Snow

Pasture in November, 9 x 12" plein air, oil on linen, 11/20/12

Up until a couple of days ago the landscape still clung to November, with its cool browns and gray-greens, hazy light and long shadows.
 Then the snow came. Heavy, wet, sticking snow, cloaking the pines and capping the chimneys.

December 11, 2012, 12 x 9" plein air, oil on linen

New Note Cards!

 I just got some new greeting cards printed with images of my art, you can find them online here. 

I'm so pleased with how they turned out!

Set of five cards, pictured with my trusty pen and favorite ink!

Farm and orchard set.

Snow and fog!

Trees and skies. :)

Autumn and winter.

Collect all 25! ;-)

November Woods

 Tonight's painting:

November Woods, plein air, 9 x 12" oil on linen.

The oak leaves are still beautiful, they're just underfoot instead of overhead, and I love the way the late sunlight hits the bark on these great old trees.

October Library Show

Queen Anne's Lace and Evening Clouds, 14"x18" oil on linen, copyright 2012 Hannah C. Heyer

I've been kind of quiet lately, with lots of unfinished projects in the works. Hopefully some of them are close to completion!

 In October I took over the local library, with 29 original oil paintings and 10 illustration prints. Between planning, framing, and hanging, there were sure times I thought I'd bitten off more than I could chew! But it all came together, and the library crew was fantastic.

Illustrations and paintings at the library!

Illustrations displayed above the shelves of picture books.

"Song of Grace" and "Third Position", two portraits done in oil.

Detroit plein air paintings on display.

"Uncle William's Farm", and the little plein air piece on which it was based.
14"x18", and 7"x5" oil on linen.

The weather has turned colder, and we had snow yesterday. Not the staying sort, but that may be just around the corner. Stay warm!

Painting and Pie.

Oak in the Fog, plein air, oil on linen. October 13, 2012

Spent my Saturday afternoon sitting out in the fog, and then rain, admiring and painting the ghostly shape of an old oak on the edge of the woods.

 It was a beautiful time to be out, even if it was a bit soggy.

Then my little sister brought me a piece of apple pie.

Perfect.

:-)

Aspen and Oak

 Today's painting subject: the brilliantly arrayed aspen and oak (and a few hickory) trees. The aspens seemed to glow against the dark clouds, and the oaks were all sorts of lovely.

Aspen and Oak, plein air, oil on linen panel. October 16, 2012

The muddy tire marks lead into a pasture, and for the first half of my painting session I had an audience. :-)

Critical cattle.

Two new paintings

 Here are two paintings from the past two days. We've had frost now, and the colors are changing so rapidly.

September 27 plein air, 8x10" oil on linen

Last night I was set up in a field of alfalfa, painting quickly as the light failed. There was cut hay, goldenrod, a fiery maple, and a delicious tang in the air.

September 26 plein air, 8x10" oil on linen

The night before I was in the orchard, where the apple and pear trees cast lengthening shadows.

Detroit Plein Air

 I just got back from a road trip with some family, to Detroit to visit more family. This was my first visit, but hopefully not my last. There was so much to see and take in. I am not a city person- I'm not even a small town person!- any city is a different world to me, and Detroit is, perhaps, a different world even among most cities.

Old school, Detroit, MI, plein air. 6"x8" oil on linen

I painted this great old school building, while the others watered and picked tomatoes, which are now being grown in the yard along with fruit trees and hops.

Overpasses, Detroit, MI, plein air. 8"x10" oil on linen

Overpasses and an old water tower. Beautiful night to be out, and really enjoyed hearing from some of the people who passed by. And no, officer, I'm not involved with anyone doing graffiti!

An unsuspecting model for sketching from life, at the Jam Handy building.

Rooftops and wires, Detroit, MI plein air. 5"x7" oil on linen

The morning we left I got out onto the garage roof and did this small painting. Rain was in the air.

Same place, different day

July 22 plein air, copyright 2012 Hannah C. Heyer, 9 x 12" oil on linen

I can't help it, I just love that tree!

 Last night I went back to the place I painted on June 4th for another go. 

The painting is still really wet and shiny, and there's a bit of glare on the left side in the photo, but you can see how it compares with the one done in June below.

The fields and colors have changed so much: the plowed field I painted before is now a corn field, the grain has ripened and is a beautiful golden color, the hay has been cut, and the grasses and weeds in the meadow/pasture are all sorts of lovely.

 I was farther up the hillside this time, with a slightly different perspective on the curves and angles of the land. Before, I painted in the morning/early afternoon, and this time I painted late - trying to finish before the sun disappeared!

June 4 plein air, copyright 2012 Hannah C. Heyer, 9 x 12" oil on linen

Wet Paint + Bug

I went out painting last night, and posted a quick snapshot of the painting over on my facebook page.
 I brought the painting home tucked away in my easel, and left it there overnight. When I took it out today, I noticed some, shall we say, embellishments? And a dried up... slug?

Poor Mr. Slug!

Scraggly Tree Plein Air, 10 x 8" oil on linen.

The slug has been removed, but the evidence of his winding journey across the oil painting remains. It kind of works out with the branch-y stuff happening in that area, I think. Call it a collaboration?

:-P

Today

Today was one of those days.

I need sleep, ok?

But the evening was beautiful, and I got to go out and paint. I didn't have much time (it was probably around 7:30 when I started) so I had to find a place close by and not too complicated. Fortunately, I live in one of the most beautiful places ever, and the light in the evening makes anything look gorgeous.

Spring Wheat Plein Air, 8 x 10" oil on linen

 I picked a field of spring wheat, loving how the heads caught the light, and the backdrop of the bluff-tops and distant fields.
 Word of the day: awns. The bristles or beards of the grain. Not painted in detail here, but they are lovely!

Moo.

I set up in the shade of this shed. The weather-vane is inaccurate, but I like it anyway. :)

Sleep time...

Hallmark here I come!

...or maybe not.

Birthday card for a good friend:

What do you get a resourceful, intelligent, competent woman for her birthday?

Telescoping flatware of course!

Happy Birthday!

Plein Air in Red Wing

Off the Gravel Road, 12"x9" oil on linen sold

 I've had a hot, exhausting, fabulous week, spent in and around Red Wing, Minnesota for the 6th annual Red Wing Plein Air Art Festival.

Crosswalk, 8"x10" oil on linen sold

 Downtown Red Wing, with its great old architecture, trees, flowers, and street lamps was a challenge and a pleasure to paint.

Farm Near Frontenac, 8"x10" oil on linen

There were many lovely places, and sometimes the decision of where to paint came down to how much shade was available! This farm had a beautiful large willow tree nearby where I parked myself, trying to stay cool and enjoying the fragrance of new hay in the afternoon heat.

Oak on the Hill, 10"x8" oil on linen  sold

 This place was truly beautiful, with an abundance of old oaks, shadows, and views of the valley below. I loved how the evening light showed off the patterns and texture of the tree bark.

River Rising, 12"x9" oil on linen sold

 Thursday evening I painted in Stockholm, Wisconsin. The river is high, leaving many trees standing in the water, and making for an interesting mix of shadows and reflections.

Morning at the Tracks, 10"x8" oil on linen

Saturday morning was the "quick paint" from 9 - 11am. I set up right by the depot, near the tracks, and a farmers' market, and got to enjoy some great live music while frantically painting! ;)

 I got to meet some wonderful people and amazing artists, which was so inspiring.
The show runs through August 26th, so be sure to stop by the Depot Gallery and check it out!

New Plein Air Paintings

I've had a lovely few days: camping with some of my favorite people, and then stomping around in my boots finding places to paint. My feet hurt!

June 4, 2012. 9"x12"oil on linen.

Young grain, a plowed field, blue sky, pastures, and trees with lots of character.

June 4, 2012, evening. 9"x12" oil on linen.

Rain coming in from the north. I couldn't paint fast enough to keep up with the changing, amazing clouds! Just as I finished, the wind kicked up, flinging chaff into my painted sky. I'll try to clean it up once it's dry. :)

June 5, 2012. 9"x12" oil on linen.

I love blue and green together, and all the grasses going to seed add great texture and color to the landscape.


After only about a year together, my French easel has given notice. I know I've been kind of rough with it, but I feel a little betrayed! It's still working, for the moment, but I'll be looking for a more reliable replacement.
 It picked a fine time to start falling apart too: the Plein Air Festival in Red Wing, MN is in less than three weeks! Can't wait!

Painting Photo Shoot

Thanks to a friend, who generously lent me a good camera, I was able to have a little photo shoot with many of my paintings done over the last year.

Paintings lined up after getting their pictures taken.

 I'm no pro, but having a nice camera, rather than my defective little point and shoot, made it so much easier to get decent, non blurry shots. Such a luxury!
 I'm now working on a little editing, and getting some of my recent paintings up on my shops here and here.
  Looking forward to beginning some new pieces soon!

April

 Since I last wrote, winter has given up trying, and spring appears to be here to stay. I wish my Aussie nephews and niece could see it now! They'd begin to see that America (and Minnesota in particular) is not merely a cold and barren land where sock-wearing is a must.

 I want to put up my hammock out in the orchard some sunny day and just breathe. It smells so good! The pear trees have blossomed, and some of the apple trees will soon. I hope it doesn't turn too cold again.

 The earthy fragrance of winter-turning-spring has given way to the scent of new grass and leaves. The cows are out in the pastures, and their milk has a funny green taste for a while.

 There are bloodroot and violets blooming in the woods, and I want to go for a good ramble, but I'm paranoid about the tick population.

5"x7" oil on linen, Hannah C. Heyer

It looked like rain this morning, so I didn't go very far afield. Painted the view looking up towards the old barn, half hidden by the blooming fruit trees that edge the garden, and flanked by the weeping willow and old maple tree.

7"x5" oil on linen, Hannah C. Heyer

The North wind blew, and the sky began to clear. I painted the green grass, and this funny little shrub that grew by the fence.


 I love spring.

February 4, plein air

Maybe it was that my boots were getting soaked through, or that I was tired after hauling a toddler around on my back through the woods, but when I got to the field, I just plopped down and painted what was in front of me: An old rotten hay bale.
 While the kids went sledding, under an intense blue sky, I painted the strong shadows and scruffy weeds in the snow covered field.

 I also dropped my mittens into my palette. Oops!

The little painting:

February 4, 2012 plein air, 5"x7" oil on linen, Hannah C. Heyer