"X-ing"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

Sundays are usually devoted to domestic chores that I've neglected all week. Today I sherked the mundane and devoted my day to the letter X. Crosswalks are a visual obsession with me. Especially on a bright day - where pedestrians create wiggly shadows that fall over the painted stripes. It's a subject that I can play with edges and unexpected colors and I just love that.

"Three Musketeers"

12 x 12"
oil on masonite
sold

I almost feel like I drove 620 miles to the National Gallery of Art to be able to witness this.

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Dog Show

6 x 6"
oil on masonite

This little guy wraps up my work for an upcoming group show at 16 Patton ~ the theme is contemporary portraits and still lifes. I'm anxious to see the other artists' works too.

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I also wanted to thank my friend Laura Sweet for today's blog post 'The Art of Art Appreciation: Paintings of People Looking at Paintings' on her fabulous blog 'If It's Hip, It's Here'. I appreciate being featured along with several artists' interpretations of this subject.

Dog Show

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

I know ...... it's different than you may expect of me. That intense color surrounding the whippet just happened. Whippets are pretty intense - perhaps it's fitting. I like it.

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Dog Show

6 x 6"
oil on masonite

One more darling dog for the grouping. Please click here for a larger view and purchase info.

Dog Show

6 x 6"
oil on masonite

Hi to all - I'm back home and very psyched about painting again. It was just the trip I needed. Here's a new dog to add to my grouping for the upcoming show in May.

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"Dog Show"

each is 6 x 6"

Real quick....... before I hit the road....... here's a couple of little dogs I bumped into at a local dog show. I hope to have a set of six, for an upcoming group show at 16 Patton, in Asheville.
Even more will be going in a few other galleries. Hope you enjoy them.

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Happy Trails - I'll be back with something new Monday night.

"Deep Subject"

8 x 10"
oil on masonite
sold

Geezlois ...... it's been one of those weeks. Vet appointments for Petey have come down to a decision to proceed with chemo or take a wait-and-see approach if a new tumor develops. We opted for the latter after a positive check-up today - hoping he's got some good years ahead. Thanks to all for your kind emails - our pets are so dear to us and it's nice to hear from others.

I'm also heading out of town - partly for a big celebration of my in-laws 50th wedding anniversary - what a beautiful thing to be married and happy for so many many years. Hoping to take photos around Washington DC, in between the festivities.

I also spent an afternoon at a huge dog show - which means I'll be painting a new series like the "Dogs Rule" that I did last summer. Surely one of my favorite subjects to paint.

This new piece is a scene from the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston - with the dramatic painting by John Singleton Copley titled 'Watson and the Shark' behind the group of girls who were all writing their paper on the same deep subject.

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"In The Round"

14 x 9"
oil on masonite
sold

I've held on to this painting for several years, and frankly, an impending tax return is motivating me to sell it. The scene is from the World War II Memorial, in Washington DC - and as I stood on the higher level, looking down on the people on the bench, I was completely mesmerized by the stark shadows zigzagging behind their legs. You know I love those shadows.

"Wall Street"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

I'm winding up the alphabet series, with W for Wall Street - smack dab in the center of the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange. What an experience it was to watch and photograph this place - constant motion, frenzied activity starting as soon as that bell dings - then it all calms down as hundreds of men (and a few women) have done what they came to do, with nothing left but paper strewn all over the floor and discussions of what's for lunch are heard throughout the massive room. Awesome place.

"By George"

9 x 12"
oil on masonite
sold

When I was asked to do a painting for an upcoming show at 16 Patton, titled 'Contemporary Visions: Portraits & Still Lifes', I knew I would sway to the subject of portraits rather than the latter. And whether I was persuaded by watching the 'John Adams' series (which is incredible) or my reverence for Gilbert Stuart's portrait of George Washington, (formally known as the Landsdowne Portrait) - it seemed like a great opportunity to paint this piece.

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"Wise One"

12 x 12"

oil on masonite
sold

I usually beeline to Jean Leon Gerome's paintings in museums - they are all extraordinary. His 'Portrait of a Woman' is like an old friend. I say my formal hello to this unknown, wise woman on my visits to the 'Tute'. On this occasion, she almost looks as if she disapproves of the modern-day, casual clothes on the two woman before her - bra straps and all. Or maybe she's thinking how lucky the future generations are.

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"Metropolitan Grill"

9 x 12"
oil on masonite

Yesterday was a difficult day here at home. Our dog, Petey, was having tests done at the vet - to determine if cancer had spread beyond what was removed several weeks ago. Honestly, all I could do to stay sane was to get lost in a painting. And with the recent exercises I'd done with the umber, I tried a larger scene, adding just a tint of warmth. I haven't decided if I'll keep working with more color or leave as is. For now, I just like looking at it.

At the end of the day, the news was pretty positive for our Petey - a great chance that we caught it early enough. Good news and hopefully many years ahead of chasing chipmunks.

"Labor Day"

12 x 12"
oil on masonite
sold

I painted this piece last September, a farewell to hot days and summer colors. Right about now, it looks like a welcomed change.

"Vacation"

8 x 8"
oil on masonite
sold

Really, V could be for vacation or values - I like the concept of vacation, a word that either evokes envy or better yet, rubbing it in when you're about to embark on your own. Again, I worked with the values study, totally enjoying the unpredictable results. Brush strokes really matter, they show even more so as you are washing the paint rather than layering. It's a constant adding and subtracting of color, with the highlights being the original surface. It's challenging. I did record the process - a video that needs to be edited from an hour down to ten minutes - so that'll be coming as soon as I have the time.