Well Prepared

6"x6" oil

This little guy was all geared up and ready for his adventure, but he was waiting for some grown-up help to arrive.

Picnic

6"x6 oil

I love this little scene.  You don't see too many cowboy hats in Vermont, so it is even funnier that it is her sunhat.  It is always good to have a little picnic at the beach.

3 White Lunch Boxes

8"x10" oil SOLD

This is a painting I did 5 years ago at a Karin Jurick workshop.  It was what inspired me participate in the daily painting movement.  I haven't always painted or posted every day, but it has convinced me that consistency and focus on the goal creates momentum.  I love this painting because these women were clearly on a quick lunch break with their cute little white boxes of food.  They were all color coordinated and sat so close together.  So I am posting this to celebrate 5 years of relatively consistent painting.

Pink Peony

6"x6" oil

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is my third attempt at painting a peony.  I am understanding the structure of these flowers better.

Embracing the Story

6"x6" oil

I thought it was interesting that this woman was turned away from the lake.  Her purpose there was the shaded breeze and the ability to completely give herself to the story.  Not a bad moment!

Meditation

6"x6"  oil

Swimming is not what she is here for.  She may not even reach critical midpoint, but getting the legs in cool water and just breathing in the refreshment, peace, relaxation, and joy, are enough.

Can't Wait

6"x6" oil

I know you have been there.  That moment where anticipation turns to kinetic energy and you are flying towards your long awaited moment.  I can say that she wasn't disappointed!

Naia

6"x6" oil

I couldn't help but smile the whole time I was painting beautiful Naia.

Trio

6"x6 oil

This is my second attempt at peonies.

Pink Peony

6"x6" oil

This is my first ever peony.  I have been wanting to paint some after seeing so many beautiful paintings by artists I admire.  I am happy with the results, but know that I won't really get it, until I have painted a gazillion.  So mastery is a gazillion minus one for me!  Here are some links to peonies that have inspired me:  Jonathan Aller,  Jo McKenzie, Shawna Lampi-Legaree

Moonlight Ritual

30"x48"  Acrylic  SOLD

This is a lot different for the paintings I have been doing for several years.  It is quite large and is very stylized.  I envisioned this painting over a year ago and have just now finally painted it.  Although it is very simple in design, it took a lot of editing and revision for me to get what I wanted, so there is a lot of paint on the canvas.  I am really happy with it and I believe it tells the story I wanted to tell.

Do You Hear What I Hear?

6"x6"  oil

I love the pose on this one.  Babies and old folks (like me) know nature's way of amplifying the audio mysteries of the world...just scoop your ear into a better sound catcher!

Goats View

6"x6" oil

These goats looked as happy as any goats I have ever seen.  I am not sure I could correctly describe what a happy goat looks like, but they sure looked confident, well fed, and like they got a lot of attention.  I don't think they are the easiest animals to have around, but they sure are fun to watch.

Waiting

6"x6" oil

Waiting for the wave to crash!

Work of Play

6"x6" oil

When watching kids at the beach, it is easy to be drawn in by their wild enthusiasm. But, it is hard work having that much fun.  There is the digging and the pulling and the riding of the body board and the fighting with the waves to regain air.....so much work of play.

Pink and Green

6"x6" oil

Can you hear the music of the waves?

Also Keepers of the Beauty

11" x 11"  oil  SOLD

First I must give my apologies to Dreama Tolle Perry because I stole her title.  She is a phenomenal artist and writer and posted on her blog about those who are "Keeper of Beauty."  I was doing this commission at the time I read her post, and knew that the owners of this lovely garden are one couple Dreama was referring to.  There are a lot of details in this composition, but I wanted to tell the story of the architecture of the plantings, the allure of the koi pond, the babbling of the brook and bird songs, and the sculptural references.  Unfortunately there is a glare on both sides of this photo, making the edges look washed out.

Courage

6" x 6" oil

A 3 foot wave may not be surfable, but to a pre-schooler, it is daunting.  The child on the right is crouching down like a prowling cat ready to pounce on the wave if it gets close enough, while the toddler in pink is fascinated by the little rivulets of waves lapping at her feet.  Gramps is ready to grab the first one to get in over her head.

Coffee and Tidal Pools

This is another painting with tiny little people.  So I asked myself "why" did I put this burden on myself????  I guess the answer is that I liked the story and it was a challenge.  I like how the rocks, thick with sea weed and moss, turned out.  Grandpa is enjoying watching his grandsons look for critters in the pools, Dad is carrying the baby and trying to drink his coffee.  Mom is having one of those rare breaks.  She is focused on enjoying her coffee and a view that sweeps her away to a lovely sailboat in the distance.  Nice story, don't you think?

Focused View

She is determined, trying to see through the marshland viewfinder but is just a bit too short.  Daddy is there ready to steady her or aid her in the process.  I hope to illustrate the tension in each of their bodies and their concentration but I also had fun with the railings and marshland background.

Going Up

6"x 6" oil

This makes me think about the song "The Bear Goes Over the Mountain."  The excitement of going up, up, up, but not knowing what is on the other side. I think there is magic being in a cathedral of trees with little girls. These figures are itty bitty.  I have been doing a few paintings lately that have miniscule people in them.  I am not sure why I have chosen these subjects, but I am sure that if I do enough, I will figure out how to do them without sweating!

Pear Pair16"x20" oil

16"x 20" oil

This was so much fun to paint.  It is larger than I have been doing for a while and it is on canvas which isn't my surface of choice.  I like to paint on slick hard panels with lots of smooth layers of gesso. So, I felt like I had nothing to lose with this and just cut loose with a wide brush and colors that spoke to me at the moment.  I make a lot of mistakes along my creative journey so it is nice to have something turn out that makes me happy and was a joy to paint.