October 9, 2023
Looking out my studio window I see a leafless arctic willow behind branches of aspen. The trees are rapidly changing color here in Northwest Montana.
This painting’s still in process. We’ll see if it changes.
Marshall
September 27, 2023
I hope you can stop in at Slate Gray Gallery in Telluride, Colorado to see my exhibition “Curious by Nature” on display through October 2nd. This is the first body of work I’ve done in my new, natural light filled studio and I must say my palette has changed, not dramatically, but changed nonetheless. The colors seem to me to be more luminous, translucent and vibrant.
I did not anticipate the change but I love the new paintings. Here’s a look at one of my favorites from the show. Let me know what you think!
Marshall
July 13, 2023
Here’s a sketch I made just outside Santa Fe a short while back. Many of my oil paintings begin as pastel sketches.
I feel this composition is screaming for more size! What do you think?
Let’s keep in touch,
Marshall
July 6, 2023
Tomorrow night Friday, July 7th my exhibition “Sylvan Splendor” opens at Ventana Fine Art, 400 Canyon Road, Santa Fe.
Here’s a look at one of my favorite paintings from the show.
Hope to see you there!
Marshall
June 22, 2023
The opening of my annual show in Santa Fe is fast approaching. Here’s a look at one of my favorites. The Stillwater River runs through the east side of my hometown, Kalispell, Montana. This riparian zone provides me with seemingly endless inspiration. Especially in the fall.
Join us for the exhibition at Ventana Fine Art. I’ll be there for the reception on July 7th. I’d be happy to see you!
Marshall
June 7, 2023
I try to make every painting interesting to my eye at every stage of the process. Here’s an example of visualizing the negative space and filling in the areas that surround it. Simple but effective.
And I will admit that it’s ALWAYS about making the painting interesting to my eye.
Marshall
May 26, 2023
Here’s something I’ve learned from my art making practice. Have faith in your process. From my perspective, a paintings’ most important value is not the finished painting itself, but the ideas that work generates. When everything falls into place perfectly, one painting leads to the next painting.
Here’s an example of one painting that led me to not one, but three more paintings!
Let’s keep in touch,
Marshall
April 27, 2023
I’ve long adhered to the belief that warm colors adjacent to cool colors make for a dynamic, expressive color composition. And, I won’t deny that the tension created by warm – cool contrast is something I appreciate in a painting. Something essential even.
Having said that, here’s an example of a painting in almost exclusively cool colors that I find pretty close to perfect! No red, orange or yellow required.
Let’s keep in touch,
Marshall
April 20, 2023
Some mornings the light is more sublime than other mornings. This was one of those jaw droppingly sublime mornings. Happy to bear witness, even if I was required to eschew my typical high chroma approach to color in the landscape!
As is often the case, the most profound lessons arrive when I’m in front of a canvas with brush in hand. Maybe, after all these years, I can learn that color doesn’t necessarily have to be big to be beautiful. I think I’ll go start another painting in soft colors.
Marshall
April 13, 2023
Well, believe it or not, I’ve put the finishing touches on the first eight paintings for my July exhibition at Ventana Fine Art in Santa Fe. I thought I’d share a sneak peek with you.
Here’s a painting that leans a bit more strongly toward realism than is typical for me. But looking across the hillside south of my new studio I was taken with a stand of still needle free larches. Here in Northwest Montana the larches turn a brilliant golden yellow in the fall just before they drop their needles, and in the spring make an even more stunning display when the new needles emerge in a bright chartreuse color. I love larches!
Marshall
