Plein Air Paintings

BY BRIAN STEWART

	Boatyard Dawg This boatyard is on Catalina Island and has been painted by more than one artist. But when I set up to paint my version this dog appeared giving it a whole new story and feel. That’s the nice thing about outdoor painting, you never know what’s going to happen or what’s going to present itself. 9 x 12, oil on canvas on board in a Turn-of-the-Century style frame.

	Veil Over Sienna I painted this in the Tuscany region of Italy in the ancient town of Montepulciano. Situated up on a hillside, the towns buildings and streets conform to the terrain, giving it a very organic, meandering kind of layout. It was foggy and had a nice peaceful kind of quality that the old man walking his dog added to. 12 x 16, oil on canvas on board, in a turn-of-the-century style frame.

	Catalina Painted Lady This wonderful, old Catalina Victorian House, majestically sits up on a hill overlooking the Catalina Harbor. Built in the late Nineteenth Century. It’s covered with ginger bread and has been painted by so many artists it’s impossible to count. But few have painted it from this view. 9 x 12”, oil on canvas panel in a gilded, traditional panel frame.

	The Gathering Place This fountain is centrally located on Catalina Island right on the Crescent in the middle of Avalon. It is not only a great example of historic Catalina Tile, it is a gathering, meeting place for people of all ages. Even while painting this I bumped into someone I knew from Minnesota who was on vacation. I tried to give it a feeling of a hubbub or center of activity in this colorful painting. 9 x 12, oil on canvas on board in a Turn-of-the-Century style frame.

	Glorious Awakening Sometimes when I go up to the north shore of Minnesota on Lake Superior, I pull my small Scamp travel trailer along with me. I often stay in Hovland, an old, old fishing village about 30 miles from the Canadian border. There’s an old cement dock there I drive out on over the lake. It’s a very relaxing peaceful place to be. Just me, the lake, the loons, a few seagulls and an occasional jumping lake trout. In the morning when I awake to make coffee, this is the view that greets me. Not a bad way to start the day. 9 x 15, oil on canvas on board in a black antique frame made by me.

	Pile Oʼ Boats These old, rotting boats are on the North Shore of Lake Superior in Hovland, MN. Once a historic fishing village, it has rotting this and that including a dilapidated pier. It all makes for nice painting. I take workshop students there occasionally when teaching in Grand Marais, MN. 9 x 12”, oil on canvas on board in a Turn-of-the-Century style frame.

	Camino a la Rancho The interior of Catalina Island has very few roads and most of them are dirt. This one is on a ridge between the airport and Shark Harbor and it’s meandering makes for a very scenic ride as well as scenic painting. 9 x 12”, oil on canvas on board in a antiqued black frame.

	The House Boats One of my favorite painting spots is Latch Island on the Mississippi River in Winona, MN. I try and make it down there a least a few times a year. It’s loaded with House Boats that have great naive architecture with a ton of variety and character. Hardy Minnesotans live in them year around. Burrr. This painting was done from a old bridge that connects islands, in the early AM. I think it nicely captures the feeling of the spot. 12 x 16, oil on canvas on board in a turn-of-the-century style gilded frame.

	Catalina Corner This handsome building on Catalina Island is a fine example of historic, colorful Catalina tile. Beautifully designed and using nice wrought iron elements it has that early California Spanish feel that I remember from growing up in So. Cal. As you sit there and watch the passerby’s you see a little of everything, which is what I was trying to convey in this painting. 9 x 12, oil on canvas on board in a Turn-of-the-Century style frame.

	Where Stars Were Made This old, overgrown and abandoned motel is on the Pacific Coast Highway in California just as you enter into Malibu. Since the 30ʼs it has been a favorite of fast laners, rock stars and the Hollywood crowd. A trip to the beach wouldn't have been complete without a stop there. I'm drawn to this kind of subject matter because it is so rapidly disappearing from our landscape and I look at it and think “If walls could talk”. 12 x 16”, oil on canvas on board in a gilded turn-of-the-Century style frame.

<	The Lake Place I painted this in Spirit Lake, Iowa at the Pearson’s Lake Art Center Annual Plein Air Competition. It was my first time visiting and painting in that part of Iowa and I was taken with how pretty it is. Not to mention it has a good choice of one of my favorite subjects: Trailer Parks. This painting won Best of Show at this event. 9 x 12”, oil on canvas panel in a gilded, traditional panel frame.

	Tuscan Olive Harvest This past fall I had a chance to take a very quick painting trip to Tuscany during the olive harvest. As I quickly learned, the Italians are very serious about their olives and olive oil. More so than their wine. There’s a sense of urgency to get them picked at just the right time. What really surprised me though, was the people doing the work. They were all 65 years of age and older. Up on ladders, carry bushels and fluttering machines that knocked the olives out of the trees. The workers, men and women alike, were very robust and active. I was impressed. Combined with the scenery and light, I thought it made for a wonder story telling painting. Hope you like it. 9 x 15, oil on canvas on board in a black antique frame made by me.

	House Boat City These house boats are located along the Mississippi River in Winona, MN. Winona boasts several house boat communities and I try to get down there to paint them at least once a year. I like their endless variety and the brave souls that live in them, some even in the winter! They are great examples of one of my favorite art forms: naive architecture. 12 x 16”, oil on canvas on board in a antiqued black frame.

	Barbados Blue Bar This is not the first bar I’ve painted, but certainly one of the most unusual. Located in Oistin on the Island of Barbados, it was painted bright blue and silver with a corrugated tin roof. (Corrugated tin seems to be the roof of choice in Barbados). From what I could tell the Bajans don’t call them “bars” but rather “shops”. It had large shuttered doors that opened to a wrap-around porch where patrons would sit, sip and soak up the wonderful weather of this great Island. Men would gather for games of Dominos that got quite animated and vocal. At first I thought blows were about to break out, but then I learned that’s just the way dominos are played in the Caribbean. For me, that just added to the charm of this wonderful Island. 9 x 12” oil on canvas on board in a gilded turn-of-the-century style frame.

	Take Me Home I painted this at one of my favorite painting spots: The Southwest. (Southwest Wisconsin that is). Located there about 10 miles east of Alma and the Mississippi River is a 25 mile stretch of Highway that I used to paint on frequently with an artist friend of mine. It has wonderful, immaculate farms, quaint scenes and grand vistas. It looks like something out of a Steven Speilberg movie set. I liked it and painted it so much my artist friend jokingly dubbed it “The Brian Stewart Memorial Highway” or BSMH for short. We recently revisited the BSMH and I did this painting. It reminded me of John Denverʼs song “Country Roads”... thus the title. 9 x 12”, oil on canvas on board in a Turn-of-the-Century style frame.

	Along the Mississippi River Fall along the Mississippi River is pretty unbeatable for color and scenery. The river, vistas and farmland are really special. I painted this in Winona, one of my favorite places to paint that time of year. The houseboats for some are year around residences and the railroad bridge is a remnant from an older era. 12 x 16”, oil on canvas on board in a antiqued black frame.

	Point Sur This dramatic, volcanic land formation is on the coast of California just above Big Sur. During the 1800ʼs it was the scene of many shipwrecks. A lighthouse was built on it around 1885 to help avoid the wrecks and today it is a State Park and Military Post. Visited all year round, it is a favorite of historians, photographers and artists because of it's light, color, drama and cypress trees. 9 x 12”, oil on canvas on board in a gilded turn-of-the- Century style frame.

	Caribbean Morn This was a sun-up demo painting for a workshop I was teaching in Barbados. I was attempting to show how to capture fast moving, changing light and weather which I think this painting does. The morning light and color in Barbados is different than I’m use to due to fact it’s so close to the Equator. But those adjustments and challenges are what make outdoor painting so fun. 9 x 12” oil on canvas on board in a gilded turn-of-the-century style frame.

	Downhill from Here Catalina Island boost much fine architecture, both humble and grand. However, these small, quaint homes from the 30’s are what I like best. They represent the best in Spanish Revival with their tile roofs, stucco exterior and small, economical, efficient layouts. That’s what I was shooting for in this sketch as well as giving the of feeling of the hills, mountains and valleys of this enchanted Island. 9 x 12, oil on canvas on board in a Turn-of-the-Century style frame.

	Flying the Thirteen This painting I did in an older neighborhood near Old Lyme, Connecticut. The very old, traditional, New England house are all very charming. Beautifully landscaped and painted. But what attracted me to this scene was the gorgeous fall colors and early American flag with thirteen original stars on it. Made me want to salute. 12 x 16, oil on canvas on board in a turn-of-the-century style gilded frame.

	The Resting Place Cemeteries have a fondness in my heart. As a teenager I worked in one for two summers. I’ve buried more people than any artist you know. This old, historic one was located up on a hill in the old desert mining town of Jerome, AZ. The color, iron gates and rustic look had a very peaceful, reassuring feel. 9 x 12” oil on canvas on board in a gilded turn-of-the-century style frame.

	Montezuma’s Castle This Indian Cliff Dwelling, located near Sedona, AZ, is the furthest south in a chain of cliff dwellings that start in Utah. Built and inhabited for about 400 years from 1000 to 1400AD, it’s abandonment is a mystery. It overlooks a fertile river valley that probably made for a good life. I thought portraying it as a nocturne just added to the quality and mystery it possessed. 9 x 12” oil on canvas on board in a gilded turn-of-the-century style frame.

	Brother Greene's Garage After the celebrated Arts & Crafts Bungalow architects Greene & Greene retired in southern California, Charles moved north to the Carmel, CA area and took one more commission: the James House. It was a dramatic location on the cliffs of Carmel Highlands and overlooked the rocks, surf and sea. The house he designed was unusual in that it was masonry instead of the usual wood. Today heavily guarded and coveted, I was fortunate to get permission just to paint the garage door, which hints at how special this place is. 9 x 9, oil on canvas on board in a Greene & Greene style Honduras mahogany frame with ebony pegs designed and made by yours truly.

	Uppercut Gym I’ve always liked boxing and when I was younger and lived in Los Angeles I used to go to the fights regularly at the Olympic Auditorium. I followed the career of Muhammad Ali and saw him fight in person. A real thrill. So recently, when I was driving around the North Minneapolis Warehouse district and came upon this gym it got my attention. When I walked in I immediately knew this place was special. Fighters going about their training, producing rhythmic sounds from skipping rope, sparring and speed bags. A visual treat with warm light coming in the doors and windows. I knew I had to try to capture it in paint. I asked to speak with the owner to ask permission and to my surprise it turned out to be a young, attractive woman, who seemed to run the place with an iron glove, making the place even more interesting. 12 x16, oil on canvas on board in a gilded, turn-of-the-Century style frame.

	Through the Redwoods The rugged coast of California has an occasional back road that meanders into a pocket of redwood trees. These wonderful giants seem to have their own atmosphere and weather pattern. This group of trees were in a steep canyon behind Big Sur and with the afternoon light hitting the canyon walls made for a nice composition. 12 x 9”, oil on canvas on board in a gilded turn-of-the-Century style frame.

	Bridge to Nicollet Island Where the Mississippi River flows through Minneapolis is a small island. It was one of the first places settled in the Twin Cities and is known as Nicollet Island. It’s connected to the mainland by a few bridges of which this is one. Built of steel in a engineering style used a hundred years ago, it has a nice spindly, architectonic quality, making it a real drawing and painting challenge. Now only used for foot and bike traffic, it’s surrounded by lush vegetation and places for people to walk, hike and fish. It adds a nice detail to a spot that’s an inner city oasis. I think this painting captures that feeling. 12 x 9, oil on canvas on board in a gilded, turn-of-the-Century style frame.

	Sunday Morning / Nicollet Island Nicollet Island is an inner city oasis that has many fine, older Victorian style homes. Some grand, some quaint. Loaded with Ginger bread, these homes were in neglect for many years, but in the last few years people have been slowly restoring them to their original beauty. One more reason why the Riverfront is one of the more desirable areas in the Twin Cites. This Sunday morning scene looked like a nice way to start the day. 12 x 9, oil on canvas on board in a turn-of-the-Century style gilded frame.

	Lake Harriet The Bandshell and Concession stands at Lake Harriet were designed and built about 20 years ago. They have a real nice festive, carnival like quality about them and in the summer months come alive with almost nightly concerts. With music lovers, bikers and skaters it makes for great people watching and painting. Although I did this painting some time ago, I think it still captures the feel of a summer in Minneapolis. 12 x 16, oil on canvas, in a turn-of-the-Century style gilded frame.

	The Catalina Open This miniature golf course is located on Catalina Island in the heart of Avalon. Designed and built in the 30’s or 40’s it is a great example of creative thinking with a touch of humor and devilishness. Having played a few miniature courses in my day, this one is the best and most entertaining. It is a must-stop for frequent Island visitors, myself included and is great for true family fun. Which is what I was trying to get across here. 12 x 16, oil on canvas on board in a Turn-of-the-Century style frame.

	Barbados Shanty Barbados has many nice, modern homes. But it also has many older shacks left over from the days when it was a colony and people didn’t own property. They would build small, quaint houses, often not on permanent foundations so they could be moved. They’re known as Chattel Houses, and as an artist, I could spend a lifetime painting these charming structures. This one is on the East Coast of Barbados in Bathsheba and came complete with it’s own goat which the Bajans say is actually a sheep. 9 x 12” oil on canvas on board in a gilded turn-of-the-century style frame.

	Bar Break This building was painted by one of my workshop students and she did such a good job I took a crack at it after the workshop was over. It’s typical of the Midwest bar buildings of eighty, ninety years ago. They were built by local breweries to give them a local presence and identity. It had an apartment on top for the manager's family and served only that brewer's beer. It was competitive, the bar/apartment down the street belonged to another brewer and served only his beer. 9 x12, oil on canvas on board, in a gilded turn-of- the-century style frame.

	River Stop I painted this from the same location as “Over the Mississippi” looking south toward the city in the opposite direction. The river gas station with the city backdrop gives one a good idea of how the Mississippi feels as it flows through Minneapolis. It was early in the morning as the upcoming sun was striking the downtown buildings. I think this painting captures the feel of that summer morning nicely. 12 x16, oil on canvas on board, in a gilded turn-of-the-century style frame.

	Barbados Beach Typical of many of the scenes you’ll find in Barbados, white sand beaches, aqua water, palms or Coconut Trees as they call them, and quaint beach shacks. Just the stuff you need for good painting. 9 x 12” oil on canvas on board in a gilded turn-of-the-century style frame.

	My Neighbors These two scarecrows are inner city scarecrows. Guarding the garden of a house in south Minneapolis. They’ve been there forever and every year they get a wardrobe change to keep up with the latest in fashion. This year they look pretty dapper, but not too scary. 12 x9, oil on canvas on board, in a gilded turn-of-the-century style frame

	The Chicken Coops These pens were in the inner city Minneapolis/St. Paul at the University of Minnesota’s experimental, agricultural fields. In the background is the State Fair Grounds. We’re fortunate to have this kind of inner city scenery. This kind of stuff I’d normally drive by unless I was looking for something to paint. The way the early morning light was hitting the chicken coops made it irresistible. 9 x12, oil on canvas on board, in a gilded turn-of-the-century style frame.

	The Skyway This Skyway must be the oldest in Duluth, MN. Originally built over an alley to join two adjacent small manufacturing buildings it had real charm. In a rough part of a international port city, it was surrounded by 24 hour saunas and bars. Being a little on the seedy side, the early morning clouds and light gave it just the right feel. 9 x12, oil on canvas on board, in a gilded turn-of-the-century style frame.

	The Old Ranch I like painting on old farms and ranches with their various buildings and machinery, the older and funkier the better. This ranch in Montana had that and more. An old family ranch, over several generations and years, it backs up to the Yellowstone River and has great views of everything including shacks and equipment like you see here. The kind of place an artist could spend years at. 9 x12, oil on canvas on board, in a gilded turn-of-the-century style frame.

	The Malt Shop I don’t know the history of this charming little building that sits on the tip of Lake Superior in Duluth Minnesota. I think it was once part of the Old Fitgers Brewery that was next door. Now a malt shop, it does a brisk business with summer patrons coming and going, stopping to gaze at the harbor and famous lift bridge. For me these kind of paintings are difficult to do. You have to document the building yet give it artistic charm. I think I did that here. 9 x12, oil on canvas on board, in a gilded turn-of-the-century style frame.

	The Gill Netter This style of fishing boat with it’s high sides that enclose the deck are unique to the Great Lakes. It allows fisherman to fish the lakes throughout most of the year and protects them from the elements, which in the case of Lake Superior can be brutal, if not deadly. I love the lines and form it gives the boats. I’ve painted several of them. This one was at rest in an out-of-the-way area of the Superior, WI harbor. 9 x12, oil on canvas on board, in a gilded turn-of-the-century style frame.

	Over Duluth The town of Duluth, MN is built on a hillside overlooking the world’s largest inland sea port. The view is spectacular from many angles, and combined with the charm of the city’s buildings and character it is a challenge and treat for an artist. I painted this standing on a street corner surrounded by neighborhood kids who where full of questions and interested in watching an artist at work. 12 x16, oil on canvas on board, in a gilded turn-of-the-century style frame.

	Home on the Mississippi On the Mississippi River near Winona is Latch Island which has many funky, quaint, homemade Boat Houses that some people live in year around. They make for challenging, fun and great painting. This one with the majestic bridge in the background seemed to tell a particular poignant story of “now and then” or “progress vs not-so-progress”. 12 x16, oil on canvas on board, in a gilded turn-of-the-century style frame.

	The Green, Green Cabin I’m not sure what green means anymore. It use to describe a color. But in any case this cabin had both. Located in Hovland, MN this quaint structure was still in use today. I particularly liked the vertical logs on the front which I had never seen before and the snow shovel that was poised for the coming snow in 5 months. But mostly, I like the way the sun hit it. 9 x12, oil on canvas on board, in a gilded turn-of-the-century style frame.

	Moon Over Verde Valley I painted this in Jerome, AZ. A small, very old mining town situated on a hillside above Cottonwood, AZ. This view is of Verde Valley looking east toward Sedona on a full moonlit night. The expansiveness and atmosphere of the Southwest seems to lend itself to these types of paintings, giving the subject matter a very romantic quality. 12 x16, oil on canvas on board, in a gilded turn-of-the-century style frame.

	Tree Tunnel I spotted this simple, yet appealing scene while driving around the charming little town of Cornucopia on the south shore of Lake Superior. I think it the duty of a plein air painter to paint scenes that people wouldn’t normally look at twice. This is one of them. 9 x12, oil on canvas on board, in a gilded turn-of-the-century style frame.

	Train Meets Grain This is typical of the scenery around the harbor in Superior, WI. It has that hard core industrial look with grain silos, loading docks and boats interlaced with trains and train tracks. It makes for challenging and fun painting. 9 x12, oil on canvas on board, in a gilded turn-of-the-century style frame.

	Ghost House This abandoned, empty shack on the shore of Lake Superior didn’t seem too interesting to me when I first saw it. Later I drove by it when it was shrouded in a veil of fog. That did it. If walls could talk... 9 x12, oil on canvas on board, in a gilded turn-of-the-century style frame.