Sky Views

Another attempt at loosening up my brush strokes with sky views The ever fleeting cloud is a challenge. These oil paintings are studio work from some of my photos. Clouds can change and move on so fast before I can capture their shapes and colors en plein air. Always good to keep practicing.

Cloud Towers 8x10

Lots of sky views when cruising on the water.

 

Overlooking Clouds 8x10

Lake Onalaska always has great views west towards Minnesota.

Rolling Clouds 8x10

Bluffs and Valleys support the passing clouds along area farmlands.

Questions or perhaps to purchase one of my original unframed oil paintings on panels, please contact me at cshoreartwork@gmail.com. Thanks for viewing. 

Unexpected Birds

 We just finished camping at 250 Campground outside of Lanesboro, Minnesota. Very convenient for food and fun. 

We love catching sight of wildlife while camping, here it was free range chickens on the grounds. So what else but draw some chickens. They were very friendly and helped clean up camping sites and did bug patrol.

In no particular pecking order.

Tree at Site

Well behaved rescue dog next door. Bruno

Glad to get some drawing time in between riding the Root River Trail. Hope to take the paints along for some plein air when we have a longer stay.

Two of a Kind

This week I worked on loosening up my brush strokes with some figures. Even picking up twigs to paint with in order to break up the lines for more interest. Enjoy.

Team Work 8x10

 A couple of workers on the land.

Rollin' on the River 8x10

Onalaska Log Rolling Tournament.

Eye of the Drawer aka Two Lynn's 


 8x10

Two artists focused on their drawings. 

The first person to respond to this blog with the correct identities of both artists will win "Eye of the Drawer " painting! Answer at cshoreartwork@gmail.com. I got a winner Lynne correctly identified the artists, Lynne V and Lynn H.

 Questions or perhaps to purchase one of my original unframed oil paintings on panels, please contact me at cshoreartwork@gmail.com. Thanks for viewing.

Loosening Up

On my travels back home from the Minnesota Marine Art Museum, I stopped at the Trempealeau Refuge. It's always changing and you never know what you're going to see. The water lilies are ready to burst. That bright spot of yellow was close enough to capture. After my gallery inspiration I tried to become a whole lot looser in my brush strokes

Refuge Lily 5x7

The common butterfly weed was abundant. My mentor commented the first attempt lacked a strong focal point. Here you can see the before and after. I think she was right. Another case of I wanted to paint what I only saw and not be brave enough to make corrections to the composition.

Butterfly Refuge 8x10

before redo

 Another  picturesque view of the country side.

Questions or perhaps to purchase one of my original unframed oil paintings on panels, please contact me at cshoreartwork@gmail.com. Thanks for viewing.

FarmScape 5x7

Marine Art

 

A visit to MN Marine Art Museum

Where better to see how artists handle painting water than the Minnesota Marine Art Museum. A short trip up to Winona, Minnesota and now I'm a member. The current exhibit of The American Society of Marine Artists 18th National Exhibition caught my eye. Here's my four favorite and some information about the exhibit.

Next week some paintings inspired along the way home from the museum. 

Have a Happy and Safe 4th of July.

Another Angle

 Just finished some adjustments to the last three in my La Crosse Streets series.

Lots more detail and trying to do cars. Things get a lot looser as the detail level goes up. Hope the new editions are enjoyed.

 

Corner on Main 8x10

 

Pearl Street 8x10

Alley Reflections 8x10

Questions or perhaps to purchase one of my original unframed oil paintings on panels, please contact me at cshoreartwork@gmail.com. Thanks for viewing.

Unique Perspectives

Hanging out on the street and ambling down alleyways may be seemly to some. I found it to be the subject matter of my next paintings. Downtown La Crosse is my old stomping grounds. As a student of art at the University, years ago it was a ritual to head downtown with friends for some fun.

So many of these alleys and buildings still exist from my early days of learning to love the Coulee Region. They offer a challenge of creating perspective, working on vanishing points and lots of strong shadows and textures.

Brick Alley 8x10

Following are some of the photos of the process with guidance from my mentor. Starting with just values in shades of gray then working into color and correcting as I continue.

Starting tp add some color

Just the lights and darks

Original photo

Here's a few more. Thanks again for fresh eyes from my mentor, learning I don't have to include everything my camera picks up. It seems obvious but its some times hard to edit ourselves.

Backyard Parking 8x10

Alley Secrets 8x10

Street Cafe 8x10

Last one a homage to Grounded Coffee Cafe where they have once a month artist exhibits on the patio.

I'll have a few more street scenes next week.

Questions or perhaps to purchase one of my original unframed oil paintings on panels, please contact me at cshoreartwork@gmail.com. Thanks for viewing.