This piece, along with 3 others like it, was started in my old studio before my plans for this year unraveled...

Well, you could technically say it started out on the water last August, the nearly full moon rising and captivating me as I paddled home. The evening winds shifted, creating a pleasant chop that rocked me soothingly as evening descended. The journey of this piece began with such serenity and hope, followed halfway through with great discouragement, and finally picked up again with newfound will to continue on my path.

Stig Burrhus

Moonrise: She Greets Me with a Breeze

At the tail end of wildflower season in Texas the bluebonnets have long since faded. But, as those famous lupines reach the end of their life-cycle others rise to greet the summer! Blanket flowers explode, filling the fields with red and yellow, blending into a vast blanket of orange undulating in the wind. Every ending makes room for the beginning. And so the cycle goes, turning over and over, ever onward.

This year’s Summer Collection landscape paintings, for me, is the embodiment of my mindfulness practice, a celebration of what exists in the present, and appreciating fond memories; all with a nod to my hopes and dreams for the future.

Blanket Flower Hills 1600dpi copy

A year ago I was walking down to my little sailing dinghy peacefully bobbing next to the dock, my partner rigging her up. Our lives had become so busy between working opposite schedules and adult responsibilities. Sometimes, though, we managed to steal a couple of hours together, just the two of us and our squirrely little sailboat. I thought back on the years behind me, what I remembered about them, and knew that it was these moments. The one I was in right then. I snapped a photo and hurried down to meet my spouse.

Docked at Dusk

The days had already gotten noticeably shorter and with that came pleasant evening temps. My spouse and I had just bought an old 14’ sailboat for $250. Every chance we got we’d practice sailing. On this particular night we’d just come in from our second sail; still clumsy with our boat. I had moments where I was terribly afraid, wondering whether I was capable of overcoming my fear of deep bodies of water enough to live on a boat one day like we dreamed. I tied her off and as I walked I looked back out over the lake. What I saw stopped me in my tracks! The clouds had moved on and the moon was full. I stood there, gazing at that bit of rock twirling around our planet, the two of us simultaneously hurtling through space. I realized; much like the clouds had cleared to reveal the moon and remind me of the vastness of our universe, so to had the doubts that obscured my dreams from view.

Just as the moon chases the sun I, too, would follow the guiding light of my dreams.

Moonrise: She Chases the Sun

Aurora Magic

As autumn sets in the fog lingers over the fields, signaling the changing season even before the leaves turn. The celestial dance continues and we are set in motion, preparing for the long nights.

Misty Sunrise

Softer than a whisper, the barn owl glides silently through the still night air. As she passes she locks eyes with you. Without words you know she has a message for you, and it is up to you receive it. Moments later and she's gone, slipped back into the darkness.

This piece is UV reactive and subtly glows under blacklight.

Soaring Spectral

8x10 inch | Mixed media oil on stretched canvas. UV reactive. Ready to hang.

Tiger Trip

His power and nobility is evident, never backing down from protecting his own.

This regal fellow was so exciting to bring to life! I saw him in a nature magazine a long while ago and was drawn to him instantly. Ibex rams are such powerful creatures that live life on the edge. Conveying that strength and a sense of potential energy ready to spring into action was a thrill start to finish.

He calls to mind a tenacity of spirit, the grit it takes to survive another day and find your place in the world, and reminds me to keep fighting the good fight.

16x20 inch | Oil/mixed media painting on canvas. UV reactive. Includes black/brown stained frame. Ready to hang.

Stig Burrhus

collection: Fine Art

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