Up Close and Personal

16 x 8 Oil on Belgian Linen Board

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Even though museums do not let anyone touch the artwork, I really do feel that it is the ultimate compliment for a viewer to actually take the time to really look and even think about touching a piece of art. To me, it shows that he or she is thinking about the process and really appreciates the work being shown.  So, here is "a viewer" (and a fine artist) contemplating a masterful piece of work hanging at our gallery.

LBJ On Display

16 x 8 Oil on Belgian Linen Board

"LBJ" by Marisol Escobar (1967) at the MoMA.  This was certainly a show stopper!  At first, you pass by it and suddenly stop and think: "That looks a lot like LBJ."  Then you really look at it and realize he's holding his wife, Lady Bird, and two daughters in his hand.  They look quite a bit like birds...i.e. "Lady Bird."  The structure is coffin-like.  I did a little research and found out that Escobar might have used the coffin effect due to the way Johnson got the presidency, and perhaps was a statement about the Vietnam War.  All in all, I found it fascinating and a pretty strong statement.

Island Solitude

8 x 10 oil on Linen Board

I have gone to Monhegan Island four times and have never experienced rain until the last trip.  The people all headed for shelter except for a few hardy souls.  I was one of them..although I am hardly a hardy soul :-)  I was looking for coffee...Where are Starbucks when you need them?  This painting only shows the beginning of the storm.  What came later was pouring, blowing rain and lots of mud.  I wound up painting in the dining room of the Inn.  Honestly, it was a wonderful experience.  No phones, TV, interruptions.  Only a ticking clock and the sound of rain.

Best Friends

8 x 8 Oil on Gessobord

This is the second in the series of paintings I did of photos my parents took when I was young...way back when.  As kids, we were outside playing no matter what the weather, and I have to say it was a wonderful way to grow up.  This turned out to be one of my favorite paintings, perhaps because I actually remember that snowsuit and remember Robbie so well.  I can still feel my frozen toes :-)   I always find that when I really enjoy the painting I'm working on, the results usually work out for the best.

Racing in the Wind

6 x 8 Oil on Linen Board

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This was a scene from the 2012 Fall Regatta here at Smith Mountain Lake.  I have no idea what I paint when I do sailboats, so I always have to get my husband to check to see if what I paint makes any sense.  He crews on a friend's boat for the races and tells me when the lines I draw are totally crazy :-)  A few times during this process I called him to look and evaluate, and he would say: "What's this black thing here?"  My response would be..."It's fine.  It's on my photo."  His expression as he walked away would make me reconsider :-)  So, if there are any serious sailors out there, and you see a line or two that seems a little odd..It's fine.  It's in the photo .....

A Woman On A Mission

8 x 10 Oil on Gessobord

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Art makes sense; computers don't..At least to most artists.  Starting up an artists' co-op takes a lot of time and patience, and thankfully we have some terrific artists willing to put in the work.  This was a quick study, and I'm pretty sure everyone at TECAC will know who it is :-)  I'm actually quite honored to be part of this great group.  Life is Good!!

The Pout

8 x 8 Oil on Gessobord

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This painting was done from an old photo and it was in black and white.  I'm a little embarrassed to tell you it's me.  I learned pretty fast that I got what I wanted with that expression.  Unfortunately, it doesn't work anymore...  I've tried  :-)  I did a series of these paintings from my old photos.  I'm just glad my parents thought to take lots of pictures.

Pie a la Mode

6 x 8 Oil on Linen Board

Fruit pie and cherry vanilla ice cream...Yummm!  Not much more to say about this one :-)  This is a home-made pie, if you don't count the fact that it came in a box and all I had to do was bake it and then drizzle the caramel over the top.  That's about as close to "home-made" as I get. I didn't hear anyone in my household complaining that I technically didn't make it from scratch.  It was served as a "birthday pie" for a friend, complete with a candle in the middle. Not traditional, but it worked...

Queen Cooper

7 x 5 Oil on Gessobord

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Our friends' Boykin Spaniel thinks she's a human being and an only child as well :-)  She is such a wonderful pet and knows it.  She practically talks...They would say she DOES talk.  When she wants to go outside, she will sit in front of the door and stare at the handle waiting for someone to open it, or willing it to open on its own.  When they let her out, she lets the entire neighborhood know she's out there, giving out an ear-piercing bark or shriek.  Everyone knows her and loves her...So here she is in all her glory!