When I saw this stand of fresh-faced spiderwort growing at Illinois Beach State Park this spring, I thought, oooh, a pattern of color! I used a background of orange behind the colors to make them pop, with a bit of yellow washed over here and there.
Tag Archives: Nature Painting
Fledglings
Melissa Blue Fine Art This painting may not be done yet, but I was eager to share it with you. It recalls a day when my daughter andContinue reading “Fledglings”
Changes
4/30/17 Monarch on Coneflower Changes fascinate me. As I sit here, I can gaze out at my sodden garden. Unusual warm temperatures hastened blooms, and now it has turned cold and wet. We’re getting quite a lot of rain which seems welcome to me and my button bush. Life teaches us that all thingsContinue reading “Changes”
Belonging
melissabluefineart.com I just finished this painting this afternoon and am pretty excited about it. This is my very first memory. It took place shortly after my mom married my step-dad, and he took us out to the redwood forest that grew behind his little cottage. I will never forget how I felt, standing before thatContinue reading “Belonging”
Des Plaines River
Melissa Blue Fine Art There is a curve of the Des Plaines River that often catches my eye as I drive past. I like how the tree leans out over the water, and have thought that it would look lovely with snow. We’ve only had one snowstorm this winter, so on that morning my sonContinue reading “Des Plaines River”
Through the Trees
Melissa Blue Fine Art This painting has been nearly a decade in the making. That is kind of embarrassing to admit! Usually if a painting is just not working I paint it out and use the canvas for something else. This one, though, I always felt could be worth finishing. Finally yesterday I realized whatContinue reading “Through the Trees”
Big Bluestem at Illinois Beach State Park
melissabluefineart.com I meant to be painting snow, but when I was glancing through some photos I took in the fall I was struck anew by the play of colors and texture along this stretch of trail. Late afternoon sunlight was slanting through, picking out the stems of this this fine tall grass. Besides, we’ve hardlyContinue reading “Big Bluestem at Illinois Beach State Park”
McDonald Woods
melissabluefineart A little over a year ago my daughter and I went exploring in a different forest preserve than our usual haunts. Illinois can be a bit flat, but here we found a lovely ravine with a bit of a stream meandering along at the bottom. The air was soft and still, and golden leavesContinue reading “McDonald Woods”
Bird in an Autumnal Sumac
I haven’t made up my mind about this one. It is in oil. The new Earth Paints are a joy to work with but of course there are ways in which they behave much differently than my acrylics. I think this doesn’t match my desire to paint wild abstract-y interpretations but I really wantedContinue reading “Bird in an Autumnal Sumac”
Pickerel Weed
Melissa Blue Fine Art Pickerel Weed is such a wonderful plant, standing tall right at the edge of water where I like to hang out. Frogs lurk here, snakes sometimes slither, herons stalk while dragonflies hang in the air taunting us mud-bound creatures. For years I have been playing it safe with my paintings. TheContinue reading “Pickerel Weed”
Melissa Blue Fine Art 