Plein air pastel landscape painting of a small garden with path and birdhouse.
Pastel painting 5 inches x 7.5 inches $100
Although I am still knee deep in Italian paintings for my upcoming show, I am starting another fun project. A group of 12 Michigan plein air artists will be visiting 6 gardens in the Ann Arbor area to photograph and paint this summer and fall and next spring. Then in June, during the Ann Arbor Garden Walk, we will exhibit and sell some of the work we’ve done over the last year.
I visited one of our sites the other day, in the blistering heat, and did this small plein air painting. I took lots of photos to work from in my studio during the freezing winter months.
Plein air pastel painting of a path in a park in Michigan with a bridge in the distance.
Pastel painting 12.75 inches x 5 inches
I painted this scene in Gallup Park in Ann Arbor a couple of weeks ago (right after I jumped into the lake to save my first plein air painting of the day). I have been challenging myself lately to stop looking for the “perfect” subject matter for my pastel landscapes, and just paint what i see in front of me. This is probably not the type of scene I would have searched for, but I am pleased with the results. If you’ve seen much of my work, you know I like to work with odd shaped compositions. This extreme horizontal worked well for a panoramic-type view.
Plein air pastel painting of a bird bath in a spring garden.
Pastel painting 8.5 inches x 11.5 inches
Didn’t have time today for a full painting foray in the big world so I decided to do a pastel landscape right in my own backyard. Our bleeding hearts are in full show and I liked how they looked behind our birdbath. People were cutting grass and sawing wood all around me so this garden painting is much more peaceful than the actual experience of creating it was!
Plein air watercolor landscape painting of a footpath in Montana
Plein air watercolor painting 5 inches x 7 inches
I’m going out to Bonanza Creek in Montana this June! Beth and I are going to ride the hills with a great gaggle of cowgirls who are as excited as we are. I’ve been looking at new cowboy boots and dreaming of days on horseback. I’ll be bringing my watercolors and painting in the afternoons after our rides. This little plein air watercolor painting was done the last time I visited my sister in Dillon. Can’t wait to paint watercolor landscapes of the beautiful western countryside again!
Watercolor landscape painting of an old shed down a monastery lane in Italy.
Watercolor painting 7 x 10 inches SOLD
Please contact me if you are interested in this or similar artwork.
I’m back from 2 1/2 wonderful weeks of painting Italian watercolors in Umbria and Rome. I had the most fabulous time ever at La Romita, a small art school based at a 15c monastery just outside of Terni. The accommodations were quaint, clean and comfortable and every meal was new and delicious. The grounds were so beautiful, I could have painted there each day. But every morning at 8, the bus would pick us up and take us to a new hill town to explore. Assisi, Perugia, Todi, Orvieto, each one amazing in their own unique way. We had two wonderful instructors who encouraged us and helped us grow in new ways. If you every want an all-inclusive art experience in Italy, I highly recommend La Romita!!
I am saving most of the watercolor paintings I created on this trip for a solo show I will be having in the spring. But I sold one La Romita painting to my new friend Liz and have posted it today. This is the path behind the chapel that leads to the olive orchard. The sparkling light and flowers near the shed caught my fancy!
Plein air pastel painting of a curving bridge over a river.
Pastel painting 11 inches x 8 inches
This is a pastel landscape painting of the same Ann Arbor bridge that I posted a few weeks ago, just from a different vantage point. When we started painting around 9 am it was hot and sunny, but soon the sun went under the clouds and the view was completely changed. What was light became dark and what was dark became light. Its a common problem when you paint en plein air and the reason why it is important to get your highlights and shadows in early. In this pastel painting however, I “chased the light”. I kept my skeleton structure and simply shifted all of the values to match the new view in front of me.
Plein air pastel landscape painting of a path leading to a Lake Michigan beach near Charlevoix, Michigan
Pastel painting 8.5 inches x 11 inches
When I was painting the previous pastel landscape post, a man who was walking his dog came by to chat. Turns out he was a plein air pastel painter to0. And in yet another “small world” example, he also winters in Naples/Bonita Springs Florida, near where my husband and I spend time during the cold Michigan winter months. My new friend, Mike Coltman told me about some great art associations down south and also directed me up the beach a bit to a place that he likes to paint. I followed his directions and found this lovely scene to capture in pastel. Thank you, Mike!
Plein air pastel painting of a garden path and coral bells.
Pastel painting 11 inches x 5.5 inches $150
Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.
I sat on the deck the other morning a painted a pastel landscape of the new garden John planted last year. It’s coming up beautifully and every new plant is a luscious, colorful and welcome addition. He doesn’t think of himself as an artist, but I beg to differ!
Only a few days left: Spring Cleaning Sale through June 15th! Any small blog painting ($300 or less) on sale for 30% off! Please contact me directly for your special piece of art.
Plein air pastel painting of a path through a spring garden.
Pastel painting 9 inches x 5.5 inches $80
Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.
John has been doing some serious work on our back yard gardens over the last couple of weeks. They look better than ever. I did a quick pastel landscape sketch of one of them when I got off work the other day. In the afternoon, the light shining through the trees is just gorgeous. I’m looking forward to doing some floral pastels when everything comes into bloom!
Plein air watercolor landscape painting of a sidewalk pathway between buildings
Watercolor painting 10.5 inches x 6.5 inches $80
Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.
Sometimes i do a watercolor painting just to see if I can capture what I see in front of me. It might be a simple scene like this one, not really monumental or impressive. I remember someone telling me that you can waste an awful lot of time trying to find the “perfect” watercolor landscape view to paint. When in reality, an artist should be able to translate almost any scene into a piece of art. Plus, I know that its only through constant sketching and painting of the everyday things around me, that I improve my skills. In other words, its not so important that you paint drop-dead gorgeous subject matter, as it is that you just keep painting!
And extra note:
I was very excited to find out that I has a pastel landscape painting accepted into the Great Lakes Pastel Society National Show at the Dow Museum of Art and Science in Midland, Michigan. One of my goals this year was to enter more national shows. I find that competing with the country’s best artists forces me to constantly increase the quality of my work. Below is the pastel painting that will in the exhibit from May 8th through August 1st.
Pastel landscape painting of a path wandering through a snowy field
Pastel landscape painting of a path wandering through a snow covered field
Pastel painting 11 inches x 17 inches $650
Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.
Winter scenes are very intriguing to me. The white snow, with blue shadows and golden highlights, makes a great foil for other dark landscape elements in pastel paintings. Paths and riverbeds are especially strong elements to draw the viewer through the scene.
I wish I could say that I am strong enough to paint pastel landscapes outside in the winter. But the truth is: I am too much of a wimp to deal with the cold, wet weather to paint en plein air after November. So instead, I keep my trusty digital camera with me at all times. I shoot 5-10 photos for every view that entices me. Then, when I get back to the studio, I crop the photo I like best on my computer, and often subtract elements or add some from other photos. I keep fussing with the composition til it says exactly what I want. Then I sketch it on my paper. And THEN, the fun begins!
