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

Summer 'Scapes

I have a one man show coming up fast - less than 2 weeks!


"Ironton Humidity" 16"x20" oil on oil primed canvas.


"Out by Hoy's house" 18"x24" oil on canvas.


"Bender's International" 11"x14" oil on canvas.


"Harm's Farm" 16"x20" oil on canvas.

Oh and one more that I dug up from the spring.

daffodil 9"x12" oil on canvas.

2010

More winter paintings!

Just outside Lloyd Wisconsin. I've been painting in Richland county lately.

18"x24" oil on canvas.

Here is a white barn that is pretty high on a hill. When the sun goes down, it gets all of the final evening light. I'd like to give this one another try.

11"x14" oil on canvas.


The Chazen Museum, in Madison, is full of surprises. They have a nice nice collection of 19th century art, including a Twachtman painting titled "Misty Landscape".

Bay and Twachtman.

Snow on the Slamwalls/urban art.




Maybe So, Maybe No?

Snowshoein' and Paintin' - High Rock

I was up early on Saturday to meet Elliot in the Dells, for a sunrise snowshoe outing. Ever since I have known Elliot, he has been telling me about his views on the Wisconsin River, and how great they are in the winter.

Here he is, shoein' into the magically lit forest.


Eliot throwing a branch overboard, and then waiting to hear the crash 10 seconds or so later.


Paintin' Highrock.



14"x11" oil on canvas.
Thanks for takin' me out there, Elliot! I had a good time (as soon as I could feel my feet again)


Here is a view, painted a half block from my house in the passenger seat of my car. This was done on Tuesday, the day of the big blizzard. I was driving home from the grocery store, and saw the -overcast but warm- sky peeking through the branches and pulled over.

6"x8" oil on canvas.

There have been a few others since the snow, more to come soon.

Bonus, a Todd Rundgren Video:

Summer Sky, Beth Rd.

A little summer sky painting.

9 x 12 oil on canvas.

Venice

Venicia is one of a kind. No traffic; just canals, sunsets and spaghetti frutti de mar. I will return to paint in Venice some day.

14" x 11" oil on canvas. SOLD.




11" x 14" oil on canvas. SOLD.

2 from Paris

A view of the River Seine with the eiffel tower in the background.

11" x 14" oil on canvas. Collection of Rich Gross.

On the way back from painting the first I had to stop and make a quick color sketch.

9" x 12" oil on canvas.

Sunrise in Amsterdam

The best time to paint in Amsterdam is early morning, the rest of the day you would have to dodge bicycles! This is a canal not far from the van Gogh museum, a place I frequented during my visit.

9" x 12" oil on canvas.

Front Window View.

Sunday Jan 4th was the day after the big ice storm. I went outside to start my car, but slipped on ice and thought, "Maybe I better find something to paint inside." This is the view out of the front window at my house.

12"x12" $220.

Kruise Farm.

I'd painted this back in October and figured it deserved a visit in winter. I'm glad they are sanding that road up the hill!

12x16 oil on canvas. $220.

Grede Foundries.

The temperatures were in the single digits when I went painting friday evening. How can such a warm sunset happen on such a cold day?

12x16 oil on canvas. $240.

Wet Snow

This morning I went to the grocery store to buy some mixed nuts as I wanted to set up and paint a still life. It was snowing and I thought I'd better stay indoors after my experience with the drifting snow and wind. On the way home I couldn't help to get the "itch" to paint outdoors, and after finding an overhang that was relatively dry I set up and painted this. So much for good intentions!

16x20 oil on canvas.

Snow Bales

These bales were the last chore my dad finished in his lifetime. It was so cold and windy when I painted this that not only were my brushes buried under drifting snow, but my water bottle completely froze. I'm looking forward to some of those nice calm and sunny winter days!

12x16 oil on canvas.

Last Day of Autumn

I was glad Chris and I made it out one last time before the snowfall. This piece was painted at high noon, I was drawn to the play of light and shadow on the barn roof. After this we grabbed lunch at the Gone Fish Inn in Mt. Vernon. 16x20 oil on canvas.

Out by the corn field.

I painted the barn while my Dad milked the cows. It rained, it snowed, the sun shined and the wind blew my easle over all while painting this.
18x24 oil on canvas.

Bottom of Snake Hill

Looking into Reedsburg, this is a farm with a view.

10x20 oil on canvas.

Morning Effect

I was up early friday morning to capture the early morning light at the view where County S cuts off from 23. Fog and shades of pink are 2 of my favorite things to paint. 12x16 oil on canvas.

Roecker's Farm 9/05/08

Looking down from a hayfield, this farm is located behind Land's End in Reedsburg. The far away hills are what drew me to this location and the clouds couldn't have been better.