Family Fun©

Wisconsin is one of my favorite places to visit and get some really nice photos. This is a painting from one of those photographs.  Nancy, who is my friend and one of my biggest collectors, told me that she loved it when my paintings told a story. So that has inspired me......to tell a story with my paintings by adding people or animals. Thank you for viewing my blog.

Oil on Raymar canvas board....11W" X H"

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The Old Tool Shed©

The Old Tool Shed ©
The Mainstreet Art Center staff went up to The Clearing in Dorr County,  Wisconsin for
four days of painting and fun!!  The weather was so awesome I ended up Plein Air painting
all four days! This is the first of three that I painted.

Original Oil Painting On Canvas Panel.    6"x12"

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Watts Marina ©

I pass Watts Marina on my way to work every day.  I had fun putting people into the painting, along with trying my hand at painting boats. It was a fun and challenging painting experience!
Oil on canvas on panel, 11"H x 14"W

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State Line Pastures ©

I competed this quick study primarily using my palette knife.  The horses are grazing on a pasture down the road from our home.  I have been wanting to paint these horses for awhile now.  This little masterpiece is the first in a series of horse paintings I plan to complete in the near future. 

Oil on canvas on panel, 6"H x 8"W

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Winter Thaw ©

 Oil on canvas on panel, 12"W x 16"H

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Winter Thaw is a Plein air painting I did when it warmed up last weekend.  This is a creek that is just down the road from where I live......so beautiful!! I thought you might enjoy seeing what I saw as I painted this small masterpiece in the snow.

Yosemite Prairie ©

This past fall I visited Yosemite, California. I was there to attend my nieces wedding.  Yosemite is so huge that we were only able to see a small portion of the park. It was gorgeous and as beautiful as I remembered from my childhood!! I took many reference photos of Yosemite National Park, hoping to capture the magnificent scenery in future paintings created in my studio.  This is my first attempt.  I am pleased with the results. Stay tuned for more. 

Oil on canvas on panel, 8x8"

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Out My Front Porch ©

This is a plein air painting of the land across the street from my house.  Every morning the sun hits the trees in different ways, each day revealing something prettier than the day before. On this particular morning I spotted a deer, so of course I had to put her in the painting.

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Harry ©

This is a wolf that I took a photo of in Ely, Minnesota at the International Wolf Center.  He let me know who was in charge.
Pastel on Board, 11"W x 14"H

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Hidden Farm ©

This is a plein air painting I painted one crisp morning before work.  I had to go to the location 3 times before completing the painting.  The farm is just down the road from me in northern Illinois......another in my series of farms.

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Creating a Small Masterpiece - Farm On The Hill ©

I love to paint plein air: painting outdoors.  It forces me to paint quickly, using my creative sense rather than analyzing every stroke.  I can better capture the actual feelings a scene brings to mind.  Of course I always take some reference photos as I typically finish each small masterpiece in my studio.  I have included a picture of my easel and the work in process as well as one of my reference photos.  A picture of the finished small masterpiece,  follows.

Oil on canvas on panel, 8"H x 10"W
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Farm On Button Road ©

I am doing a series of farm paintings that are in my area.  All are Plein air that are painted in the morning before work.  I am blessed to have so many farms in my area.....each having there own unique character.
Oil on canvas on panel, 8"H x 10"W

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Path Through The Woods ©

This is a plein air painting I painted at Rock Cut State Park. The park is located near Rockford, Illinos, where I used to camp quite a bit. It's a beautiful park, where you can rent kayaks, paddle boats and canoes and just putts around the lake.

Oil on masonite, Framed, 8.5"H x 11.5"W

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Farm On The Fox ©

Maddie, my granddaughter and I went plein air painting at Fox River Marina in Island Lake.  

This is her second year painting with me and we had such a wonderful time! She is quite the artist!

Oil on canvas on panel, 6"H x 8"W

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Peaceful ©

This is a plein air painting I did at the Fox River Marina in Island Lake. I used heavy bodied gesso and applied it to a Masonite board.  I love how the texture creates little surprises in the painting. 
Oil on canvas on panel, 6"H x 8"W
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Crabtree Nature Center ©

Once a year, I give a morning workshop hosted by Crabtree Nature Center, Barrington, Illinois.  It is a beginning workshop that teaches students basic plein air techniques: how to start a painting, how to address light and shadow, and recommended supplies for painting outdoors. This small masterpiece started as a plein air demo during the workshop.  It was a beautiful day and everyone seemed to have a great time.

Oil on canvas on panel, 8"H x 10"W
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Hiking ©

I painted this small masterpiece plein air in Richmond, illinois.  I just love the extreme shadows and bright light filtering through the tall trees, marking the hikers' path.  
Oil on canvas on panel, 9"W x 12"H
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Winds A Howling on Lake Geneva ©

This is a plein air painting I did on the shores of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.  Plein Air is a French expression which means "in the open air" and is often used to describe the act of painting outdoors. 

That day in Lake Geneva, the wind was blowing so hard that people in canoes on the lake were not even moving an inch while paddling like crazy.....That was so funny to watch.   My friends Karen and Jill came out to paint with me that day. It was their first time plein air painting and they had a blast. Their paintings were beautiful!!

Oil on canvas on panel, 8x10"
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Summertime ©

I completed this small masterpiece on a trip to one of my favorite outdoor painting spots; Eagle, Wisconsin.   Eagle is a small town with a beautiful hidden park.  I try to go there at least every other year to paint.
Oil on canvas on panel, 8x10"
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Hilltop Farm ©

Just across the street from the Volo Bog, Illinois sits a red barn on a hill.  I was happy to have found the perfect site for my day of plein air painting. I just love the way the farm is nestled into the hillside.  I added the pink flowers in the foreground to draw the viewer to the beginning of the path leading to the red barn.

Oil on canvas on panel, 8 x 10"

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The Cheese Box ©

The Cheese Box has been a part of the resort town, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, for as long as I can remember.  In fact, I used to go there quite often as a child. The cheese curds are the best.  I used a reference photo to create this painting, but I would love to try it plein air this summer....stay tuned.

Oil on canvas on panel, 11"H x 14"W

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