More homegrown inspiration. When we moved up to Lone Pine hill nearly twenty years ago we started planting trees. Here’s a look at a young Norway maple just west of the group of aspen we put in the north of our house in the area we loving refer to as “the dog yard.”
After a couple dozen recent 12×12 paintings I’m starting to get comfortable with such a small canvas!
Let’s keep in touch,
Marshall
We had a late snow storm earlier this month. I started this sketch just as the last of the snow melted. The painting turned out to be subtle and almost monochromatic. Very uncharacteristic for me.
Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks! I’m simply trying to live life with my eyes open. You never know what you’ll see.
Let’s keep in touch,
Marshall
The western larch conifers turn a spectacular shade of yellow and gold every fall here in our part our the country. Here’s a small painting of one larch standing in front of a background of Norway maples.
Two of my favorite trees!
Let’s keep in touch,
Marshall
The flowering crabapple trees, in fact all the flowering trees, are spectacular in Northwest Montana this spring. I’m not sure I’ve ever witnessed such an abundant display! Close to home inspiration is such a luxury.
This painting is another in the series of 12×12 inch works I’m engaged in. I’m learning to paint small.
Let’s keep in touch,
Marshall
Warm, cool. Light, dark. Hard edge, soft edge. After years of art making I’ve reached the conclusion that four elements are almost essential to my work. That’s not to say every painting must have all of those four elements!
This pastel on black paper exhibits three of the four. Thick, thin will have to wait until I’ve put away my pastels and have a brush-load of oil paint in hand.
Let’s keep in touch,
Marshall
Jackie and I planted three ash trees in our west pasture 20 years ago. Wow! Those two decades flew by quickly!
The trees will be lots of shade for some horses in a generation or two. In the meantime they provide me with homemade inspiration. Nice bonus.
Let’s keep in touch,
Marshall
Inspiration is great, but what if you can’t find it? One of the challenges every artist faces is how to get a painting started. I’ll share my tried and true techniques and demonstrate how I get things off and running in pastel and oil painting.
Join me for a gallery talk and demonstration at M. A. Doran Gallery in Tulsa on Saturday, April 26th from 1:30-2:30pm.
Let’s keep in touch,
Marshall
Nature is usually messy. There’s one aspect of landscape painting that is a constant. That is, bringing just enough order to the painting that it resonates with a sense of place for me, without organizing the life out of it!
Too orderly feels sterile. Too chaotic feels, well, messy. It’s a balancing act.
Let’s keep in touch,
Marshall
We’re down to just five for days of riding the ski lifts at Big Mountain. Starting next week we’ll have to walk up in order to ski down. Looks like we’re in for an early spring here in northwest Montana.
Here’s a painting from a few years ago inspired by the softer colors and softer light we enjoy this time of year. So much of what I do simply requires me to keep my eyes open!
Let’s keep in touch,
Marshall
Staying close to home has its advantages. More time to create. Less time spent traveling. Truth be told I’m not great at hitting the ground running when it comes to painting. On new turf it seems I need a little time to get in touch with the spirit of the place before I become productive.
Here’s a painting done from a sketch I did just across the bridge over the Flathead River on Montana Highway 82. I hesitate to think how many thousands of times I’ve crossed that bridge in the past 68 years!
Let’s keep in touch,
Marshall
