Two new canvas paintings and my inspiration for painting them.

I completed two paintings since my last post.  The first one I call "Patchwork Pine".  I am trying to come up with some ideas of subject matter that will be more appealing to art lovers here in MI.  As I look around I see lots of pine trees of different varieties.  My thought was to do one that would look like it was done in fabric like a patchwork quilt.  Here is an image of the 16X12 painting.

When I finished this painting I was uncertain on what to do next.  I recently got all my frames organized and hanging on my new pegboard wall.  Since the frames were easy to see I decided to pick a frame first than decide what subject would look good in that frame.  I chose a 16X20 frame that I have had for a long time.  I never used it in Arizona because it did not have a southwest look.  The frame is in pastel colors and looks like it was splatter painted.  I could have refinished it but I liked it the way it was so saved it for years waiting for the right idea for a painting that would be the perfect fit for the frame.  I put a blank canvas in the frame and stared at it for awhile and thought some type of flower would be my subject.  I went to my computer desk to do some flower research and my eye went to my calendar with one of Van Gogh's bedroom paintings.  The color scheme of the carpet was similar to the colors in the frame.  I decided to check out images of Van Gogh's paintings.  When I came to his Orchard in Blossom series I got my inspiration.  I would do a tree in bloom.

   Having gone through my first snowy winter in 20 years I am looking forward to a Michigan spring.  While a bit of my heart will always long for the southwest, my roots are in the mid-west.  I remember the joy of seeing the first crocus peeking its head through the snow.  I remember the woods next to our house and seeing the trees start to form buds.  I remember the beauty of the dogwood tree in the spring around Easter time.  I am ready for that experience again.  That is why I decided to paint a dogwood tree in bloom.  Here is the painting titled simply "Dogwood"

It is 6 moths since we made the move to Michigan.  If you follow my blog you know that most of the time we have been here we have been working on the house.  It is only since the first of the year that I have been concentrating on establishing my self in the art community here.  I think things are moving in the right direction.  I have shown my art at a prestigious exhibition at the Carnegie Center for the Arts and won an award on one painting and sold another painting.  I was accepted as a member of the Three Rivers Artist guild and just last week I applied and was accepted to show my work at the Vicksburg Cultural Arts Center.  I have also applied to take part in the Kalamazoo Institute for the Arts 2016 regional show and am waiting to hear if any of my paintings have been juried in.. I miss all my Tucson artist friends but am looking forward to the new artist friends I will make here.