The way in which they remain upright on such an incline. Needs more work in the coming week but it’s coming together.
Escarpment
Acrylic on polyester cotton
123 x 123cms
#workinprogress #treestreestrees #treesofmine #mytrees #landscapepainting #escarpment #contemporarylandscape #paintinglight #lovetrees #lightontrees #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
Deserted rock pools at Killcare Beach and despite late autumn it’s 21c. Perfect plein air conditions and always great to leave the city behind for the weekend. Working here with Rembrandt pastels, which in a funny kind of way emulate paint. There ability to blend and put light over dark makes them perfect for field studies. I hope you are all enjoying some art time this weekend.
#fieldstudy #sketchbooks #sketchbookartist #workinginpastel #pastelart #beachscene #beachlife #rockpools #centralcoastnsw #killcarebeach #landscapeartist #australianlandscape #mikestaniford
For my new followers: a few of my favorite trees. Like me they really appreciate your support.
#treestreestrees #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #paintinglight #lovetrees #lightontrees #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
Today in the studio. Swipe to peek.
#artistslife #studiolife #artstudios #artoftheday #workinprogress #sneakpeek #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #paintinglight #lovetrees #lightontrees #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
Distant blue mountains protect the valley of white dusty roads that cut through the olive groves and the persistent orange soil. One of last week’s works on paper. Fast and loose brushstrokes and at times painting wet into wet, something I never normally do, whatever the medium. I am continually fascinated with the ‘long view,’ seeing way into the distance.
#longview #valleys #whiteroads #bluemountains #fardistance #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #weathering #paintinglight #lightacrosstheland lightontrees #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
Battalion. Sunlight catching the trunks and canopy of foliage against a sky that momentarily threatened rain.
Standing Tall
Acrylic on polyester cotton
122 x 162cms
#trees #treestreestrees #treesofinstagram #treeshunter #treescape #standingtall #forest #treesoflight #lovetrees #glow #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #paintinglight #lovetrees #lightontrees #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
Last of the evening light as it blows across the fields.
Quiet Fields Of Pink
Acrylic on paper
Image area 55 x 55cms
#pinkpinkpink #pinklandscape #lastlight #eveninglight #dayisdone #workonpaper #abstraction #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #paintinglight #lightontheland #lightonfields #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
The lake. Still tweaking this one but keen not to over work it. Swipe for a couple of details and my original sketch. The light coming off the far field is the important bit, taking the eye through the skeletal eucalyptus, across the water and into the distance.
Acrylic on polyester cotton
63 x 63cms
#bythelake #treestreestrees #treesofinstagram #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #paintinglight #lovetrees #lightontrees #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
Some incredible late afternoon/early evening light this weekend at Hardy’s Bay. The sun drops and the temperature goes with it and you know it’s time to put more firewood on the stove.
#autumnlight #lastlight #sundowner #shadows #hardysbay #killcare #nswcoast #h #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #paintinglight #lovetrees #lightontrees #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford #centralcoastnsw #bayarea
Interesting how shadows vary in colour and tone. The low autumnal sun providing plenty of encouragement for them to dance across the street. Swipe for initial charcoal drawing.
Acrylic on paper
50 x 50cms
#landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #urbanlandscape #streetscape #streetart #shadows #shadowplay #paintinglight #lovetrees #lightontrees #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
The next stage on from yesterday’s post and the stimulus was there to immediately do another one. Interesting how the landscape format changes…the possibilities are infinite.
Acrylic on paper
30 x 50cms
#worksonpaper #monaroplains #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #paintinglight #lovelandscape #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
Spending some time working fast and loose and on paper. Working from drawings made during a stay at Kelton Plain on the Monaro last year.
I think of it all as drawing, whether charcoal, pastel or as in this piece acrylic paint. Painting is drawing with broad brushes, sometimes palette knives and copious quantities of paint.
With charcoal, I tend to smudge out if it’s not working and go again over the top. I’m pretty impulsive and try to make the marks add up to something surprising.
When it comes to painting, the design of the work…composition, structure and colour are paramount and if it isn’t delivering early on, I’m happy to scrape the paint off and enjoy the mistakes for what they are! The important thing is to inhabit the painting during the process and make sure the final work is alive!
On The Monaro
Acrylic on paper
Image size: 52 x 42cms
#workonpaper #acrylicpaintings #monaroplains #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #paintinglight #lovetrees #lightontrees #studiopainting #arttoday #makingmarks artlife #abstractnature #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
More and more I find myself becoming less attached to specific locations and more bound up with the drama of light and mood. My preoccupation with memory plays a significant part of the process, from initial drawing to the final finished piece.
Acrylic on board
40 x 40cms
#shadowplay #silhouette #lightonwater #startofday #endofday #tidalpool #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #paintinglight #lovetrees #lightontrees #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestanifordartist
Thrilled to announce this weekend, details of a new workshop.
My email subscribers always get my news first - have you signed up? There’s an easy link in my bio.
Where will it be? Think hilltop towns, sun-drenched hillsides and acres of olive groves! Can’t wait to share details.
#artworkshop #artistsofinstagram #artistsabroad #landscapelovers #landscapepainting #sharingart #sharingideas #artistslife
Like a sentinel! Moreton Bay Figs never fail to amaze me. Native to eastern coastal Australia, they can grow up to 60m high, the trunk massive with thick, prominent buttressing.
Acrylic on board
40 x 50cms
#australianlandscape #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #paintinglight #lovetrees #treestreestrees #treeshunter #treesofinstagram #lightontrees #contemporarypainting #shadowplay #shadowsandlight #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
Located about 1 hour east of Alice Springs, the East MacDonnell ranges reveal themselves in all their true colours. But you have to be quick. The light moves and the shadows with it. Rocky peaks catch the sun and quickly recede. This is Arrernte country.
Acrylic on board (dyptich)
50 x 80cms
#australianlandscape #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #paintinglight #lovetrees #lightontrees #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
The stillness of Jesse Gap in the Northern Territory.
Acrylic on board
#australianlandscape #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #paintinglight #lovetrees #lightontrees #outbackaustralia #eastmacdonnellranges #billabong #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
I do enjoy the compositional structure of the landscape. What at first appears as a flat featureless terrain, quickly reveals, on closer study, a tension beneath the calm. And once the light plays it’s role in emphasizing the hills and slopes, the trial and error of ‘making a picture,’ and not simply painting a scene, becomes the challenge. The burn off happening in the distance was what initially caught my eye. Swipe for details.
Acrylic on board
63 x 63cms
#australianlandscape #terrain #lightandshadow #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #paintinglight #lovetrees #lightontrees #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
I think of the landscape as an aspect of time, one moment in time. And with that in mind, I feel I am on a continually evolving path, accumulating experience but always starting over.
#australianlandscape #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #paintinglight #lovetrees #bayarea #momentintime #reflections #lightontrees #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
Autumnal colours and how they strike a pose in the urban landscape. My favorite season.
#trees #seasonal #seasonchange #autumnleaves #urbanlandscape #urbanlife #australianlandscape #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #paintinglight #lovetrees #lightontrees #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
When trees cast long shadows, wrapping themselves around the hillside. And all at once the day collapses into evening. A moment in time. Swipe for details.
#australianlandscape #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #paintinglight #lovetrees #crestofahill #lingshadoes #shadowplay #lightontrees #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
Melaleuca trees by the lagoon. I’ve been back to this little family on King Island several times and always enjoyed the pale leaning trunks and the small clusters of foliage at the crown of each tree.
#kingisland #bassstrait #malaleucatrees #australianlandscape #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #paintinglight #lovetrees #lightontrees #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
Late afternoon light and long shadows in the Outback. A work in progress but the looseness is working for me. Deserves another session next week.
#outback #outbackaustralia #australianlandscape #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #paintinglight #lovetrees #lightontrees #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
Playing with scale, colour, and proportion and the complexity of foliage, in a way that heightens my experience of trees; combining physical experience with emotive recollection and not always intending a literal representation.
#trees #treesofinstagram #treescollection #treeshunter #landscapepaintingnow #australianlandscape #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #paintinglight #lovetrees #lightontrees #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #artcollector #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford
Tall golden grasses, tracks filled with pockets of rain and big skies to match.
Monaro Plains
Acrylic on board
63 x 63cms
##australianlandscape #landscapepainting #contemporarylandscape #monaroplains #paintinglight #lovelandscape #lightpainting #contemporarypainting #momentsintime #artbuyer #aftertherain #artcollector #fardistance #artinthehome #art #escapism #mikestaniford