Bloedel Reserve

Near the Sheep Shed

4x6 Oil on Canvas

Through the Birch Garden

4x6 Oil on Canvas

Last week I had the pleasure of an invitation to visit Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island in Washington State. What a treat! I took hundreds of photos and enjoyed every beautiful moment of the adventure. Above are a couple of little oil studies I completed after returning home. I created several others, but the paint is still wet and difficult to photograph. These studies will serve well as notes for creating some larger paintings in the future. Can't wait! I better order some more canvases.

Curator's Pick

Winter Road

16x16

Oil on Canvas

The exciting news this week is that my painting, Winter Road, has been selected as a Curator's Pick at Ugallery.  This is a very special honor and I was thrilled to learn of the selection. The square format oil painting was inspired by the colors of winter and the contrast of light and dark on a snowy road. Blue and brown provide a delightful combination of warm and cool colors and remind me of many winter trips down remote forest service roads of the Pacific Northwest in pursuit of winter adventures. The original painting has been sold, but reproduction fine art prints are available from my print shop in the Landscape Gallery.

Art is Good For You

It is a pleasure to know that some of my recent landscapes have been featured in the Art is Good for You Group on Fine Art America. This one was inspired by the beautiful lavender fields near Sequim, Washington in the Northwestern region of the United States where I live. The painting was created with professional grade acrylic paints on a 12x12 inch stretched canvas. Prints are available from the Fine Art America website, here.

Road Trip Inspiration

After spending almost three weeks on the road, I have finally made it home and am back in my studio painting. It was a wonderful trip, but I missed creating art with a brush and paint. This painting was inspired by the beauty of open spaces found across the North American continent. Changing light, huge open spaces, and agriculture that feeds the world were a part of the drive and a big part of my most recent inspiration. The original painting was created on an 18x24 inch stretched canvas with professional grade acrylic paints. Right now it is only available as a reproduction. I want to hold on to the original for a while. I may eventually offer it for sale, but for now it will hang on my wall at home and remind me of my most recent adventures.

Broken Top Mountain

Winter Sunset Discovery

Several years ago I won a basic set of Winsor Newton Griffin Alkyd Oil Paints in an art competition, but I never used them. They sat in the closet forgotten until this past week when I was  packing for a trip to the coast. On the spur of the moment, I threw them in my suitcase along with a few canvases. The box was small and didn't take up much room unlike my collection of acrylics and regular oil paints. Later in the week, I pulled them out. With only three primary colors and white, I began to paint. The paint was smooth and creamy and had a consistency just like my regular oils. It was fun and I enjoyed it, but the best part was that the paint was dry by the next morning. I couldn't believe it. I have painted with regular oils for years, waiting days, even weeks for the paint to dry. It was always a challenge to paint when travelling. Many times I just left my paints at home rather than lug wet panel carriers and all my usual paraphernalia. From now on, when I travel, these will be my paints of choice. The above painting was created on a 9x12 inch stretched canvas using my favorite new paints. Reproductions are available here on paper or canvas. For now I am going to hold on to the original, but I may eventually sell it in my Etsy Shop along with some of my other small format paintings.

Stormy Afternoon Landscape Painting

Second in my recent series of little landscape paintings is this 8x10 oil on stretched canvas.  It was inspired by one of those rare stormy summer days when the wind is blowing, the rain is pouring, and then the clouds part and the sunlight streams down giving a little glow to the world.  The original will eventually be listed in the Barns and Buildings section of my Etsy Shop.  Fine art reproduction prints and posters are available from my website, here.  I hope you will stop by and take a look.

From Portland

Today's painting was inspired by recent travels from Washington State to Central Oregon.  As travelers move across the Columbia River into Oregon, Mount Hood begins to watch over all.  The original painting was created on an 8x10 inch canvas, but with the marvels of modern digital photography, fine art prints up to size 28x30 inches can be created.  To view the different sizes and surfaces on which this painting can be reproduced, visit this link.  You can view more oregon landscape paintings at Fine Art America.

Meadow Pines

A Central Oregon meadow and a cluster of pine trees was the inspiration for this 8x10 inch oil painting. The original painting is for sale at my Etsy Shop.  Visiting this link will allow you to view it in the shop or make a purchase.  Some of my other original tree paintings are also still available; just click here.

Landscape In Acrylic

Today's painting is unusual for me in that it is not painted in oils, my usual media.  This painting was done using acrylic paints.  They  have never been my favorite because of the quick drying time.  It always seemed that the paint was dry before I could take it from the palette to the canvas, but recently I tried a Masterson Sta-Wet Palette.  It was ideal!  There is a sponge the size of the palette that is topped with some kind of special disposable palette paper that is dipped in water before using it.  With the damp sponge and paper,  the paint stayed wet and manageable like never before.  It was wonderful to paint an entire 16x20 inch painting in a few hours.  I didn't have to wait for an under painting to dry and if something didn't please me, I could paint over it in just a few minutes.  Love it!  I may start painting with acrylics a little more frequently now that I have my wonderful new palette.  Click on the Fine Art America link to purchase prints of this painting or visit here.

Looking Toward Spring

Outside the temperature is hovering in the thirties.  I can't complain too much, at least it isn't raining, but it is the delight of spring that is capturing my dreams.  This 6x8 inch painting was inspired by the thought of days of spring and fresh country air.  Can't wait for a little sunshine.  The painting is available for sale in my Etsy Shop.  You can view it or make a purchase here.