LANDSCAPES
Original artworks in oils, soft pastels, watercolours, and mixed media.
Birches in First Snow, 3
Soft pastels on museum-quality wood panel, 18” x 24” x 1/8”. Requires framing under glass. This pastel artwork was inspired by autumn birch trees in the first snowfall of the cold season. It is based on a scene at the Chicago Botanic Garden, using some artistic licence. I aimed at producing a vivid contrast between the ‘hot’ yellows and golds of the autumn foliage and the ‘cold’ whites of the birch trunks and snow. The trunks and lines of the branches create an interesting interplay of lines and patterns.
Birches in First Snow, 4
Watercolour and soft pastel painting on wood panel, 18” x 24”. x 1/8”. Requires framing. This artwork was inspired by the first snowfall of the cold season on autumn birch trees at a lake. The late afternoon sun highlights the foliage and tree trunks, bringing a warm glow to the frosty landscape.
Autumn Forest, 2
Soft Pastels on museum-quality wooden board, 18” x 24” / 45.5 cm x 61 cm. This artwork was inspired by last light on autumn trees. The brilliant gold and rust-coloured foliage make a beautiful display against the greyish tones of the sky and tree trunks.
Redbuds at the Lake
Soft Pastels on museum-quality wooden board, 16” x 20” / 40.5 cm 51 cm. Native to North America, these trees burst into blossom in early spring. In this artwork, hot-pink blossoms contrast vividly against the backdrop of fresh green foliage and turquoise water. Dark tree trunks and branches make a startlingly bold contrast with the softness of the blooms, foliage and water.
Autumn on Wetlands
Mixed media (watercolour and soft pastel) on museum-quality wood panel, 18” x 24” x 1/8”. This painting was inspired by a late afternoon scene of brilliant autumn trees reflected in a wetland lagoon. The spiky reeds make abstract patterns as they enclose a winding visual pathway through the water, contrasting dramatically with the softly-rounded shapes of the foliage and clouds.
Autumn on South Pond
Oil on gallery-wrap canvas, 38” x 54” x 1.5”, ready to hang. A frame can be added. Sunlit autumn trees are reflected in a pond in a nature preserve. The late afternoon light casts a golden glow over brilliant foliage, creating a vibrant contrast to blue sky. The mirrored trees form a beautiful pattern in softly rippling water. Although colors are brilliant, the whole presents a tranquil scene.
Autumn Forest 1
Oil on gallery-wrap canvas, 42” x 30” x 1.5”, ready to hang. A frame can be added. This painting was inspired by a maple forest in full autumn colour. Walking through this forest under canopies of glowing gold and orange, is a delightful, spirit-elevating experience.
Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool
Soft pastel on wood panel, 20” x 16” x 1/8”. Requires framing under glass. This landscape architecture in Chicago, originally named The Rookery, is possibly at its most beautiful in autumn. I have also painted a large oil of this scene (see following post).
Urban Oasis: Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool
SOLD. Oil on gallery-wrap canvas, 40” x 52” x 1.5”, painted around the sides, ready to hang. This artwork followed my preliminary soft pastel drawing of the Chicago lily pool originally known as The Rookery. I attempted to capture the tranquil yet vibrant mood of the scene.
Sunlit Morning, Blue Mountains
Oil on canvas, 40” x 40” / 101.5 cm x 101.5 cm. Early morning sunlight streams through mist, casting highlights on the Eucalyptus foliage and trunks. This landscape painting was inspired by a bush-walk behind my family home in The Blue Mountains, Australia.
Red Poppies, 1
Soft pastels on wood panel, 16” x 20” x 1/8”. Requires framing under glass. This artworks was inspired by a field of oriental red poppies, purple irises and mauve wildflowers against the backdrop of a tranquil lake at the Chicago Botanic Garden, Illinois. I followed this artwork with a large painting in oils (see next post).
Red Poppies, 2
OIl on gallery-wrap canvas, 42” x 36” x 1.5”, ready to hang. This painting follows my preliminary pastel drawing (see previous post). Brilliant, scarlet, oriental poppies contrast vividly with a field of mauve and purple flowers and a tranquil, willow-banked lake at the Chicago Botanic Garden, Illinois.
Water Lily Pond, 1
Soft pastel on wood panel, 18” x 24” x 1/8”. Requires framing under glass. This tranquil, summer scene was inspired by a wetalands nature preserve. Water lilies blossom across a pond surrounded by reeds and lush, green forest trees.
Winter Birches and Red Willows
Soft pastels on wood panel, 20” x 16” x 1/8”. Requires framing under glass. Sunlight sets these bare, red willow branches aglow with fiery colour amid the snowy landscape.
Spring Snowfall, 1
Mixed media (watercolour and soft pastel) on wood panel, 24” x 18” x 1/8”. Requires framing under glass. The subtle beauty of bare, winter trees aby a lake is enhanced by a fresh snowfall that frosts the trunks and branches. The trees appear to incline towards each other, as if seeking companionship in the harsh cold.
Crown of the Lake
OIl on gallery-wrap canvas, 54” x 38” x 1.5”, ready to hang. Afternoon sunlight illuminates colourful autumn trees on a tiny island in Lake Marmo at the Morton Arboretum, Illinois.
Autumn Afternoon 3
Pastels on wood pane, 18” x 24”. Inspire by colourful atumn maple trees reflected in a pond. Sells unframed: pastel artworks must be framed under glass.
Water’s Edge, Autumn Lagoon, oils on canvas, 48” x 40”