Plein air pastel landscape painting of a barn and other farm buildings.

Pastel painting 9 inches x 6.5 inches   $100

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Another  plein air pastel landscape of the farmlands around Saline, Michigan. I painted this one in the late afternoon again, waste deep in a field of wheat. It was a great location except for the millions of bugs that almost ate me alive. And of course, I forgot my bug repellant!

I’m so excited about the 4 commissions I am working on this month! I will be posting a few of them in the next couple of days.

And, (oh my god!), I’ve joined the twitter nation. If you liked to follow my tweets, catch me at http://twitter.com/jillwagnerart

Have a great 4t of July weekend!

Plein air pastel landscape of a farm and fields of spring wheat in late afternoon

Pastel painting 8 inches x 10 inches   $200

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When I paint from life outside, I usually set out in the morning. For a change, I decided to try some pastel landscapes in the afternoon light. For plein air painters, morning and afternoon are the prime times because of the lovely yellow-orange light and the great shadows at those times of day. I found this luscious field of spring wheat south of town and set up all of my equipment on the side of the road. Quite a few people stopped by to chat and one woman asked to take my photo while I was painting. Turns out this is her favorite view and she has taken photos of the scene every month or so to catalog the seasonal changes. I was happy to oblige but darn it! I forgot to ask her if she would like a pastel painting of her favorite spot!

Plein Air watercolor of a pot of geraniums along a wall in a garden.

Watercolor painting 6 inches x 9 inches SOLD

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One more plein air watercolor painting of our friend’s garden. These geraniums were perched jauntily on the garden wall and caught the bright sunlight perfectly. I especially liked the way they blooms were highlighted against the dark red maple in the background.

Plein air watercolor landscape of a brick walk wandering through a garden.

Watercolor painting 5.5 inches x 9.5 inches $100

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Another watercolor landscape of our friend’s beautiful garden. I spent a good 4-5 hours exploring and painting the different views in this backyard treasure. One of the owners is a Master Gardener and has been kind enough to share her special knowledge with my gardening husband. Little by little, with her help, our own backyard is becoming a painting paradise, too! Soon, I’ll be able to create watercolor and pastel paintings of gardens without leaving home.

Plein air pastel landscape of the bridge in Charlevoix, Michigan

Pastel painting 11 inches x 8.5 inches   $200

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I painted this pastel landscape from the balcony of our hotel in Charlevoix. The bridge lifts every hour or so to let boats pass between Lake Michigan and Lake Charlevoix. It causes quite the traffic jam but is an important part of the community and facilitates the boating tourists who visit. The psychodelic blue paint and the reflections below caught my interest. A great subject for the strong colors that are possible with pastels!

Pastel plein air painting of the Charlevoix lighthouse in midday sun.

Pastel painting 8.5 inches x 11 inches   $200

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This lighthouse is like a magnet for me for some reason. This is the third time I’ve painted it in the last 2 years. I think it attracts me because it’s so stark and minimalist against the bright blue sky. Sometimes painting pastel landscapes can be overwhelming because there is SO MUCH out there to choose from that it becomes difficult to focus. Every once in a while, its nice to approach a simpler, straightforward subject!

Pastel plein air painting of rocks along the Lake Michigan coast.

Pastel painting 6.5 inches x 8.5 inches   $100

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Back at Big Rock Point near Charlevoix. In early morning the trees cast shadows on the rocks that line the coast and create an interesting contrast to the bright sun on the water. When I sit in an an area like this to paint plein air pastel landscapes, I often think that this particular spot has looked just like this for hundreds or maybe even thousands of years. What an honor to spend a few hours recreating it in my own pastel style on paper!

Watercolor painting of a Victorian cottage in Bay View, Michigan

Watercolor painting 6 inches x 9 inches $100

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Another one of the historic Victorian cottages at Bay View, Michigan. While I was doing this watercolor painting, the owner of the cottage came out to take a look. Turns out she and her husband lived in Ann Arbor for 3 years when they were in college and have many fond memories of their time in our part of the state…

Watercolor plein air painting of a cottage in Bay View, Michigan

Watercolor painting 6 inches x 9 inches $100

Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.

When I was up north last Sunday, I decided to ditch the pastels and concentrate on watercolor landscapes for the day. I visited the small community of Bay View near Petoskey, Michigan. I’d always admired the beautiful Victorian cottages in this gorgeous little enclave, but, as I wandered around I discovered that there was a small, historic campus nestled in among the summer homes. The community was started in the 1880s as a Methodist retreat with educational programs.

I didn’t “get religion” but I did meet some very nice people. And I was more than happy to spend a few quiet hours under the trees painting beautiful, historic architecture!

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 $100

Please contact me if you are interested in similar artwork.

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…..