Pastel landscape painting of a summer sky filled with cumulus clouds in Michigan.

Pastel paintings   18.5  inches x 15 inches

Ever since I was little I have kept my eyes to the skies and have reveled in the millions of compositions, colors and textures that happen there every day. It has always been a goal of mine to tackle some pastel landscapes where the focus is on clouds and light, not on the land below. This is my first large-scale studio attempt inspired from photos I took last summer when I was painting en plein air. I learned a lot on this one and plan on learning more in the sky studies to come!

This artwork was created with:
Paper: Burgundy Art Spectrum Pastel Paper
Medium: Rembrandt Pastels and Sennelier Pastels

Plein air pastel landscape painting of cumulus clouds over a riverbank.

Pastel painting 11.5 inches x 18 inches

I was on my way to portrait class last week, but it was a gorgeous Michigan summer day and I just couldn’t stand the thought of being cooped up inside. I decided to do a plein air painting instead. The clouds were huge and the wind was pushing them across the sky at a steady clip. It reminded me of the Big Sky of Montana. I set up for a pastel landscape at Gallup Park along the riverbank and painted as fast as I could. I don’t usually use Canson paper for landscapes but it was all I had with me and I had to go with it. Over the years, I’ve learned to be a very adaptable Michigan plein air artist!

This artwork was created with:

Paper: Canson Mi-Tients Steel Gray Paper
Medium: Rembrandt Pastels

Pastel landscape painting of a light-filled afternoon on the Lake Michigan coast.

Pastel painting 14 inches x 10 inches

Still deeply focused on my new set of paintings of Italy. I turn Andrea Bocelli music waaaaay up and sing in Italian as I paint. It’s actually pretty embarrassing but it seems to be working for me…

Every once in a while I have to take a break and do some pastel paintings of different subjects. Northern Michigan is one of my favorite places on earth and the gorgeous scenery always calls to me. This pastel landscape shows a little cove that I have painted many times, between Charlevoix and Petoskey along Lake Michigan. I’ve stopped at various times of day and this water scene always inspires me. On this piece I worked mainly with my Great American pastels. They are square and flat like Terry Ludwigs, and great for working loosely and eliminating unnecessary details.

I just ordered a 100 new Terry Ludwig pastels with the gift certificate award I received for my marsh painting in The Pastel Society of North Florida’s National Exhibition. I am excited but overwhelmed by the prospect of adding MORE pastels to my already huge collection. I should be set for life!!!

Don’t miss the Artist Reception for the Saline Plein Air Painters Exhibit at My Favorite Cafe in Saline. Friday, 7-9pm, 101 South Ann Arbor Street.

Pastel painting of a close-up view of ripe apples on a tree in autumn.

Pastel painting 25.5 inches x 12.5 inches    $850   (Giclee prints are available)

Spent a bit of time in the studio this week to finish up a pastel painting that has been languishing on my easel for months. This is part of my Orchard Series that I started early this year.  I’ve finished 4 of them so far and am really happy with the results.

As some of you may already know, I am obsessed with what I call “micro landscapes”– extreme closeup views of various scenes in nature. (See my RiverStones and TreeScape Series) I like painting recognizable subjects that are cropped so tightly, they almost become abstract in composition. I hope to add 4 or 5 more paintings to the series this year. The first two will be exhibited in an exhibit at Tvedten Fine Art beginning in late July.

Watercolor painting 8 inches x 5 inches $100 + shipping

Please contact me if you are interested in this artwork.

I’ve been a little under the weather and not painting much this week. Thought I would post a watercolor landscape that I did on one of my last plein air forays in late sumlmer. This is a typical farm spread out in our neck of the woods: rolling hills and patchwork fields. The sky is what really attracted me and I tried to capture it boldly with as few strokes as possible…

Watercolor painting 10 inches x 7 inches $200 + shipping

Please contact me if you are interested in this artwork.

Back from a great week in Hawaii! We stayed on the big island near Kona and saw lots of unbelievable scenery. I didn’t get a chance to paint as much as I’d hoped but I’ll post a few of the plein air landscapes that I managed to fit in between Mai Tais. This white sand beach was rimmed with black lava formations and the blue sea crashed against them to make crisp white foam. A painter’s dream…

Watercolor painting 5 inches x 8 inches $100 + shipping

Please contact me if you are interested in this artwork.

Another plein air watercolor from my wanderings in the countryside. If you position yourself on high ground, Washtenaw Counties rolling hills make for beautiful subject matter!