inches   $600

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This pastel painting is an unusual combination of floral and landscape. I was wandering around downtown Louisville, in a neat historic section, when I ran into these fading geraniums. When I noticed the old, historic home in the background, I thought their juxtaposition would make an interesting image. I get all worked up about the way we treat our cities, trashing or abandoning whole neighborhoods in our rush to expand into the vanishing open areas. This piece was a bit cathartic for me. Ahhhh…. I feel better now!

BTW: If you get a chance, check out Tony Moffits blog. He puts out very useful and interesting information about art marketing. He featured my art work today in his blog and he also has a great site for artists looking for gallery representation. He graciously included me in his artist group on this site also.

Plein air pastel landscape painting of Lake Michigan coast

Pastel painting 8.5 inches x 6.5 inches   SOLD

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9 am, just north of Charlevoix and south of Petoskey. There is a sweet roadside park that I visit every year and every time I bring back a completely different landscape. Its one of those unique places where you can paint one scene, pivot 30 degrees, paint and equally beautiful view, pivot, paint, pivot, paint, etc.

Pastel paintings are especially good for this type of plein air work because they are relatively easy to set up and almost mess-free. (except the multi-colored dust all over your hands…and sometimes on your face!)

Plein air pastel landscape of a bridge and stream in Petoskey, Michigan

Pastel painting 8.5 inches x 11 inches $200

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Last Friday, I set out to paint some cityscapes of downtown Petoskey, Michigan. But I got waylaid by this monumental bridge in the park below the main drag of the town. The sun streaming through the trees was gorgeous and the big old bridge was a perfect foil for the spring landscape. The mosquitos were horrendous but I managed to stick it out for an hour before I moved on to other subjects…

Plein air pastel painting of the Lake Michigan coast near Charlevoix, Michigan

Pastel painting 6.5 inches x 8.5 inches   SOLD

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We are just back from an absolutely wonderful trip “up north”, as we Michiganders say. My husband and I and 4 other dear friends spend 3 or 4 days each year in the Charlevoix area. The boys play golf, some ladies shop, I paint, and we all eat way more than we should at 4 and 5 star restaurants. Pure Heaven!

I did quite a few plein air watercolor and pastel paintings and will be posting them here over the next few weeks. This pastel landscape was done on the coast, just south of the lighthouse, near downtown Charlevoix. And in another one of those “small world” stories that seem to happen so often, the cottage I painted in front of is owned by 2 painters. They came out to chat with me and it turns out that they run a local plein air painting organization! Of all the cottages up north, I plant myself in front of one filled with the creative energy I seek….very cosmic…..

Pastel painting of a rushing river

Pastel painting 12.5 inches x 25.5 inches SOLD

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Another in my continuing RiverStone pastel series–but this seemed to take a bit of a different turn than the others. Its inspired by the rushing waters in Montana’s creeks in the spring after the winter thaw. But it also reminds me of northern Michigan rivers. Bright, crisp and clean. I’m currently working on some new floral pastels, this time inspired by our own back yard treasures!

Pastel painting of a mill reflected in the river

Pastel painting 8 inches x 11 inches $300

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YAHOO!!!! Finally nice enough to get outside to do plein aire work in Michigan! It was a stunning 82 degrees today and all of the grasses and trees are turning green. I stopped by Curtis Park in Saline and happily set up my supplies among the dog walkers to paint this pastel landscape of our local mill. Its no longer functional, but Wellers has become THE spot to have your wedding or private party. The grounds are beautiful and are adjacent to the park.

Its supposed to be cloudy tomorrow but I might brave the weather for some watercolor landscapes plein aire…

Pastel portait of an young soldier.

Pastel painting 12 inches x 18 inches $200

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This week’s model was a handsome young man who had just signed up for military service. His pose seemed very strong and assured for someone so young. It was a 2 hour pose so I had time to layer color and build up a textured surface on this pastel portrait. I worked on leaving some of the drawing loose and unfinished so the viewer’s eye would be drawn to the soldier’s chest and face.

Pastel painting of a Lake Michigan cove

Pastel painting 10 inches x 10 inches $450

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Its been a while since we have traveled “up north” but the landscapes there are always on my mind. We visit the Charlevoix area every year in May and are looking forward to our trip this year. This pastel painting captures the rough surf and lakeside terrain between Petosky and  Harbor Springs. It was a cold, dark and windy day–not the usual sunny scenario so often depicted in tourist magazines. But that was the very reason it inspired me. When I paint, i often think about what the landscape looked like hundreds of years ago. Maybe the early indians saw this very same view….

Pastel Painting of winding River in Montana

Pastel painting 4.5 inches x 7 inches $80

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This little pastel landscape is a flash from the past for me. For 4 or 5 summers in a row, I traveled to Montana to ride horses like a crazy woman with my sister Beth. The views are absolutely astounding,  and looks very much like it must have centuries ago. I fell in love with the countryside and did a lot of pastel and watercolor paintings of the area.

My sister loved Montana so much that she moved there as marketing director of a international quarter horse outfit. She subsequently created the best western saddle website in the world. check it out!