Moreau River Scene
April 18, 2011
This watercolor is painted from a photo I took on my husband’s family ranch, bordering the Moreau River in western South Dakota. Miles from anywhere and in the middle of everything: a beautiful region. The Moreau River fluctuates from a shallow moving stream to a raging over the banks river, depending on the season and amount of precipitation.
I truly love working in watercolor. I’m influenced by the color usage of the Impressionists. You can see my exaggerated colors in the shadows and glowing colors. The Impressionists largely rejected black as a color in painting, opting to utilize color instead. That color theory in painting has shaped how I paint. Thank you, Claude Monet!!!
I’ve taken some time off of painting of late, traveling and promoting my artwork. I took a trip to Wyoming and Colorado, then back for a couple of weeks. That was followed by a trip to Helena, MT, where I did an Art show. Now, glad to be back in my wonderful studio, doing what I love best: painting!!!
Lookout Mountain Winter Watercolor
February 24, 2011
We are back to winter scenes! This is the white we are again seeing, but it is not out of the ordinary for February in South Dakota. Those of us living here are getting plenty tired of it, however!
This watercolor painting sold this fall, and to my pleasure, it sold to a woman who had commuted in this area, driving past Lookout Mountain in years past. Landmarks like this call to us: they are familiar and comforting. I see this mountain out my kitchen window, and the welcoming sun peeking over the ridge starts my day out wonderfully. Here is to the many comforting landmarks in your own lives!
Bear Butte Panorama
February 22, 2011
This is a piece, recently completed as a commission. This oil painting shows the gentle colors of the region, with wildflowers in the foreground and late summer ocher tones in the background. It is showing the amazing view of Bear Butte, with the moon rising. You can see the gentle slope of the land as it rises from the prairie to the higher elevation of the Black Hills in this just small view of the landscape.
