NOTICED!!

THE RED DOOR

Some months ago, I came upon this house when I was out walking in a historical neighborhood.

The sun was casting great shadows on this sunny day, and I was drawn to the house with its bright red door. I knew it was possible painting material, so I took a quick photo and walked on.  Here is a small painting of my interpretation of the house and its special door.

ENJOY!!

CHEERY PIE!!

CAN SHE BAKE A CHEERY PIE?

I love to bake pies, but don't often do it anymore because we don't need the extra calories.  But recently I baked a pie to take to a friends house who was making me dinner while my husband was out of town.  I guess home baked pies are rare these days because you'd have thought he won the lottery.  Anyway, here is a small painting of my pie.  Cherry.

ENJOY!!

BIRD POSE

LISTEN TO THE BIRD

I have been playing around with still life set ups and arranged this group of pieces to include a cute little ceramic bird.  One of my passions is to watch and study birds, and I thought it was high time that I include a bird in one of my paintings.  I also love to paint the reflections of glass, so included a small vase too.  In my mind, I can imagine the little bird singing to the vase and bowl of apples.  Wonder what is on his mind?

ENJOY!!

APPLES

THREE ACTORS

I painted this still life using some favorite objects.  The napkin is in my favorite green color,  and the shelf is a random piece of scrap wood I found.  These apples are the good old Red Delicious type.  I love painting them because I get to mix up a really deep red for the darks.  I like the dark, dark shadows and the orangey yellow of the background.  I can imagine these apples as three actors on stage, with the stage lights gleaming on them.

Enjoy!!

STILL LIFE ON MY MIND

READY FOR MY REVEAL

I have been thinking about doing some still life painting.  Now that the weather has turned, its comforting to be inside in my studio and painting from my own set up.  This apple and knife on a plate had me stumped for a title.  Then it came to me; the apple is going to be sliced open, revealing its juicy flesh.  This apple happens to be my new favorite, the Honeycrisp.  Eating one of these is like having dessert.  

ENJOY!!

KEEPING AUTUMN ALIVE

The Colors of Autumn, study

Autumn is probably my most favorite of all seasons and I am very sad when all of the leaves have dropped and there is no more splendid color to enjoy.  There is a tree that I pass almost every day when walking our dog that always has the best color of any on the street.  When it was at its peak, I snapped a few photos and used them for this study. Now it may seem boring to you to see that this is just a painting of a few branches from a tree,  but I feel that this painting is like a still life - a beautifully arranged composition that leads the eye through the subject. I like how the branches grab your eye and lead them from the left to the right of the painting, showing the motion of the wind as it ruffles through the tree.

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HEADING INTO WINTER

GOLDEN GRASSES

Very soon,  these lovely golden grasses will be hit with a blast of winter snow and this beautiful landscape will transform once more to a frozen silvery land while the earth hibernates underneath.

This painting is another in a series of small landscapes inspired by my recent trip to Utah.  The colors will seem exaggerated once winter arrives but for now I love how the purple of the distant hillside is echoed in the shadows around the grasses. I also like how the light hits the bare aspen branches.

ENJOY

"Gold Leaf" SUNSET

GRIGGS SUNSET

I have always been fascinated by the use of gold leaf in painting.  I love the effect it gives to the work and have used it successfully in the past.  This painting has gold leaf in both the sunset and the water.

It's very hard to tell from the photo that there is gold leaf on this, but looking at it from various angles does the trick.  The inspiration for this piece is from a photo I took during a sunset near Griggs Reservoir.

Enjoy

Be UTAH ful

LEANING ASPENS

Here is another small work from my recent time in Utah. These Aspen trees were marching up the hill and visibly leaning toward the mountain.  The Aspens were beautiful at this time of year.

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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!!

A FAVORITE TREE

FINDING AUTUMN

Here is another small work from my recent trip to Utah.  The Aspen trees were at their peak in some areas and had already lost their golden crowns in other areas.  This one was showing off by standing alone in this sun drenched meadow. Aspen leaves quake in the breeze, much like our midwest cottonwoods do, but they also have beautiful white bark that allows them to soak up the sun year round.  They also send up new trees from a single root system, so are actually clones of one another.

ENJOY!!

GLORIOUS

WELCOME SUNSET

Here is a small painting that I did while visiting Utah.  I love hiking near sunset time, especially in the autumn.   The colors are so vivid in the clear mountain air.

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OLD MEETS NEW

TECHNO WASH

This painting is inspired by a trip to Italy a few years ago.  I was struck by how many people still hung their laundry out, even though it seemed they were very technologically connected.

I loved the shadows thrown off by the tidy whities and the antennas reaching for the sky.

ENJOY!!

Down Memory "Lane"

Knee High by the 4th of July

Growing up, our farmhouse was at the end of a very long lane, a quarter of a mile to be exact.  During the summer, it was enclosed by fields of corn, soybeans, and wheat, almost like a fortress.

Passing by the inspiration for this painting, I was struck by how closely this land resembles the old farmhouse and surrounding fields where I grew up so many years ago.  I loved how the trees created a sparkle where the sunlight filters through the leaves.  I also have fond memories of the saying that I heard every summer about the growing corn.  It needed to be knee high by the 4th of July in order to be a good crop that year. 

ENJOY!

Three Friends

BETTER TOGETHER

Here is another image of pears.  They have to be one of my favorite fruits to paint. they seem to take on a personality of their own.  These three just fit together on a plate so nicely, almost as if they were supporting each other.  

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BEAUTY REIGNS

SCHOOL LILY

You never know when you will walk past a beautiful sight.  You have to be ready to appreciate it.  I was taking our dog for a late afternoon walk when I spotted this beautiful lily backlit in the sun in a flower bed in the school yard.  What a lovely colorful lily.  I usually never give these orange lilies a second thought but this one called to me.

ENJOY!!

SERENITY

Wise Ones

This painting was just finished last week, and I have been remiss in getting it posted.  I thought I would include some process shots, so you can see the stages that I worked on in this piece.

The painting is inspired by another of the photos I took of pine trees.  It gives me the most serene feeling..... almost as if I am being watched over by friendly giants.

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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.

ENJOY

Dog Days

WALKIES!!

This cute little pup was stopped on the sidewalk with its master on a hot summer day.  They had obviously been shopping and I noticed the cup of water that she had just finished lapping up.  Look at that smile!!  She was truly enjoying herself.  

ENJOY!!

MOUNTAIN LIFE

Wildflower Day

During our last trip to Utah,  we did a fare amount of outdoor activities, including hiking.

I was very surprised at the amount of wildflowers blooming in the high mountain meadows.  I had thought with such a dry climate that wildflowers would be scarce.  NOT SO!!I hope this little painting gives you a sense of just how abundant the wildflowers are in Utah.  So beaUTAHful.

ENJOY

TRUCKS, BRAWN AND BEAUTY

WINE TRUCK

Growing up on a farm, I appreciated trucks.  We always had at least one, and sometimes many.  They were very utilitarian and never got washed or cleaned out on the inside.  They smelled of the last place they had been, and I always loved riding around in them with my Dad.  I spotted this truck during a trip to Italy.  It certainly had seen better days, being dented and rusty.  I loved how the light played along the front door with the nose stuck in shadow.  I also loved how it was parked right on the narrow street/sidewalk without any regard for people that might want to walk there. In my eyes, it was a beautiful beast.

ENJOY!!

SUMMER LIVIN'

Knee High by the 4th of July

Anyone who has ever grown up on a farm probably knows the saying that is the title of this painting.

It is inspired by an evening road trip with my husband into the countryside north of Columbus into the flat landscape that is perfect for growing crops, especially corn.  My memories of growing up on the farm come flooding back when I see this beautiful landscape and I am truly proud of my hertiage.

ENJOY!!

Another Rose

ANOTHER ROSY ROSE

Here is another rose inspired from my collection of rose photos from the Park of Roses in Clintonville.  I like how the shadow thrown from the petals to the underside of petal has this orangey glow.

ENJOY!!

ROSES ON MY MIND

JUST A BEAUTY

Here is another one of my rose paintings, this one an old fashioned beauty that smelled just heavenly.

I liked how the petals curl and create shadows on each other.

ENJOY!!

ROSY DAY

PARK OF ROSES #2

Here is another painting of a rose from the Park of Roses just outside of downtown Columbus in Clintonville.  This one was backlit and began a wonderful subject.   I remember that my mother had a rose similar to this one in her rose garden that she called a PEACE rose.  If only roses could bring about peace!! I love how translucent it looks in the sunshine.

ENJOY!!

NATURAL BEAUTY

PARK OF ROSES #1

Our city has a beautiful park for roses.  They have been at their peak these past few weeks and I have had the opportunity to go there to take photos while walking my dog.  I love the many scented older roses whose blossoms are not the most beautiful but whose scent takes my breath away.  This painting is inspired by one of the older varieties, whose petals were about to fall away.  I loved the way the shadows contained so many colors.  Hope you ENJOY!!

ANOTHER PLEIN AIR DAY

SYCAMORES AT THE OLENTANGY

I  was able to get outdoors and paint again this week.  The weather gods have been good to me.  I returned to the same place as earlier in the week and painted a view looking in the opposite direction from before.  There are many sycamore trees lining the river and these two were glowing in the sun.  I tried to capture their beauty from the bank and from their reflections in the river.

ENJOY!!

RETURNING TO MY ROOTS

TAG TEAM

I have not lived on a farm for many years, but my memories of it seem like yesterday.  I always loved the spring when new calves appeared.  My father raised herefords (white face, reddish brown body) and hereford/angus mix (white face, black body)which you see depicted in the painting above.  They always amused me because they could play the best game of STARE DOWN you've ever seen.

These two were doing just that.  ENJOY

ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL DAY TO PAINT

ANTRIM At The Olentangy

This morning I had the pleasure of painting outdoors at Antrim Park before the rain..  We chose to paint from the other side of the river.  The water level is down right now and we were able to stand out in the middle on a gravel bar that gave us views looking up and down the river.  The photo below shows where I was standing.

As we were painting we were greeted by this little lady as she sauntered across the river to the woods on the other side.

ENJOY!!other beautiful day to paintOTHER

CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

WHITE PINE MEMORIES, STUDY

This painting brought many memories flooding back.  As I have said before, I love trees, especially white pines.  They have the softest, longest needles of all the pines, and I love the smell of them.  I also love hearing the wind blow through them.

As a little girl, I recall playing in the stand of white pines that my father planted on a hillside to help with erosion control. It felt like my special place and I wonder after all these years if they are still standing. The inspiration for this painting is from a photo I took while hiking at High Banks metro park.  I had to kind of bushwhack to get close to these trees, but it was worth it.   I got this photo in the late afternoon while the sun was low and the highlights on the trees were so interesting I had to do this study.  I think it will be the start of a larger work.

ENJOY!!

FOR THE LOVE OF TREES

SUNNY SYCAMORE #1

I love everything about trees.  They are my favorite landscape feature, and I love painting them.  The Sycamore tree says "mid-west" to me, even though I have seen them in Paris lining the Seine.  I love the lovely bark that sheds itself in the fall and the leaves as large as dinner plates that turn a lovely golden brown in the autumn. This particular Sycamore is along a bike path that I frequently use. On this day, the sun was glinting off the bark and lighting up the tree in a spectacular way. Because it is still spring, the leaves have not reached their full size and many of the branches are still visible.

ENJOY!!

UNEXPECTED BEAUTY

SPRING STREAM

I walk my dog Logan everyday, rain or shine.  He has come to expect it and after 13 years, I am not about to change his routine.  We both need it and it tends to clear my head and get me much needed fresh air and exercise.   One of our favorite parks has a stream that meanders through it and much of the summer it is so overgrown that you would barely know it is there.  But on this particular spring day,  it was beautiful and I snapped a photo of it thinking it might become a painting.

This painting was done on Arches oil paper and I must say that i am beginning to like it after much experimentation.  The first layer of paint literally soaks into the paper, so adding another layer on top can be done without too much waiting time.  I like the softness achieved by the paper and think that I will be doing more paintings on this surface.

ENJOY!!

PAINTING MEMORIES

Village in Provence

Last October, my husband and I were lucky enough to enjoy a much needed vacation and chose to go on a bike tour to France.  We bicycled in Provence and our travels took us through numerous small villages.  The painting above is one of those villages. I was charmed by the beautiful colors of the buildings and the blooming plants in the doorways and hanging from the windows.

ENJOY

A New Direction

Leafy Prayer

I think that I shall never see

A poem as lovely as a tree

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the earth's sweet flowing breast.

A tree that looks at God all day

And lifts its leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear

 A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me

But only God can make a tree.

-Joyce Kilmer

American writer and poet

This painting was executed for a show at the gallery in Columbus, OH where I have my work.  The show is in honor of Poetry month which is in April.  All of the artists in the gallery were asked to pair with either a contemporary poet or a favorite historical poet and create a piece of art to reflect a poem.  I chose the poem above, which has been a favorite of mine for many years.

The background of the painting is gold leaf, both 18 and 23k, which was applied to the surface before I painted the tree and surrounding landscape. After the gold was applied, the surface was sealed and glazes in pale blue were added to the background to create the sky.

I had great fun working on this painting and it sold the weekend it was hung.

WHITE HOUSE?

Amish Bakery Study

I have been studying with a great instructor who is helping me to loosen up my painting style and also paint quicker.  The last few classes I have taken have been difficult, trying to get something down on my canvas in the allotted class time and having it look like a finished piece. Alla Prima (Italian), or the first attempt, is what we have been striving for in these classes.

Here is my attempt (Alla Prima) at an Amish Bakery.  I took this photo reference a couple of years ago when painting at this spot with the plein air group I belong to. It was a white house with a bakery built on to the front.  While doing this study, I realized that the house, though seemingly white in the photo, was really not at all white, but bluish lavender.  The only spots of white were those where the sun just highlighted a few areas. The best memory I have of this spot is visiting the bakery just before we left and getting a sweet treat for the drive back home.

ENJOY!!

Study study study!!

 Tree Study

Tree Study Gold Leaf #1

I am very fond of trees.  Throughout my life I have had favorite trees in every place that I have lived. They became my friend when lonely, served as a hideout for sneaking away to read a book, sheltered me during storms, served as a great treehouse, given me a great collection of colorful autumn leaves, served as a soft bed beneath my tent, and stood majestically defiant while being a protected species.

I believe I could not live in a world without them.

I have painted many tress, but never really made them a subject of a painting.

These studies are a homage to the tree.  The first is a simple study done on a toned background. It is inspired by a photo of a tree that I admired at Glacier Ridge Metropark last summer near the boardwalk.  I decided to try two studies, one using the toned background, and one using gold leaf as the background.   I have admired the work of Gustav Klimt for many years and his use of gold leaf in his paintings.  I like the subtle sheen in the background.  And because I love them so much, I think these trees deserve to be dressed up with a little bling.

ENJOY!!

TIME IS FLEETING

A FLEETING MOMENT

I just finished this painting this morning.  It has been a while since I have spent any amount of time at my easel.  My 12 year old Labrador Retriever, Logan, required surgery last week for a knee problem, and I have been in "care" mode since then.  The inspiration for the title of this painting is a reminder that life is fleeting and we are never assured a life that is constantly under our control. It also is a reminder that we need to live life to its fullest, and this is something that I have seen played out daily with my dog.  Even though he cannot do much in terms of walking or running, he has accepted it and has adjusted his attitude to fit the situation.  So this painting is dedicated to Logan, my loyal companion of 12 years.                     ENJOY!!!

SIMPLE SHELTER

WORK TRUCK

I spotted this old work truck while scouting out places to paint during the OPAS painting competition last fall in Alexandria, OH.  The truck looked like it had seen better days and it's parking shed wasn't much better, but I love old ramshackle things so I stored the photo as a possible painting. This painting brings back memories of farm trucks and the years I spent growing up on the family farm.

This one is done on gesso board that's toned in a dark mixture of burnt sienna and ultramarine blue.

After toning it, I wiped it down and some of the stain remained as my background. I especially like the red of the truck and the little pops of color in the downspouts and brick building in the background.

ENJOY!!

Dedication

WORKING LATE

This painting is another attempt at doing a night scene.  I usually walk my dog, Logan, in the evening before I break for dinner.  One of our favorite "walkie" spots is across the street at the elementary school.  There is a large playing field in back that works great for smell and potty purposes. Because it is winter, it usually starts getting dusky around 5pm and if I go much later, it's totally dark, so this scene is during that time of transition to darkness.  

There is a teacher at the school who is always the last in the parking lot and she drives this cute little red VW.  I've painted her car before and love that she gives me opportunities to practice various angles of her car. The painting pictured below is the first painting  I did of her bug. 

ENJOY!!

DON'T SQUASH