2020-07-20 17:45
Queen of the ForestEvery once in a while I need a little break from my usual art routine, so the last few weeks I've been working on learning a little more about photoshop and creating digit… Read More
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Painting Small Impressions Blog
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Oil paintings by Washington State Artist, Nancy Merkle
2020-06-08 21:07
In addition to my usual daily practice of painting, I have been dabbling in some digital art and design. This image is one I created a few years ago, but is a pioneer for me in a number of w… Read More
2020-05-26 14:38
This month I ended up in some self administered art therapy sessions. As with many others, I have found myself at home with more time than I ever imagined. With home delivery of groceries, p… Read More
2020-01-27 19:36
Another year has passed and I continue to paint! January has been a month of looking back, reviewing photos from my travels, and then creating sweet little paintings. It is a joy to tu… Read More
2019-11-05 20:38
It has been a while since I have posted, but not for lack of activity on my part. I've been busy this past year with lots of experiments in my art, lots of travel for inspiration, and lots a… Read More
2019-01-27 22:03
Oregon TreesOil on Canvas8x10 inches eachTrees have my attention these days. Color, light, and texture all help to convey the quirky personalities of each. They have funny twisting sha… Read More
2018-11-26 20:25
Endless Horizon4x5 inchesOil on CanvasThe past few months I've spent a lot of time focusing on how to paint clouds, the shapes, the colors, the way they travel across the landscape. I painte… Read More
2018-09-27 14:36
Montana Prairie6x6 Oil on CanvasSo excited about an interview I had recently with Monica from The Earning Artist. We talked about my experiences selling art and my Etsy shop Small Impression… Read More
2018-09-07 20:51
On the road almost all summer visiting wonderful places around the Northwest, I kept painting even though I neglected posting. Now that September is here, I will share some of my adventures… Read More
2018-05-19 18:52
Since my last posting, I've continued to play with abstractions in a square format. Using palette knives and oil paints on canvas, I've found the delight of experimentation with color and te… Read More
2018-02-04 21:55
Those of us who live in the Pacific Northwest are used to a good amount of rain. We buy raincoats, boots, and waterproof pants. We are used to gray skies and soggy ground. As a lifetime Nort… Read More
2018-01-27 22:35
Green Abstract, 6x6 Inches, Oil on CanvasThe new year has begun and so has a spark of abstract inspiration. I've recently been working on a series of little oil paintings that help me unders… Read More
2017-11-19 19:20
As a native Northwesterner, I am well versed in the culture of rain. When the days of endless drizzle get to be too much, we imagine we have webbed feet, put on a raincoat, and try to preten… Read More
2017-11-10 21:13
This week I've been doing some more small studies, auditioning my ideas for something larger. Both of these paintings were inspired by a series of photographs I took while on a snowshoeing a… Read More
2017-10-29 18:02
It feels good to be back in my studio after several months of travelling. Although my paint brush was still, I continued to store up ideas for future projects. The first step in my painting… Read More
2017-07-08 15:15
Hurricane Hill8x8 Oil on CanvasSalt Creek8x8 Oil on CanvasLast month I had the pleasure of visiting the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State with a group of friends. We ventured from the St… Read More
2017-06-22 16:24
Red and Black 16x6 EncausticAlways eager to experiment with new art mediums, encaustic painting is a method with which I had no experience until recently. The ethereal sense that the process… Read More
2017-06-11 22:38
Golden Marks No. 26x6 Mixed Media on PaperOriginal For SaleThis past week I've been playing with some mixed media, acrylic paint, ink, and pencils. My surface is usually canvas, but I worked… Read More
2017-06-03 19:38
Last week I returned from a road trip along the West Coast from Washington State to Southern California and back again. It was a beautiful time to travel by car. Springtime was showing its f… Read More
2017-05-07 23:42
Near the Sheep Shed4x6 Oil on CanvasThrough the Birch Garden4x6 Oil on CanvasLast week I had the pleasure of an invitation to visit Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island in Washington State… Read More
2017-05-05 20:17
This week I've been practicing mixing paint from a limited palette to create a full range of values. A cup from my kitchen was a great subject for this practice. I used Cadmium Yellow Light… Read More
2017-04-23 14:46
Yesterday I raided the pantry for bottles, arranged and rearranged the set up, and painted from life. I prefer to paint still life subjects from life rather than photographs. Photographs hid… Read More
2017-04-15 22:36
Lately I've been working in a larger format. It feels good to change sizes from time to time. This week is the week of big art. I just finished some 24x30 inch landscape paintings and have o… Read More
2017-03-26 16:04
I had some fun this week playing with paint, paper, and digital mixed media. A mixture of oil painting, acrylic collage, and a photo of a crafty raven merged to create the contemporary compo… Read More
2017-02-25 22:19
Winter Road8x10Oil on CanvasA few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to go snowshoeing at Mount Rainier National Park in Washington State. It was a gorgeous Monday. I snapped hundreds of pictu… Read More
2017-02-10 21:29
The past week I've been working on little scenes from the Northwest. Mountains, rivers, and a little bit of snow all have found their way into my work. As the paint dries, these small format… Read More
2017-01-31 21:58
Winter by the River8x8oilThis is a small study of a scene from the banks of the Deschutes River in Central Oregon where the region experienced a record breaking snowfall last month. I am fin… Read More
2017-01-26 22:46
My little house paintings proved to be quite popular in my Etsy shop, so I worked on a few more and will start listing them in my shop this week. The largest in this picture on the lef… Read More
2017-01-15 22:35
Mountain in Morning Light8x10AcrylicThis painting was inspired by Mount Hood in the Cascade Mountain Range of Oregon. The range extends from British Columbia south to Northern California. It… Read More
2016-11-18 22:47
Since this last week provided more damp winter weather, I spent my time inside painting colorful little fruits and vegetables. Red and yellow paint helped to elevate my winter spirit and man… Read More
2016-11-05 22:54
Fall Reflections16x20Oil on CanvasThe Pacific Northwest has provided some beautiful fall colors recently and inspired a series of landscape paintings that showcase the autumn season. This oi… Read More
2016-10-20 18:15
Island Trees16x16Oil on CanvasThis painting resulted from a trip I took with friends a few weeks ago, just after the rains began to fall for the first time in the Puget Sound Region of the N… Read More
2016-10-09 18:03
Winter Road16x16Oil on CanvasThe exciting news this week is that my painting, Winter Road, has been selected as a Curator's Pick at Ugallery. This is a very special honor and I wa… Read More
2016-09-27 16:12
This is a collection of little landscape from this week: two sizes 5x7 and 8x8. All are on stretched canvas and were completed with oil paints. I like to do these little studies before creat… Read More
2016-09-17 16:40
Autumn Trio16x12Acrylic on Stretched CanvasThe colors of fall are starting to show and are inspiring my landscape work. Red, orange, and gold are dominating the scenery all over the Northwes… Read More
2016-09-11 18:03
This was little house week. Here is a sampling of some of the little landscape studies I've been working on. Usually my landscapes are void of buildings, but not this week. I've been auditio… Read More
2016-08-31 22:57
It is a pleasure to know that some of my recent landscapes have been featured in the Art is Good for You Group on Fine Art America. This one was inspired by the beautiful lavender field… Read More
2016-08-20 20:07
It has been a week of little landscapes. These are a few of my most recent studies. The paint is dry and they are all for sale in my Etsy Shop. There are a few more on the rack that will be… Read More
2016-08-12 16:36
With the beautiful weather of summer and the great opportunities to travel, it is sometimes a challenge to figure out how to keep on creating. Years ago I mastered traveling with my painting… Read More
2016-07-31 17:22
So it is true, I've done a lot of playing this summer and haven't kept up on my blog posts, but it doesn't mean I haven't been busy creating new work. The collection of my large landscapes a… Read More
2016-05-13 01:51
I am pleased to announce that some of my work has been featured this week as a Collector's Choice at Kirstein Fine Art! A few of my abstract paintings, collages, and small works have made th… Read More
2016-04-26 18:24
I've been working on a series of square landscapes size 24x24. I have finished the two below and am excited to continue the series. Both are available as fine art prints on stretched canvas… Read More
2016-04-15 18:09
Just when it seemed like spring was coming, the weather has changed and provided a last dump of snow in Central Oregon where I have been hiding out for the past few weeks with a broken ankle… Read More
2016-02-03 20:10
This week has been a week of working small. Little still life paintings and small landscapes occupied my easel. My attention was captured by bright apples, pears, and a pomegranate along wit… Read More
2016-01-23 18:48
This week I discovered a box of 12x12x1.5 inch canvases in my closet. I usually order in bulk to save a few dollars, but storage can sometimes be a problem, so the extras end up in the close… Read More
2016-01-19 18:22
Lots of little fruits and vegetables are entering my Etsy shop this week. I'm loving painting bright colors on these rainy winter days. Hope you will stop by for a visit Read More
2016-01-04 17:21
It appears that January is home decor month. Last year at this time, one of my little landscape paintings appeared on the cover of This Old House Magazine. It was exciting to see my work dis… Read More
2015-12-31 02:39
The last few weeks I've been visiting Oregon and have found the landscape inspiring once again. This painting is of Punch Bowl Falls in the Columbia Gorge. I have added it to my portfo… Read More
2015-12-18 20:12
Inspired by high desert landscapes of the Western United States, this contemporary landscape painting emerged. It was created with layers of acrylic paint intended to replicate the atmospher… Read More
2015-11-30 17:31
Creating this painting was nothing but fun. I had the radio turned to jazz and the design seemed to create itself. Layers of acrylic paint brushed, splashed, and dribbled in hues of magenta… Read More
2015-10-24 18:02
The paint is finally dry on the series of miniature still life paintings I created about ten days ago. You can view my original post about this series here. This little radish painting is on… Read More
2015-10-22 01:17
This painting is about the color of emotion. It was created with layers of transparent color, crimson, red, and magenta. Yellow and orange are bundled together in geometric shapes. This pain… Read More
2015-10-13 20:48
Fall is here. The weather is cool and the rain showers of the Pacific Northwest have begun. It was the gloomy weather of mid October that prompted me to paint this series of colorful little… Read More
2015-10-09 15:28
Inspired by the autumn season, this 11x14 inch acrylic painting has been added to my Northwest travel series inspired by my recent road trip. There are several in the series that have been a… Read More
2015-09-28 18:54
Still working off the inspiration of my recent road trip, I created this 11x14 inch landscape painting that depicts one of many dried up creeks and rivers that I crossed on my journey. Befor… Read More
2015-09-23 16:27
After spending almost three weeks on the road, I have finally made it home and am back in my studio painting. It was a wonderful trip, but I missed creating art with a brush and paint. This… Read More
2015-09-01 15:50
After a glorious summer, the rains have returned to the Pacific Northwest. A severe windstorm that toppled trees, days of dark gloomy skies, and lots of shower activity mark the return to th… Read More
2015-08-29 18:10
This painting was conceived a last week while visiting the Pacific coast. As I watched the sun go down, the clouds turned rose and deep purple. The wonderful colors inspired the painting in… Read More
2015-08-27 14:48
Just got back from a week at the beach where I spent a lot of time studying the sky and the clouds and the local way of life. The result is a series of paintings featuring clouds, sky, and s… Read More
2015-08-24 23:18
When I purchase stretched canvas, I always order in bulk because of the quantity discounts. Keeping canvases on hand in a variety of sizes serves my impulses since there is almost always a c… Read More
2015-08-24 01:31
Everytime I go to the grocery store, my eyes are enamoured with the produce section. Stacks of fresh fruits and vegetables are colorful and full of unique shapes. Sometimes I buy fresh items… Read More
2015-08-18 16:54
2015-08-11 16:12
This past week I had some fun combining traditional and digital art. The background for this piece is a design created with acrylic paints on paper. I like the combination of red orange and… Read More
2015-08-03 14:15
Beautiful yellow roses and red day lilies were the attraction when I created this little still life painting. I'm gorging on their beauty before the fall when they all disappear. This painti… Read More
2015-07-31 19:14
Although I spent much of the summer working on larger works, I had to take a break every now and then to revel in the blooms of summer. The color of the flowers in my backyard was irresistib… Read More
2015-07-29 22:47
The summer has passed quickly and by the look of my postings, it seems I have not been working very hard. This is only an illusion. I've worked hard and played hard. This 18x24 inch abstract… Read More
2015-06-09 23:17
Thinking about the sea, ships, and the nature of the two prompted the color scheme of this abstract painting. The orange and red of rusty metal peeks through a tropical sea of turquoise and… Read More
2015-06-03 15:48
2015-05-10 20:50
The past six weeks I have been travelled from the Pacific Coast in Washington State to Central Oregon and back again. It was a lovely trip, but I missed my daily stints in the studio. My oil… Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
As promised, here is the second painting in the Swirl Series. This one is called "Texture." I love the thick, swirling paint and the texture that was created with palette knife a… Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
It is official: This March has broken the record--most rain ever in the month of March for Western Washington. As I watched it pour down this afternoon, I decided it was time to clean… Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
With spring, another little bird painting has slipped off my paintbrush. She is painted in oil painting on a 4x5 inch canvas panel. See the original here in my Etsy Shop. Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
This past week spring seems to be trying to make itself present. In doing so, I have been inspired to paint little birds. The one above is a very tiny baby on a 3x3 inch canvas p… Read More
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