This is a scene from the town of Ravello on Italy's Amalfi Coast. Ravello towers above the Mediterranean, an arduous uphill hike from...

New pastel painting: pond in Lillie Park, near Ann Arbor, MI. Soft pastel on Uart sanded paper. 10x13. See Marsh Madness and other...

As I was continuing work on "Marsh Madness," a close study of its reference photo revealed a horror I needed to address: very faint...

See below the latest version of my painting-in-progress, "Marsh Madness." The view of this marsh extends from right below your feet, to...

Here is a painting of a marsh in Lillie Park, near Ann Arbor, MI. What I found impressive was the blues, purples and greens of the water...

This painting was started as our field demo in "The Landscape in Pastel" class at the Michigan Art Center. I darkened the ground above...

In the Pittsfield Preserve off Thomas Road near Saline, MI. An early morning in June, the soybeans were starting to emerge with vigor as...

Conveying distance in a painting can be successfully portrayed by cooling or subduing color. Softening edges is key to building that...

This is a Wallis grayish brown toned sanded pastel paper. I felt that the brown tone will help fill the ground beneath the grasses of...

A wintry scene on a sunny morning in the Pittsfield Preserve off Thomas Road, Pittsfield Township, Michigan. #Uart #pastels #snow

Nature was not drawn. So as we convey the landscape in pastel, we try not to "line out" the elements of the landscape. Here is the snow...

Here's a completed painting. Complementary colors hide behind the orange tree and green in the field. Marton Road Field is in the...

This morning I had the privilege to meet Ed Kennedy, PSA. Ed resides in the same town as I do, in Saline, MI., so we got together to...

Strolling through Furstenberg Park in Northeast Ann Arbor, I came across an open field housing scattered birch trees. I was inspired: I...

February 23 Update: Here is the completed painting "Birch Ballet." February 7 Update Continuing to to refine details. February 1 update...

Before I publish my work-in-progress dissertation condemning the use of the "color" black, I thought I would share progress on "Daybreak...

While working on "Birch Ballet," (see earlier posts), I realized that I wanted the distant tree line and grasses that butted up against...

My winter scene as noted in my recent blog "Many Shades of Grey" has earned itself a warm and contrary color watercolor underpainting. I...

I decided that the underpainting will be a warm orange. This will contrast nicely with the blues of the snow I plan to pay down shortly!...

I'm looking forward to teaching again in March at the Michigan Art Center! I plan to choose key photographs depicting unique and...