September Paintings

Tumbled Rocks Trail

I left home early, to get to Devil's Lake before the morning haze burnt off. I decided on a view from the Tumbled Rock's trail and was rewarded with an interesing grouping of rocks and boulders. One woman asked why I was painting at that time, while there was so much haze obscuring the bluffs on the other side of the Lake? I let her know that that quality of light and atmosphere was exactly what I was hoping to capture in my painting.

14x18" oil on panel $750

West Bluff Trail - Haloween Forest 

On a semi-overcast day, I painted a beautiful scene of the late Autumn Oak trees near the West Bluff trail at Devil's Lake. The painting was made on Halloween, and as I progressed with the artwork, the haze in the sky also progressed. However, I was able to capture the glowing leaves of the trees in a sweet spot between the sun and clouds. 

24x36" $1400

Cows in the Stream

I was driving home from Yoder Furniture, in Hillpoint, with a van full of frames. These cows were bathing in a picturesque stream on the side of HWY S. I had to stop and take note of them as they looked to be posing for me.

9x12" oil on panel $350

Curious Cows 

Cows are naturally curious and fun loving. These cows came close, to visit me while I was finishing a painting, in a cow pasture, in Lodi. I have known several personalities through the years and cows are some of the most interesting.

36x48" oil on canvas $2000

Little Cows

I needed a change of scenery, so Violet, Corbin, and I loaded in the car and took a drive. We headed to Spring Green, and went through Tower Rock on the way back home. These cows didn't stand still for long, but I was able to capture them before they grazed down the pasture.

9x12" oil on panel $400

Curious Cows at the fence

Any time I pull the car over, to shoot photos of cows, they come up to the fence, to see what I am doing. I made a note fo the atmospheric quality of light on this evening and enjoyed painting the warm tones of the cow who was peaking over the back of her friend.

18x24" pastel on colourfix $700

South Trail at Devil's Lake

There is a deer trail, that is unmarked at Devil's lake, that will take you to this overlook. This is a different view of the Lake than any that I have experienced before. 

18x24" pastel on colourfix $700

Sunset Cows

I have to be patient with cows. The largest cow in this composition was a part of the heard until she decided to come closer to take a look at what I was doing. As she moved closer, the light created a halo effect around her, and I was happy that I waited for the perfect moment to capture her.

18x24" pastel on colourfix $700

Early Autumn Farm and Vista

The soybean fields turned yellow in mid-September, and I saw that there was an exceptionally lovely field of them just beyond this farm on HWY 136. I set up my easel and painted quickly and expressively to capture the shadowed foreground to heighten the effect of light on the soybean field.

16x24" $700

Mirror Image

I don't know if this cow realized that he posed perfectly as he drank from the stream, but he did. And I was lucky to capture him when I had the chance, because these cows were extremely curious, and muddy as they crossed the stream to greet me and see what I was doing.

18x24" pastel on colourfix $700

Autumn Trees and Bluff

We had a week of rain and clouds in late September. Those conditions normally stop my from painting outdoors, but they do not stop me from taking my morning walks. On this morning, I thought that these trees and the bluff behind them looked so nice that I would paint them, even though there was a light rain. The umbrella went up over my easel and I captured the mood of the day.

9x12" oil on panel $160

Autumn Trees

This grouping of trees were some of the first to change color in mid-September. I was so inspired by them that I painted them in a light drizzle. As I worked, I was surprised how many people stopped to say that they admired this forest, and how they were exited for Autumn to come.

12x9" oil on panel $230

Early Autumn on Schneider Road

I was strolling my daughter down Schneider Road, and noticed that the late afternoon sunlight was creating an atmospheric effect. the early Autumn foliage was just starting to turn, which added to my interest in painting it. I took Violet home, traded the stroller for my easel, and walked back down to paint.

8x10" oil on panel $150

September Sunflowers

We had beautiful perennial flowers here on the farm all summer, but I was ready when this field of sunflowers bloomed on HWY 23. They are near the Raup farm stand and I enjoyed capturing the personality of each bobbing sunflower on a sunny morning.

18x24" pastel on colourfix $700

Sunflower Field and Barn

This is an interesting barn that I captured on a trip up north with my cousins in September. We always take a trip to a new lake house on Memorial Day weekend, and this field of sunflowers had me turning the car around for a double take.

18x24" pastel on colourfix $700

 Curious Cows 

Cows are naturally curious and fun loving. These cows came close, to visit me while I was finishing a painting, in a cow pasture, in Lodi. I have known several personalities through the years and cows are some of the most interesting.

36x48" oil on canvas $2000

Cows in the Stream

I was driving home from Yoder Furniture, in Hillpoint, with a van full of frames. These cows were bathing in a picturesque stream on the side of HWY S. I had to stop and take note of them as they looked to be posing for me.

9x12" oil on panel $300

Little Cows

I needed a change of scenery, so Violet, Corbin, and I loaded in the car and took a drive. We headed to Spring Green, and went through Tower Rock on the way back home. These cows didn't stand still for long, but I was able to capture them before they grazed down the pasture.

9x12" oil on panel $400

West Bluff Trail - Haloween Forest 

On a semi-overcast day, I painted a beautiful scene of the late Autumn Oak trees near the West Bluff trail at Devil's Lake. The painting was made on Halloween, and as I progressed with the artwork, the haze in the sky also progressed. However, I was able to capture the glowing leaves of the trees in a sweet spot between the sun and clouds. 

24x36" $1400

Early Autumn on Schneider Road

I was strolling my daughter down Schneider Road, and noticed that the late afternoon sunlight was creating a atmospheric effect. the early Autumn foliage was just starting to turn, which added to my interest in painting it. I took Violet home, traded the stroller for my easel, and walked back down to paint.

8x10" oil on panel $150

Early Autumn Farm and Vista

The soybean fields turned yellow in mid-September, and I saw that there was an exceptionally lovely field of them just beyond this farm on HWY 136. I set up my easel and painted quickly and expressively to capture the shadowed foreground to heighten the effect of light on the soybean field.

16x24" $500

Tumbled Rocks Trail

I left home early, to get to Devil's Lake before the morning haze burnt off. I decided on a view from the Tumbled Rock's trail and was rewarded with an interesing grouping of rocks and boulders. One woman asked why I was painting at that time, while there was so much haze obscuring the bluffs on the other side of the Lake? I let her know that that quality of light and atmosphere was exactly what I was hoping to capture in my painting.

14x18" oil on panel $750

Autumn Trees

This grouping of trees were some of the first to change color in mid-September. I was so inspired by them that I painted them in a light drizzle. As I worked, I was surprised how many people stopped to say that they admired this forest, and how they were exited for Autumn to come.

12x9" oil on panel $190

Autumn Trees and Bluff

We had a week of rain and clouds in late September. Those conditions normally stop my from painting outdoors, but they do not stop me from taking my morning walks. On this morning, I thought that these trees and the bluff behind them looked so nice that I would paint them, even though there was a light rain. The umbrella went up over my easel and I captured the mood of the day.

9x12" oil on panel $190

South Trail at Devil's Lake

There is a deer trail, that is unmarked at Devil's lake, that will take you to this overlook. This is a different view of the Lake than any that I have experienced before. 

18x24" pastel on colourfix $700

September Sunflowers

We had beautiful perennial flowers here on the farm all summer, but I was ready when this field of sunflowers bloomed on HWY 23. They are near the Raup farm stand and I enjoyed capturing the personality of each bobbing sunflower on a sunny morning.

18x24" pastel on colourfix $700

Sunflower Field and Barn

This is an interesting barn that I captured on a trip up north with my cousins in September. We always take a trip to a new lake house on Memorial Day weekend, and this field of sunflowers had me turning the car around for a double take.

18x24" pastel on colourfix $700

Mirror Image

I don't know if this cow realized that he posed perfectly as he drank from the stream, but he did. And I was lucky to capture him when I had the chance, because these cows were extremely curious, and muddy as they crossed the stream to greet me and see what I was doing.

18x24" pastel on colourfix $700

Sunset Cows

I have to be patient with cows. The largest cow in this composition was a part of the heard until she decided to come closer to take a look at what I was doing. As she moved closer, the light created a halo effect around her, and I was happy that I waited for the perfect moment to capture her.

18x24" pastel on colourfix $700

Curious Cows at the fence

Any time I pull the car over, to shoot photos of cows, they come up to the fence, to see what I am doing. I made a note fo the atmospheric quality of light on this evening and enjoyed painting the warm tones of the cow who was peaking over the back of her friend.

18x24" pastel on colourfix $700

Save the Date for the Fall Art Tour - Paintings from August 2023

The 30th Annual Fall Art Tour is just around the corner, and we are excited to announce that it will be held on October 20, 21, and 22. As the longest-running studio tour in Wisconsin, the Fall Art Tour has become a popular event due to its longevity and the quality of artists. This year, we have 48 unique artists' studios open to the public. When you visit the tour you get to see the places where the artists create their work, and the artists also demonstrate their techniques throughout the day. The tour is free and it is a great opportunity for people of all ages to learn more about their favorite artists. I usually have a couple of school buses full of students pull up on Friday, and all weekend the Chicken Coop Studio is full of great conversations. 

As a committee member involved in planning the tour, I can attest to the effort that goes into jurying artists. The process starts every year in November, and we carefully select new artists to fill any open spots. After the jurying process, the new artists submit images of their artwork to be included on our website fallarttour.com as well as our print brochure.

Please save the dates and mark your calendar for October 20-22 and make sure to visit my Chicken Coop Studio at 

S3749 Schneider Rd. in Rock Springs, WI 53961. 

I hope to see you on the tour!

fallarttour.com

Sunflowers and Farmall

My mom gave me a call and let me know that she found a field of sunflowers that would make for a great painting. I went out the next day, and found this field of sunflowers. When I knocked on the door, the couple were delighted to have me on their farm to paint and showed me around their beautiful perennial flower garden. They even moved the red Farmall tractor near the sunflowers so that I could include it in the painting as well. It is nice to know that there are such good people around.

14x18" oil on canvas $8750

Autumn Farm with Sumac

This was painted on a lovely Autumn day, late in the afternoon. The intense sun illuminated the Barn and trees which were at the height of the color change while Long shadows obscured the foreground Sumac and grasses. The owner of the farm, which is on HWY G attended the School at the Art Institute of Chicago. He is a great painter, and I felt at home creating near his home.

18x24" oil on canvas $500

The Neighbors Sheep

I have great Neighbors, and their kids show sheep at the county and state fairs. We went to see them showing the sheep this year, and they did very well for themselves. On some mornings they will be out on the lawn sheering the sheep, and on other days the sheep are in the barn, where the cows used to be. My daughter, Violet, is also getting to see the sheep each day, and I think she enjoys them.

12x16" oil on panel $380

Golf Course Road Farm

I love these Charolais cows that graze on a farm near Golf Course Road. On this day, there was a long shadow being cast over them, some of them were in shadow and some were lit up by full sun. It is nice to have such lovely conditions to paint from when working on my favorite 
18x24" oil on canvas $700

Farm in the Bluffs Late Evening

As day becomes night the late evening light illuminates the foreground treetops and white buildings of the dairy farm. The atmospheric bluffs in the background take on more of the sky color as they recede to the distance. This is the first piece in a series of two paintings created at the end of the day.

14x18" oil on canvas $700

Farm in the Bluffs - Golden Hour

This is the second in a series of paintings created at the end of the day. The intense sun illuminates the bluffs in the background while the dairy farm and foreground trees are overtaken by shadow. The sky takes on the poetic colors of late evening. As I finished this painting, the calls of the coyotes let me know it was time to head home.

14x18" oil on canvas $700

Grandma's Phlox and Hydrangeas #2

6x8" oil on canvas.

Grandma's Hydrangeas and Phlox

As we step into the month of August, our farm is now blooming with perennial flowers. From the hydrangeas to the vibrant purple phlox, our farm is a canvas of colors and scents. The hydrangeas are a reminder of Grandma and I painted them placed on a table next to some oranges in a copper vase. The phlox had just started to bloom which added a pop of violet color to the canvas.

9x12" oil on canvas $250

July 6th Haybales
After my Sister's birthday party, I walked across the hayfield and found this atmospheric summer scene. The long grasses swayed in the breeze combined with the smell of fresh cut hay and tumbling clouds overhead. The second crop of hay has been baled and will soon be taken from the field. 
12x16" oil on canvas $550

August Lemonade #2

The sky is reflected like a mirror in the pitcher and glass of lemonade, and are represented by the purple and blue tones. The contrast of dark and light, violet against yellow and green can only be experienced in August.

12x9" oil on canvas $350

August Lemonade 

The yellow lemonade combined with the violet phlox creates a ready-made complementary color contrast. I love painting the summer sunlight that is captured in the pitcher and glass of lemonade as much as I enjoyed exploring the bits of reflected light that bounce around this still-life composition.

18x14" oil on canvas $750

August Sunflowers

The sunflowers are backlit as they bob their heads in the breeze. Their yellow petals are contrasted against an atmospheric blue bluff. The late afternoon sky is becoming yellow and green as the sun lowers to the horizon. 

10x12" oil on panel $350

August Sunflowers #2

6x8" oil on panel 

Terrytown Barns with Bales and Tractor

The August morning light illuminates the old farm on the corner of Terrytown and Cornfield Road. The bales in the foreground will soon be moved to the other side of the barn and the old tractor sits idle next to the milkhouse.

14x18" oil on canvas $550

 

Paintings from July 2023

Corbin, Violet, and I have had a lovely July on the farm. The midsummer month of July always passes by like a sun-soaked dream when I look back on it. Its a month of hazy sunlight when the corn tassels and the chicory lines the roads. 

I got some good painting done in July 2023. I mostly worked close to home as our daughter is little and I want to spend as much time being close to her as I can. The still life paintings that are shown here were painted in my Grandmas flower garden. Grandma has been gone for a while now, but every year I get to see her perennial flowers and paint them. 

We took a trip to Chicago this month, and saw the van Gogh show at the art institute. It was a great memory for all of us. Violet cried when we were in the gallery, and we were asked by a guard to take her outside. A couple approached us while I was changing her on a bench in the museum, who had the same thing happen to them while they were at the Louvre. Their son cried when he saw the Mona Lisa, and they were asked to leave as well. He is 21 now. The time goes quickly, and we are trying our best to recognize the small moments while they last.

Finally, I painted a barn as it was being taken down this month as well. It was a great barn, one that I first painted 8 years ago. It had a special shed built onto the side of the barn, so that the horses would have room to stand when they pulled the haywagons into the barn. I will make a youtube video about this painting session soon, and post it here on the blog.

I hope you had a good July.

Thank you for reading,

Kyle Martin.

Kick-Baler

We never used kick-balers to make hay when I was young, but I always enjoyed seeing them at work. When we made hay, one person would drive the tractor, scooping up the cut and raked hay into the baler, and then one person would stand on the wagon and stack the small bales. With a kick-baler, you need a wagon that is like a cage that catches the bales after they are thrown high into the air. A dusty trail always follows the bales through their flight path. 

My Dad never wanted to have a kick baler, because he thought you couldn't get as many bales onto a load, and also some of the bales are broken when you get back to unload them. This may be true, but seeing one of these ejection baler operations in person can create an unforgettable memory.

18x24" oil on panel $1100

Door County Hollyhocks 16x20"

This is a painting of the beautiful hollyhocks in Fish Creek. The hollyhocks are across the street from By the Bay Motel, near the beach. I stayed at By the Bay during my first painting trip to Door County in 2011. On that trip, I met the staff of the Peninsula School of Art, and participated in a painting event called the Dockside Quickpaint. The staff invited me to teach workshops there, which I started the next summer. I remember looking at these hollyhocks on that first trip, and they are a nice remembrance of when my life as a painter was just getting started.

16x20" oil on canvas $600

Atmospheric Morning in the Baraboo Bluffs

In July, the chicory and Queen Anne's Lace line the curvy road which recedes into the atmospheric Baraboo Bluffs. The old foursquare farmhouse is shaded by the tall trees that stand proud in full bloom.

9x12" oil on canvas $175

Nick and Julia's House

14x18" oil on panel 

Lemonade and Hydrangeas 
With the arrival of our Baby this summer, I have been happy to do more painting around the farm, so that I'm never too far away. This was painted just steps from my door, in my Grandma's flower garden. The hydrangeas act as a backdrop to the lemonade that is spread across the table. I used my enamel pitcher this time around, and was able to capture the glow of light coming through the lemon that is on the rim of the glass.
16x20" oil on canvas $900

Lemonade Still Life with Phlox 

This is a Still Life that I painted over a series of mornings in July. The pitcher is my Mother's. I borrow it every summer for a painting or two. It is taller than any of my pitchers, and the lines are very elegant. There is a crack in the pitcher, but I don't paint that. On this morning, I painted the still life in my Grandma's perennial flower garden. The purple flowers created a foil for the yellow lemonade, which glowed in the summer sun. 

18x24" oil on canvas $1200

Lions at the Art Institute 

We took our 7-week-old Daughter to Chicago for our first family trip out of the state. We may have waited until she was a bit older, but there was a special van Gogh show that is only on view for the summer, we could not miss that. There were many paintings by van Gogh, Signac, Seurat, and Cross in the show, which focused on paintings that these friends made in the suburbs of Paris. I had seen many of these paintings and drawings on my trips to Amsterdam and Paris, but it was the first time several of them were on exhibition in the United States.

In one drawing, Vincent van Gogh wrote the colors that he observed on the subject, and I got a photo of my Daughter next to van Gogh's handwriting of her name, Violet. This was a special trip because it was our first opportunity to go somewhere to experience culture as a family. Violet will have many such opportunities. I made this painting on that trip.

12x16" oil on panel $550

Ben Logan's Seldom-Seen Farm 

This is the farm that Ben Logan reminisces about in his book, The Land Remembers. My Cousin and I went out there 15 years ago when Ben was still alive, and I painted a smaller painting for him that was used as promotional material to advertise a day of celebration of his life and work. The painting was gifted to Ben Logan, and it was one of his only possessions that he had with him, in his nursing home room, when he passed away. 

That painting has disappeared, and my Cousin and I were talking about it at a family picnic earlier in the summer. I decided to go back and make this painting of the farm to surprise him. Time really does fly by, all that happened so long ago and I really wish I could see that painting again as a remembrance of the day spent with my cousin James Schneider.

12x16' oil on canvas.

Skeleton Barn 

I painted two versions of this skeleton barn, which is on HWY CH, in July. This was the first version, and it was painted under a thick atmosphere that was influenced by the Canadian wildfires. The background is obscured by the smoky sky, and that creates a nice contrast for the bare structure of the barn.

14x18" oil on canvas $450

Skeleton Barn

I took my chance to create one last painting of this old barn while it was being taken down. I have painted this barn a few times through the years, and now it is gone. There are countless barns and old sheds that have been taken down in my area of Wisconsin. As my painting teacher once said, we are painting a passing landscape. If you look through the retired dairy barn, you can see a working dairy farm in the background that is still in use. 

30x40" oil on canvas $1200

Vernon County View

I found this valley, which is outside of Hillsboro, five years ago. I have returned every summer to paint, and have gotten to know several people who live there. I made friends with a young man named Ira in the valley, and like me, he lives on the family farm. Ira let me go up into his hayfield, which is high above the road and gives a bird's eye view of the farm and valley. I set up my large format easel and created this painting over a series of three mornings, starting at 7:30 each day. I had a consistent amount of haze and atmosphere for each painting session and was happy to capture the morning light falling over the valley.

36"x48" oil on canvas $1400

 

Our Daughter is Born

 Hello,

We welcomed our Daughter into the world on June first, and Corbin and I named her after our favorite spring flower, Violet. As I write these words, we just walked back into the house from a walk down the path that I mow along the river. She is snuggled close to me, as she is still in her front carrier, sleeping on my chest. I couldn't bear to wake her after we got home from our afternoon walk.

Violet is a healthy girl, and she has brought so much joy to Corbin and I, and our entire family. She is very alert and with it when she is awake, and often smiles when she hears her parent's voices, and tracks us with her eyes as we move around. My favorite time of the day is putting her in the stroller and walking her up and down the road for 3-4 miles every morning. This time is so special as we look forward to seeing the neighbor's dog, Rider, running towards us as soon as we get down the driveway. On our walks, we often visit with our neighbors, Rich, Paula,  Nancy, Peter, The Harm's, and the Crary's. We also see sheep, cows, chickens, and plenty of birds on our walks.

At the end of our early morning walks, I normally set up and paint. These are some new paintings that I have made since Violet has come. They are joyful summer scenes that echo my own happiness.

Thank you for allowing me to share my work and my words with you,

Kyle Martin

Still Life with Geraniums and Enamel Pitcher 

My Mother turned 70 in June, and she had a party that was filled with family and friends to celebrate. At the party, I enjoyed the geraniums that she had on her backyard patio table. On the week after her party, I brought my daughter, Violet, to her house, and she watched her as I painted the geraniums with some other items that look great in the summer sun.

24x20" oil on canvas. $1200

Dusty Tractor Plowing the Field 

This is another scene that captured my attention on Terrytown Rd. As the tractor made loops around the field, tilling up the land, his tractor and plow sent clouds of dust, smoke, and dirt up into the air. The little clouds that came from the tires and plow were prismatic in the afternoon sun and I was happy to paint them.

16" x 24" oil on panel $1200

Skeleton Barn

I took my chance to create one last painting of this old barn while it was being taken down. I have painted this barn a few times through the years, and now it is gone. There are countless barns and old sheds that have been taken down in my area of Wisconsin. As my painting teacher once said, we are painting a passing landscape.

30x40" oil on canvas $1200

Lodi Farm Smokey Atmosphere 11x12"

There have been many days where the sun has been obscured by the smokey atmosphere from the Canadian wildfires. This was painted on one of those days. The thick atmosphere obscures the fields and bluffs behind this old granary.

11x12" oil on panel $390

Mile Road 
Mile Rd is a mile from our Farm, as the crow flies. The building that is closest to the foreground, in the painting, is the milking parlor at Brian Bender's farm. Brian is a good friend of mine, and he plants crops here on our farm. He is a good farmer and does a lot of custom fieldwork for other farmers in the area. I see Brian a lot when I am out painting and I always enjoy it. Once, I was standing in his field, when an aerial photograph of his farm was taken, and you can see me set up in the field with my easel in the photo.
12x16" oil on canvas $400

Terrytown Bales - Late Afternoon

When they make the haybales, they usually take them away on the same day. I have to be quick if I want to paint them. But when they made the first crop of hay, this year, they left them out for 3 days, and I was able to make 3 paintings. I have two that were created late in the afternoon and one that was created early in the morning. Both of those times are good for me to paint as the sun is dramatic and it transforms the colors that are present in the landscape.

12x16" oil on canvas $480

Lilac Still Life 

I have always enjoyed the month of May. When I was a teenager, I can remember skateboarding around town in May, and smelling the wonderful scent of the lilacs in bloom as I rode by. The smell is fleeting, they only last so long. And that is why they are so special to me, we have to enjoy them while they are present.

18x14" oil on panel $600

Loganville Farm 

I found this farm one morning and was attracted to the way that the red buildings were positioned next to the road, with the atmospheric bluffs in the background. I don't normally knock on doors to ask permission to paint, because I stand in the easement, by the road, when I paint, and I don't want to bother anyone.

On this day I did knock on the door and was happy to see a friend of mine from school, who now lived there. They are going to build a new house in one of the fields and it was nice to catch up and paint in a place that felt like home because of the familiar face.

18x24" oil on canvas $700

Grandma's Peonies 12x16"

I live on the Family Farm, where my Grandparents lived and farmed from the 1950's until they passed away. My Grandma had a great garden and flower bed during her life. Her duty to her flowers was clear because there was never a stray weed growing in the garden.

These peonies bloom every spring, and they are a great reminder of my Grandma.

12x16" sold

Terrytown Barn and Bluff 12x16"

I drive on the backroads, instead of the highway, whenever I can. This is the Belter farm on the corner of Terrytown Rd and Rick Rd outside of Baraboo. It is a farm that I pass by almost daily and one that I study and admire each time that I pass by. I have painted it a few times each year for the past 15 years, and it seems that I can find something new each time that I do. 

In this painting, it was the smokey atmosphere, from the Canadian wildfires, that obscured the background bluffs that drew my attention. It was sunny, but with so much atmosphere, it almost seemed overcast.

12x16" oil on canvas $390

Terrytown Bales Morning Light 14x18"

There is a bluff on Terrytown Rd that has to be one of the highest points in Sauk County. On the bluff is a field that is terraced with rows of hay and other crops. The field overlooks several miles of fields before you can make out some of the buildings in Baraboo, way off in the distance.

When they make the bales, they usually take them away on the same day. I have to be quick if I want to paint them. But for the first crop of hay, this year, they left them out for 3 days, and I was able to make 3 paintings. I have this one, that was painted early in the morning, and two others that were created late in the afternoon.

14x18" oil on canvas $600