"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.