Kinder Farms flowering trees

The last of the flowering trees finished their spring display within the past few weeks; this painting captures that finale at Kinder Farms, a local park devoted to the history of farming in the area.

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

Hilltop shelter in Spring

I probably took on more than I should have in this one: dense forest scene, a man-made structure, and it's all set in spring, so the greens are tricky to get right. That being said, I think it turned out reasonably well given the challenges.

Sadly, the little hilltop shelter in question was crushed flat by one of the trees on the left that snapped off in 2010 - it's a shame, since the view was nice from up there.

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

Patapsco River: Hint of Spring

Well, I'm getting ahead of myself here - it's still February, and spring is many weeks away, but by April the trees in Patapsco State Park will have a hint of green amid the brown and grey winter branches, and then spring will almost be here.

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

Patapsco sycamores by the river

Patapsco State Park is full of old sycamore trees, many of which grow down near the river bank. Here, we stand in a rocky part of the river, watching the water roll by as the sunlight filters through the rich greens of the sycamore tree leaves.

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

Towering Mountain Majesty

This is my first painting of a mountain-focused landscape after being fortunate enough to participate in several weeks of online, interactive seminars taught live by well-known landscape artist Johannes Vloothuis. He taught about 100 students a night for several hours each night throughout December 2010, and each session was incredibly informative.

The focus upon proper composition through use of well-defined value planes, each designed in a pleasing abstract shape, was eye-opening, as were the little technical details, such as the proper way to paint underwater rocks, as shown in this painting.

Acrylic Painting: 14" x 17"

Rainstorm on the Open Plains

A huge rainstorm sweeps across the open plains, leaving wind and puddles in its wake. Far away, the distant mountains await the storm even as the sun highlights the prairie between the clouds above.

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"

Upstate New York snowy river

This painting is based upon a photo from this month's Landscape Challenge on the Wet Canvas forum. The scene is of a snowy river somewhere in Upstate New York, a beautiful part of the country.

Acrylic painting: 14" x 17"