New Plein Air Paintings

This is a quick little painting of the Block 6 building at Main and Broadway in downtown Fargo. I set up across the street, near the fountain by the depot. I was especially attracted to the warm and cool contrasts between light and shadow and the sky reflected in the windows.

I painted this shady lane along the banks of the Red River late one afternoon last week. The spot I picked to set up my easel was adjacent to the frisbee golf course. There was only one close call with a frisbee flying past my head. Sometimes you have to live dangerously to get the painting you want.

“Shady Path”

Another little plein air painting done recently in Florida.

This is the spot where a path shaded by sea grapes opens up into the bright sunlight, sand, and views of the sea.

Florida Plein Air Palms

These are some recent little plein air studies I did under the Florida sun.

“Water Wings” Revisited

30”x48”      Acrylic      Gallery Wrapped Canvas    

This is an updated painting of my toy float plane soaring over a make-believe lake. The previous blue plane just didn’t stand out enough against the sky and trees. This revision depicts the actual markings on the little plane more authentically. I also added the wind-up mechanism on top. Can’t believe I left that out the first time. The painting is on display as part of the FMVA Big Show at the Hjemkomst Center in Moorhead until early June.

“Water Wings”

30”x48”     Acrylic     Gallery Wrapped Canvas

My idea for this painting came from how much fun I had as a kid setting up scenarios for play. I would gather things from all over the house to be used for the various items in the scene. In this imaginary lake scene, I’ve used a beach towel for the water, torn paper bags for the sand, a piece of cloth for the land, pebbles for the rocks by the shore, salt and pepper shakers for the cabin, a Christmas ornament for the airstream trailer, beads and yarn to mark the swimming area, trees from a model train set, blocks for the dock, and all kinds of “lakey” toys to put in the water. The float plane is a vintage toy, found at an antique shop. I like to think about where it’s been played with…maybe on lakes in Minnesota, maybe in salt water on one coast or the other, or maybe just in a backyard pool. For sure it has captured the imagination of many a would-be pilot like it captured my imagination. I would love to know how to fly a float plane and be looking down on a Minnesota lake after just taking off, or doing a fly-by to check out landing spots. How dull life would be without imagination!

Ducks in a Row

Acrylic    16"x40"    Gallery Wrapped Canvas

I found this little vintage toy in an antique shop and knew, immediately, that I wanted to paint it. After a few months, I finally decided to take a “quack” at it. Meanwhile, no matter what shelf I put it on, the one little guy always seemed to be looking at me. I tried to capture his expression, but I'll leave it up to the viewer to decide what message he's trying to convey. I had fun playing with the idea of having all your "ducks in a row" by dropping more hints about the title throughout the painting.

VFR

24"x48"     acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas
 

Currently on display at the Plains Art Museum and may be bid on at the Spring Gala, May 5.

My original idea for this painting was to show one of the antique toy planes in my collection flying above a real landscape. Then I found this old sectional chart from my days as a student pilot and the idea for the painting came together. The thing I love about maps is that they’re created to make us think we’re looking down on the world from some high vantage point, just as a pilot would see it. I have used this very chart to navigate my way over eastern North Dakota and western Minnesota in a small plane. With the addition of some everyday objects and a lot of child-like imagination, suddenly, I was back in the cockpit on a bright, sunny, VFR kind of a day, lost in the wonder of flight.