"The Red Queen's Tarts"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

I'm not quite back in the driver's seat, my beloved Mac should come home tomorrow. It's been an agonizing 10 days without it, I liken it to having all the ingredients for a cake and no oven to bake it in. My Mac contains programs that I don't have anywhere else, including Photoshop, which enables me to get the most accurate image of my paintings. That's a big thing - the presentation matters. You can paint 100's of pieces and it doesn't mean squat if you can't present it well.

I do have a laptop.... but the Photoshop Express version I had wasn't cutting it. I took a gamble and upgraded to version 9, and for those out there who need a good photo editing program and can't afford the full version of Photoshop CS, this does the trick. Now I'm able to post an image that I know is right.

About the latest, I continue on with my series ATL to NYC & Back - after we left Madison Square Park, where we petted lots of happy dogs (which will be a series included in my upcoming October show) we went into Eataly, a mega-gourmet foods market. It was dazzling to the senses, I loved that place. These artful, sweet desserts were on display in the bakery. Brett suggested the title, he had just watched Alice in Wonderland, and I thought it was perfect.

Forced Break

My Mac is in the hospital, the one I use from sunup to sundown, the one I use to paint from. Yikes. At first, it forced me to clean the house, clean the studio, take care of things I avoid. Now I'm just frustrated and waiting.

Still waiting........ no Photoshop to show you my latest. This all is driving me nuts. I'm painting from my iPad and laptop - not as blissful as working from my big screen, but it'll do for now.

"Head of Parks & Recreation"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

Today I loosened up with a fun piece - and continuing on with my series ATL to NYC & Back, we left the High Line, made our way through the chaos of a parade and headed to Madison Square Park for some peace. I love that park. It's filled with happy dogs and a great people-watching stop. I had read about this new installation, commissioned for Madison Square Park, by the Spanish sculptor Jaume Plensa titled 'Echo' - in person, it's just delightful.

"Girl Watching"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

The High Line is so very cool, an oasis of sorts, a moment of Zen in the big city of New York. I loved the street and sidewalk views from above - this was, I think, looking down onto Little West 12th Street.

I totally intended to get a quick, loose painting done this morning and tackle a larger piece for an upcoming show - didn't happen. I got caught up in the straight lines and cool shadows and shot the whole day working on this. My favorite part is the color combination of the green/blues and warm greys. I'm happy. And I'm adding this new painting to my series ATL to NYC & Back.

"Calorie Counter"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

There's dozens of paintings I've done in the past particularly because I didn't think I could pull it off. This is one of them. After we left the flea market in Hell's Kitchen, we hit the Chelsea Market, wanting to end up on the High Line while the sun was shining. There's an easy entrance on the back end of the market, for those who don't know.

I liked the Chelsea Market, the building's interior was nicely preserved - photography was nearly impossible because it was quite dark inside - these young women caught my eye, working the counter at L'Arte del Gelato, nice ambiance. And the gelato was great. This new painting is included in my series ATL to NYC & Back.

"Shopping for Fleas"

5 x 10"
oil on masonite
sold

I've spent the last five days working on paintings for an upcoming show in October - one took me two days, the other three. Yikes. So unlike me. Time to take a break and loosen up - and continuing on with my series ATL to NYC & Back - a woman I spotted at our first stop on that bright, sunny, Saturday morning - at a flea market in Hell's Kitchen.

New Tabletop Easels Available

Brett has 3 brand-new Tabletop Easels available - click here to purchase one for yourself. For more photos and info, click here. If you'd like to hear what other artists say about their Tabletop Easels, click here.

~ Thank you

"Hightailing It"

6 x 6"
oil on masonite
sold

Onward with my series ATL to NYC & Back - it was Saturday morning when we awoke to sunshine and quickly got up and at it. As we stepped out into the real world, it was if all of New York City was coming out of hibernation - their first real, sunny, warm day had finally arrived. The dogs looked happier, the bicycle wheels were rolling and we followed the parade to Riverside Park for a morning walk.