Before leaving for a vacation to Traverse City, I left a note on a  neighbors' door asking permission to paint this interesting boat.  The owner graciously allowed me access upon my return. Here I am grappling at composing and just plain getting the drawing right.  The next day I did the following painting.  I wonder what motivates me to choose challenging subjects? Is it the human spirit that craves a challenge and refuses to rest on past laurels? Sure hope I figure it out soon.....

Driving to Hillsdale I spied this dandified old Plymouth parked along US 12 with a for sale sign in its window. The owner allowed me to set up and this is the end result. You meet the nicest people with the most interesting stories when you stop to paint along the way.

Vacationing to paint in the Traverse City area I spied this wonderful truck, all restored.  The owner consented access to set up and this is the end result.  People are welcoming wherever you find them.

These artwork are created with: Nupastel, Rembrandt, Richeson, Sennelier and Great American pastel.

These artwork are created on: UArt pastel paper.

Working in the Hillsdale area I came upon this farm.  The house was abandoned but the barns were being used.

These artwork are created with: Nupastel, Rembrandt, Richeson, Sennelier and Great American pastel.

These artwork are created on: UArt pastel paper.

High on my to do list is to begin exploring the nocturne. Here as we were traveling home from a trip south I painted these.

These artwork are created with: Nupastel, Rembrandt, Richeson, Sennelier and Great American pastel.

These artwork are created on: UArt pastel papers. 

Being a glutton for punishment, I composed another version of the Michigan Theater. This time though I treated the buildings more broadly and tried not to get bogged down in details.  Simplify was my mantra!

This artwork is created with: Nupastel, Rembrandt, Richeson, Sennelier and Great American pastel.

This artwork is created on: UArt pastel paper.

Spring and fall seasons at the Dahlem farm are a favorite of mine.  Here I am working at the Crouch creek as it makes it was to the Grand River. 

Driving US 12 to Hillsdale to plein air paint with a couple of fellow artists and friends, I noted this trio parked at the Moscow Trading Post.  Returning to paint the next day, I was enchanted with the view of the corn cribs in the morning light. Choosing to compose my painting to include both the parked trio so the I might frame them with the dazzling light before them proved challenging. 

This artwork is created with: Nupastel, Rembrandt, Richeson, Sennelier and Great American pastel.

This artwork is created on: UArt pastel paper.

Earlier when out painting at the Grass Lake train station, I stopped at this quaint farm on old Michigan Avenue.  Gone were the long lovely shadows of early morning but I still figured I had the time and the opportunity to complete a painting.  Whereas the the first painting featured calm blue skies, now the winds were increasing and bringing in some fair weather clouds. The warm light on the barn and lovely neutral grays of the silo were enough to entice me to set up and work.

This artwork is created with: Nupastel, Rembrandt, Richeson, Sennelier and Great American pastel.

This artwork is created on: UArt pastel paper.

The first day of the Dexter Plein Air event dawned partly cloudy.  My friend and fellow artist Kelley and I headed to a farm that I had previously scouted.  We were graciously given permission to paint on site. To our delight the sun broke through the clouds and we had beautiful lights and shadows! Here I chose a view of the farm that featured a lovely cast shadow of the silo on the barn.  I had to do some editing compositionally and left out another silo and added the fuel tank to the right foreground to balance my composition.

Loving the many overlapping shapes that were visible at this site, I chose to paint this composition. The long shadows of the early morning were pointing the finger to my subject and in combination with the soft early morning color on the barn shapes both made easy pickings for my artist's brush! Let's just say this was one of those days when the painting almost paints itself. 

This artwork is created with: Nupastel, Rembrandt, Richeson, Sennelier and Great American pastel.

This artwork is created on UArt pastel paper.

An artists' lot is to seek inspiration, but certainly not to wait for inspiration to begin to paint.  Arriving again at the Spring Arbor farm site I was looking for a strong composition. Struggling to come up with an exciting composition I zeroed in on the seemingly abandoned snowplow truck. Imagining this farm in the cold and snow of winter, coupled with the decaying fences and abandoned barn I began again to paint the poetry that is associated with the nobility of the family farm. 

Painting early one magnificent mid summer morning, I selected this view of the Historic Spring Arbor farm.  Established in the early 1820's by the Bean Family, their descendants still own the land. Many of the dairy barns and milk houses still stand. Notice the 1940's house in the background.  Even all these years later, the property is impressive.

This work is created with: Nupastel, Rembrandt, Richeson, Sennelier and Great American pastel.

This work is created on: UArt mounted pastel paper,

Early in the summer my fellow artist and friend Kelley and I were painting along Spring Arbor Rd.- M60.  Those of you who know the area know that they a doing a major rebuild of the road.  Luckily I had a couple of sets of ear plugs in the truck which we donned to keep our sanity.  After finishing our paintings, we went looking for a more sedate site. Stopping we asked permission to paint on the farm.  Happily the couple gave their assent.  After about ten paintings of the many barns and beautiful silos the owner asked me to paint a house portrait of the 1940's house his father had built.

The Jackson Civic Art Association sponsored an evening plein air painting event late in August. Attending with a group of five artists, I set up and did a quick thumbnail sketch of the main street.  It wasn't long before I realized that my subject was too ambitious. I was attempting to paint in the parked cars along the street that were arriving and leaving before I could even draw them let alone paint them. So I chalked it up as a learning experience and headed back to paint the following day. Now somewhat wiser, I selected a southeast view of the station because I liked the way the light was illuminating the building and the shadows of the chimney, flagpole and trees. 

The following day I selected a  southwest view and explored a more shadowed image with selected lights. Both early morning views gave me two different looks.

These works are created with: Nupastel, Rembrandt, Richeson, Sennelier and Great American pastel.

These works are created on: UArt mounted pastel paper.

In these paintings I was revisiting the Village of Liberty as a plein air painting site.  Enjoying the colors of the buildings is always a big draw for me. 

These works are created with: Nupastel. Rembrandt, Sennelier, Richeson and Great American.

These works are created on: UArt pastel mounted paper.