Plein air pastel landscape painting of a shaded pond in the afternoon.
Pastel painting 8 inches x 11 inches
I’ve driven by this little pond a million times and each time, I swear I am going to come back and paint it. Well, I finally did it! The afternoon sun made all of the rich hues stand out and made a really colorful pastel painting.
I found it really challenging to capture the 3 dimensions of this scene: the water, the reflections and the things floating on the water. They all exist in a different plane and make for mind boggling concentration. And y’all thought pastel landscapes were easy… But sometimes it’s worth the trouble!
Plein air watercolor landscape painting of a pond and surrounding trees.
Watercolor painting 11 inches x 7 inches $150
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The other day, I grabbed my watercolors and trusty pooch and headed out to the pond near our house. Roxy loves to run free near the water and I can relax and sketch the scenery. It was a great day for a watercolor landscape. The sun was out and the wind was blowing the billowing cloud formations quickly across the sky. I had to paint quickly to catch the effects…
In the studio I am working on a commission of the cutest little pup. Can’t wait to show it to my client. Let me know if you have a special animal you would like immortalized in a pastel pet portrait!
Plein air pastel landscape of small cabin nestled in the woods, seen from across a lake.
Pastel painting 8.5 inches x 12.5 inches $300
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I found the sweetest little pond yesterday, off of Judd Road in Saline. It was hidden in a residential area and I almost passed it by. I set up my easel to do this pastel painting just as the owners came home from church. For the most part, I’ve found that people are very open to me painting on their property. They are often flabbergasted and pleased that an artist would find their property beautiful and worthy of a work of art. We all become so accustomed to our own surroundings and sometimes take for granted the gorgeous scenes around us. In this pastel landscape I wanted to capture the serenity of the little cabin tucked back in the woods and loved the long range view across the water.
Plein air watercolor landscape painting of a beautiful pond with a bridge reflected in the water.
Watercolor painting 10 inches x 6.5 inches $80
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The resort where we stayed had some really intriguing landscaping. I was especially taken with this little bridge over one of the many ponds on site. I sat on the shore and did this watercolor painting during the sunniest time of the day. I like to choose subjects where there is a strong focal point and I can let some of the other background images fall out of focus. When I do paintings of architecture I pay more attention to all of the structural details.
Plein air pastel landscape painting of a golf course hole and water
Pastel painting 8 inches x 12.5 inches SOLD
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I couldn’t resist the view of this hole at the Cork Screw Golf Course. I’m not sure if it was the “signature hole” but it made a great composition for my pastel landscape, I used a red toned sanded paper for my substrate and gloried in the lush greens of Florida. The snow was 2 feet deep in Michigan, so I was happy to play with bright colors.
If you or a friend have a favorite golf hole you would like commemorated, I’d be happy to talk to you about a pastel commission or watercolor commission!
Plein air pastel painting of small palms on a lake shore.
Pastel painting 8 inches x 11.5 inches $300
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I like to paint what I call “MicroLandscapes”. I find a scene that I really like and create an intensely cropped, “close up” composition of it. My RiverStones series is a good example of this type of subject matter. It’s a non-traditional way of looking at pastel landscapes, and one that fits my sensibilities very well.
I usually do these types of paintings in the studio, but when I was down in Florida, I thought I would make a plein air attempt. These palms were right on the edge of a pond and created a neat, abstract composition for my pastel painting.
I am starting a new series of “MicroLandscapes” and am using apple orchards as my subject matter. So far I really like the results. I’ll post them soon…
Plein air pastel landscape painting of a bright Florida bridge reflected in a pond
Pastel painting 8 inches x 12.5 inches $300
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This is another pastel landscape, that I painted on a piece of white art spectrum paper that had been underpainted with a rose- colored wash. Warm red is a great hue for outdoor painting because it is a natural compliment to the many shades of green that are found in most landscapes. Placing two compliments (opposites on the color wheel) close together creates a dynamic, vibrating feel in a painting. And although I know this theory from years of study, I sometimes forget it in the passion of getting all the gorgeous colors on the paper. If I underpaint before I start, I don’t have to be focused on adding reds to my greens…they appear on their own!
As a pastel artist, I try to keep the idea of contrasting compliments constantly in mind. For instance, if I want to paint a water scene, which is predominantly blue, I will often use an orange paper. Or if I am working on a pastel portrait with lots of golden tones, I might use a muted purple sheet.
Plein air pastel landscape painting of a single bird sitting on a rock formation near a canal in Florida.
Pastel painting 6 inches x 8 inches $100
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One morning when I was out looking for a place to set up for pastel paintings, I saw this neat rock formation along one of the canals near our condo. When I began sketching, a black water bird of some type landed on one of the large rocks–and stayed there for the next hour! It was if it was posing for me, so of course, I had to take advantage it! This a small pastel landscape piece, but I really like the painterly effect of the rocks…
Pastel landscape painting of a beautiful pond with autumn trees reflected in the water.
Pastel painting 11 inches x 17 inches $650
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One of my close friends, and a long time client at our Ann Arbor advertising agency, has created the most beautiful garden and pond on the land behind their home. They own an organic fertilizer company, Ocean Organics, and use their chemical-free products to nurture nature and make it blossom in breathtaking ways. On a sunny day last fall, I took some reference photos to paint from later in my studio. This pastel landscape shows my favorite view of the pond and the small bench where you can sit and take in the gorgeous scenery.
Pastel painting of palm trees reflecting in a pond on Sanibel Island, Florida
Pastel painting 8 inches x 10.5 inches $200
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Another “travel” pastel landscape painting from one of our visits down to Florida. Sanibel Island is one of our favorite places down south. This is the view from our back window, right after a fish surfaced in the pond.
We had a wonderful southern vacation and a fantastic holiday. Now it is time to get serious in the studio. I have a whole pile of sketches ready to be made into full-blown pastel paintings and I can’t wait to get at them!
Plein air pastel painting of a pond and reflections in the fall
Pastel painting 11 inches x 8 inches $200
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Today I braved the stores to get all the holiday gift purchases done and it was about 40 degrees when I finally got a chance to go out with my pastels in the afternoon. It was a little chilly but I thought I could handle it. Whoa. Within a half an hour my fingers were tingling and 30 minutes later, I could not feel them at all. But the sky was bright and the atmosphere crystal clear, so I kept on going. It took me a good hour to warm up. Who would have thought plein air pastel landscape painting could be such a dangerous sport?
Pastel landscape painting of woods reflected in the water along a river bank.
Pastel painting 10 inches x 10 inches $450
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This pastel landscape captures the place where Roxy and I go for walks every so often. The river wanders through this natural preserve in Saline and, at every curve, there is an awe-inspiring vision to paint! I am a sucker for reflections. They just draw me in every time. Plus, they are a useful tool in my quest to loosen up. I think I am definitely getting there on this pastel painting.
I’m working on a new watercolor portrait series right now. There will be at least 9 in this group and possibly 16. 3 are done. When I have a few more completed, I’ll post some.
