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Soggy Weather & New Paintings

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I just peeked out the window to see how soggy it is outside. All of our recent rain has been so good for the flowers. My iris and daisy beds are peppered with buds ready to come out, not to mention how the wildflowers have been thriving — they should make some fine subjects for future paintings.

As much as I love gardening, I don’t really do a lot of it — I have gardens with that overgrown English garden look :). I, like most professional artists, have to spend my time making new paintings for galleries and shows. It seems like all artists, who really work at it and are successful anyway, can’t ever have enough. Something I read a while ago explained this. You are meant to be an artist if, while you’re doing anything else, art is all you can think about and you find yourself preoccupied with creative ideas. If, while you are creating your art, all of your thoughts are consumed by everything else (except art and creative ideas), then you probably should not pursue art as a career, but perhaps a hobby. You really have to love what you do if you’re going to be happy doing it. It’s true for every occupation, not just artists.

I think I’ve just finished a few of my paintings in progress. I have been focusing my efforts on my two larger swan paintings recently — but I think they’re just about finished. I don’t know about other artists, but I always have that urge to do just a “little more” work to a piece. I really would take forever to finish a painting if I could, however deadlines usually prevent that. :) I also just started a new mute swan painting, 24×36 this time (the largest swan painting I’ve ever painted in watercolor), a requested painting for my gallery out east. It seems I keep getting requests for very large paintings and very small ones. :)

I haven’t gotten around to updating the work in progress page, but I have a few larger paintings nearly finished as well as a stack of miniatures that I haven’t posted online yet. I am also planning a number of paintings in my mind that I am very excited to start working on — a fox painting in particular. Most of the paintings I have painted so far this year have been much larger than what I have painted in the past. I also think (thankfully) that I am speeding up a little bit :).

If anyone has a painting or subject suggestion, please feel free to drop me a note about it.
“Those who follow the crowd will never be followed by a crowd.”
–Jon Maxwellind

Arizona Research

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I have been looking through some of our new references from Arizona. Visiting beautiful places is so inspiring!! We had the opportunity to study so many species of hummingbirds, gathering thousands of photographic references, and even attended a hummingbird banding outing with an Arizona hummingbird society while we were there!! We were even fortunate enough to come across a young coyote in the desert that was a very cooperative model for us (keeping a safe distance away, of course). I am very eager to start a painting of him! (so many ideas, so little time!!) I want to thank all of you for your interest in my paintings and especially to those who are return visitors to my studio. All of the emails and notes I receive from you are so inspiring! Thanks so much for dropping by! :) "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind." –Dr. Seuss

Flowers of Arizona

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I have been doing some research for new paintings recently — part of which was a return trip to Arizona. We have had so many fantastic opportunities to gather reference and study various species of plants and animals lately! I also have several new studio works to post in the work in progress section of my studio — I will get those up soon. "Judge a man by the reputation of his enemies, and the character of his friends" –Unknown

New Scenery

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We have been visiting and meeting with several galleries recently in the southwest and western United States. I am always inspired when I go gallery hopping and see so many exceptionally beautiful paintings. It always seems to point out a different way of looking at a subject or technique that I had not thought of, or forgotten – very refreshing. It has been so exciting to see all of the various styles of artwork on exhibit and wonderful feedback from chatting with gallery directors!! :)

Painting in Open Air

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It is finally getting warmer here in Minnesota — hopefully the snow showers last weekend will stay away :). I’ve had a little spring fever lately, so I have been dabbling in some plein air painting — painting in "open air". I am using the plein air as an exercise in color and sketching in paint quickly (as I just begin painting without drawing first).

Galleries West of Jackson Hole, Wyoming

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We have added a new gallery if you haven’t already heard, "Galleries West Fine Art" in Jackson, Wyoming (www.gallerieswestjacksonhole.com)!! My family and I are expanding our gallery representation (several new galleries will be added to our dealers page soon.) and cutting back on a portion of our previous exhibitions that require us to attend. It was a tough decision, but this should give us some much needed quality painting time and our galleries have been doing so well (and been so encouraging). My only regret is not being able to see all of our usual visitors at the shows!

I am planning a number of new pieces for several upcoming exhibits as well as starting a new collection of work for our family’s exhibition "Natural Inspirations" in Wyoming — I will add pictures of them as they develop. I have also just added & updated two paintings in my work in progress studio page.

"If you go to work on your goals, your goals will go to work on you. If you go to work on your plan, your plan will go to work on you. Whatever good things we build end up building us". — J. Rohn

Minneapolis Wildlife Art Show

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The new Minneapolis art exhibition & sale, "Drawn to Nature", has just come to a close. It is so nice to have a show like this in Minnesota again. Thanks to all of our friends & patrons forRebecca Latham's new bull moose painting in progress. visiting us this past weekend!! It seems strange — how simple things affect creativity. Returning from our visit to the west, I was so inspired to paint! I painted the painting on the right (standing moose bull) in one "sitting" in the car one day. Of course it isn’t finished, but what I was able to accomplish came so easily and freely. A little inspiration definitely goes a long way! :)

Fieldwork in Arizona

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I am back in Arizona doing more fieldwork for future paintings. The southwest area is so inspiring with light and color!! It seems everywhere I look I can envision a new painting! This session of study and photoshoots will be much more inclusive than the last time my family and I were in the area. Because of the amount of rain the state has had, many of the plants and habitats are thriving. I have been photographing and sketching many of the cacti and succulents of the area – though many of the sketches were made in the car doing 75 mph :). The sketches didn’t turn out too badly in spite of the speed. I will post some of them shortly. Actually, working while literally "on the road" is not something new, but it isn’t often I work from life in those instances when it (my subject) is speeding toward me on the highway. I do paint in the car when the roads aren’t too rough – and occasionally when they are :).

New Shows

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I have been painting madly for the past month for upcoming shows and galleries which has kept me away from my journal. For those in the area, I will be sending a selection of new paintings to our gallery in Frenchtown, NJ (www.decoyswildlife.com). They (Decoys & Wildlife and Gabriele’s Galleries) just had a very successful spring show. Our recent exhibition at the NatureWorks show also went quite well — a very elegant show. The committee members and show patrons (and artists, I should add) always give us a such a warm welcome. (Thanks so much!!) I have already started new work for another upcoming show. I am hoping to create some new larger paintings — It is an entirely new way of thinking (& new challenge) to create larger works vs. smaller paintings. I also hope to expand some of my subject matter also.

On our way home from our last exhibition, we were fortunate to have the opportunity to study many birds and wildlife that we hope to render in future paintings. I am also looking forward to a fantastic photo shoot we have planned for some new habitats and animals/birds this next month :). One final note — I want to thank all of my studio visitors for their recent notes/emails they’ve sent me. I appreciate all of your kind comments and encouragement!!!! :)

Happy New Year!!

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Just a quick note to wish everyone a Happy New Year! I have been spending some long hours in the studio painting. I will have some updates on some of my paintings in progress soon!