Milkweed Pods *SOLD

I started this piece with the frame. The frame caught my attention at Heritage Framing and with it's odd interior size of 7.5 inches square - I decided watercolor would work best. The background was the color I applied first - to compliment the frame. 

Daniel Smith watercolor has a gorgeous mineral paint called Fuchsite Genuine which shines, especially when mixed with other colors. The earth tones of the milkweed were then painted to stand out from the light background. The final piece has a summery feel. I do like to start with the frame so I can lay the artwork in it's frame - along the way - to make sure it sings together. 

Milkweed Pods is framed to a final size of 12"x12". Material is watercolor on 140 lb. hot press watercolor paper. Available after it is finished with conservation glass. $145.00 | 218-547-3729

Bay View and Birch -SOLD

Blues of every variation make up the background of this painting. I wanted to give this piece a feeling of water and blue sky dancing off of each other on a warm fall day. Yellow against blue is my favorite color combination and the autumn colors lets me use this palette. The colorful bark of the birch tree stands out against the rich bay of blue. Many layers were painted to created this painting!

Bay View and Birch is a 24"x24" acrylic painting on stretched canvas with 1.5" thick stretcher bars and painted edges. It is available at Peculiar Painter in Walker, MN for $575.00 | 218-547-3629

Bittersweet Branches Intertwine

It's Bittersweet Season - and it's looking like a good one. Bright orange berries are dotting the forests and I'm on the lookout for inspiration. I love the freshly cut intertwining branches. The leaves don't last long - after it's cut - so I draw them as soon as I can. 

This little piece is brushed ink on 140 lb. watercolor paper. It is professionally framed to 15.5"x7" and available at Peculiar Painter in Walker, MN for $159.00 | 218-547-3729

Garden Harvest *SOLD

The temperature is just right for layering - hats, scarves, rich colors and warm fabrics are inspiring new paintings. This piece is inspired by graceful lines, happy gardens, baskets and fall colors. 

Garden Harvest is a brushed ink painting on 140 lb. watercolor paper. It is professionally framed and matted  to 10.5" x 16" and available at Peculiar Painter in Walker, MN for $180.00

Joy of Life *SOLD

This painting has a fun story behind it. A lovely couple, who keep their sailboat in Walker, purchased one of my paintings and asked me to consider painting a scene of their sailboat. They said they were not in a hurry and talked with me about painting size and gave me directions to see their boat at the marina.   

It was late autumn by the time I visited the boat slip.  The name of the boat is Joie de Vivre or Joy of Life. What a perfect name for a sailboat! As I photographed the boat at rest I tried to picture it out on the bay. As I thought about the painting I remembered that my sister had taken some sailboat photos while she was visiting over the 4th of July. Josie takes thousands of photos and sometimes leaves me her SD card to look through. As I looked through her photos I came across a boat that looked very much like the Joy of Life. It just so happens that she photographed this very boat on a beautiful summer day - a happy coincidence!

I was excited to get to work on the painting with my new inspiration. Thank you Josie for your beautiful photos and for sharing them. You can see more of Josie's paintings and photos on her website: http://josietrudgeon.com.

As with all commission paintings - I give the person who requested the piece first option to purchase it. If it is not what they have in mind I'll just hang it for sale in the store. I want my paintings to strike a cord and become the collection of someone who will find joy in it. 

Joy of Life is a 30"x40" original acrylic painting on stretched canvas with 1.5" thick stretcher bars and painted edges. It is available at Peculiar Painter in Walker, MN for $725.00 | 218-547-3729  

Indian Summer *SOLD

Sometimes the size of a canvas inspires the painting. With this 8"x24" canvas - I pictured a tall birch tree with it's limbs extending off of the canvas and wrapping around the edges. I contemplated making it a winter scene but the grey scene outside made me imaging color and warmth - a sunset over a calm lake.

The canvas is not large but the painting is rich in layers to give it a multi layer warmth. I wanted it to feel like the sun was just going down after a beautiful day on the lake - the kind that warms the skin makes you content to be exactly where you are.

Indian Summer is 8"x24" acrylic on stretched canvas with painted edges and 1.5" stretcher bars. |  SOLD

Modern Scandinavian Garden - Woodpecker's Perch *SOLD

It's hard to pick a favorite bird in northern Minnesota since we have such a wonderful variety  of  tweeting, whistling, chirping, singing sweet birds. I do have a weakness for woodpecker birds from the downy woodpecker to the pileated woodpecker. Their fly-fly-swoop-fly motion looks like so much fun. I don't know how I'd feel about banging my head against a tree all day but the flying style I could defiantly get used to.

Using my Modern Scandinavian Garden style - I created this whimsical watercolor in honor of the sweet swooping woodpecker. Modern Scandinavian Garden - Woodpecker's Perch is 6"x16" before being framed. It is $99.00 unframed - I will post the final price after being framed in the next couple of days.

Red Earth & Indigo - Rise and Shine *SOLD

I painted Red Earth & Indigo - Rise and Shine using a limited palette of two colors. My focus - in this painting - was a bold but calm piece that focused on the movement of the Eucalyptus and played off of the exotic shape of the spider mum. I was picturing this piece hanging in a home with light colored or white walls and minimal wood furnishings - a Modern Scandinavian home.

The process of painting this piece was fun - from picking out the models at our local florist, sketching it out with graphite and finally painting with water-based ink. The final piece was completed by having it professionally framed in a subtle wood frame that has a distressed leather feel and beige mat.

Red Earth & Indigo - Rise and Shine is water-based ink on 140 lb. watercolor paper. Framed size is 12" x 28". This painting is available at Peculiar Painter in Walker, MN. for $345.00 | 218-547-3729

Fresh Bittersweet I and II *SOLD

I painted Fresh Bittersweet I and II using the same color palette. The orange and reds play off of the teal to give the pieces a fresh feeling of renewal. The berries in Fresh Bittersweet I are larger than Fresh Bittersweet II where the berries are smaller - giving me more space to focus on the curling branch.

Each piece is 6" square - painted on stretched canvas with painted edges. They are framed in a simple natural floater frames with a black inset to give them a modern feel. With the painted edges and stretched canvas - they do not need to be framed. I list them as either framed or unframed. Framed - the outside measurement is 7.5" square.

Fresh Bittersweet I (shown in top photo) - Framed: $92.00 or Unframed $76.00. Available at Peculiar Painter in Walker, MN | 218-547-3729

Fresh Bittersweet II (shown in lower photo) - Framed: $92.00 or Unframed $76.00. Available at Peculiar Painter in Walker, MN | 218-547-3729

Modern Scandinavian Garden - Kingfisher's Post *SOLD

When approached to create a commissioned painting I look for a few key words in the description of the person interested in a custom piece. Number one on my list is that the person interested in a piece already likes my work and preferably already owns one of my pieces - so I know that my style fits their home. Number two is how flexible they are with what they are looking for. Number three is size and mood of the piece.

For this piece - many of the elements I look for were clear. Sue already owned one of my pieces plus she browsed through my blog and made a list of 10 paintings that spoke to her the most. Most of the paintings on the list were of trees and had a lot of color and layers. The next unknown was size.

Sue invited me to her beautiful home to get a feel for the space. Every detail of their home was immaculate with bright color that balanced calm sweeps of solid earth tones. Personal details from Scandinavian artwork to brightly painted cupboards and gorgeous furniture balanced tastefully. Somehow Sue managed to create a space that felt like home, was modern but not cold and made me want to sit and visit. I was treated to wine, cheese and crackers while we visited about what Sue and her husband would like for their home. I brought a 40" square canvas to test for size. We knew the piece was to hang above the fireplace and be a focal piece of the living room. We decided 36"x48" would work the best. I took some photos of the space and got to thinking more about what would work best.

It took me a good month to visualize what to paint for this space. I knew Sue wanted a piece that would make her feel happy which meant color and movement. The happiest pieces for me are my Modern Scandinavian Garden paintings. I had never done one on that scale before but I came to the conclusion that if it were my home - that is what I would want. …so I got to painting and had a lot of fun creating the oversized allium with a Kingfisher perched at the top. I didn't know if Sue would like it as much as I did but it seems she does. I hung it in their home for a trial run to see how it made them feel and got a message that evening saying they would be keeping it. This makes me happy.

Modern Scandinavian Garden - Kingfisher's Post is a 36"x48 acrylic painting on stretched canvas with 1.5" thick stretcher bars and painted edges. 

Summer Sun SUP *SOLD

This tiny little 5" square painting was created by sketching in acrylic based ink and then overpainting with acrylic paint. I kept the colors limited to give it a block print feeling or old fashion illustration style.

For those of you who have tried stand up paddle boarding - you know how addicting and meditative the activity can be. By the time Spring comes back around we are craving the smooth water, long board and joy of paddling while looking into the clear water for signs of fish, turtles and other lake life. Summer Sun SUP is an ode to the wonderful sport of paddling. 

Summer Sun SUP is an original ink and acrylic painting on 140 lb. cold press watercolor paper. It is framed to 7" square and available at Peculiar Painter in Walker, MN for $45.00 | 218-547-3729

Natural Habitat *SOLD

Natural Habitat was inspired by golden sunsets and flowing fields. When the light starts to fade and everything is illuminated in a warm gorgeous glow - we can't help but take it all in and enjoy the beautiful world around us. 

A wild field with tall flowing wildflowers and grasses has a romance about it that calls to be painted. This piece is meant to be calming - to remind the viewer of warm Autumn sunsets and golden light over free fields. 

Natural Habitat is a 24"x48" acrylic painting on stretched canvas with 1.5" thick stretcher bars. It is available at Peculiar Painter in Walker, MN for $625.00 | 218-547-3729

Fancy Shawl Dancer *SOLD

I have had the good fortune of being able to attend several Pow Wows in the Leech Lake area this summer. The Jingle Dress and Fancy Shawl dances are some of my favorite for accentuating the beautiful flowing style of the dancers. This illustration/painting is based on one of the fancy shawl dancers from the Leech Lake tribe. 

I sketched this piece with graphite and then overlaid my lines with FW Ink. My last step was to over paint with acrylic paint. I was careful to not overpower the dancer but hint at the vibrant colors of the dance. 

A good framer can really bring a piece alive. I went with Joel's advise at Heritage Framing and had him double matt the piece. He added a beautiful touch of raising the image slightly to give it a beautiful presence. 

Red Canoe *SOLD

FW artist inks have been a fun new tool for me. With this piece, I sketched my drawing using paynes grey ink and then over-painted with acrylic paint. The heavy-weight watercolor paper added a nice texture to the simple piece.

I felt like adding more pop to the piece with a bight cobalt turquoise coat of paint on the square frame. The final piece is a modern, simple - little piece with a lot of personality. The 4.25" artwork is framed to a final size of 7". Red Canoe is available at Peculiar Painter in Walker, MN for $46.00 | 218-547-3729 

Turning Point *SOLD

I don't know about you - but I'm excited for the fall colors and cooler temperatures. I've always been a lover of layers - both in clothing and paint. As we get ready for hats, scarves and jackets - my painting palette is moving to rich oranges, cobalt turquoise and yellow.

This piece has several layers of texture and color - creating a patchwork feeling with depth and movement. I thought a simple - natural floater frame would finish the piece nicely - giving it a modern and clean feeling. Turning Point is a 11"x14" acrylic painting on stretched canvas. It is framed to 15.5"x12.5" and available at Peculiar Painter in Walker, MN for $215.00 - framed. | 218-547-3729

Bittersweet - Bluebird Days *SOLD

Bittersweet is in it's full orange glory right now and inspiring new paintings. I tried to capture the end of summer - blue glory - against the bright pop of orange and red - with this piece. 

This 11"x14" acrylic painting is on stretched canvas and framed in a natural floater frame. It is available at Peculiar Painter in Walker, MN for $150 - framed. | 218-547-3729

Bittersweet Series Sept - 2015 *SOLD

Here is my newest series of little 6"x6" Bittersweet paintings. I'll never tire of painting these sweet, climbing, dancing, bright berries of the forest. 

Bittersweet series - August 2015 - is on hold at Peculiar Painter in Walker, MN - $75.00 each | 218-547-3729

Bittersweet - Headstong *SOLD

Bittersweet - Headstrong is at the framer receiving it's finishing touches. It will be mounted and displayed in a beautiful wood frame with just the right tone to really bring out the orange berries.

Actual artwork size is 8.5"x16.75" - final artwork in frame will be 10.25"x18.5". 

Bittersweet - Headstrong will be available soon at Peculiar Painter in Walker, MN for $225.00  - framed | 218-547-3729

Tent * Fire * Stars

I have always been drawn to textiles, especially those with stories or repeating symbols. One day, I'd like to have my own design woven into a textile. Simplify a story into symbols is a fun challenge. In the end, the design relies heavily on color combinations to make it work.

This piece my look simple but the time involved, to create crisp lines and solid colors, was longer than I had imagined. ..especially when mixing specific tints and shades. I experimented with many different colors until I came up with a color combination that made me happy. 

Tent * Fire * Stars is 10"x30" acrylic painting on stretched canvas with 1.5" thick stretcher bars and painted edges. It is painted to hang either horizontal or vertical - as shown in the photos above. This painting is available at Peculiar Painter in Walker, MN for $198.00. | 218-547-DRAW

Sincere Nature *SOLD

Sometimes the most fun pieces to create live in my mind until they are ready to hatch. That was the case with this piece. While enjoying a nice early summer drink on the patio, overlooking the lake, I noticed a sweet leafy branch with a beautiful flow to it. I wasn't quite sure how I wanted to capture the branch until today. 

A painter friend,  gave me some beautiful hand made paper to try. The warm tone, deckled edge and uneven variations called for brush and ink. Daler Rowney makes a gorgeous Red Earth ink which, set against the warm paper, has a very peaceful feeling. Ochre, warm red and grey are one of my favorite combinations SO I had to use a rich grey background. 

The final piece is simple but calming and elegant. I just might be hooked on ink and handmade paper. 

Sincere Nature is a 12"x12" ink on handmade paper piece. Available at Peculiar Painter in Walker, MN. for $45.00 | 218-547-3729