Plien Air
Painting en plien air is the practice of painting scenes from life in nature. It was famously used by Impressionists such as Monet, where I draw some of my inspiration.
For the vast majority of when I paint, it is plien air as I really enjoy being outside and making art at the same time. I chose locations based on how close they are to me and their beauty. I will often wander around a location a bit to find just the right spot as well, and if I am consistently in the area, I may return to that location multiple times.
Often, the real artist of the piece is God, as he made the thing I am trying to reflect onto my canvas.
Art Shown Top to Bottom: Reflections by the Bridge; Wherever Two or Three are Gathered
.jpg)
Repeating and Improving the Craft
~~~
Minneopa State Park
Mineopa Beginnings- Spring - 2024
Mineopa Height- Summer - 2025
.jpg)
Mineopa Frozen Winter- 2025
Mineopa Fall- Fall- 2024
Signature Fun
I like to hide a bird into all of my paintings, along with my usual signature.
Sometimes it is a real bird, sometimes a silhouette gliding through the sky, and sometimes it is hidden as another object, in the shape of a bird, such as a leaf.
See if you can find them in these paintings! Hover your mouse over the image and it will show you where the bird is!
Paintings, Top: Independent Peace, Bottom Left: Autumn Praire, Bottom Right: Bridges
.jpg)
.jpg)
Trips!
I love to take my easel along on any trips I take, be it grandparents inviting me to join them, a family trip, or a trip to a local park. Here is a sampling of the best from several trips I have taken.
If you've run into me on one of those trips, and got pointed here, paintings from those trips do take around a month or more to be shown here, or put on artpal, so please check out the mailing list if you are interested in something from that spesific trip.
Speedy Sunset #2
Acrylic
Speedy Sunset #1
Acrylic
Glaring Waves
Acrylic
The Wind And I are No Longer On Speaking Terms
Acrylic
Maui 2025
Painting Trip Highlights
In the area around Pikes Peak, Iowa. One looking off Pikes Peak, and the other at the Yellow River State Forest.
Fossilized Sky
Oil
Peeking Through the Clouds
Oil
In the area around Pikes Peak, Colorado.
Pike's Peaks 2025
Painting Trip Highlights
Pike's Peak, Colorado
Pike's Peak, Iowa
Working from Reference
Sometimes being on site is impossible, or just not possible due to time and the size of the artwork. So, working from photo reference is always an option. Here are three of my from photo reference paintings.
Top: Southern Hymn, Bottom left: The Heavens Declare the Glory of God, Bottom Right: Grandpa's Tree
