Old and New

You may or may not know that snow is my very favorite subject to paint. For many reasons painting snow is my fave. And add nocturne to snow…… woah. I am all over that. Can’t get enough of that mix. This piece was painted in February 2024.  It’s a strong personal favorite piece.

Frozen Dogwood

12 x 16

This is a bittersweet thing for me. I am trading it with my dear friend, Marc Stehno. Marc and I have been out of touch for roughly 10 years, but recently reconnected. Marc is one of, if not THE most positive and optimistic loving and giving persons I have ever met. There’s never been 1 second of my relationship with Marc that has been anything short of A+. NOT ONE SECOND. And I’m not exaggerating.

Marc was the very first person to purchase an oil painting from me. He believed in me from the beginning. That alone holds a special place in my heart. When Marc recently reached out to me he said he and his wife Tiffany agreed that the painting should come back to me. He has always loved this painting, Michael’s Corner. It's an early oil painting for me. And he feels I need to have it back. He explained that he has a terminal illness and is not expected to be around here for much longer. While I am not willing to accept a painting back. I am willing to trade paintings. And I felt it fitting that while he has been the caretaker of an early piece of mine, he deserves to have a recent piece that is near and dear to my heart.

Marc, you are AWESOME! I love you buddy. You will always occupy a huge space in my heart.

I am so thankful to have had you in my life.

Michael's Corner 14 x 11

Battling Inner Fears

In working for my upcoming solo show 'Impassioned', one place I wanted to paint was at the Astoria, Oregon waterfront. On Black Friday my wife and I had a book signing at Finn Ware and decided to spend a couple extra nights in order for me to do just that. One minor detail though, weather.... and it came in big. It rained pretty hard all day on Saturday and I struggled to find inspiration enough to go fight the elements for a plein air painting. We debated on having me paint inside our hotel room which wasn't cutting it for me. We went to the hotel rooftop and it still wasn't doing anything for me.

I knew I wanted to go to the waterfront, but was pretty unsure if I would find anything interesting to paint. So after vacillating for a stretch of wasted time, my wife said, "Just go out there, cause if you don't you'll be angry that you didn't paint something." (Victoria knows that I have a deep-rooted Scandinavian side to me.....:)
So I went to the car, grabbed my gear and reluctantly headed down to the waterfront getting soaked. Almost instantly I knew what I wanted to paint. There was an old red building on pilings that was just begging to be painted.

So I quickly set up my traveling peanut roaster and got to work. And while I truly loved the subject matter, I didn't know what it was other than an old red building on pilings. Turns out it was the Pilot House. So, the cargo ships don't just navigate up the Columbia by anybody, they have a River Pilot or a Bar Pilot navigate the waters. This is the house for them and the boat that delivers them to the ships. I've known for a while that this is what occurs, I just didn't know this was the launching point for that amazing transition of pilot to ship.

I also didn't realize that I would be painting one of the most important paintings for my show. A painting that made the back of my show card.

It's quite funny to me how razor thin the line from nothing to something can be. I struggled so much with trying to figure out what and where to paint. Almost didn't paint. And to quiet the negative chatter in my head that I'll never find something to paint, its not worth the effort, just go watch a movie and relax..... And if it wasn't for my wife's efforts to motivate me, this painting probably wouldn't be here. It's funny how life works at times when you rise up and battle through your inner fears.....

Pilot House

12x16

oil on panel

'Impassioned' opens First Friday February 3, 2017 at Art on the Boulevard Gallery 5-9 opening reception. Hope to see you there!

Clark County Open Studio Tour Recap....

Brass Vase and Gourds
20x24

Last weekend, Clark County, in SW Washington, hosted its first Open Studio Tour, which I was excited to be a part of. Fifty artists opened their studios to friends, family, collectors, appreciators, and other artists.....and the response was outstanding.
 

There was a certain amount of intrigue on everyone's part, getting a glimpse behind the scenes of where an artist works and where their inspirations take root.
 

During the two-day event I decided to work through Brass Vase and Gourds, so people could see a painting in progress. It also was an instant conversational fulcrum.
 

The absolute best part of the weekend, was when I had the opportunity to visit with a couple of young girls (Claire and Rebekah), who are painters themselves, and tell them a little about my thought process. And THEN, I asked them, "OK, who wants to paint on this?" Of course, both girls were reluctant to step forward, but their mother hinted towards the younger of the two. So I sat Rebekah down, showed her how to hold the brush, and away she went, pushing paint around the canvas like a champ!

Rebekah working with painting knife

She worked on the table and then blended some edges with a painting knife between the green bottle, the right side gourd, and the table.
Great job Rebekah! And thanks so much for your help with this painting!
--------------------------
Keeping our youth involved with the arts is never far from my thoughts. To me, it's one of the greatest responsibilities, we as adult creatives can pass on to the next generation.

Thanks to everyone who came to visit my studio during the tour! I thoroughly enjoyed getting to share it with you. A special thank you to Camila Morrison and Nila Baker, for volunteering their time as greeters. And of course, a big thank you goes to my wife, Victoria. I couldn't have pulled this off without you, Dear!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!


 

2013 Pacific NW Plein Air

Dance After Sunset
18x24

 

I am filled with great memories of last week's Pacific NW Plein Air Paint-Out. It was an exhausting five days of hard work and great times that I will not soon forget.

 

It was an honor for me to be a part of this event. It was also filled with many talented painters that put together quite a body of work when it came time for the opening on Friday night.

Congratulations to all the participants of this year's event! And a big THANK YOU to all the volunteers, sponsors, and gallery staff of the Columbia Center for the Arts  who helped to put it all together.

 

Having this intensive chunk of time to focus on painting was quite invigorating. And even though I was a crispy critter by the end of the fifth day, I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

 

This painting was a piece that I worked on for four consecutive evenings to get this scene. I often felt like I was at a track meet, waiting for my race to start, and once the sun dropped behind the distant hills, it was as if the gun went off and the race to capture the fleeting light was on. Only having 30-45 minutes to work each night before the scene disappeared..... 

It was certainly a great and wonderful challenge to Dance After Sunset.....

 

 

 

Announcing my Plein Air Workshop

 

 

Michael Lindstrom

 

 

2013 Plein Air Workshop

Edge of the Birch
8x10

 

Come join me for a day of challenging your senses and adding mood to your work. We will cover selecting and designing a composition, technique, and color harmony. The morning will consist of discussing these issues and a demonstration of how I exercise them. In the afternoon you will receive one on one time as you apply these practices to your own work.

 

 

Saturday, September 14th, 9am-4pm

 

Location: Burnt Bridge Creek Greenway, in Vancouver, WA

 

Cost: $75

 

___________________________

 

Contact me with questions and registration at:

 

michaellindstromartist@gmail.com

 

360-334-2517


*Geared towards oil and acrylic painters of all levels.

 

*Directions and material list will be provided upon your registration.

 

 

 



The Journey Continues....

 

Across the Columbia
11x14

Spring and summer have proven to be quite busy for me. It feels good to sit down and update you on what's been going on.

 

I have been searching for a coastal gallery that would be a good fit and I am excited to let you know that I found one:

 

RiverSea Gallery in Astoria, Oregon.

 

RiverSea is a great gallery with a wonderful space and a broad mix of dynamic art. Jeannine, the Gallery Director, is very active in promoting the arts and the artists, and I am extremely proud to be a part of her team.

While Astoria is a destination town, it also possesses a salty, working class feel to it with lots of mood and texture. Which is right up my alley....

Having a coastal presence has been on my mind for sometime now and it feels great to see it become a reality.

 

Across the Columbia, is one of my pieces showing at RiverSea. And I will be present for their Second Saturday Art Walk, next Saturday, July 13th from 5-8pm. If you're in the area, stop by and say hi.

 

In upcoming weeks I will update you on other significant news.....

 



Thank You

Hug Point Sea-stack
16x20

As my show Moods of the Pacific Northwest begins to wind down, I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for all your support. All the friends, family, peers and collectors, you have really added the spice to make this a dynamite experience for me and from the bottom of my heart I

Thank You!

 



From the time I was given the green light to move forward with this project, the entire process has been a life changing experience for me, and one that I will never forget.

 

Each of the paintings holds a special memory for me. Like the morning when I painted Torrent out in the driving wind and rain at La Push, or the time when my great friend, Eric Jacobsen and I straddled a guard rail in The Dalles and I ended up painting Reliable Beauty. Then there was the time when I painted a sea-stack at Hug Point and my freshly loaded palette fell face first on the beach. Consequently, the piece is lovingly adorned with Hug Point sand.

 

As of today, an amazing total of 24 paintings have sold from the show. I couldn't be more humbly thankful that Moods of the Pacific Northwest was so well received.

 

And to my biggest fan, my Grandmother (Betty), who has visited the gallery at least a dozen times with friends and family to do what grandmothers do best... boast.

 

Thanks to everyone who had an opportunity to see the show and/or offer up such kind words, especially those who chose to take a piece home. It truly means more to me than you can imagine.

 

I owe a special thank you to Kevin Weaver, the gallery director of Art on the Boulevard for believing and trusting in me enough to give me my first solo show. It was an unbelievable show of faith that I am so grateful for. Thank you Kevin, for giving me wings.

 

And lastly I would like to thank my wife, Victoria. I could not have done the show without your support and organization. I love you and thank you!

 

 

 

Moods of the Pacific Northwest

Quintessential
36x48

Moods of the Pacific Northwest

 

 

Show Statement

 

Michael Lindstrom, is an oil painter, born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, and has developed a great love for its dynamic beauty. Out of his passion for the diverse topography and seasonal weather patterns was born this show, Moods of the Pacific Northwest.

 

In this show you will see a broad range of subject matter, from moody coastlines to intimate tree lines, to the Gorge, to east of the Cascades. His goal is to give the viewer a feeling of what inspires him about the Pacific Northwest. "It's really a celebration of the landscape, and the beauty that comes with every season."

 

Michael is primarily a plein air painter and feels that painting from life adds a dimension to his work that is difficult to replicate in the studio. "I believe the challenge of working out in the elements gives a painting a certain spontaneity and freshness that captures a moment in time."

 

What you might find even more interesting is that Michael began oil painting only four years ago and put together this show while holding down a full time job. "Painting for this show was no doubt a challenge that I was up for, but add to the mix that I only had evenings and weekends to paint, catapulted me into another gear of intensity."

 

"There are many people I have to thank for helping and inspiring me along my creative journey. However, for this show I am choosing to honor one person in particular: the very first person to inspire me to paint...... As a late teen I watched her periodically bring home paintings from a weekly class and wanted to ask if I could try it, but I never did. Maybe I wasn't ready..... I remember receiving one of her paintings for my 18th birthday that I still cherish today. And more than 25 years later I am taking my mother's inspiration to another level in a show of my own. A tree has grown from that seed planted so long ago."

 

"I have you to thank, Mom, for passing on the inspiration of oil painting to me. I am hopeful to do the same for another."

 

 

Moods of the Pacific Northwest

Dedicated to the memory of

Betsy Lindstrom

 

 

 

 

Aspens' Edge

Aspens' Edge
14x18

 

As I complete the finishing touches on my first solo art show at, Art on the Boulevard in Vancouver, WA, I pause and reflect on the journey that it took to get here.

The places I traveled to, and the people I came in contact with, have all added a richness and vibrancy to this extraordinary experience.

Like the time I met a young woman and her two boys while I painted in the rain on the coast. She used it as a teaching tool for her kids by encouraging them to do what they love no matter what the weather is. 

Or the time my wife and I had a wonderful picnic at the Pumpkin Patch. She read while I painted, then we paused for some great food, and enjoyed the lovely late summer afternoon.

And of course there's the time when my good friend Eric Jacobsen and I were searching for a spot to paint and came across a stubborn cow wondering down the road with clearly too much time on his hands......

All the experiences of preparing for this show are woven into every piece, and it is my hope you can feel the joy, the struggles, and the mood in each painting.

 

Moods of the Pacific Northwest opens Feb.1 and runs through Mar. 31

www.artontheboulevard.org

 

 

Winter Solitude

Winter Solitude
24x36

One of the great aspects of the Pacific Northwest is snow. Not so much on the valley floor, but all around in the mountain ranges, foothills, and east of the Cascades does the magical wonder of snow, truly gain traction.

Snow, with its blanketing ability can take any scene, no matter how pretty or ugly, and totally transform it.

Being in snow, makes us think, makes us feel like a kid again. Snow is deep, moody, and inspiring.  It's almost as if life transcends.

Some of my personal favorite paintings are of snow scenes.

I knew I wanted to have at least a couple snow pieces in my show, and one of them is Winter Solitude.

And since Christmas is near, I thought this might be a good time to give you a preview and wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 

Peaceful Coastline

Peaceful Coastline
18 x 24

One of the greatest attributes of the Pacific Northwest is the stunning coastline. It's a coastline that can be experienced and described in countless ways, with awe inspiring moments at every turn.  It's a coastline that can be as rugged as a steel mill, and as peaceful as a cup of tea.
With such a broad range of emotions that can be felt there, it's not surprising that it's such a draw to most everyone. 

For me as a painter, I am always trying to capture the mood or the feeling of a subject. And that's part of what makes painting the Washington/Oregon coastline an obvious choice. 

The amazing subtle grays on display any given day, offer substance and depth that you can sink your teeth into. Like a hot bowl of homemade stew, it warms the soul and feeds the spirit.

Make sure to save February 1 2013, on your calendar for my First Friday, solo show debut at Art on the Boulevard , "Moods of the Pacific Northwest."
It's sure to be a moooooding experience.....:)

Show Update

Tree Line Of Color
14 x 18

It feels good to finally give you an update on where my show, "Moods of the Pacific Northwest" is headed.

 Beginning in August, I found myself thrust into the chaos of figuring out how to put together a solo show. Planning the various places to visit and scenes I wanted to paint, has been exhilarating and exhausting all in one. 

One question I have been asked is, "how do you keep up with the pressure of the impending deadline?" A valid question for certain, but not one that I really thought about much. I have felt the pressure of time, but all it really did was to propel me to another gear. I knew that in order to pull this off I would have to step up my game, and in no time I found myself painting a lot larger format out in the field. Plus my wife, Victoria, has been a huge support. Between the two of us, she is the organizer and she has played a big part in me being able to do this. In addition, Kevin Weaver, gave me ample time to work the project.

Having said that, there is still work to do; I still have some moody pieces to complete and plenty of framing to do.

Tree Line of Color, happened to be an early piece in this series. I painted it from one of my favorite spots to work, the Steigerwald National Refuge. At the time it was my largest plein air painting attempted which came with great satisfaction by pushing those boundaries. And even though this is an intimate landscape, whenever I see it, I instantly think of a Cheetah and/or a Giraffe. I think.because of the subtle dark spots against the orange.

It probably sounds corny, but I really wanted to name it, "Cheetah"

What do you think, should I change the name?......

Links

Vicki's blog - theshyshutterbug.blogspot.com

Kevin Weaver - artontheboulevard.org

Mixing it Up



Matterhorn - detail



I would like to share some great and exciting news with you. Now, most of you know that i show my work in Art on the Boulevard, gallery in Vancouver,WA. Well, recently the director of that gallery, Kevin Weaver, notified me that i was selected to have my very own solo show. How awesome is that?.....

I am so excited for this great opportunity, and i can hardly believe this honor has been offered to me.

Let me tell you just how significant this is......

First of all, Art on the Boulevard, is one of the premiere galleries in the Pacific Northwest. Second, Kevin has well over fifty incredible artists; all of them are just as deserving of a show as me. And third, there are only six shows per year.

Spots like this are pretty rare, and i feel very fortunate that the gallery has seen fit to promote and support me like this.

So, my show will debut on First Friday, February 1st 2013 and is entitled "Moods of the Pacific Northwest".

Two of the great things about the Pac. NW is the dynamic weather and diverse topography. My goal is to capture the feeling, the mood of the different seasons, and celebrate the endless beauty, of our textured landscapes and atmosphere from various locations.

During this process of preparing for the show, i might be a bit light on my posts, but i will do my best to keep up. I will begin posting work for the show in December, to give you an inside peek.



The Matterhorn

In case you were wondering these photos are of my mound of titanium white after battling with brush and knife. Plus its always fun to look for interesting shapes, colors and textures in the not-so-obvious places.

Until next time....... Keep mixing it up!



Inspired



Hood's Veil
8x10

Last night i took inspiration and implemented a lesson from a fellow artist, and dear friend who lost her life to cancer earlier this week.

To honor Shirley Nelson, i set out to paint Mt Hood, which has long been a favorite subject for her. To my frustration, i found the sentinel covered by clouds; clouds that i was sure would add interest to the sky, just not this much interest.

I stood in disbelief as i knew this was going to ruin my plan. What could i do? How could i make this work? Obviously, Mother Nature has a will of her own and there was no parting of these clouds anywhere on the horizon.

I was just about to head for home when i thought, wait a minute, why don't you just take what has been offered to you and work with it?.... This thought process just happens to be how Shirley lived her life. She had dealt with cancer for years, a lot of years. In an out of hospitals, countless procedures, rounds of chemo, the list goes on and on. Yet, if you were to meet her, you would have never guessed she was dealing with such serious issues. She was ALWAYS a beam of sunlight, just a sweetheart of a person to be around. Always, genuinely interested in what and how others were doing.

Even though, i am sure she had her dark days, Shirley chose to focus on the positive side of life and enjoy it for as much as she could squeeze out of it and refused to give in to the negative.

So, i took this inspiration to heart and forced ahead and painted the scene as it was, without the mountain. And in many ways this painting may not work for most people, but it wasn't painted for most people, it was painted for one person.

Shirley, you are one of the strongest people i have ever met and i will take your inspiration and your example and do my best to honor your courage.

Thank you for being a friend.

Reflecting on Art in the Heart



Saki Stoneware
9x12

Even though we dealt with some pretty high temperatures at last week's Art in the Heart event, i had a blast. It was so great to visit and hang out with talented artists and view their work. It was also equally exciting to meet with collectors; some i hadn't seen for a while and others, this was our first meeting.

A big thank you to all who braved the heat to come enjoy a great weekend of art!

During my wanderings i came across many great pieces of art. One artist in particular, Robin Hominiuk, a local potter had some lovely stoneware pieces. And of course, me being me and always on the lookout for new and interesting things to paint, i knew in a flash that i wanted to step up and get some of this awesome stoneware.

So, i was torn between two small displays.... couple that with the fact that my wife was out of town for the weekend at a writers convention and i had sold a few paintings, and...... Bingo, you guessed it - i got both sets. I just couldn't resist, plus i had NO adult supervision.....

Even though i did offer one up as a gift to, My Dearest, i'm sure it will soon wind up in a painting too.

So, again, a big thank you to all who visited, Downtown Vancouver, to partake in Art in the Heart, you really helped fuel an artists fire. And many thanks go to Kevin Weaver, Director of Art on the Boulevard, for hosting and keeping us hydrated. You're THE BEST Kev!

Art in the Heart 2012



I am really excited to be a part of Vancouver's annual art festival -
Art in the Heart 2012.

This will be my second year to show at the event and it promises to be a great time.

If you are in the area, make sure to come down and enjoy this city's tradition, meet local talents, and see some great art that you might not normally see in the gallery.

Make sure to stop by and say hi - i will have a canopy just outside Art on the Boulevard.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Flowers for My Love

Flowers for My Love
16x20

Recently i did a good thing; i gave some flowers to my wife. Of course this won me some good points, but it was well overdue. So, i still have some ground to make up, but this is a good start.

Vicki, commented that the bouquet needs to wind up in a painting. And certainly, i agreed with her.....

A couple days later, i set up a composition on top of the piano and used natural ambient light as my source. I love the using natural light. It brings a quality element to the subject that cannot be duplicated by artificial light.

 One thing that has been finding its way into my work lately is a palette knife. I have always enjoyed the look of palette knife work, but this time is was extra fun, and for some good reasons..... 

One, is the simple fact that i did not incorporate it throughout the entire piece, which allows for some variety of interest. 

Two, i really like the blending of colors, textures, and edges that were created.

And Three, is the unexpected.... There are times when something shows up that you weren't planning on that helps to make a painting exciting. Those incidentals can make for some serious interest, for me mostly in paint quality, and i love it when they stop by to say hi. For i usually invite them to be a permanent resident.



Continuance

Continuance
14x18

One thing that draws me to painting is going through the thought process of how to paint a subject.

One point of interest for me is whether to paint alla prima or work a surface over a period of days.....

When i began this piece, i fully intended to make it a multi-day affair. However, as the painting progressed, i was liking some aspects of it and i decided to push on into the evening and see how it turned out.

As it would be, i wanted to focus on the spontaneity of the sky and keep to the freshness of how quickly the light can travel across the terrain as it peeks through the massive web of cloud cover.

In the end, i was reminded a great lesson.....I went into this piece with a plan, a plan that was altered mid-stream. I scrapped the multi-day thing, went forward to complete it in one sitting, and wound up being pretty happy with the outcome.

Being conscious of our decision making, and acting on those intuitions is critical. Plus, you never know where you will end up going down those little experimental bunny trails.

Flying Umbrellas

The Old and the New
11x14
Available at: Art on the Boulevard

I have been holding this piece back for a while, but now seems a good time to bring it out. The subject is a new sculpture in Downtown Vancouver,WA, with the Kiggins Theater in the background.
My wife and i were there to witness the spirited unveiling of the new artwork at the First Friday of April. When i coupled this with my passion for capturing downtown scenes, i knew my mission.
The next morning around 10am, i set up shop on the SW corner of Main and Evergreen, and started in. What i came home with was a 6x8 study that i used to create this piece, which i started and completed on Sunday, April 9.
I did spend the entire day on it, but that's just what it was; one full day of adding layer after layer of juicy paint and building it up to create a thick, but fresh, pizza painting.
What i like about the story being told, is that there is new art making a statement, but the Grand Daddy, Kiggins, is watching over just to make sure the kid doesn't get too big for his britches. :{>
Actually, i am really happy that i could incorporate this icon of Vancouver, with this new piece of vibrant artwork. It was an absolute joy to paint and i am thrilled about where our city is headed in supporting the arts.
Here is a link to The Columbian's article of the First Friday event. Congratulations to Jennifer Corio and Dave Frei for creating, Flying Umbrellas. It is a wonderful sculpture that our city should be proud of.

Painter's Paradise

Front Row Seat
11x14

A couple of weeks ago i had the opportunity to visit Central Oregon with some friends and paint for the weekend. Destination..... Post, Oregon..... Yea, i had never heard of it either.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but when i arrived, i was not disappointed. The scenery there is absolutely stunning. It's one of those places where you could set up and paint just about anywhere and get a killer composition with amazing subject matter. A kind of painters paradise......

For me, the weekend was not without apprehension. I have not painted a great deal east of the Cascades, but i thoroughly enjoyed experiencing the lovely neutrals and stretching myself with new challenges.

Post Plateau
6x8

Pretty much the entire weekend was windy, with showers, and even included snow one night. And, as uncomfortable as it was weather wise, it did create some dynamic skies that were

Dyn-O-Mite.

All-in-all, it was an outstanding time, which i would love to do again. A HUGE thanks to David and Kendra for being such an awesome host and hostess. This was a treasured time that i will not soon forget.