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

More New Work

Barn Shapes 24x18"

This is the barn here on our farm, where I milked cows as a youth. I can remember looking out the barn door at sunrise and seeing the pasture transformed by the morning sunlight and thinking that some day I would learn to paint the landscape under different lighting conditions.

Mirror Lake 

I was invited to paint at this secret location on Mirror Lake earlier this year. I was inspired by the dappled light falling onto the sandstone rocks on the side that I was standing on as well as the play of light and shadow on the trees and rocks across the lake.

36x48" oil on canvas $2000

Percy's Volkswagen Service Station 9x12"

I made this painting on a Friday afternoon in May. As I was getting started, the mechanic parked a station wagon in front of the blue bus. I asked him if there was any way that he could move the car so that I could have a view of the blue bus. He obliged, and moved the car. After an hour of working, he had too many cars, and parked a brown bus in the way. That was when I knew it was time to finish up for the day.

9x12" oil on panel $250

 

Percy's Volkswagen Service Station 

This is a painting that I created on location at Percy's Volkswagen Service Station on Monroe Street. I was drawn to the colors of the air-cooled VW bug and bus, and decided to paint them on a Sunday afternoon in May. The spring Sunlight sparkles off of the chrome, paint and glass.

16x24" oil on panel $800

Corbin McDaniel 9 Months Pregnant with a Boquet of Violets Next to Her

12x9"

Ableman Road Thunderhead 24"x18"

My Dog Porter and I walk past this farm on Ableman Road every day. One evening, there was a billowing thunderhead above, and I used this inspiration to create this painting of the old, falling-down barn under the electric storm above.

18x24" oil on canvas $800

 

New Work

Here are some images of new work that was created from October 202 to April 2023. Thanks for looking

Summer Road

This is the road that I walk along each day. The road is surrounded by lush soybean and hay fields, and the painting shows two cows grazing in the foreground. The cumulous clouds above are puffy like cotton balls floating in the blue summer sky. 

18x24" oil on canvas. $700 

Late Winter Barn

The painting was created before the fields were planted and the grasses and trees were on pause, creating a sense of stillness and tranquility. The old barn is illuminated by the late evening sun, casting warm tones over the surrounding fields. 

12x16" oil on panel $440 

October Cows

On a late afternoon walk, I noticed these cows grazing in the pasture after the evening milking. During a late afternoon walk, I noticed a group of cows leisurely grazing in the pasture. They they had just finished their evening milking and were now enjoying some well-deserved free time. 

12x16" oil on panel $500

Golden Hour Barn

As the day comes to a close, a beautiful sight unfolds before our eyes. The golden hour sun casts its warm glow over an old gambrel roof barn, illuminating it. The long shadows of the trees behind us slowly creep onto the face of the barn, creating a contrast between light and dark. 

12x16" oil on panel 

St. Joes Church Above the Baraboo River

In late April, I set up my easel to capture the trees that were starting to bud along the Baraboo River. This painting was created late in the day, with the last moments of light illuminating the warehouses and St. Joe's Church.

18x24" oil on canvas $900

Cave Point Rocks

On a beautiful March morning, I had the pleasure of setting up and painting the stunning rocks and water at Cave Point. As I painted, I found myself totally absorbed in the varied colors of light and shadow that presented themselves to me, especially in the underwater rocks.  

9x12" oil on linen panel $200

Cave Point Jumpers
It can be thrilling to visit Cave Point in the summertime. There are usually a few people swimming in the rocky water, and sometimes they even climb up the rocks and jump off. Being that this was such a beautiful day, there was no wonder that there were a dozen kids taking the plunge again and again. I didn't jump but enjoyed the energy of their jumps while I painted.
18x24" oil on canvas $700

Winter Golden Hour Light Falling onto the Chicken Coop Studio

This piece was started in January before a huge blizzard when there was very little snow on the ground. I was inspired by the light illuminating the face of the Chicken Coop and treeline as the foreground fell into shadow. When the blizzard hit, I decided to go with the change in scenery and enjoyed painting the light falling onto the fresh snow. The result was much different than what I thought I was going to create.

12x16" oil on canvas $440  

 

 

 

Chicken Coop Sunset

I captured the glowing orb of the sun as it set behind the barn early in the spring. The sky was illuminated with so many different colors, and I wanted to capture every one. 

12x16" oil on panel $490 

Chicken Coop Golden Sunset

This piece captures the magic moment when the sun transforms the colors of the landscape as it reaches the horizon. I worked rapidly to capture the intensity of the moment, even as swans flew overhead.  After the sun went behind the treeline, the fiery effect was muted and everything looked blue in contrast.

12x16" oil on panel $600 

Cow and Corn Crib

As the month of March brought with it many cloudy and uninspiring days, I decided to create my own sunshine indoors. With a little bit of creativity and a lot of cardboard, I created a miniature farm building complete with a toy cow and an orange light to recreate the feeling of a sunset over the farm. The end result brought me a touch of warmth and comfort during the dreary days of March. 

9x12" oil on canvas $200

Devils Lake - Tumbled Rock Trail with Fresh Snow

In January, the sun broke through the clouds and illuminated the fresh snow and ice along the tumbled rocks trail. There was wind and snow blowing on me as I held my easel with one hand and painted with the other. 

9x12" oil on canvas $350

Gills Rock Fishing Harbor in Winter

Even though I painted this in Late March, Green Bay was still frozen and the trap-net fishing boats were still on their trailers. One of the fishermen pulled up in their red truck to see what I was doing. He asked me why I didn't just take a picture. My frozen fingers waved goodbye to him as I kept working on that cold and windy afternoon. 

9x12" oil on canvas $200

Behind Our Barn

I set up my easel behind the barn, on the old field road in winter to capture the crisp golden hour light falling onto the barn. You can see the little red barn door where the cows used to walk out of after we finished milking them. If they were still here, they would have walked past me on their way to the manger to eat hay as the sun set.  

12x16" oil on canvas $490

Sunset behind the Granary

In January, we had plenty of snow, and I noticed the play of light and shadow that fell onto the snowbanks by the granary. This old granary is the oldest building here on the farm, it was built in  the 1860s. It has seen many winter days, some as striking as this one where the late evening sun illumintated it.

9x12" oil on canvas $300

Winter Afternoon on Grote Hill Road

There are some great views of the Baraboo Bluffs on Grote Hill Road. I set up and painted this farm, with the bluffs in the distance, on a Sunday afternoon in January. As the afternoon progressed to evening, the colors of the snow warmed and the shadows cooled and grew longer. I was thankful to have good gloves and boots on this evening. 

18x24" oil on canvas $650

Golden Hour on the Neighbor's Barn

This is the second in a series of paintings that I created in March to show the change in light effect as the late afternoon becomes the golden hour. In this piece, all of the blue in the sky is gone. The sun was so low on the horizon that everything was lit up with golden colors as if being illuminated by a yellow or orange spotlight. This is the most thrilling condition for me to paint, because it is such a chase to capture the beauty that lasts only seconds.

18x24" oil on canvas $550

Late Evening Light on the Neighbor's Barn

In March, I brought out two canvases into the corn field to paint the light falling onto the neighbor's barn. Tim Harms lives there, and he breeds cows. This is the first version, where the late evening light illuminates the barn and stream. There is still a little bit of blue in the sky in this piece that captures the effect of late evening sunshine.

12x16" oil on canvas $490

Weeping Willows at the Horse Farm

My friends parents used to own this horse farm near HWY 33 and they recently sold it to their daughter and her husband. I was drawn to paint this scene, in the early Spring, because of the colors of the weeping willow trees. The old barn is viewable behind the trees, with the afternoon sunshine illuminating a bluff in the background. 

12x16" oil on canvas $350

Sunrise above the Bluffs

I went out early, before the sunrise, to capture the first rays of light falling onto the bluffs, barn, and snow-covered fields on the other side of Rock Springs. If you were to drive on the road as it curves into the bluffs, you would be near the natural amphitheater heading to Baraboo. The yellow sky contrasted the blue of the snowbanks on this day. I started early, and finished early, arriving home to breakfast and a hot cup of coffee. 

9x12" oil on panel $200

Farmall Tractor in the Baraboo Bluffs

I was out with my Neice and Mother on a beautiful Autumn day in the Baraboo Bluffs when I noticed this red tractor that was parked close to the road. The afternoon sun illuminated the top of the tractor and there was a long shadow cast towards us. In the background, the autumn trees were aglow with a magical sparkle of autumn light as their leaves gracefully fell to the ground. It was a special moment to be in this location, capturing the light.

16x20" oil on canvas $900

Door County Sunflowers - Lautenbach's Farm

Lautenbach's Orchard Country Market has been a source of inspiration for my paintings in all seasons. During the Door County Plein Air festival, I painted a close-up of the barn with a blue summer sky behind it. In the spring, I captured the blooming cherry trees late in the day. This piece was created in the early Autumn when the sunflowers appeared in front of the barn. Their golden color added beautiful color to the crisp Autumn day.

12x16" oil on canvas $390

Dappled Light Falling onto the Rocks at Mirror Lake
Here is a hidden scene of sandstone rock formations on Mirror Lake. The foreground rocks and trees fall into shadow, while the banks across the Lake are illuminated. 
12x16" oil on canvas $440

Autumn Birch Trees

The intense autumn colors of these trees have always been a source of inspiration for me. I have painted here several times over the years. This time, I used a new technique to bring out the best of these colors. Instead of painting the trees in their entirety, I have broken the leaves down into specific patches of colors, resulting in something new. 

24x30" oil on panel $900

Parfrey's Glen in February
I had quite the adventure on the day that I painted at Parfrey's Glen in February. It started out being overcast and cold, which was fine. But, then the snow came. While it was snowing, I had to constantly remove the snow from my palette by holding it up and tapping the back. snow acts like sand when it gets into the paint, and it is impossible to work with. But I kept at it, and at the end of a five-hour session, I left with a painting that faithfully represented the rocks at my favorite natural area.
20x16" oil on panel $750 

Pewits Nest Forest

Pewit's Nest is a breathtaking natural area that showcases the beauty of autumn in all its glory. As the leaves turned yellow and the forest canopy glowed under the warm afternoon sun, I was treated to a stunning contrast of light and shadow. The beauty of the autumn sunlight is something that we can all appreciate, I only wish it would last longer

24x36" oil on panel $1500

Tractor in the Snow Bank

I noticed this tractor, which was buried in a snow bank, while I was on my way home from decorating holiday cookies at my Aunt Marcie's house. The tractor is near the old mill pond in LaValle. While I was painting it, large snowflakes fell all around me. I felt like I was in a snow globe.

9x12" oil on panel $200 

Plow Truck by the Brewery

There were a few February days with temperatures in the 30's this year, and I celebrated them by skateboarding around Reedsburg. On my way back to my vehicle, I noticed this scene of a plow truck in shadow with the brewery and houses illuminated by afternoon light. I knocked on the door, and the people let me know that the truck was not going to move, and they gave me their blessing to paint it. I was happy to have had such a great afternoon combining skateboarding with plein air painting.

9x12" oil on panel $350

The Bean at Millenium Park

On a beautiful December morning, I had the pleasure of painting the Bean. Despite the overcast sky and slight precipitation, there was something magical about the quality of light that illuminated the buildings along Michigan Avenue. Perhaps it was the influence of spending the previous day at the Art Institute, or maybe it was the cold nature of the city architecture that inspired me, but there was a palpable magic in the atmosphere that morning. I felt it within me as I set about capturing the scene on canvas. The result was a painting that captured the essence of that magical December morning in Chicago.

18x24" oil on panel $900 

Weeping Willow Trees in Spring
I was inspired by these trees early in the spring because they were the first trees to bud and the color was more intense than any that I had experienced all winter. Behind the trees, there is a barn and bluff falling into shadow as the sunlight faded that evening.
12x16" oil on panel $550

Summer at the Memorial Union

Corbin and I have spent so many memorable afternoons and evenings at the Memorial Union, and it seems that this place is designed to make memories. This iconic location at the University of Wisconsin has been the backdrop for countless conversations, laughs, and cherished moments for students and alumni over the past century. The sunburst chairs are unique to the University of Wisconsin and in the afternoon it is easy to get lost in conversation as the wind blows the sailboats around Lake Mendota.

16x20" oil on canvas $750

Valentines Day Bouquet

Every year I gift my sweetheart flowers and chocolates on Valentine's day, and Every year, I paint them on the week after. During February, everything is snow-covered outside, so having a small bouquet in the house offers us a sign of life that is much appreciated.

12x16" oil on panel $650

Vernon County Sunset   

I love painting in this valley, which is outside of Hillsboro, because of the rolling hills, the trout stream and the old barn. On this day, I set up my easel and captured the late summer sun as it set behind the hills. The barn fell into shadow and the trout stream was lit up yellow, as I stood and painted in a field of glowing Queen Anne's Lace.

20x24" oil on panel $550