Beach beauty

Studio painting time again. I've done a couple in the past few weeks, here's one of my favorite Hawaiian subjects. This was on the beach in Maui right next to where I stayed last time, pointing toward Molokai. Double outrigger canoe? Not sure what they call it. This is a high-gloss version of what the Hawaiian's used long ago.

Beached outrigger, oil, 12" x 24"

Into the Harbor

While vacationing at Portage Lake in Michigan this past summer, some friends sailed up from Muskegon. They were headed farther north with their next stop being Frankfort. My wife took them up on their offer to sail along and I drove ahead to paint and meet them for dinner. I went to one of my favorite spots, a bluff in Elberta, where I've painted looking south before, but not north. So I faced the harbor channel and watched for them to come in. It was beautiful weather when I started, but rain was approaching. I had about an hour-and-a-half to get this done before a drizzle began. Not sure if I actually saw their boat, but enough of them came by for reference.

Into the Harbor, oil, 12" x 9" SOLD

A small mountain

One early morning in the dunes I found this sand mound to paint. With the light to the east and the sky blue, it made great long shadows. After observing the shapes and roughing it in, I thought it really was like painting a small-scale mountain—about ten feet high. Instead of monumental cliffs with piles of rubble along the base, it was all sand held together mostly by the roots of dormant grasses struggling against the elements to hold their ground.

We may not have the Rockies here in the midwest, but it's still picturesque.

Sand Peak, oil, 10" x 10"

Testimony to Being

Swedish Covenant Hospital in Chicago is hosting their annual "Healing Art" show, this years theme: Testimony to being. My entry is a little different from my usual style. Looser and more from my commercial illustration background. My take on the theme was kind of a universal concern, "What effect do I have on my world and what I will leave behind as a testament that I was here?" I would like to think that my career in art, design, and illustration have had some positive impacts and that my paintings will provide some lasting pleasure to some. But I think the most important proof that I was here are my children. This is my son who just turn 16.


Peter, mixed media on paper, 28" x 22"

More plein air in the sand

I was in the dunes last week and up at the Glenn Arbor Art Association's member show which I had a couple of pieces in. Last of the great summer-like weather I'm afraid. Almost 80 degrees, warm for October.

Point Betsie, at the southern end of the National Lakeshore, is known for it's lighthouse (which I've painted before), this is the view north from there.
Beach at Point Betsie, oil, 9" x 12"

This big pine overlooks Sleeping Bear Bay. That's South Manitou Island in the distance.
Glen Haven Pine, oil, 16" x 11"

On Empire Bluffs looking toward Sleeping Bear.
Oil, 12" x 10"

New painting, new gallery

If you've followed my blog or looked at my website, you may have noticed that I have an affinity to a couple of locations for painting. I grew up in Michigan and summers by the northwest shore are an ingrained part of me. The dunes and lake are always calling. Within a half-day drive I can have my easel in the sand and a beautiful coastal view in front of me.

I'm not sure how the same affection happened with Hawaii, but after my first visit about 25 years ago, I was hooked. It's not just the warm weather and beautiful beaches, you can find those in other places. I love the warmth of the people, the music, the culture, and of course, the island views.

I have had my work in a couple of Michigan galleries for a few years, and I'm happy to say I am now represented in Hawaii by Village Galleries of Maui. With locations in Lahaina and Kapalua, they are Maui's oldest gallery.

A great place to paint on the south end of Kaanapali Beach is the Lahaina Canoe Club. They have a good collection of colorful outriggers and interesting views. I have painted en plein air there a couple of times and now this just completed en studio piece is on it's way to Maui.

At the Canoe Club, oil, 18" x 18"

Sleeping Bear Point

I painted over the weekend at Sleeping Bear Dunes again. In case you didn't hear, it was named by viewers of Good Morning America as "The most beautiful place in America." Some local residents weren't too pleased at the influx of tourists this brought, but businesses were.

I stood up in the dunes looking north toward South Manitou island for this painting. With the sky clearing after a stormy morning, the views in every direction were beautiful. I felt like I was on the edge of heaven. The Fall colors are starting to show-up in the trees now, and hopefully will peak when I'm back there in a couple of weeks for the Glen Arbor Art Association member show. I'll try to capture some of that on canvas then.

From Sleeping Bear Point, oil, 11" x 14"