Start to Finish

 Walkies View I -Study

Walkies View I

Here is an example of how I work to develop a painting.  Many times, I will only do a value sketch and composition drawing before diving right in to a finished piece.  Sometimes, I like to do a study to work out the composition and colors ahead of time. Here is the result of doing a color study.

I like how the shadows from the trees fan out to create interesting patterns in the fallen leaves.   Notice how the shadow edges become softer and more diffuse as they lengthen.  

Enjoy

MY ANCESTORS

German Village House

This painting is inspired by a trip to one of the historic areas of Columbus known as German Village.

It is in this area that many Germans settlers came to the new world and found work in Columbus and Franklin county.  This area harkens back to the days of narrow brick lined streets, small brick row houses, and tidy gardens. Though this house was not brick, it caught my eye because of the lovely garden in front. I can only imagine how lovely the garden in back must be.  And since most of my ancestors originated in Germany, I feel a certain closeness to these homes.

ENJOY

LOVING ARCHITECTURE

The Turquoise House

Before I started painting, I was an interior designer. I practiced commercial design, doing space planning and design mainly for hospitals and other health care facilities.  So my love of architecture is well founded, having studied it extensively in school.  I love architecture to this day, especially of the historical kind.  I love older homes and have always wanted to gut and remodel a house someday.

I spotted this cute frame house during a trip to Ann Arbor, MI.  We lived there at one time, and I had a friend that lived in this historic area called the Old West Side. I loved the color of this house and how the red background that I painted on this board pops through to contrast with the turquoise.

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HANGING ON

TWO REDS

There is no doubt that winter is on its way.  The leaves are in full drop mode, rainy skies have a chill and some frost in them, and flowers are slowly dying back.

Geraniums are a favorite summer flower.  I love their sturdiness and their ability to hold out until the weather turns frigid.  I have over-wintered them before,  this time didn't do it soon enough,  and now they are gone for the year.

This painting is in honor of geraniums, the staple of the flower garden.  I even like their smell, because it signals the beginning of the summer season. Time to say goodbye to them. See 'ya next spring.

ENJOY!!

Van Gogh Days

CHANNELING VAN GOGH #1

Two years ago, I got to visit Amsterdam and see the many works by Vincent Van Gogh.  A year ago,  I visited some of the sites in France where Van Gogh painted and the asylum where he spent time recovering from his metal illnesses.  I stood in fields, gardens and city streets where he had painted.  Some of the buildings were still there so it was easy to imagine the artist with his easel doing what he loved.  

This is my attempt at painting a sunflower.  I have tried to do them justice, but have wiped off more panels than I care to admit until I finally got to this one that I am quite happy with. I think it has a somewhat Van Gogh look about it and for that I am pleased.

ENJOY!!

AUTUMN IS UPON US

EARLY AUTUMN REFLECTIONS

I went hiking yesterday with my camera. It was one of those mid-western autumn days that we sometimes get that just feels like a change is about to happen.  Sure enough, today has been rainy and cloudy all day,  a sure sign that the seasons are changing.  This small work is from the hike, and features one of my favorite rivers,  the Olentangy, which happens to be the designated scenic river that runs through Columbus. I loved how the board flat rocks form the bed of the river, making for a great area to stand when the river is low.  With all of the rain today, I won't see this view for quite awhile.

ENJOY!!

OLD FAMILIAR FAVORITES

THE SENTINEL

There are those things in a person's life that when mentioned or pictured bring back a memory or feeling that is comforting in its familiarity. My father planed many many white pine trees on his farm on a hillside to guard against erosion.  As a young girl, I walked among those pine trees.  It was a place of solitude and comfort. I hope I have captured the essence of those beautiful trees with this painting.

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