"Slouchers"

8 x 12"
oil on masonite
sold

That girl's posture pretty much defines how I feel - generally pooped. The past week has been go - go - go, including a trip to Hilton Head Island, spending time with family and meeting a lot of very nice people who took the time to come to the opening of my show Friday night. Attendance was around 100 - including artists and longtime patrons of the Morris & Whiteside Galleries - coming to see my new work and the new location of the gallery, which is just fabulous. I think one of the nicest comments I got was from a gentleman involved in the catering - who remarked that my work was 'very natural'.

What really makes me proud is the presentation of all the paintings together - after all, I paint each one, let it dry, varnish it, frame it and send it off. It's incredibly gratifying to see the finished work all together and lit up so beautifully. That's when I really feel like I've done what I set out to do. Please stop in the gallery during the month of March, if you're in the area.

This new painting is included in the collection - a couple of spent visitors beside Mary Cassatt's 'Little Girl in a Blue Armchair', in the National Gallery of Art.

Please click here for a larger view.

Happy Trails

I'm heading to the coast to join the party - the opening of my solo show and the opening reception for the Morris & Whiteside Gallerie's new location. If you're in the area, please come Friday night from 6-8. Here's a map for your convenience and here's where you can view my paintings without ever leaving your chair.

Happy Trails.

"Redneck Riviera"

12 x 7"
oil on masonite
sold

Right now, the thought of relaxing on the beach sounds pretty good. Of course, when I'm on a beach, I'm a non-stop camera bug - so interested in us, the people, and how we set up our spots, group together or prefer alone time. This new painting is a familiar site on a public beach - a family sprawled out, forming shapes of color and light. I just love it.

Please click here for a larger view. This painting is included in my current solo show, now on the walls of the Morris & Whiteside Galleries on Hilton Head Island. The reception is this Friday evening - so pack you bags and come to the beach.

"Gossip Girls"

10 x 9"
oil on masonite
sold

As with many, I painted the figures first - I do that so I'm sure the essence (of the people) is right, before I invest more time. And remember, I paint on black, so what stood out, as I had finished refining the details, was the form created from the women facing each other on the chairs - a V - or a W depending on how you look at it. So cool. And with that, I wanted minimal surroundings - to emphasis that accidental form. At the same time, I had Lawrence of Arabia on and there I was, dazzled by the desert scenes of the men on camels, with nothing around them but bright sand, a vague horizon line with a sliver of blue sky and the shadow beneath them. All I saw what the form. So taking a visual lesson from a brilliant, visual movie led me to the completion of this new painting 'Gossip Girls'.

This painting is included in my current solo exhibition at the Morris & Whiteside Galleries.

Please click here for a larger view.

"Luncheon Date"

16 x 8"
oil on masonite
sold

Crowds or lines of people dazzle my painting senses - but it takes ambition to start and finish such a scene. I take on each individual one by one, as if they were the sole figure, so it's a time-involved process - and I'm never really sure it's going to work out until the last few hours. The hard part is sticking with the process and not giving up. I'm a painter who likes to start a piece in the morning and end it that evening and move on to something else.

In most of the more-popular art museums, there's a star work of art, a draw, a spectacle - that will pull people in like a magnet - and Renoir's 'Luncheon of the Boating Party' is certainly one of them. We recognize the image from coffee table artbooks and perhaps a print that we have on our own wall - and to see the real thing is rewarding. As with most works of art.

Speaking of which, I hope you have the opportunity to stop in to the Morris & Whiteside Galleries in the next month, where I have 29 pieces on exhibit. I also have paintings hung at the 16 Patton Gallery in Asheville and the Howard/Mandville Gallery in Kirkland (Seattle) - and I would appreciate you taking the time to visit any of them if you're in the area.

Please click here for a larger view.

"Penny For Your Thoughts"

9 x 12"
oil on masonite
sold

When the National Portrait Gallery reopened, after seven years of renovation, I was thrilled to return. Truth is, I usually bypassed the presidential portraits for more contemporary work - but the new home made me take notice for the first time in years. When browsing the portraits, you will see art history married to political history - John Kennedy painted by Leroy Neiman, Nixon painted by Norman Rockwell, George Washington painted by Gilbert Stuart - and Abraham Lincoln painted by George Healy - an iconic portrait included in my new painting 'Penny For Your Thoughts', now on exhibit at the Morris & Whiteside Galleries.

Please click here for a larger view.

"Mini Series"

6 x 8"
oil on masonite
sold

Following up with another smaller, painterly piece - also included in my current show - a woman viewing the 'Migration Series' by Jacob Lawrence, in the Phillips Collection.

Please click here for a larger view.

"Amazing Grace"

6 x 8"
oil on masonite
sold

As I worked on the paintings for my solo show - I decided to include a few smaller pieces that demonstrate a more-painterly side of me. I will describe them as more of a glimpse of a figure, where the edges tend to be soft, the details are lessened - with the emphasis being on the color and the light. This painting is one of those smaller, more intimate pieces now on exhibit at the Morris & Whiteside Galleries - a patron of the Phillips Collection viewing one of Degas' beautiful, graceful ballet scenes.

Please click here for a larger view.

"Wiggery"

5 x 10"
oil on masonite
sold

My current challenge on my Different Strokes From Different Strokes blog - an array of mannequin heads and women's wigs for sale in a storefront window. Now it's either because I'm working out my frustrations from the recent internet interruption or my hand just took over and did what it wanted to do - but this was pure fun. I started on a blinding, bright-red background which peeks through in parts, which I like. For an offbeat subject, it seemed right.

"In Like a Lion"

6 x 8"
oil on masonite
sold

I didn't believe those weathermen - I admit. It hasn't snowed on my street in ...... maybe 6 years. I wish for it all winter long - every winter. What a sight. What a sound.

This had to be done. Today. My first painting of snow from the street where I live. And... I'm hurrying up to get out of my little studio in case a tree branch does fall. One never knows.

Back To Planet Earth

As I understand it, sometime on the 19th of February, an AT&T worker pulled the plug on my internet access while he was making other changes and forgot to plug it back. It took me 8 days of going through the bureaucracy of tech support, while suffering with three communication giants pointing the finger at each other to take responsibility for my problem. Thanks to a man named Jay, I'm back on planet earth and catching up - including the debut of the paintings now on exhibit at the Morris & Whiteside Galleries, starting with 'Sunshine Boys', one of my personal favorites.

10 x 10"
oil on masonite
sold

These two young men were sculpting roses from palmetto leaves - I spotted them on Market Street in Charleston, South Carolina.

Please click here for a larger view.

All of the paintings can now be viewed here - please know you are invited to the opening reception held on Friday, March 13th from 6-8. I will be attending and it would be my pleasure to meet you. A map of the gallery can be found here - which is the Morris & Whiteside Gallery's new location - and I am thrilled to be their first show in the new space.

One more thing...... I made a little movie of the show pieces which can be viewed here. I hope you enjoy the paintings and the video.

"Smooth Sailing"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

Hello to all who check back on a regular basis - the last couple of weeks have been full steam ahead with finishing up the work for my show in March - including varnishing and framing. I'm happy to report I'll be delivering all the paintings this weekend to the new location of the Morris & Whiteside Galleries - I'm excited to see it. The paintings will be posted on my website and the gallery's next week - in addition, I've created a movie of the show pieces that will be posted on YouTube. I'll be sure to let you know when all that is up and on the web.

I had a little bit of wet paint left on my palette and felt it was time for a moment of Zen. And I have to say I thought I had painted everything on the planet, but I have never painted a boat. This was from a trip I took back in November, to Charleston - a view from the water's edge next to Battery Park, as evening was setting.

"Billows"

5 x 10"
oil on masonite
sold

In the midst of working on the show pieces - I stopped and painted this smoke stack. My moment of Zen. I traveled to Asheville last week, a quick trip to drop off new paintings at the 16 Patton Gallery - always a pleasant ride. About 10 miles south of the city, this stunning, strong smoke stack appears above the tree line and it always compels a wow out of my mouth. This billowing, colorful, stormy tower of smoke just floors me every time. And today I had to paint it.

"Pacific Heights"

3-5/8 x 12
oil on masonite
sold

The current challenge for my Different Strokes From Different Folks blog - a Victorian home in Pacific Heights, San Francisco. Architecture, buildings are not an easy subject to paint - frankly, it's much easier to draw. With a drawing, you tend to pay attention to lines and perspective - with a paintbrush you tend to feel the weight of a structure and it becomes more 3-dimensional. My experience, with painting this piece, started with a loose sketch, then I stared at the photo for a few minutes and put it away and painted. It was more enjoyable that way for me. The forms are slightly exaggerated and the colors were more intuitive in the end.

"All In Good Time"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

Just a little reminder that the ice and snow will melt and the warm sun will return - and all in good time you'll be back to the sand and surf.


Also I just wanted to mention I've been working hard on the new paintings for the upcoming show in March - there will be around 30 pieces showcased with the majority being new work. Those paintings will be debuted both on my website and Morris & Whiteside Gallery's website the week before the opening reception, which will be held on Friday evening, March 13th. If you want your first taste of sand and surf, make plans to join us on Hilton Head Island - I would love to meet you.

"Mischief Night"

8 x 5"
oil on masonite
sold

It felt somewhat right to paint the Jefferson Memorial on the night before the Presidential Inauguration - Washington DC is on my TV as we speak. I was in the city last October, a beautiful time to visit - this scene was captured as night fell on Mischief Night, the eve of Halloween.

Good Publicity Almost By Accident

American Art February 2009 Issue

I'm still in disbelief. Really. I would have never thought I would be featured in this magazine - the same one my mom had stacks and stacks of back in the 70's and 80's. And under the heading 'You never know where things will lead to', this opportunity was a result of my entering a painting in the magazine's Portrait Competition last summer. I didn't make the final cut, but the editor, Bob Bahr, emailed and asked me if I'd like to be featured in the magazine some time down the road. Gulp. 'Yes I certainly would be proud to' I typed, as I'm totally flipping out. A couple of months later it was a done deal. I got their attention, all because I entered a competition. Mind you, there's never been a day when I entered my work in a contest and thought 'I'm definitely gonna win this'. Never. But I do it anyway. A big Thank You to Bob Bahr for noticing my work, for writing a really nice article, for spelling my name correctly (inside) and for landing me on the cover. I am very proud.

For a readable view of this article, click here.

Southwest Art January 2009

My Different Strokes From Different Folks blog was included in the Southwest Art magazine - part of the 2009 Guide to an Artful New Year. The blog itself goes under the same heading 'You never know where things will lead to' - back in September, my dog Jack died. I posted a photo and a painting of him on this blog and within a week, over 15 artists had painted Jack from that photograph and emailed me their images. In fact, every day I got another one and another one, and they were all very different. The idea that one photograph could inspire so many artists to paint or draw was unexpected and heart warming. So in five minutes, I created the blog and posted the many versions of Jack. And that's how it got started. Thanks to the editors of the magazine for taking notice. I do appreciate it.

For a readable view of this article, click here.

"Chadd's"

5 x 8"
oil on masonite
nfs

A friend of mine sent a photo of John Chadd's house, from Chadd's Ford, Wyeth country. She's spending the day remembering Andrew Wyeth - she had the pleasure of meeting him months back when filming a documentary. I know this area so well - I grew up in Bucks County, not too far from Delaware County. My mom painted and sketched the landscapes and the quinessential stone houses. Those long drives are easy to recall.

You could say my alter-ego painted this piece. I used a wide, flat monster brush and let it go. A joy after completing a 2-day painting for the March show. I love my job.

The Passing of an Idol

'Winter' by Andrew Wyeth

I raise my glass to one of the greatest American artists, who passed away in his sleep at the age of 91. He has been and will always be a great influence in my life.

”Oftentimes people will like a picture I paint because it’s maybe the sun hitting on the side of a window and they can enjoy it purely for itself,” Wyeth once said. “It reminds them of some afternoon. But for me, behind that picture could be a night of moonlight when I’ve been in some house in Maine, a night of some terrible tension, or I had this strange mood. Maybe it was Halloween. It’s all there, hiding behind the realistic side. I think the great weakness in most of my work is subject matter. There’s too much of it.”

Here's to a great man and a extraordinary painter.

"Chin Up"

4 x 11"
oil on masonite
sold

As I'm reading my own words in that article, I realized I wasn't practicing what I preach - to not zoom in on the reference photo too much - it makes me nit-pick. And I end up drawing with the brush, rather than painting. I'm trying to hard. Time for an exercise. After going back to the other painting I was nit-picking at, it started to flow. Oh that flow.

A little girl standing before (under) Claude Monet's 'Stacks of Wheat', which hangs in the Art Institute of Chicago.

"Charlotte"

8 x 8"

oil on masonite
sold

February 7th - 28th, the 16 Patton Gallery will be holding an informal group show titled 'Best In Show' - featuring paintings of dogs and coinciding with the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. A portion of the gallery sales will go to local animal shelters.

This sweet little hound/beagle mix named Charlotte will join three other paintings of mine - please mark it on your calendar and stop by the gallery during February.

Please click here for a larger view.

"Easy Riders"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

Folks - I've begun working on a collection of paintings, about twenty, for a solo show that opens March 13th at the Morris & Whiteside Gallery. The tough part is, they won't be revealed until the date nears - I'm already bursting with anticipation. Meanwhile, my moments of Zen will come at the end of the day when I've finished a piece and let loose on a smaller panel. It gives me the chance to try out some ideas and play with the color combinations - it's very beneficial. And I'll do it as often as possible.

From Savannah, Georgia - tourists enjoying the sights while someone else does the driving.

"Either Way"

12 x 12"

oil on masonite
sold

Children go into a museum of art with little concern of how profound it is to be in the company of the original pieces - they only know what speaks to them visually. Not too different than most adults. And not a bad thing. Degas didn't paint Woman Viewed From Behind for the purpose of admiration - I'm pretty sure he hoped the viewer would respond to his interpretation of the moment. I can go either way. There are times when I stand frozen, in awe that I'm looking at a painting that I've loved all my life, but only in books - and many times when I'm pulled in simply by the image. Either way, it's always an experience.

From the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.

Please click here for a larger view.

Edward Burton's Portrait of Me

Speaking of portraits, my current New Year's challenge on my Different Strokes From Different Folks blog involves 130 different artists painting each others' portrait - and a very talented artist, Edward Burton, was selected to paint me. It is beautifully done - thank you Edward.

And thank you to Katherine Tyrell, for the honor of giving my blog The Best Art Blog Project of 2008 Virtual Challenge Cup Award. I'm a huge fan of her Making a Mark blog - I read it religiously.

Meself

12 x 9"

oil on masonite
nfs

Chalk this one up to watching a documentary on Francis Bacon. He used oils for what they were meant for. Each stroke is deliberate, each color is decided. He said something about embracing the happy accidents that happen when the stroke of one color meets another. When I look at one of his paintings, I can imagine where he began and where he ended - those are the paintings that inspire me the most. That's what thrills me about Lucian Freud's work. They made me want to paint when I was a little girl and still do. Perhaps I'll do a self portrait in the beginning of every year, from now on.