Although I may revisit my River Poetry series, to-date this is my final Winter Color series painting. Painted in the studio from the inspiration of the Grand River at Glenshire, I am ever interested by the compositional challenges the river presents.

Looking forward to the greening of Michigan and the immediate land and water around me!

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

This artwork is created on: Wallace professional pastel paper.

As the Grand River makes it way through Ella Sharp park, I found this view. Composing this pastel, I was taken with the colorful sky and the reflections in the waterway.  

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

Tis artwork is created on: Wallis professional pastel paper.

How many bridges do you cross in your travels? As I crossed this small bridge on a rural road I found this sweet view of a creek as it meandered through the wetlands along the road.

Working again at the  Crouch creek as it runs through the Dahlem Conservancy farm this late winter.

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

This artwork is created on: Wallis professional pastel paper.

Working at the Liberty mill pond late this winter, I was enchanted. The color and the beautiful sunlight were all factors that inspired me!

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

This work is created on: Wallace professional pastel paper.

Having painted this creek many, many times, I decided to portray it as I found it in the late winter.  The faded oaks that grow in the nearby land still clung to the trees, like prisoners, but the water was running free and clear.

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

This artwork is created on: Wallace professional pastel paper.

Having the good fortune to live on a lake means that I also see the source of this lake, the wondrous Grand River.  Along with these water forces, the Grand River  in turn begets small creeks and numerous wetlands. Walking around the lake, I came upon this winter creek. The morning sun was creating lovely "shimmers" coupled with the resulting long shadows served as my inspiration for this painting.

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

This work is created on: Wallace professional pastel mounted paper.

 Having the good fortune to live on a lake means that I also see the source of this lake, the wondrous Grand River.  Along with these water forces, the Grand River  in turn beget small creeks and numerous wetlands. Walking around the lake, I came upon this winter creek. The morning sun was creating lovely "shimmers" coupled with the resulting long shadows served as my inspiration for this painting.

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

This work is created on: Wallace professional pastel mounted paper.

Even though spring has arrived, at least on the calendar, I am still posting artwork that I completed this late winter and early spring. In one of my scouting trips I found myself at the Grand River as it flows at Glenshire.  This is a favorite site of mine to plein air paint but the land has changed hands and the new owners do not appreciate my standing along the road painting.  So I work photographing on a Sunday morning when I know things will be quiet.  This view looks out onto the marshlands. I have canoed this part of the river many times.  Being winter the mood is quite different and I find myself enjoying my work and the atypical view of a familiar place.

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

This artwork is created on: Wallace professional mounted pastel paper.

Here is hoping that my studio days are behind me and the plein air days have arrived! This is my final post in the Barn Poetry, Winter Color series. In this composition, I focused on the view into the now fallow fields as they receded. 

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

This artwork is created on: Wallace professional mounted pastel paper.

Coming upon this farm in the brilliant snow was inspiring. The cool blue of the small barn juxtaposed against the warm red-oranges of the larger barn were enough to get me started. Later in the studio composing my thumbnail sketch, I found further interest in the patterning of the barn shapes, along with the strong darks against the lights.

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

This artwork is created on: UArt mounted pastel paper.

Still out scouting, I came across this lovely farm with a group of barns in the brilliant yet melting snow. Something about the simplicity of the scene interested me.  After completing the artwork, I felt the foreground was too empty, so I added their mailbox to serve as a visual anchor.

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

This artwork is created on: UArt mounted pastel paper.

This interesting farm sits near the Jackson-Hillsdale county line. Never having painted here, I chose this composition from my studio photographs.  Of course the strong diagonal light on the small white building was enough to inspire my explorations in pastel.

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

This artwork is created on: Wallace professional mounted pastel paper.

Still working in the studio on my Winter Color series I composed this view of the Dahlem Conservancy's farm.  The Dahlem farm has long been a tried and true site from which I paint en plein air year after year.  Here again the colors of the snow covered fields coupled with the main barn and two sentential like trees were enough to inspire this painting.

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

This artwork is created on: Wallace professional mounted pastel paper.

One truly beautiful Sunday morning I went out scouting for places to photograph.  The sun was brilliant on the melting snow. Back in the studio combing through many, many photos from this scouting session, I composed this view of the "Town farm".  Having painted this barn many times I was still inspired by the beauty of it as it stood in the snow covered fields.

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

This work is created on: Wallace Professional pastel mounted paper

Working in the studio this winter has been more enjoyable than most. Many winters I am miserable at being confined to my studio but I think most everyone will agree that this was a pretty mild winter.  Someway winter is easier to take if we aren't snowed in and a horrible snow pack lingers on and on. Below is the painting that begins my winter color series.  This piece was originally a pen and ink commission piece that I created at least 15 years ago.  When cleaning out the studio I came across the photos that I had used for reference material.  Seeing the photos, I was immediately transported to that site and the cold snowy weather of that day. Building on my strong emotional response to the location I created this painting.