Michigan is an endless playground of natural beauty. I hike and wander, taking reference photos for studio work and also paint on location, en plein air. 2020 is the 50th anniversary of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, and so I celebrated its special beauty through art. Contact me at carolyndamstra@gmail.com, I'd love to hear from you.
"Loved finding your painting last night. That lookout there on the small dune to the left is one of my wife and I's (and now our kids') 3 favorite spots in the world. My wife will be so surprised opening it for Christmas."
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Sleeping Bear Dunes, Cottonwood Trail, Beginning of the End
Original acrylic painting on stretched canvas with semi-gloss UV coating. 12" x 16". This is on the top of my list of favorite hikes in Sleeping BearDunes National Lakeshore, especially in the fall when the Cottonwood leaves turn greenish yellow and clap with joy in the breeze.
Frame options available for this painting at additional cost--inquire.
Sleeping Bear Dunes, Midsummer in Port Oneida
Original acrylic painting on stretched canvas with UV coating, 16" x 20". The Port Oneida area of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in northern Michigan is a historic rural heritage farming area. Fallow fields filled with colorful grasses and wildflowers buzz with insects in midsummer and huge old-growth trees dot the landscape amid the preserved barns and farm buildings.
Ask about framing options at additional cost.
Sleeping Bear Dunes, View from the Empire Bluff Trail
Original acrylic painting on stretched canvas with semi-gloss UV coating, 16" x 20". This famous hike along the Empire Bluff in the heart of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore offers spectacular views of Lake Michigan and North and South Manitou islands.
Ask about framing options at additional cost.
Leelanau Late Summer Fields
Original acrylic painting on stretched canvas with semi-gloss UV coating, 18" x 24". On a warm August morning I captured the sun rising through the mist over the rolling fields and old farm buildings north of Cedar, Michigan. This peaceful, rural area of the Leelanau Peninsula is close to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and a short drive from Traverse City.
Ask about framing options at additional cost.
Sleeping Bear Dunes, D. H. Day Farm, September Morning
Original acrylic painting on stretched canvas with semi-gloss UV coating, 16" x 20". This iconic barn sits in the heart of Sleeping Bear Dunes in Leelanau County, in northern Michigan. Huge dunes, preserved farm buildings and fields, and of course Lake Michigan offer visitors endless beauty for exploring.
Ask about framing options at additional cost.
Sleeping Bear Dunes,Peaceful Platte River
This an original acrylic painting on stretched canvas, coated with a semi- gloss UV coating, 11" x 14". I strolled the beach on a peaceful, warm, mid-October day in northern Michigan, where the Platte River ends at Lake Michigan. Part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, this spot is very popular with visitors in the summer.
Ask about framing options at additional cost.
Lake Narada, Sleeping Bear Dunes
original acrylic painting on stretched canvas with UV coating, 18" x 24". This lovely view can be spotted on a drive along scenic M22 in Leelanau County, through Sleeping Bear Dunes. The colors change with the seasons and abundant wildlife enjoy this marsh area.
Ask about framing options at additional cost.
Autumn at Frankfort Beach, Michigan
This an original acrylic painting on stretched canvas, coated with clear semi-gloss UV coating, 20" x 16"
The bluffs of Frankfort frame this popular summer beach, here calm and serene with cool fall air.
Ask about framing options at additional cost.
August Afternoon,Van's Beach, Leland, MI
original acrylic painting on stretched canvas with semi-gloss UV coating, 16" x 20". I spent a glorious afternoon last summer on the grassy bluff at Van's beach in Leland, Michigan, painting, with a warm breeze blowing and waves crashing. After painting up a sweat, a cooling dip in those freshwater waves felt amazing.
Framing available at additional cost, inquire.
D. H. Day Farm in Late November, Sleeping Bear Dunes
Original acrylic painting on stretched canvas with semi-gloss UV coating, 20" x 24". The gnarled trees along this quiet stretch of road and autumn grasses frame the iconic D.H. Day barns, in the heart of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in northern Michigan.
Sleeping Bear Point, June Afternoon
Original acrylic painting on stretched canvas with semi-gloss UV coating, 16" x 20". Midsummer winds blow fresh breezes across the dunes of northern Michigan, where you can stroll for miles among the grasses and wildflowers.
Ask about framing options at additional cost.
Late October Among the Dunes
Original acrylic painting on stretched canvas with UV coating, 22" x 28". Sleeping Bear Dunes in northern Michigan is especially lovely in autumn when the grasses glow in fall colors against the blues of Lake Michigan.
Printed Note Card Set of 4, Sleeping Bear Dunes Paintings
Set of 4 different cards, 5.5" x 4", blank inside, with white envelopes included. Free shipping or local delivery. Custom large quantity sets can be ordered as well for invitations, etc.
Please indicate Summer or Fall set.
Hot August Afternoon,Sleeping Bear Dunes
The popular D.H. Day campground in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is just steps away from this boardwalk leading to the fresh, cooling waters of Lake Michigan. 16" x 20" acrylic
Lake Michigan View Along the Cottonwood Trail
The Cottonwood Trail off of Pierce Stocking Drive in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is one of my favorite hikes of all time. Mostly sand, the trail winds through grasses and cottonwood trees offering great views of Lake Michigan, the Dune Climb and surrounding inland lakes. 12" x 16" acrylic
Quiet July Day, Suttons Bay, MI
Original acrylic painting on 1.5-inch thick stretched canvas with satin UV coating, 18" x 24". The white pines and soft warm breeze of this quaint northern Michigan marina on the Leelanau Peninsula made me want to lie down on the warm dock and take a nap in the sunshine.
No frame necessary for this extra thick canvas, edges are painted for a modern, clean look.
A New Day
Original acrylic painting on stretched canvas with satin UV coating. 16" x 12." These birch trees reaching for the light on a promising August morning captured my eye and I had to paint them.
Shifting Moments
Original acrylic painting on stretched canvas with satin UV coating. 4' x 3' Sleeping Bear Point, in the heart of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lake shore, is a very special place to me. You can see North and South Manitou Islands out in Lake Michigan, as well as the rolling dunes and flowing grasses all around you, it's breathtaking.
Please note that due to the large size, free shipping does not apply to this item. Pick-up or delivery may be arranged or shipping charges assessed.
All the Blues, Big Glen Lake
Michigan lakes can be mistaken for the Caribbean when the sun shines on the crystal clear waters. Days spent lazing on the water require good sunglasses and lots of sunscreen, and make amazing memories.
Original acrylic painting on stretched canvas with semi-gloss UV coating, 20" x 16. Framing available at additional cost, inquire.
Whispering Pines Over the Treat Farm, Sleeping Bear Dunes
Original Art on stretched canvas with satin UV coating, 16" x 20". This is one of the more hidden heritage farms of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in northern Michigan. It's a gorgeous hike to get here,and the path continues to the bluff beyond overlooking Lake Michigan. The house looks quite mysterious to me, peeking out among the blowing white pines.
Framing options available at additional cost--inquire.
October Mist Over Old Mission Peninsula
Traverse City's Old Mission Peninsula, as well as Leelanau County, in northern Michigan, offer some of the world's best wineries and certainly most beautiful wine growing regions in the world. The cooling waters of Lake Michigan in the fall envelope the surrounding hills with mist, creating rainbow hues of autumn glory.
16" x 20" Original acrylic painting on stretched canvas with UV coating. Ask about framing options at additional cost.
May Day at Good Harbor Bay
This favorite spot in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is a peaceful place to watch freighters glide by, rock hunt, or take a dip in the fresh waves of lake Michigan.
11"x 14" Original acrylic painting on stretched canvas with UV coating. Ask about framing options at additional cost.
Sunday Storm, Van's Beach, Leland MI
This popular beach in Leland, Michigan, is a great place to watch the August storms roll in as you cool off in the crashing waves, then head over to Fishtown for lunch and a stroll.
16" x 20" original acrylic painting on stretched canvas with UV coating. Framing options available at additional cost.
Quiet Autumn Evening Over the Dunes
Autumn is the best time, in my opinion, to visit Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in northern Michigan. The multicolored grasses glow against the dunes, the crowds have left, and Lake Michigan provides a blanket of warmth to extend the fall colors. This peaceful scene, with the D.H. Day barns in the distance, can be seen on a hike along the Cottonwood trail.
original acrylic painting on stretched canvas with UV coating, 22" x 28." 1.5 inch frame with painted edges--does not need framing!