Frequently Asked Questions

I've been meaning to add a FAQ page on my website for months, then Carol Marine mentioned that she was doing the same - just the reminder I needed. In the course of a day, I find myself spending too much time on responding to emails and not enough painting - and don't get me wrong, I appreciate the questions and comments - but I do address the same issues over and over again. Please feel free to email me with any Q&A you would like to see, in addition to the basics.
You can find that page by clicking here or using the FAQ link in the right column.

"High Profile"

12 x 12"
oil on masonite
sold

The painting that this man is looking closely at is by Toulouse-Lautrec, titled 'Portrait of Jeanne Wenz'. It's one of my favorite portraits in the Art Institute of Chicago and I think it's the grayish palette that draws me in, as well as the strict side profile. The majority of people walk by it without a glance - I don't get that - but they're usually on their way to more recognized works of art.

Please click here for a larger view.

"Elbow Room"

11 x 8"
(the front of the trolley)
sold

11 x 8"

(and the back of the trolley)
sold

whew! I've been working hard on this pair - I'll tell ya, when I finished the 'front' of the busload and knew it was exactly what I envisioned, I just had to do the 'back'. Tricky, because it all had to line up and the colors needed to be remixed to match the first. Easier said than done. Lots of math. I hate math. The other lessons to learn were the values, the faces in the shade versus the faces in the sun. Or partial sun. All in all, it was challenging and fun.

I think my brain is fried - I need some suggestions for a title. Please.

The trolley and its contents were taken from Savannah, Georgia. This pair will be included in 16 Patton's figurative show starting June 14th. Please click here for a larger view.

Update - The buyer of these paintings also had a vote on the title and we both liked 'Elbow Room'. Thanks to all who chimed in with a suggestion. They were all great.

"Been There, Done That"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

A young woman I spotted on a bench at the Art Institute of Chicago - resting after doing the Edward Hopper exhibit and even grabbing a souvenir at the gift shop.

(detail)

"Schools"

11 x 4"
oil on masonite
sold

It seems like after a long day, my alter ego comes out in paintings. The looser side of me. I want to see less detail and more impact with bigger strokes. Great fun. Especially with this subject matter. Here are a few close-ups of the two women.

(detail)

(detail)

"Gracie"

4 x 11"
nfs

Gracie is my friend's dog - who loves to ride in the car and go to the park. I did this on a whim, with a wide, flat brush - no sketching out - in about 45 minutes. I really love to paint that way.

For a larger view, please click here.

"Lounge Act"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

Today's my dad's birthday. I lost him years ago - truly the greatest man I had the pleasure of knowing, especially as his daughter. He died before I got my first Mac, he never knew the internet nor a digital camera - and he was an electronic wizard. A trained engineer. He'd absolutely flip out. So would my mom. She sold her paintings the old way - setting up a display in a show, sitting for hours and days. Wow. They would both just freak out. Happy Birthday Johnny.

This simple moment was taken from the lounge area of a Chicago hotel - as I passed by this gentleman, reading his newspaper while waiting on his ride - I instantly saw a painting in my head. Strong light, strong, rich colors - a composition so naturally ready for me to do that very thing.

"Last Days of Hopper"

14 x 10"
oil on masonite
sold

whew...... this one took me a couple of days. I don't usually have the patience for that - hence the painting a day. Taken from the top floor in the American Art wing, patrons wait in line to see the Hopper exhibit - in the Art Institute of Chicago.

Please click here for a larger view.

"East Coast"

11 x 4"

oil on masonite
sold

After cutting a stack of masonite boards, and with several thinner pieces left over - I thought I'd experiment with a long format. Great fun. It seems to add more interest in many cityscapes/landscapes that I'd otherwise deem boring. This painting is testing the waters, forgive the pun. I'd like to hear what you think.

Also, the board is a tad rough on the edges - I actually liked it that way. Here's a few close-up for more detail.

"The Lookout"

12 x 12"
oil on masonite
sold

My new painting today - a woman getting in some reading time while her group wanders around the museum. You may be familiar with the Art Institute, this was taken from the first floor Sculpture Gallery in the center of the American Art collection. You'll usually see people resting or reading on the benches and chairs - it's a beautiful, sky-lit sanctuary from the rest of the musuem - a nice place for a moment of Zen. The marble sculpture The Lost Pleiade by Randolph Rogers seemingly is keeping a lookout for the woman while she catches up on her novel.

This painting will be included in Howard/Mandville's Anniversary Show taking place during the month of June. Please click here for a larger view.

"Basket Case"

9 x 12"
oil on masonite
sold

There is great pleasure painting a Cezanne - thick forms, somewhat abstract, great colors - and the young lady for her long, wavy hair and natural beauty. Taken from the Art Institute of Chicago, with Cezanne's 'The Basket of Apples'.

Please click here for a larger view.

"Short Stop"

8 x 10"
oil on masonite
sold

I particularly loved how this little kid had her coat and sweater wrapped around her waist. And how that little girl in Monet's 'The Artist's House at Argenteuil' totally caught her attention.

This painting will be included in Howard/Mandville's Anniversary Show coming in June.

Please click here for a larger view.

"Zen"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

Today was the first day back in my studio in over a week. I came from a chilly, crowded, noisy city - back to the warm, cozy, quiet sanctuary in my own backyard. Yay. It's good to be here. It's great to get busy again. It was also my last trip for a good while and I'm perfectly happy about that.

A few weeks ago, I was content staying home after traveling a good bit since February - then I realized I wouldn't - just couldn't - miss seeing the Hopper exhibit before it ended. So at the last minute I bolted to Chicago and I'm so glad I did it. I stood in front of paintings that I never experienced before - and felt as if I was meeting a celebrity in person. To face 'Early Sunday Morning' made my knees weak. The awe. The lessons. So much to learn from everything I saw. Mostly - it is the courage to put an unexpected color down and leave it. It's what gives a painting life. It's what we could see if we take the time to notice. It's how I want to paint for the rest of my days.

With that said, my painting today, as small as it is, has every color in the rainbow. Whether my brain made sense of it or not - like the lavender skin of the legs and the peachy reds of the skin on the shoulder. Paint what is there - not what you think is logical. I do that often, then I get too picky and representational - and I forget that magic. I'll stand before a Sargent or a Hopper and think I would have never thought of that color in that particular spot - but it makes it right. And I must remember that always when I'm the one with the brush in my hand.

This new piece wraps up my alphabet series, with the letter Z for Zen. A moment of Zen, something that we all need to seek out from time to time. Taken from the National Gallery of Art, in Washington DC.

"Metropolitan Grill"

9 x 12"
oil on masonite
sold

(detail)

I painted this back in April, a result of my curiosity with a value study technique - using burnt umber and olive green as the base color. A medium tone covers the entire board - then the lighter areas are a result of diluting the paint down to the white surface, likewise the darker areas are the umber/green with a touch of black. Near the end, I added a touch of white/gold to the highlights to give it a warm glow, very much the mood in reality. This interior scene is taken from a well-known steakhouse in Seattle, the Metropolitan Grill. Truth is, I wanted to keep this painting but I do need to make a living.


a note ...... I'm heading out of town for more picture-taking, my last trip before it gets too hot to enjoy walking around a city. Happy trails and I'll be back with a whole lot of new work next week.

"Yellow"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

Winding up with the alphabet series, Y is for Yellow - a bright spot on the sidewalk of Seattle.

Home Runs

Despite all my flops this past week, I think I hit a home run. In the next breath I doubt my own judgement - there's been dozens I've beamed over only to have a smidgeon of interest. Another thing that comes with the job.

Now what you're seeing is less than a square inch of the finished painting. I just can't reveal the entire piece until the time is appropriate. I've taken on a new direction this year - staying loyal to several galleries and in between I jump in on a few competitions and accept other invitations to special exhibitions around the country. It's hard work and it's right at my comfort level. We'll see how it goes. And yes, I will always continue offering small work on auctions. Speaking of which, I'll get right on it.

I do want to add - this painting in its entirety and another piece will be included in a Summer Catalog published by Morris & Whiteside Galleries, and will be posted on my website and theirs in mid-June.

"Greetings From Union Station"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite

If you commute thru Union Station, in Washington DC, you might see this little guy at the top of the escalator. He waits, with great anticipation, for his dad at the end of every workday. How cool is that? This little piece was been donated to a fund-raising event, with the winning bid of $500.

I've been working hard on several pieces - honestly I've had several flops this week. It comes with the territory. Certainly more to show tomorrow.