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
Every season has a uniqueness that inspires me. But it’s the change of seasons that I find most stimulating. This painting, from a few years back, was made at the end of a dry summer, just when the canopy of leaves was starting to turn. The small pond is a couple miles north of Bigfork, Montana, just east of my studio.
Inspiration is never far away!
Let’s keep in touch,
Marshall
When I’m close to bringing a painting to the finish line I like to take a long, careful look. After years of painting, and years of looking at paintings, I recognize four elements that I’ve come to recognize as important, if not essential for me. Those four are: thick paint against thin paint, warm colors next to cool colors, light against dark, and soft edge next to hard edge.
Even on a tiny painting like this they make things work for my eye.
Let’s keep in touch,
Marshall
I believe it’s never an unwise decision for anyone involved in a creative endeavor to, from time to time, get out of their comfort zone and see what happens! I’ve taken a leap out of my comfort zone recently by beginning work on paintings for an upcoming small works show at Ventana Fine Art. I love to paint big!
These new paintings are a mere 12 inches by 12 inches. We’ll see if I can confirm the well travelled saying “small is beautiful.”
Let’s keep in touch,
Marshall
