Females Are Strong As Heck

9 x 6 Oil on Archival Board 

From the Women's March in Central Park, NYC, 2019.  A little girl with a Superwoman's cape and a message.

Mouthful of Watermelon

12 x 8 Oil on Archival Board

SOLD

Here's Avery...Nothing is better than a mouthful of watermelon at Grandma's house.

12 x 6 Oil on Archival Board

NOT FOR SALE

Avery, really excited about a treat coming her way. A birthday gift for my wonderful daughter-in-law. Remember when a snack would be the best thing ever? Actually I still make that face when someone puts a petit four in front of me…:-)

TO ALL MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY IN FLORIDA, PLEASE STAY SAFE! My thoughts are with all Floridians right now.

Avery in Profile

8 x 8 Oil on Archival Board

SOLD

Inquisitive and oh so pretty in her pink dress…Avery!  

Girl in an Easter Bonnet

 8 x 8 Oil on Archival Board 

SOLD

What a better way to say "Happy Easter" than to paint an adorable child in a very large hat?! When I paint a portrait, after sketching in the shape of the face I work on the eyes. If I can nail that part of the face, I feel like the painting has become alive. This is beautiful Ellery Ann. HAPPY EASTER/PASSOVER EVERYONE!

Aquarium Fascination

10 x 8 Oil on Archival Board

SOLD 

First visit to the aquarium, and total fascination.  The lighting was a challenge as well as the skin tones under those lights.  I love to take on these issues to see if I can pull them off and give them life.  I'm pretty satisfied here.

Getting Your Feet Wet

30 x 40 Oil on Stretched Canvas

Finally finished, and a good experience.  "Getting Your Feet Wet" has two meanings here.  My first really big oil painting, and since I've completed this I'm ready for another...and then there's the obvious meaning.  Meanwhile I'm working on my series "In Your Face."  The most wonderful thing about this thing called painting and creating is what's next.  That moment when your mind starts working on the next project.  I'm so very thankful :-) 

Floating on Smith Mountain Lake

SOLD

 

8 x 8 Oil on Archival Board

One great thing about living on a lake is that there is never a problem finding a subject to paint.  I suppose that is true wherever you live.  I'm so in love with the painting process that I am never at a loss for my next project, which makes everyday a great adventure. 

Sunday at the Museum

9 x 6 Oil on Archival Board

SOLD

Another in my museum and patron series.  A young girl studying the Dutch Masters at the National Gallery.  She was really caught up in Frans Hals "Willem Coymans".  Perhaps it was the hat and lace….

Zach and Grandpa

SOLD

11 x 14 Oil on Gessobord

This painting is a commission I was asked to do and really enjoyed.  It's always hard to paint people you don't know and have never seen.  I was given a good photo, though.  I really had to study the image and call to ask lots of questions because colors in photographs are not accurate.  Even the image of the painting I did (shown here) is not...Too much of a green tint to this.  I will try to take another picture to see if I can get a better match to the original and post it.  Another thing....Children are really hard for me to paint if I want to get a portrait type of painting.  I enjoy doing them, but for a commission it has to be what the buyer specifically requests, AND everyone has their own perception.  This buyer was really happy though, so I'm really happy :-)

Sunday Morning at the Park

8 x 8 Oil on Gessobord

This should be called "Fast and Furious Study."  Limited palette (except for the kite), and limited time.  I really like this one.  I think it has movement and atmosphere.  I could have gone a lot further and given it a "finished" look, but that wasn't my intention.  I was trying to zone in on the two figures and what they were doing.  These exercises are really helpful for me, and I'm enjoying the process.  It's a very free feeling to paint like this once in a while :-)

Learning From the Best

6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord

I painted this once before but it was just Rocky, not his father.  I really love the two of them "playing" together.  The other painting sold, so I thought I'd do a smaller version focusing more on the two of them and less on the Brooklyn brownstone.  Stoops are really important to New Yorkers.  You see and learn so much by just sitting there watching the world go by.  It's unfortunate that there aren't many left.  So, this is Jason and his son, Rocky, doing their street art in Brooklyn. 

A Girl and Her Companion

6 x 6 Oil on Gessobord

SOLD

Do any of you remember Woody Allen's "Sleeper?"  The whole time I was painting this I couldn't get it out of my mind, and I haven't seen it in quite a while.  The movie takes place in the future, and everything is controlled by the Leader, who is seen as the national TV signs off each night.  The scene is the back of the Leader, in a wheelchair, with his hand on his dog beside him.  At least that's how I remember it.  As I said it's been a while. This painting really reminds me of it, silly as that is.  I think it's the staring off into the future thing.  The colors did not come out too well in the photo of the painting.  Everything has a greenish hue, but you get the idea...Hopefully.

Christmas Train

 Oil on Gessobord

I figured this was a good way to start the Christmas season.  Better than camping outside a store all night to get a bargain.  That practice still amazes me.  It was in the teens and really windy here in VA the night before Thanksgiving, and they interviewed a few people on the nightly news who had set up camp outside a electronics store.  YIKES!  Back to the painting, this little red haired boy was fascinated by the train under one of the trees at the Hotel Roanoke.  Each year, the hotel has a wonderful array of decorated trees sponsored by different organizations. It is really a Christmas wonderland.  I get a real kick out of the children (and some adults) all dressed up for the holiday.  This piece was done for Goose Creek Studio for their "O Christmas Tree" display.  What Fun!

Cold, Wet, and Camera Shy

8 x 8 Oil on Gessobord
SOLD

Here's Emily, not listening to my command "OK..Smile!"  I probably would not have painted it if she had smiled for the camera.  It wouldn't have been as interesting to me.  This was a chilly, rainy day, but the kids wanted to swim.  It really didn't matter to them, because they were getting wet anyway, but for the adults on the dock it kind of mattered :-)

Recent Commissions

8 x 8 Oil On Gessobord

SOLD

8 x 8 Oil On Gessobord

SOLD

These two commissions were such a pleasure to do!  I'm so glad that they liked them.  It is really a challenge to paint children, at least for me, but I find it to be very satisfying.

Outsider Artist

12 x 12 Oil on Gessobord

SOLD

This is how most of us who become artists start out. You can't get a better canvas than a Brownstone stoop.  I have painted Rocky before, and I must say he is turning into one of my favorite subjects.  I'm pretty sure his father helped him with the face, but you can see him starting one of his own.  It's so cool that they live in this part of  Brooklyn because that's where my parents and his great grandparents lived.  Probably not too many blocks from this building.  Life's all a big circle, isn't it?!

The Pout

8 x 8 Oil on Gessobord

SOLD

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.

Clowning Around

5 x 8 Oil on Artist Canvas Sheet

11 x 14 Matted

The boots were obviously meant to keep Rocky's feet dry, but no one thought to provide him with a swim cap :-)  This is my cousin's grandson who is too cute not to paint.  He is the same child that I painted on the slide.  It's getting to the point where I can't wait until he visits my cousin because I then get more opportunities to paint him.  If and when he returns to Australia, his real home, I will really miss these fun paintings.

Playground Tete-a-Tete

7 x 5 Oil on Gessobord

This started out to be my cousin's son and grandson, but morphed into unknown people.  I've grown to like them, though.  After you work and re-work so many times, your subjects become friends :-)  I almost gave up on this and thought about wiping it off, but changed my mind.  I'm glad I stuck with it.  It serves as a study for another piece, perhaps morphing back into my cousin's son and grandson....