Northwest Travel Series

Inspired by the autumn season, this 11x14 inch acrylic painting has been added to my Northwest travel series inspired by my recent road trip. There are several in the series that have been added to my Etsy shop where I sell my small format original paintings. Hope you will stop by and check out my paintings of fields and trees. You can view a larger version of this painting here.

Last of the Sunsets

After a glorious summer, the rains have returned to the Pacific Northwest. A severe windstorm that toppled trees, days of dark gloomy skies, and lots of shower activity mark the return to the usual weather pattern. It makes me glad that I painted some summer sunsets because they remind me that the weather won't always be gray. Today's painting is the last of a trio of 11x14 inch oil painting on stretched canvas. The paint is almost dry, so the original will be available in my Etsy Shop soon along with some miniature sunsets in smaller sizes. Reproductions are available from my print shop. Check out my Sea Gallery for more West Coast Seascapes, boats, and ocean creatures.

Blue Skies at Night

This painting was conceived a last week while visiting the Pacific coast. As I watched the sun go down, the clouds turned rose and deep purple. The wonderful colors inspired the painting in this season of beautiful sunsets. The original oil painting was developed on an 11x14 inch stretched canvas with professional grade oil paints. Reproductions are available here in my print shop. The original will be for sale in my Etsy Shop as soon as the paint is dry.

Beach Time

Just got back from a week at the beach where I spent a lot of time studying the sky and the clouds and the local way of life. The result is a series of paintings featuring clouds, sky, and sea. It was a wonderful experience and I was able to participate in what the locals call, "Beach Time." From what I've discerned "Beach Time" is a relaxed attitude that isn't overly concerned about time. Things get done when they get done. Usually there is no rush. Hurry is a foreign thought. Thus, lots of time observing the environment. This painting was created in oils on an 11x14 inch stretched canvas. When the paint is dry, the original will be available in my Etsy Shop, where I sell my small format originals. If you are in a hurry, reproductions on paper or canvas are available from my print shop, here.

Collage Exploration

Recently my art has moved away from traditional subjects to the abstract.  This is my usual cycle.  I love to paint representationally, especially with oil paints, but inevitably, I need a break.  This is when I move to the abstract.  I like to explore new techniques and work with old media in new ways. This image is a mixed media collage that I recently finished.  It incorporates paper, ink, pencils, and paint. Arranging paper shapes, embellishing with other media, and piling layer upon layer eventually results in a composition that I find pleasing.  This image is one of a current series I am working on. I am exploring different grounds and have made some great discoveries.

This image was created on an 11x14 inch mixed media paper by Strathmore.  It is 140 lbs with a vellum surface and works better than most of the others I have tried so far.

Reproductions of this image are available from my website, here, or by clicking on the prints tab at the top of the page where you can select abstract work from my galleries.

Evergreen Sentinel

Recently, while walking the dog, I meandered toward a proud Evergreen. The lone fir tree stood tall in the middle of a meadow. It was strong and grizzled having apparently withstood wind, rain, and snow without the support of any other trees. As the breezes tossed its branches and the sun made it sparkle, I knew I had to paint the fellow. I loved the texture and color of the bark and the multitude of greens apparent in its branches. After I finished, I was glad to have taken the time to capture the portrait of this soldier.  The painting is 11x14 inches on stretched canvas and was created with oils. The original painting is available for purchase here at my Etsy shop.  Reproduction fine art prints are available in a variety of sizes on paper and canvas at my website here.  

In the Mist

As those of you who follow my blog know, I've been on an abstract kick for a while now.  What can I say, the paint takes me where it wants to go, but recently I moved back to oils and landscape painting.  This 11x14 inch painting was the result.  I was working on creating depth, trying to create that feeling of the background receding.  It was nice for a change.  Change seems to come around whether we are ready for it or not.  Reproduction prints of this painting are available for purchase here.  If you are interested in the original, contact me here by clicking on the contact link. 

Story of the Red Fish

This red rock fish emerged from my canvas late one evening as I was spattering paint.  It began with a big swath of color; some yellow, some blue, some red.  The paint dried and I stared at it for a long time.  I rotated the canvas and stared some more.  The yellow and blue and pooled together creating a deep, rich green, but the red just stood alone and grumbled.  The next morning the faint outline of a fish began to talk to me.  It said, "Give me an eye."  With a little help from my brush and some yellow paint, an eye appeared.  Then the spots, then the fins. Eventually the fish said, "Thank you," and I put my brush down.

Visit here to learn more about this abstract fish painting.

Underground

One of the things that I really like to do when creating is to combine representational and non-representational work.  At the top of this canvas is a landscape, but the foreground became the underground where flower petals, mud, roots, and all kinds of structures took over.  It was fun to mixed it up with color, texture, and design.  The painting was created using acrylic paint on an 11x14 inch canvas.  Contact me at smallimpressions@hotmail.com if you are interested in purchasing the original.  Greeting cards and fine art prints on canvas, paper, and metal can also be purchased here from my website.

Playing with Color; Playing with Texture

This is one of my recent adventures with color and texture.  It was fun blending colors, shapes, and texture.  When I started it wasn't clear where the painting was going to go or what would be created, but I am pleased to say that this is the result.  The work is 11x14 inches on a stretched canvas.  Fine art prints are available for purchase at my website, Nancy Merkle Fine Art.

Abstract Chicken Painting

This abstract chicken painting is the result of a recent journey in experimentation with acrylic paints.  I've always painted in oils and that has been my paint of choice, but it does have draw backs.  It takes a long time for the paint to dry.  If a painter fusses too much, the colors become muddy.  There are health issues associated with many of the chemicals used, but I've always been more comfortable with oils.  I guess because using oil paint was a very early and pleasant experience in my life.  However, as you may have noticed if you keep up with my blog, I've been doing a lot of work in acrylics.  Acrylics also have disadvantages, but for me the biggest one has always been that they dry too fast.  But, since I discovered the Stay-Wet palette, that issue has disappeared. With that obstacle out of the way, I've discovered some wonderful advantages that are starting to steal my heart.  If a painting doesn't turn out like I like, I just paint over it.  I can fuss and fuss and fuss, and if the colors get muddy, wait a few minutes, the paint is dry and I can start all over again.  So this chicken is the third painting I've done on the same canvas.  The first two were ugly disasters that I freely covered.  No wasted canvas, no regrets and a wonderful texture covers the canvas.  I love this abstract chicken. I've nurtured him, and now he is finished.  Both the original 11x14 inch painting and prints in several sizes on several surfaces are available for purchase.  Visit here for details and a larger image.

Red with Green

Today's 11x14 inch oil painting is a study in green, but to avoid a monochromatic result, I tossed a few red apples.  When the weather gets damp and ugly, I love to sit in my studio with the radio on and paint still life subjects.  This one is for sale and can be purchased from either my Etsy Shop or my Daily Paintworks Gallery. 

Apple Harvest

In my backyard I have a funny little apple tree.  When we first bought the house, the previous owner claimed it produced five different kinds of apples, but they all look the same to me--green and underdeveloped, or red and bug eaten. The tree grows like crazy and every year we are hacking away at over grown branches.   This 11x14-inch oil painting was inspired by a recent apple harvest. Too bad they don't taste good. You can purchase this painting or view it in a gallery by clicking this link. There are more of my still life fruit paintings at Fine Art America.

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11x14, American Painting, Apple Harvest, Apple Painting, Apple Still Life Painting, Autumn Painting, Contemporary Fruit Painting, Green Apple, Kitchen Art, Kitchen Decor, Kitchen Painting

Coming Soon

Fall is coming; the days are getting shorter, and it won't be long until we start to see the autumn colors.  This 11x14 gallery-wrapped painting was created with the season in mind. The original painting has been SOLD, but reproductions are available here. You can see more autumn landscape paintings at Fine Art America.

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11x14, Abstract Landscape Painting, Autumn Afternoon, Autumn Painting, autumn river, Autumn Trees, Canvas, Contemporary Painting, Fall Painting, fall trees, Gallery Wrapped Canvas, Lake and Trees Painting, Landscape