A walk on a crisp autumn afternoon inspired this piece. The breeze was chilly, the leaves rustled, showing off their fall colors. It was a beautiful sparkling moment.
This piece takes advantage of the vibrant hues of fall in my selection of Schmincke pastels. It is available for sale.
Inspired by treks across various savannahs and sloughs in Oregon, and particularly a recent visit to Basket Slough, looking down from the hillside towards a number of ponds and small lakes.
This piece was done using a selection of Schmincke pastels which recently entered my rotation. I’m very pleased with them.
This piece is available for sale.
This one was inspired by nights camping in the forests of Oregon, surrounded by silent sentinels and quiet nocturnal creatures. Safe and snug at camp, just the string of colored lights to dispel the darkness.
This was painted on Sennelier pastel card, which is new for me (I like it, and my very first piece was done on a sample of it, but I couldn’t find a local source at the time). The pastels are Schmincke, from Germany. Quite nice to work with.
“Skyline Sunset” soft pastel on Pastelmat, 7″ x 9.5″, 2026
This piece was inspired by a quiet moment looking over a quantity of sunset images in various urban areas that were shared with me (or taken by me) over recent years. Rather than a copy of any one of those, this piece seeks to capture a certain quality of cities and sunrises.
This piece was painted using Blue Earth, Sennelier, and Henri Roche pastels, and is available for sale.
Inspired by the sight of a “Starlink train” of new satellites moving into position in the dawn sky one August morning. Seen from a favorite trailhead, as I got started down the trail.
This piece is painted on Pastelmat, using a combination of Sennelier, and Henri Roche soft pastels, and is available for sale.
This piece was inspired by a misty morning hike down an oak lined trail. This piece was done using Blue Earth pastels, listening to Downliners Sekt (an old album, “Statement of Purpose”).
Inspired by the night-dark clouds of a storm moving in, and rain falling as a misty curtain over distant hills. This piece makes use of Henri Roche’s “Feu d’artifice” selection of dark pigments enhanced with sparkles.
I enjoy a beautiful sunrise. Happily, there are so many!
This June sunrise is done on Ampersand Pastelbord, using Blue Earth soft pastels. It captures the western horizon on a colorful morning, seen from a local trail.
This piece is available for sale. If interested, please contact me by email.
I spent a couple days painting on the coast on the southern edge of Lincoln City, Oregon, in June. The view from the window of my room was lovely. I watched the tide come and go for hours.
Both of these pieces are available for sale (please email me if interested). These were painted en plein air from the open windows of a room at the Ester Lee Hotel, using Sennelier and Henri Roche pastels on Ampersand Pastelbord.
I have been finding myself more inspired lately – ocean views, forest trails, expanses of fields in full bloom, and so many beautiful sunrises and sunsets.
Time is a finite resource, it passes. Unused minutes get lost along the way. My last new pastel (or painting in any medium) was November 30th of 2024. That seems a very long time ago, though I’ve had at least one other very long period without new creative work.
I delighted myself with clearing the clutter from my studio and getting my workspace set up once again, over the past week. It feels functional, and the work feels satisfying. Maybe that’s enough?
I haven’t had the use of my studio for the time between July 1st of 2024 until quite recently – yesterday, actually, call it not quite two years. I happily sat down at my tabletop easel this morning, and did the first piece of new work in a long time. I have mixed feelings about it, which does not surprise me a bit. I’ve had plenty to inspire me over this past two years, and finally sitting down to do something about it feels a bit…strange. I’ll get over it. lol
Instead of giving up after one piece, I sat with my thoughts and an assortment of photographs from recent hikes and visits to hidden coastal places. After spending some time refreshing my recollections of a particular favorite spot, I got back to work.
It feels good to be painting again. I cue up a new playlist. More to come…
