Dawn of a New Summer, Oil on Linen, 18x24 (SOLD)

revised 8/25/12

This is a studio painting roughly based on a plein air painting I did in March called Dawn of a New Spring. For me, a painting is successful if you get the sense of the temperature and humidity of the day. The Spring painting was done on location while we were still in a drought. There was no snow and the grasses showed no sign of life. The clouds burned off minutes after sunrise and everything faded to beige. I wanted the studio painting to feel much warmer and wetter than the earlier painting. To me, it looks like it's either going to rain, get really hot, or both.

Dawn of a New Spring, Oil on Linen, 12x16

March, 2012

Restoration at Dawn, Oil on Linen, 16x20

This prairie restoration is close to where I live. Judging by the height of the plants, I'd say there was a controlled burn less than two weeks prior to when I painted this. I'm looking forward to visiting this site throughout the growing season. 16x20 is a pretty large plein air painting for me so I painted on location for 2 short sessions on consecutive mornings. The first morning, I covered the canvas and captured the strafing light on the hill crests in record time. The second morning, there was a haze in front of the sun but I was able to witness this beautiful sunrise sky and work on the shadowy foreground detail. Still there was more refinements needed in the studio.

Relief from the Heat, Oil on Linen, 16x12

I've never been a big fan of  paintings of posed models. I prefer paintings of people doing natural things. You'll see people as small components in my paintings because that is what I can capture quickly on location. A couple little dabs and viola–a person off in the distance. I am working on my first studio painting in quite some time where people are the focus of the painting.

Who's Your Friend? Oil on Linen, 9x12

This was painted a couple months ago, but I got busy and never documented it. I love the colors of winter. The sun is low in the sky all day, giving off those golden rays that in the summer are limited to dawn and sunset.

Bottoms Floral, Oil on Canvas, 11x14

Yet another painting from several years ago with a complete overall. I'm really having fun with these old paintings.

Thank you everyone who stopped in for a visit during the Saint Paul Art Crawl. If I didn't get an opportunity to talk with you, or you'd like a chance to see the work without distractions, send me an e-mail. I'd love to hear from you.