Ella in Flight

16" x 16"

Oil on canvas

Ella is my niece's granddaughter, a beautiful, talented dancer who just turned 10. I have enjoyed painting her. Getting a good photo was difficult, maybe because of the black background. I used a black acrylic for the background, then painted her in oils.

Baby Whisperer

20" x 24"

Oil on canvas

This is a painting of my guy, Joe, comforting his grandson, Dylan.  I came across the photo and knew I had to paint it.  He is such an amazing grandfather, as this so aptly depicts, and this is one of my favorite paintings so far.

Bonding in Carmel

16"x20"

Oil on canvas

I caught this photo while visiting one of my favorite places -- Carmel, California. I spied this dad and his little guy sharing a special moment and knew immediately I would want to paint them. 

Gino

 

Oil on canvas

16" x 16"

I haven't posted in awhile.  I've been doing a little painting (not much) -- nothing finished to my liking.   So, I thought I'd share a few paintings that I did awhile ago.  This one is of Gino Hollander, a renowned artist now in his 90s-plus.  I was fortunate enough to meet him and his lovely wife, Barbara, through a mutual friend.  He took me aside and did a quick painting/sketch of me, which I've posted below.  Below that is the original photograph that I used for reference.  And here is his website:  http://www.hollanderart.com/  He's a fascinating man whose had a fascinating career!

Fruit Sculpture

8"x6"

Oil on canvas panel

This was painted from a photo that caught my eye in an issue of Bon Appetit magazine, advertising Vitamix, a blender.  I changed a few small things, ​but not much.  It was a good exercise and I enjoyed it.

Betty's Clown

10"x8"

Oil on canvas

​This puppet clown was given to my guy, Joe, by his mother.  Betty was a victim of breast cancer twenty years ago, so of course, anything of hers is treasured by her son.  I've always liked this guy and we keep him displayed.  Can't help but smile when he catches my eye.  And a small confession:  the "real clown" has checks on parts of his outfit which I didn't even attempt to incorporate in this painting.

Pair of Pears

6"x8"

Oil on linen panel

These pears were a gift and came boxed with green tissue paper, which I staged on the blue dish for the painting. My original painting included the paper, but it looked too much like lettuce. So I changed the paper to a creamy tone and then it looked like dough. I wiped the whole thing, but this was over a period of time, so the pears survived the wipe and I liked them enough to have another go at it. This is the result. One of these days, I'll take the time to practice painting paper! I see some great examples of it on the Daily Paintworks website!

Indian Pitcher

10"x8"

Oil on linen panel

​This is one of many Indian pitchers I own. The intricate etchings and style always catch my eye in the antique and vintage stores -- and now I have a collection!  Fun to paint, though I struggled with the purple background being too "shiny" and overshadowing the pitcher.  That made it hard to get a good photo.

Pewter Pitcher

Oil on linen panel

6"x6"

I've had this little pewter pitcher for awhile now, and I always knew it would one day end up in a painting.  I am working on painting metals and really enjoyed this process.  The reflections are a lot of fun to capture as well.  I like how this one turned out.

Dragonfly Pendant

6"x6"

Oil on linen panel

I found this pendant in a vintage store in Tubac, AZ -- a lovely, artsy-fartsy town close to the Mexican border. I'm wearing it in my profile photo. A tad of turquoise, coral, and mother of pearl -- not easy to capture, but I enjoyed painting it. This is another in my jewelry series and is also included in the banner on my blog.

Garden Bounty

6"x6"

Oil on linen panel

My guy, Joe, brought these in and left them on the counter:  A still life of its own making.  So, here they are. I took a picture of what was left once I'd eaten them (they were delicious!), but I will spare you.

Vase & Grapes

Oil on linen panel

6"x6"

I painted this after a workshop with Abbey Ryan in Sedona last year.  It was an amazing workshop and she's a great teacher.  I loved watching her process and listening to her philosophy on life and art.  If you get a chance to paint with her, don't miss it.  This little vase called to me -- the patina on it was enticing and the grapes were so translucent!

Turquoise Dragonfly

Oil on linen panel

6"x6"

​This is another in my jewelry series, a lot of which are turquoise.  Guess I gravitate toward the stone because 1) I live in the southwest, and 2) it happens to be my birthstone!

Pins & Needles

6"x6"

Oil on linen panel

This little tomato pin cushion belonged to my Mom and was a common sight in our household. She did a lot more sewing than I did (or do), but it comes in handy when a button comes loose.  As usual, when I am painting something with sentimental value, it soothes my soul.

Diamond Star

Oil on gesso board

6" x 6"

This "diamond" pin was given to me by my oldest son, Travis, when he was about eight.   I get good vibes when I look at it, and I especially enjoyed painting it.  Having my objects sitting on a mirror was a bit challenging, but it was an interesting process.  It's all about learning!!

Prosperity & Wisdom

6"x6"

Oil on linen panel

My mother was a big Avon fan, and we could always count on a piece or two being included in our Christmas package.  I call these guys Prosperity & Wisdom.  They have sat in my window for a number of years, and recently they decided it was their turn to be painted.

The Little Kids

22"x28"

Oil on canvas

This is a painting I did awhile back of my sister, Diane (on the right), and me.  I call it "The Little Kids" because that's what our four older brothers called us.  Every time I look at one of my paintings, I see several things I would/should have done differently.  Gotta stop that and move on (I tell myself)!  Below is the reference photo from eons ago!  Colorizing it was an interesting process.  My mother commonly dressed me in blue and Diane in pink.  Not sure why, since Diane was far more the tomboy.

Nana's Vase Lady

8"x16"

Oil on panel

I call this "Nana's Vase Lady" because she belonged to my grandmother and was passed to me by my mother.  I also thought of calling her "The Old and the New" because I use her to hold these shiny new cooking implements.  She is a vintage piece herself (actually a pitcher) and is known on the vintage sites as a Bo Peep milk pitcher.  She was fun to paint, but I struggled (as always) getting the silver right.  I will keep challenging myself because I am kind of a glutton for punishment in that regard.

Shan's Kitty

oil on linen canvas panel

6"x6"

This little kitty had been abandoned and was rescued by my niece, Shannon, and her guy, Tay.  Without a Mama around, it took awhile for him to get used to using the kitty litter box.   Joe and I cat-sat for them in the beginning and got to help with that experience.  Good thing he's so darn cute! 

Artsy Gecko

 6" x 6"

oil on linen panel

​To continue on my gecko kick, I found this little guy in Bisbee, AZ.  He looked up at me and pleaded with his steely eyes, "Take me home!"  So I did.  He didn't ask me to paint him, but I'm thinking that he probably has enjoyed the extra attention.  Getting the shadow right was a bit of an issue, but once I got him to hold still, it worked out okay.

What's Up, Gecko?

 Oil on linen panel

6" x 6"

I have a "thing" about geckos.   Living in Arizona nourishes that.  So when a good friend offered me this little vase, I jumped on it. And, of course, painting it was the next best thing!

Wine & Fruit

6"x8"

Oil on linen panel

I started this while attending a workshop with Qiang Huang last December in Sedona, AZ.  It was an amazing workshop and he is such a great artist and teacher!  I doubt I will ever be able to paint as loosely as he does, but I kind of like how this turned out.