Essence of Summer *SOLD

I have a lot of respect for the sailors who can read the wind and guide their boat to where they want to go. I am NOT a sailor but have been on several very memorable sailboat adventures.  This is a skill I admire. This painting was inspired by a couple I could tell were well practice at reading the wind and sailing together. Imagine the early August sunshine and ease of sailors in their element dancing across the clear blue lake. 

Essence of Summer is a 36"x36" acrylic painting on stretched canvas with 1.5" thick painted edges and cross braces. It is available at Peculiar Painter in Walker, MN | 218-547-3729

Lost Track of Time *SOLD

This painting is meant to remind it's viewers to enjoy the lazy days of summer, light, warmth and color. I used a palette knife to give the canvas an untamed freedom - the feeling of summer  with dancing light playing off of the cobalt and teal lake.  

Lost Track of Time is a 24" x 48" acrylic painting on stretched canvas with 1.5" thick stretcher bars and painted edges. 

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  

Summer Song *SOLD

It's January which means things have gotten quiet at the gallery and I have 3 days a week to spend at home - PAINTING! Yes, I can paint at the shop but there is nothing like lighting candles, turning up the music and having the space all to myself to paint. I can work on larger pieces, watch the snow fall, make coffee and get lost in paint. My pup, Molly, seems to like this time too - she spent most of the afternoon curled up at my feet as I painted.

Palette knife painting felt like the obvious choice for a summer sailboat scene. The application of paint with a knife helps to create unexpected transitions that dance like light on water. I used broad paint application for the sky and water and more detail on the sailboats in the distance.

Summer Song is a 30"x40" acrylic painting on stretched canvas with 1.5" thick stretcher bars and painted edges. It is available at Peculiar Painter in Walker, MN for $565.00 | 218-547-3729

Sailor's Delight *SOLD

Sailor's Delight is the latest in my series of small 5" ink paintings. I was inspired by a sailing photo that my sister took, while visiting Leech Lake, last summer. The wind was light - giving the sails a graceful flow. I found the scene calm. Although the sailboat was captured in the hot afternoon sun, I decided to paint it in an evening sunset scene in order to add to the peaceful calm of the piece.

Sailor's Delight  is a 5" square piece - framed to 7" square. I used FW Ink on 140 lb. arches watercolor paper - framed in a deep blue - almost black frame. $52.00 at Peculiar Painter in Walker, MN | 218-547-3729

From Work to Play

From work to Play is a graphite drawing with Derwent Inktense blocks on 140 lb watercolor paper.  Since opening my art supply and gallery I have met a lot of great people with fun stories about traveling the world and all the people they encounter. One story was told by a woman from Bayfield, WI. She described her days living on Madeline Island. She said she had 2 friends that were always there with a phone call when the wind was up. She said they would call and she would go straight from work to the boat, "It didn't matter if I was in heels and a skirt, we were ready to sail." It has been a month since Sally shared this story and 2 new paintings have come about from it.

From Work to Play is framed in an elegant frame by Heritage Custom Framing in Walker. See Peculiar Painter's facebook page for photos of the final work framed and matted.

From Work to Play is available at Peculiar Painter in Walker, MN for $395.00
405 Front St W - 218-547-3729

Wind *sold

Wind is a small 5"x5" acrylic painting on stretched canvas.  I was flipping through some of my old sketchbooks and came across a sailboat sketch that told me it wanted to become a painting. The sailors were probably heading home after a day exploring the lake.

Wind is available for sale at Peculiar Painter in Walker, MN.  $75.00 framed or $40.00 unframed