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.

Little tricks of the trade…

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.

Plein air pastel landscape painting of Pond Farm near Harbor Springs, Michigan.

Pastel painting 9 inches x 6 inches   $350

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This is the 3rd plein air pastel landscape that I painted for the nature conservancy paint out a couple of weekends ago. Pond Hill Farm is a beautiful working farm off 119 run by a local family. They sell all sorts of produce and meat and even have a little cafe on site. This piece is available at Tvedten Fine Art in Harbor Springs and 20% of the proceeds will go to the conservancies in Northern Michigan.

Pastel painting 12.5 inches x 25.5 inches $800 + shipping

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With fall colors starting to take over, I had to do one more summery piece. I just finished this 4th pastel painting in my Treescape series. I called it “Breeze” because it reminds me so much of the sunny day up north with the leaves rustling in the wind. We were up near Petoskey and Harbor Springs and I was struck by how clean and clear the colors were, especially the new leaves which had just come out.

Watercolor painting 10 inches x 7 inches $200 + shipping

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This is the little lagoon directly behind the Kona Shore watercolor landscape painting I posted a couple of days ago. It looked absolutely prehistoric and untouched but it was actually right next to the snorkel and boat rental cabin. The Big Island of Hawaii is full of extreme contrasts: barren black lava fields and lush green rain forests; poor, native houses and luxurious, expensive resorts; hot, humid temperatures and cool mountain breezes…

Pastel painting 5 inches x 7 inches $100 + shipping

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My sister Beth has just moved back to Michigan after living in Montana for 4 years. I loved to go out to visit her every year and ride horses like a wild woman and paint to my heart’s content. It truly is one of the most beautiful places on earth. This is a pastel painting from one those trips to scenic Beaverhead County.

This one’s for you Bessie…Welcome Back!

ps. if you are interested in a fantastic saddle site, check out www.westernsaddleguide.com and if you love personalized jewelry try www.sorellajewelry.com. These are 2 of Beth’s sites and they are both fantastic!