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 painting of a winding, colorful river in Bellaire, Michigan
Pastel painting 8 inches x 11 inches
The last of my pastel landscapes from Northern Michigan. I stopped in Bellaire, at an old dam site, and saw this beautiful river scene. Like many other plein air pastel painters I’m a sucker for dramatic water views. But they can be somewhat difficult to capture on paper. The light and shadows on the water are constantly changing and creating interesting areas to paint. I find that if I stare at the scene for a bit and solidify in my mind what really attracted me to the view, I have a better chance of succeeding. In this case, the striations of color rippling through the water really stood out for me…
The Ann Arbor Women Artists have a wonderful exhibit showing now at the Riverside Arts Center in Ypsilanti, Michigan. I was honored to have 2 pieces accepted. The artist reception is July 9th from 7-9pm. Please stop by if you can!
Plein air pastel landscape painting of a path leading to a Lake Michigan beach near Charlevoix, Michigan
Pastel painting 8.5 inches x 11 inches
When I was painting the previous pastel landscape post, a man who was walking his dog came by to chat. Turns out he was a plein air pastel painter to0. And in yet another “small world” example, he also winters in Naples/Bonita Springs Florida, near where my husband and I spend time during the cold Michigan winter months. My new friend, Mike Coltman told me about some great art associations down south and also directed me up the beach a bit to a place that he likes to paint. I followed his directions and found this lovely scene to capture in pastel. Thank you, Mike!
Plein air pastel landscape painting of trees along the Lake Michigan beach near Charlevoix.
Pastel painting 8.5 inches x 11 inches
The weather was perfect when we were “up north.” I was wandering along the Lake Michigan coast near the Charlevoix lighthouse and saw this colorful scene peaking through the trees. It was early morning and the light on the field and lake drew my attention. It seemed like a good view for a pastel landscape so I opened up my trunk and painted from my mobile studio. That’s one of the things I love about pastels: very easy to work on the road!
Plein air pastel landscape painting of light streaming through the woods near a river in Saline, Michigan
Pastel painting 6 inches x 9 inches $100
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Another one of my pastel landscapes from Wellers a couple of days ago. The light bursting through the trees was almost psychodelic and had to be captured in pastel! Linda and Karen were out at the mill painting too, each working on a different scene. Its nice to have some buds to create art with. I really enjoy watching how other plein air artists approach their subject and how they use their chosen medium. There are always so many new things to learn!
Spring Cleaning Sale through June 15th! Any small blog painting (under $300) on sale for 30% off! Please contact me directly for your special piece of art.
Pastel painting of an extreme close up of ripe apples on a tree in the fall.
Pastel painting 25.5 inches x 12.5 inches $850
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I’m continuing to work on my new series of orchard pastel paintings. Although I really enjoyed creating in a square format for the first two works, I felt that a horizontal composition might work better. I started with some photographs I had taken last fall. I cropped the image tightly in photoshop, added some apples, took out some leaves, and generally fussed with the elements till I felt that they made a pleasing composition. The color palette is very similar to the first paintings, but completely unlike the actual photo. I pushed the vibrancy in some areas and toned it down in others. I figure that photos are great for reference, but that I have no responsibility to copy them exactly…
Plein air watercolor landscae painting of trees in a Carolina Marsh
Watercolor painting 6.5 inches x 10 inches $80
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We just got back from a week in North Carolina. We stayed in a touristy area without many inspiring views. But one day I got a chance to walk out in the marshland and did a watercolor painting. I’d really would have liked to spend more time in the wild outdoor areas–as opposed the the wild college spring break areas–but I’ll have to do that on our next trip down. I did this watercolor landscape in the morning when the sun had just risen a bit in the sky.
Pastel landscape painting of a winter river through the trees.
Pastel painting 10 inches x 10 inches $450
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I’m continuing on with my winter river obsession in my current pastel paintings. Last weekend, John and I traveled west and south of Saline, shooting good research photos that I could work from back in the studio. We stopped at every little stream and creek and now I am flush with new ideas!
I am working on putting together a series pastel landscapes which all have Michigan rivers, streams and lakes as their subject. Hopefully later next year, I will mount a solo show of these artworks. Stay tuned!
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.
Gouache plein air painting of a sunlit birch tree.
Gouache painting 4 inches x 6 inches $80
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I have been experimenting with another watercolor painting medium called gouache. It is similar to watercolor in that it contains a pigment suspended in water, but it is more concentrated and opaque. You can even layer white or pastel colors to highlight and create a thicker texture. In watercolor, it is necessary to leave the white of the paper showing through to create a highlighted area. I find that gouache is a kind of cross between acrylic and watercolor.
I painted this landscape painting in our back yard. When I saw the light hitting the tree limbs against the dark pines in back, I thought it would make an interesting composition. I didn’t really use the qualities of qouache for this piece–its more like a traditional watercolor painting. But stay tuned. I have plans to take this new medium on our next trip and explore it more fully.
Plein air pastel painting of a house and rolling lawn in late autumn.
Pastel painting 10 inches x 8 inches $200
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I was sure that my plein air days were over for this year but it looks like we will have another nice weekend. I’m planning to go out somewhere exotic for a long session tomorrow but this afternoon I found time to do a pastel landscape painting right from my own backyard. Almost all the trees are bare but there are a few colorful leaves holding on.
I broke down and bought MORE pastels. Its like a sickness. I have to try all the brands and their different colors. This time I purchased a bunch of Great American pastels in shades that were not already in my collection. I had heard they had a wonderful creamy texture and they do! Its like painting with butter! I swear I am going to produce a cool tshirt that says, in huge letters: “Whoever dies with the most pastels wins.”!
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