The following are my most recent paintings, inspired by Michigan's landscapes and lakeshores. Contact me at carolyndamstra@gmail.com, I'd love to hear from you.
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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,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.
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.
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
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.
Still Morning, North Bar Lake
This popular lake that adjoins Lake Michigan in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore gets busy on hot summer afternoons, but if you get there early you just might catch a quiet scene like this one.
18" x 24" Original acrylic painting on stretched canvas with UV coating. This extra-thick canvas has painted edges so it doesn't need framing.
Happy Ending, Platte River, Sleeping Bear Dunes
During the busy summer season this outlet into Lake Michigan is filled with kayaks and canoes ending their trips down the Platte and water vessels heading into the big lake. Autumn is quieter time to breath in the clean air and take a stroll.
Original acrylic painting with UV coating,18" x 24, Extra thick canvas with painted edges does not need framing.
Summer Shadows at D.H. Day Farm, Sleeping Bear Dunes
Late summer brings golden fields and hills around these iconic farm buildings in the heart of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in northern Michigan. 16" x 20" acrylic, on stretched canvas with UV coating.
Blue Skies, Big Waves on Lake Michigan
A day playing in the huge, crashing waves of Lake Michigan is a day well spent.
18" x 24" Original acrylic painting on stretched canvas with UV coating. Framing available at additional cost, inquire.
Afternoon Shadows, Sleeping Bear Dunes
Original acrylic painting on stretched canvas with UV coating, 18" x 24". This view of Lake Michigan can be seen from a hike along the Cottonwood Trail off of the Pierce Stocking scenic Drive in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
Framing available at additional cost, inquire.
Endless Autumn, Sleeping Bear Dunes
A hike along the Cottonwood Trail in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on a warm September day leads to a new magical view around every turn.
16" x 20" acrylic on stretched canvas with UV coating
Above and Beyond, Ludington State Park
original acrylic painting on stretched canvas with UV coating, 14" x 18." On a recent sunny February day, I enjoyed a lovely hike along the coast in Ludington State Park. The sky was amazingly blue! Who would have thought you could find so much color in the winter?
Field of Dreams, Boskydel Vineyards, Lake Leelanau Michigan
The Boskydel Winery's Bernie Rink was a pioneer of the wine industry on Michigan's Leelanau Peninsula. I captured this fresh view from the property on a gorgeous late summer day long ago. Original acrylic painting on stretched canvas with UV coating. 18" x 24"
Quiet Day at the Dune Climb, Sleeping Bear Dunes
The dune climb at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Northern Michigan near Traverse City is a popular tourist spot in the summer. It's a tough hike to the top and a fun, fast run back down. Autumn sees quieter days and the surrounding dune grasses turn amazing shades of gold and bronze. I used a lot of olive green and bronze metallic paint in this piece, which is hard to capture in the photo but looks amazing in real life in contrast with the light pink sand. Original 16" x 20" acrylic painting on stretched canvas with gloss UV coating
Leelanau Shadows
I encountered this charming shed among the rolling fields north of Cedar in Leelanau County in northern Michigan, and immediately knew I had to paint it. I love the contrast of the grey-green milkweed pods and the perriwinkle shadows. 16" x 20" x 1.5 thick canvas, with painted sides and hanging wire, UV coating.
Afternoon Shadows Along Empire Bluffs
A hike to the top of the Empire Bluff Trail in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, and then continuing on will take you through these sheer cliffs of rainbow grasses and stunning views of Lake Michigan and North and South Manitou Islands. 16" x 20" acrylic with UV coating. Framing available at additional cost, inquire.
Hope Springs Eternal, Petoskey State Park
I rarely put figures in my paintings, but this girl captured my heart with her perseverance in trying to get her kite up on this blustery warm spring day at Petoskey State Park in northern Michigan. 16" x 20"
Freshwater Blues, Lake Michigan, Sleeping Bear Dunes
Original acrylic painting on stretched canvas with UV coating, 18" x 24." One of my favorite things in the world is a stroll along the Lake Michigan shoreline in midsummer. The mesmerizing colors of receding waves and polished rocks are endless sources of magical beauty. This is a favorite quiet stretch in the Port Oneida area of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.