Plein air gouache landscape painting of an approaching storm over the ocean in Florida.

Gouache painting 6 inches x 9 inches $100

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Although we had wonderful weather on our trip, one day a huge storm moved in toward our island. I sat on our deck and tried to get the feel of the turmoil in a gouache seascape. It was dramatic for a while, but luckily the storm only created a short, refreshing rainfall. Since gouache is opaque, I was able to overpaint the waves in white to highlight the gazebo on the shore.

Plein air watercolor painting of colorful sailboats on the beach

Watercolor painting 6 inches x 9 inches 100

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I saw these colorful sailboats on the beach every day and finally one morning, I braved the sand and wind to do several  watercolor paintings of them. The vibrant primary colors really shimmered in the bright sunshine.

Watercolor landscape painting of Portofino, Italy

Watercolor painting      10 inches x 8.5 inches SOLD

I just delivered this watercolor commission to a woman who asked me to create it as a birthday present for her best friend. They had recently visited Italy together and she wanted this watercolor landscape to commemorate their trip. THey both loved Portofino, a beautiful Mediterranean port on the east coast. I worked from a photo she provided but made composition changes and simplified the scene a bit. She was really happy with it. Now I can’t wait to hear what her friend thinks about her surprise art present!

Pastel landscape painting of water reflections beneath a dock and boat.

Pastel painting 12 inches x 18 inches   $650

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This is the second pastel landscape in a series that I’m doing on water reflections. I’m really enjoying zeroing in on this “micro landscape” and exploring color and composition within a restricted space.  I especially like the way the rocks slowly recede into the water in this piece.

The first pastel in this series will be available at my new gallery in Harbor Springs in August. Tvedten Fine Art is a wonderful gallery filled with amazing art by Michigan and national artists. I am so pleased to be joining these talented artists including Margaret Tvedten, the owner and artiste extraordinaire!

Plein air pastel landscape of a sunlit lake near Douglas, Michigan

Pastel painting 9 inches x 6 inches   $100

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Yesterday I drove over to the west side of Michigan to drop off 7 new watercolors to the gallery that represents me in the Saugatuk-Douglas area. Button Gallery has recently taken over the huge gallery space where Petter Gallery operated for years. They have refreshed the art and created a gorgeous space to explore paintings and sculpture. It feels almost like a museum only friendlier. They don’t currently have a website but you can find information on them here: http://saugatuckdouglas.com/button.htm

While I was there, I stopped in the quaint, arty town of Douglas and did this quick plein air pastel landscape of Kalamazoo Lake near the end of Main Street. The sun shining on the water intrigued me and the water lilies and weeds made for some interesting texture.

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!

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 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 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….