Red Hibiscus

Another small one, 6" x 6". This along with Laguna View, were juried into the Randy Higbee Gallery 6" Squared show in Costa Mesa, CA. They are doing a cool thing using traditional plein air frames, but "floating" the art in the opening. Carol Marine, who is also in the show, has some samples posted on her blog.

Small works

While working on a large commission, I'm taking breaks to do a few small pieces for an upcoming small works show I'm entering.
This one was done in reverse of the usual plein air to studio progression of small location work to larger studio painting. A few years ago I did a 12" x 16" plein air painting of this scene in Laguna Beach. I was never quite happy with it, so here is a cropped-in, smaller version I just finished. Maybe I'll get to a big version someday too.
Laguna view, oil, 6" x 6"

The season has changed

Our leaves have almost all fallen now here is Illinois. And our reprieve from cold is about over. More studio painting now. I started this one after returning from my trip to Michigan last month.
Autumn Birch, oil, 20" x 30"

A beach up north

Here's studio piece I just finished from summertime references I'd gathered.
Shoreline perspective, oil, 18" x 18"

Pine study

I've had a large painting in mind for a while of a big pine, so I did this little study for practice. The white pines around the Greatlakes are not your average conical, christmas conifers. Most are very asymmetrical, sometimes poking out of the woods, branches extended toward the light. Or out in the open, growing up being shaped by the prevailing winds. I love the unpredictability of them. This one is on the edge of the beach reaching north toward Sleeping Bear Bay.
Late day pine, oil, 12" x 7"

At Good Harbor

I was up in Glen Arbor, MI, this past weekend for the G.A. Art Association's member show (I sold two out of the three painting I had in the show). Perfect fall weather. Blue skies, 70+ degrees and peak fall colors. I did some exploring along the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore and ended up at Good Harbor Bay. Miles of deserted beach lined with pines of all sizes.
Toward Good Harbor, oil, 9" x 12"

A studio piece

Working from sketches and photos from my spring trip up north, I recently finished this in the studio. It's nice to make time to work larger and I enjoy working with non-standard proportions. To me the shape of the canvas should fit the subject, not the other way around. This will be in the Glen Arbor Art Association’s upcoming member show.

Springtime by the shore, oil 36" x 12" SOLD