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Normally I like to include strong contrasts of light and shadow in my paintings. On this particular day however, I was intrigued by the soft light of the overcast day. There were shadows to be found but they were not much different in value from the light areas. An interesting change of pace! The area depicted is a road leading from the Yellowstone River. Read More

This view of the Yellowstone River was painted when the ice was still thick and covered in snow. The day had a beautiful soft light that emphasized the plum and burgundy tones of the trees, some of my favorite colors in the landscape.

Now here with the last couple of warm days the river is starting to break up and the ice chunks are piling up and causing some flooding.
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Even without much snow this year, we still have some wonderful scenes around eastern Montana. The landscape here is not grandiose like it is in western Montana or Colorado where I grew up with the Rockies. But it is a rather quiet beauty that really gets under your skin after awhile. Wide prairie vistas and windswept skies are colored by the afternoon light. Bare trees become beautiful in their own right. This piece is currently available unframed and unmatted. If you would like framing options, please contact Trish.

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I wish everyone the very best of the holiday season - all the joys & blessings of this time, and I hope that we all have a "dashing" New Year!

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Although we are all tired of snow and winter, it did make for some beautiful days and I could not resist just one more winter scene. The snow is falling as I write this today, April 14, although it is just a shower, thank goodness.

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Charolais cattle are generally a creamy white color, but I discovered a few other colors to play with in the shadows of this sunny winter scene. This is an original pastel. 

Unframed price. Price includes shipping with in the U.S. 

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Another frigid Montana day...it was 22 degrees below zero when we got up this morning. I'm sure glad I am not a cow, although they are well equipped for the weather if they get enough feed. The winter brings snow and ice, but it also offers color combinations and inspiration for new paintings. I love the blue-black of the cattle set against the warm white, cool whites and the long blue shadows. Eastern Montana can be somewhat bleak in the winter, but we have had enough snow to cover everything in a nice thick, white blanket this year - cold but beautiful.

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I am trying out some new Terry Ludwig pastels - they are very soft and a blast to use on Wallis paper. They are darker than what I am used to and really help the lights pop out. I also got a set of ultramarine blues which are handy for skies and shadows. It's like Christmas all over again!

We have been treated to several days of foggy, freezing wheather, very cold and very beautiful. This painting is of a grove of Russian Olive trees dressed up in their winter finery. These trees have actually been classified as a noxious weed in Montana and North Dakota, but they sure are pretty right now.
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From 10 degrees below this morning to 10 degrees above today, we're making progress! 
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Maybe because we live near the river, we seem to get a lot of morning fog, and on really cold mornings - crystalized frost on everything - the trees, the grass, the fences. It's like another world, and amazingly beautiful.
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One of the advantages of living in the "sticks"; beautiful sunsets, even in the depths of winter. Here the challenge was finding the right values and color especially in the snowy field. SOLD
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Although it is April 1, we can definitely still get more snow. This pastel portrays the same area as the previous painting, "Snow White Blues". This area runs along Bennie Pier Creek Road, crossing the border between Montana and North Dakota. Enjoy your April Fool's Day!
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I am missing the snow-covered hills this dry winter. Everything outside looks dry, windblown and downright ugly. I felt quite motivated to paint this snowy scene yesterday and when it was finished, my thirsty soul was quenched. Amazing what art can do for a person!

I'm sure that part of this parched feeling is that the business side of art had to take over my life most of March, preparing for a show. Now that it is over, I can rebalance and start creating again. 

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It  never ceases to amaze me how certain light (like the morning sun on these hills) can affect the most mundane of scenes and transform them into a spectacle of color, shapes and patterns.

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Here in Montana, many winter mornings are at 20 degrees below zero or more. The good thing about it, is it makes for some beautiful landscapes. The air is almost frozen it seems, and reflects pastel colors in the sky. I love the beautiful bright blues in the shadows of the snow although I aimed for a very subtle feel overall.
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