Groceries

Visit the grocery and fill your senses with color! Rich reds, dusky purples, tans and all the shades in between. Glorious!! How marvelous that we can enjoy the vivid colors of nature in our everyday lives. I started this painting of "Just Some Onions and Plums" at a workshop with artist Michelle Usibelli and finished it at home. It was a total joy to do and to view. Now framed in a traditional gold frame, it is simply a pleasure. It is 8 x 10" and has SOLD to a young couple from Anchorage.

Sunshine

Daffodils do more to capture the fresh new sunshine "After a Spring Rain" than anything I can imagine.
(Please note that the dark smudge in the middle sky is a function of my scanner and not in the painting). Sky, sunshine and reflected light, this scene in nearby Mt. Vernon, Washington, known for its bulb growing industry, just begged to be painted. It is in acrylic on canvas board, 11 x 14 and available framed for $175.

Small

Miniaturization is big in technology to carry information, but for the same reason, miniature portraits were used for centuries. The idea has always fascinated me. Referencing a 16 x 12" plant portrait (see my January 12 blog post) I did last spring I have painted a miniature in only 4 x 5 inches. It is available for $55 framed. These small paintings look great set on tiny easels on a desktop or end table.

Reflections

Copper smelting, according to historians, dates back as far a 5000 B. C.; the beauty of this versatile metal is as pleasing to our eyes as it was to early man (and woman). Flattened and polished, ladies in Egypt even used it to reflect their own images as we do mirrors today. In my painting "Copper Cannister" the vibrant colors of the fruit are doubled, enhancing the beauty of all the objects. 11 x 14" with a walnut frame. It is currently available for $250.

Softness

Usually in hot, sun-drenched colors, the desert is revealed here in a narrow color range of gentle hues: soft greys, gentle darks, muted greens and sandy tones. It is what attracted me to the photo, taken by a friend, that was the inspiration and reference for this painting. The wide walnut frame echos the deeper tones of this 9 x 12" work. "Old Desert Barn" $150

Childhood

Some flowers evoke romance, some sadness, but some are for the kids. Seeds big enough for little fingers, substantial planting holes, then two leaves that grow bigger and bigger and more and more. Then the flowers! All summer long! As an adult, I have never lost the magic; you can't have too many "Nasturtiums". This memory is 11 x 14" framed in a handsome walnut frame and available for $250.

Simplicity

Common, ordinary, everyday, the things we use without
noticing their charm. Andrew Wyeth said "It's what you carry to an object that counts".
On a rainy day, looking for a still life idea...just stuff from my kitchen. Beauty is where you find it...even in "The Yellow Pitcher", 10 x 8" custom framed in walnut $150.
February 6: This little painting, one of my favorites, SOLD at my show at Island Angel Chocolates. I hope it brings only joy to new owners, Janice and Dan.

Warmth

These vivid orange petals glowing with sunlight in my greenhouse caught my attention (how could they not!). Even more delightful - there were mature seed pods and even a spray of buds. I snapped photos for reference but still tried to finish the painting while I could revisit the living blossoms. This 16 x 12" work shows this robust Clivia at close to life size. While detailed and botanically correct, it is warm and dramatic. "Clivia", is SOLD to a friend for her new bedroom in Minnesota, Thanks, Gloria!

Harvest

Whether we reap the harvest for our use, or leave it to birds, small creatures and it's natural course, we can enjoy the beauty of the ripeness of the season. I took this photo at a stormy day's end late in the autumn. I found pleasure in painting it last winter and calling it "Late Harvest" to embrace all these thoughts. 10x 8" in a custom black frame. It is now SOLD to a dear friend who finds it reminds him of surviving a storm in his personal life.

Avatar

New at blogging and websites, I discovered I needed an 'Avatar' - meaning an image - to be posted with my profile. I chose Tessa; actually her name is 'The Contessa', but we use her nickname to help reduce her overwhelming sense of entitlement. She is a purebred Egyptian Mau and a lively companion. And yes, her eye color is a surprisingly bright lime/chartreuse green. This is a small piece, only 5 x 5 and not surprisingly NOT FOR SALE.

Moods

Just outside of Coupeville, Washington, I came across this upturned boat on a misty fall morning. It spoke of past ventures and warmer times but so captured the moody beauty of our damp days, I had to put it on canvas. I call it "End of the Season". 8 x 10" SOLD

Serendipity

Ready to cut up the apple, I was distracted, then turning back I noticed the reflection in the blade of my old paring knife. Delightful surprise! Taking these moments to savor the small pleasures adds to the joy in our lives. Taking the minutes to capture that moment in paint means it will always be there. How lucky we are that as human beings, we have this capacity. Called 'Granny with a Knife', it is 5 x 7" and
Sold to friend and fellow artist, Barbara.

Doodling

I have always liked this little egg cup, then the obvious, an egg shell and what else? hmm.... Of course!! I intend no deep meaning here, no political comment, no artistic breakthroughs, just doodling for fun. I have not yet found a title for it. 6 x 4" $40 unframed.
February 5, 2010: So pleased that 'Little Peep" has found a home. He is going all the way to Texas to brighten my cousin Pat's breakfast room.

Choices

Why choose to paint an "Abandoned Barn" east of the Cascades? Bold shapes, the simple color scheme and a wealth of details made it fun and a pleasure to paint. I hope you enjoy it too. It is 8 x 10", in a rustic wood frame and SOLD on 5/30/10.

Friends

Homemade plum jam, made by friend Margaret, was the inspiration for 'Margaret's Jam' a 7 X 5" 'portrait' of this ordinary but beautiful treasure. Finding the visually pleasing in everyday objects is always a joy. Someone else thought so too. It is SOLD.

Muses

Daisy, peeking out from under the blanket and Tessa, featured in my profile photo are my painting buddies and more involved in my painting than is helpful. They are my Muses.
I would love to say that the small (5 x 7") painting of Daisy was posed, but the reality is a ball of yarn 'stood in' to get the blanket right and her face...well...a ridiculous amount of fuss, but lots of fun. "Daisy" has found a good home with friends Mary and Bruce; it is all I could ask.

Beginnings

Although rare is too strong a word for snow on Whidbey Island, repeated snows that stay more than a day or two are not the norm. "Snow on Newman Road" is a celebration of the beauty of winter. It is a small 4 x 8" painting and my first attempt at painting snow. It was fun to do, and is now SOLD but it keeps alive the simple beauty of the season.