Birch trees

To me birch trees are a symbol of northern Michigan. Along with White Pines, you see them wherever you drive up there. I painted these one afternoon in July standing on the side of a hill above Portage Lake. It got rather uncomfortable after a couple of hours and I lost the light so it went unfinished till now.
Above the lake, oil, 16" x 9"

My last painting with birch trees was North M 22. It's now available as a limited edition giclee print from Les Sirenes Gallery (a gallery I've just started exhibiting with in Frankfort, MI), MacBeth & Co. in Onekama and Glen Arbor, or from me.

Sleeping Bear Bay

Had a great day in Glen Arbor, MI on Saturday for the paint-out. Perfect weather, beautiful views. I arrived just in time to paint, so I didn't have time to search out new locations, and went right to a spot I'd seen last year: Thoreson Farm. It's a historic property that is now part of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The farm is on a bluff overlooking the bay. I went with the intention of painting the farm house, but walking around I found this view and couldn't resist. I'll save the farm house for the studio.
Sleeping Bear Bay morning, oil, 11" x 14" SOLD

A barn

One more from Wisconsin. The last day of the plein air event I had about an hour-and-a-half before the opening reception so I set-up across the road from this barn. I'd driven by it several times trying to figure the best angle to paint from. But with just a short time to fill, I just started-in to get something down. If I go back sometime, I think it would be an interesting composition to do a wider version and include the crossroad.
Barn at the corner, oil, 6" x 8"

I have been traveling a lot in the last month, family trips to Michigan, England, and California. I got a few paintings done and a few more that need a little studio touch-up, so I'll be posting them as I can. This weekend it's back to Michigan where I'm participating the Glen Arbor Art Association's plein air paint-out and show on Saturday.

Shuttle in Her Hand

A just released book that I had the pleasure of designing and illustrating. Published by The Swedish-American Historical Society, it's a novel about a young Swedish woman in the early twentieth century, who's skill as a weaver brings her to a new life in America. The original is oil on canvas panel, 12" x 9".

Summer vacation

Our annual trip to Michigan for a week at Portage Lake. Summer as it should be. Relax and do what you want. My son chose to read by the water. I chose to do a little painting.
Summer Reading, oil, 6" x 8"

Cedarburg Creek

I'm just back from a week in Michigan but haven't had time to photograph the paintings I did. Here's another from a couple of weeks ago. A quick one, about an hour-and-a-half before the light was gone and it started to rain.
Water over the rocks, oil, 8" x 10"

Clover

Another one from Cedarburg. I found this field of clover at the end of a road while driving around. A beautiful morning to spend out in the country painting for a couple of hours. My idyllic scene made more-so by a doe and her fawn trotting by--too quickly to include. Also, here's a picture of the show opening at the Cedarburg Cultural Center. Two of my paintings just to the right of the woman, top and middle.
Clover field, oil 8" x 10," SOLD