All of my landscape paintings are site specific, meaning that they are either painted on location en plein air or from photographs that I have taken in my travels around this amazing country that I live in. My primary medium is Gouache (opaque watercolor) or occasionally acrylic or oils.
The title of this painting is called "Leaf Fall" I came upon this tree in the parking lot of the Highland Library in Highland Michigan near my home one October day last year. I have no idea what kind of tree this is but it was beginning to shed it's leafs as all deciduous trees do here in Michigan. The leaves resembled maple leaves but were out of proportion to the size of the tree, very unlike a sugar maple or other varieties of maple trees. The bark was peeling off of the trunk of the tree similar to the way a eucalyptus tree sheds its skin. I have painted Eucalyptus trees before in my travels along the northern cost of California north of the San Fransisco Bay area so I know a Eucalyptus tree when I see one. This tree was an explosion of color and shape. It almost screamed "paint me Ken" so I did. My medium is Gouache and the substrata is Arches water color paper. Size is 21" X 27" including the frame. The frame was made for me by the folks at Main Street Art in downtown Milford who did a fantastic job of framing this painting for me. I have an affiliation with the American Watercolor Society which has it headquarters in the Salmungundi Club in Manhattan N.Y. The AWS sponsors and annual competition for its members and I submitted this painting to the show this year. I was thrilled to learn that this painting was accepted into the show this year and will be appearing on the walls of the Salmugundi Club in April. Coincidentally, prior to submitting this painting to the AWS show I had submitted it to the Artists magazine "Over 60" artists competition. This is an annual show sponsored by the Artists magazine that is open to artists who are over 60 years of age. I made the cut in that show as well so "Leaf Fall" will be appearing in two shows at the same time. The physical painting will be hanging in the Salmugundi Club and a digital copy will be appearing in the Artist Magazine. I doesn't get any better than that. Thank you Steve Jobs for inventing the Macintosh computer.
Pokeweed berries 2.0 This is a companion piece to Pokeweed berries as seen below. Gouache on Yupo. 19"X 25"
The title of this painting is "Pokeweed Berries". It's a weed that grows in my front yard. Its a very large weed, about seven feet tall. More of a bush than a weed. The berries are poisonous to humans and animals. The medium is gouache on Yupo. 19" X 25"
  • The title of this painting is "Smoke Bush". The actual bush that I painted this from is located in my backyard. Smoke bushes come in many different varieties of colors. This particular bush has leaves that have a red color to them and in certain lights during the day if the sun hits the leaves they glow as if back lit. I took liberties with my color palette and enhanced the colors to force the reds. The medium is Gouache and the substrata is Yupo. 16" X 20"
"Branching out", Gouache on Watercolor paper. 20" X 30" Appearing in April at the Salmungundi Club in New York City as one of the finalists in the 158th International Watercolor Society competition. And the hits just keep on coming. I have just learned that this same painting has been accepted as a finalist in the Splash 26 Best of Watercolor exhibition Sponsored by The Artist Magazine. So this painting will be in two major shows at the same time. The original will be hanging at the Salmungundi Club in New York City in April, and it will also be featured in The Artist Magazine print copy that will be released in July. I'm on a roll!
  • "Snowscape" A view of our driveway as it leads to our horse barn at our little house in the country Gouache on Arches watercolor paper. 15" X 19"

  • This painting made the cut in the American Watercolor Society Associate members online competition.
  • To see the show online click here
"TwoTrees" Gouache on archival paint board. 13" X 20"
A tributary of the Tittabawassee river, near Gladwin Michigan. Gouache on Yupo. 9" X 12"
  • The May June issue of the Artists magazine. I made the cut in the "Artists over 60" art competition. It's always a thrill to receive this level of international exposure.
"Road trip" Driving through a redwood forest on the northern coast of California. Gouache on Yupo.
"Eucalyptus Forest" Appearing in the July 2023 issue of The Artists Magazine "Spash 24" Best of Watercolor international art competition.
Yosemite Valley, El Capitan blue wall
"Burn out" Yosemite Mariposa Grove
"California dreaming" The rolling hills of Northern California
"Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore" near Munising Michigan, The southern shore of lake Superior
A tributary of the Schiawassi River near Gladwin Michigan
"Verticality." Yosemite National Park. Gouache on Canson paint board.