During a fierce storm in January 2021, Karl Zipser captured a video of Lake Michigan’s waves crashing at the Empire Village beach. The village itself is nestled within the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. In summer, swimming there, you can look north toward the iconic Sleeping Bear Dune and south toward Empire Bluff.
From that storm video, we selected several frames as possible painting motifs. So far, I have painted four of these frames (#1–4) shown below. There is no standard wave — the churning water choreographs a new dance each moment.
Looking north again, I also painted another winter view, this time showing ice hills forming along the beach off North Bar Lake. A lone crow flies along the icy ridges, finally settling on the tallest one. Each wave, each hill of ice, and each passing crow remind me that Lake Michigan is never the same twice — always worth painting again.
Love these! 🥰
Thank you, Max. Too cold to swim.
The seascapes are very tumultuous and moving. Well done!
Thank you, Barb, for your helpful comments while I was painting these waves. Also, thanks for the tip to clean oil paint of brushes with “the masters brush cleaner’. So far, I restored two gummed up brushes
Birgit
Fantastically terrific — I realize that this remark seems over the top, but it is not
Your paintings are wonderful and are absolutely FANTASTIC
I am so privileged to have some of your earlier works, and look forward to more
Thank you , Bob, for your encouragement.
You are mastering the ever changing energy of those magnificent waves , great series!
Thanks, Cindy. Karl encouraged me to do a series rather than my usual one of a kind. At first, I was not sure that I liked the mute colors but after then I began to like painting them. As my neighbor-friend Jenny said: ‘In the actual paintings the water glows, just like in real life.”
Incredible work, Birgit! I love seeing them together and hope one day you’ll exhibit them all so we can see them in person.
I’ve seen lots of water paintings and yours are so unique… as if I’ve not really seen water and waves before.
I spent much of my youth by the Atlantic. Your paintings bring back to me the visual and visceral experience of being next to the power of the water.
Thank you, Susan. I too feel connected to water having grown up at the North Sea, lived on the Long Island Sound and now here on Lake Michigan.
I love these!
Matthew, Thank you for subscribing to my blog!