Exhibit of My Paintings at Art Beat of Hayward

I have been busy in my studio this year creating paintings for the upcoming exhibit at Art Beat of Hayward. It has been an enjoyable and creative period as I continue to explore a variety of still life subjects. I will be exhibiting 26 paintings ranging in size from 6" x 6" to 36" x 24". Here are a few of the paintings in the show.

The exhibit opens on Saturday, August 3, 3:00 - 5:30 and it closes on September 3, 2024. Art Beat's business hours are: Tue - Sat, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

If you're enjoying August in northern Wisconsin, stop by Art Beat in downtown Hayward!

Stripes & Sunflower
36" x 24", Oil on linen panel

Coffee Break
16" x 16", Oil on board

Melons with Chinese Pot 
11" x 14", Oil on linen panel

Zinnias & Shadows
16" x 12", Oil on linen panel

Winter in the Studio

 It's been a tough winter in northern Wisconsin with almost twice our average snowfall. Everything outside is white. Luckily, I can retreat to my studio and paint subjects with lots of color. Here are some of the paintings I recently delivered to Lizzards Gallery in Duluth.

"Oranges & Tea"
18" x 14", oil on linen panel

"Apple, Pan, Bottle"
12" x 12", oil on linen panel

"Pair of Pears"
6" x 6", oil on board

"Pear Slice"
6" x 6", oil on board

"Nasturtium Diptych"

Each Painting is 6" x 6", oil on board   SOLD

Painting Large

The past months have been filled with travels and visits to family and friends. It has been great to connect with everyone. It has meant a little less time in the studio, but I still love to paint. I'm back in the studio. Inspired by my mother's large paintings, I'm working on some large canvases as well as smaller sizes. I've been studying the interior/still life paintings of Bonnard. "Blue Chair" was inspired by his work. I even included a cat!

"Blue Chair"
40" x 30", oil on wrapped linen canvas  SOLD

"Lilacs & Lemons"
16" x 20", oil on linen panel

"Winter Nocturne"
14" x 11", oil on linen panel

"Teapot & Honey Jar"
10" x 10", oil on linen panel  SOLD

"Nasturtiums in Glass"
6" x 6", oil on board     SOLD

"August Nasturtiums"
6" x 6", oil on board     SOLD

"Nasturtiums and Buds"
6" x 6", oil on board     SOLD

20 Years at Lizzards Gallery

Yesterday I delivered these new paintings to Lizzards Art Gallery in Duluth, MN. I have had the pleasure of displaying my work in this beautiful gallery for 20 years. My paintings hang next to some of the most talented artists in the region. I have appreciated the encouragement and help Jeff and his staff have given me over the years. 

You would enjoy stopping at Lizzards the next time you are in Duluth. Besides paintings, you'll find photographs, pottery, sculpture, art glass and handmade jewelry. Jeff and his staff are welcoming and enjoy sharing their knowledge of the artists and the process used in creating the art. They also do framing. Lizzards is located at 11 West Superior Street. Visit online at www.lizzards.com

"Pitcher & Onions"
16" x 20", oil on linen panel

"White Roses, Louvre Garden"
30" x 30", oil on wrapped linen canvas SOLD

"Canned Peaches"
16" x 12", oil on linen panel

"Wine Glass & Cutlery"
10" x 10", oil on linen panel  SOLD

"Sunny Daffodils"
10" x 8", oil on linen panel  SOLD

"Lemon in Bowl"
8" x 8", oil on linen panel SOLD

"Red Onion"
6" x 6", oil on board

"Clementine & Green Glass"
6" x 6", oil on board

Exploring Texture

It's fun to experiment and push myself in new directions. While this is a still life, it has a certain abstract quality because of the composition, size and texture. I resurfaced an existing canvas with thick white oil paint to achieve a textured surface. After the base coat had dried, I painted with my usual oil painting brushes as well as a palette knife and oil sticks. Because it is difficult to get a sense of the texture in a photo, I have included a detail shot.

"Scarf & Glass"  
30" x 30"
Oil paint and oil sticks on stretched linen canvas SOLD

Detail to show texture

Winter in the Studio

The studio has been a warm happy place this winter. I've experimented with adding new colors to my palette and doing small 10-minute paintings. Some paintings work and some don't, but I've learned new things which feels good. I'm not ready to post any of my 10-minute paintings, but here are other recent works.

"After Mowing" was painted from a photo I snapped this summer while on one of our favorite bike rides. I liked the way the light hit the big yellow tire hub. 

"After Mowing"
12" x 9", oil on linen panel

The next three paintings were done from set ups in my studio.

"Clamps & Glass"
8" x 8", oil on linen panel

"Studio Bouquet"
12" x 12", oil on linen panel

"Composition in Yellow & Green"
18" x 14", oil on linen panel  SOLD

Reviewing Sketchbooks

 Winter is a good time to look through old notes and sketches for ideas that were put on hold. This composition is one I had been thinking about for awhile. It was fun to break from my usual canvas proportions and work on this tall narrow canvas. I also tried a palette knife as well as brushes for the background which made an interesting texture. When I was arranging the bag and oranges and working on the the painting, I was thinking about circles. Now I'm seeing lots of triangles in the composition.

"Bag of Oranges"
24" x 12", oil on linen panel  SOLD

The Yellow Pitcher... Again

There is something about this yellow pitcher that attracts me. I like its straight simple lines, the yellow color and most of all it's fun to paint. In this composition it plays an important role but the star is the the bowl of pears.

"Pears in Blue Bowl"
16" x 12", oil on linen panel  SOLD

Back in the Studio

The seasons have changed and our activities have moved indoors. I took a break from painting this past summer and spent most of my time outdoors gardening, hiking, biking and enjoying nature. We were able to socially-distance with friends, too. I stored up a lot of good outdoor energy to get me through the northern winter. I feel refreshed and am back in the studio. Here are a few recent paintings. I continue to focus on shapes, values and composition. I want to try to convey my message with as few brush strokes as possible.

"Geraniums in Window"
14" x 11", oil on linen panel  SOLD

"September Nasturtiums"
12" x 9", oil on linen panel  SOLD

"Evening Roses"
8" x 8", oil on board

"Banana"
8" x 10", oil on linen panel SOLD

"Cherries in Goblet"
10" x 8", oil on board  SOLD

Art Apart

Staying home in response to the pandemic has been interesting for Bruce and me. In some ways things are the same. We take walks in the woods, ride our bikes, I spend time in the studio and Bruce practices his bass. Of course, many other things are different. We really miss getting together with our family and friends.

My artist friends and I decided to keep our art dialogue going by sharing photos of the artwork we're making during this time of isolation. Bruce dubbed this "Art Apart". I have found it a little hard to focus on painting and there have been pieces that ended up in the trash. Here are some paintings that I think worked.

The first three paintings were done from life in my studio. The painting of pomegranates was done from a photo I took years ago in California. That was the first time I had seen pomegranates on a tree instead of in a bin at the supermarket. I love the way they hang and split open.

"Clementines & Mug"
14" x 11", oil on linen panel

"Pitcher of Tulips"
18" x 14", oil on linen panel, SOLD

"Pan of Onions"
12" x 16", oil on linen panel  SOLD

"California Pomegranates"
24" x 12", oil on linen panel, SOLD