You Go First!

7 x 7 Pastel Painting on Wallis Paper, 16 x 16 Framed

$150 + s/h (Framed)

Summer heat!!  Another painting of the children who visited us. What fun to watch them, and even more fun to paint them.  I can't believe July is over, but I'm really ready for Fall and those wonderful colors and fresh crisp air.



Summer, The Cliffs (Smith Mountain Lake)

SOLD

This is a painting I did a while ago, but it is one of my favorites.  There was a place on the lake where you could jump off the rocks into the water.  It was quite a drop, but everyone loved it; especially kids.  A developer bought the property and it is now closed to the public.  I painted this when there were rumors about the impending sale because I knew it would be a little part of Smith Mountain Lake history.  It will always be known as "The Cliffs" to most of us.

Digging to China

4.5 x 6.5" Pastel on Wallis Paper, 11.5 x 13.5" Framed

$100 + s/h (Framed)

This is a quick study of two children playing in the sand at Emerald Isle.  I find doing this type of painting a great exercise for future reference.  I only used a few pastel sticks and was really surprised that I was able to get as much information into the sketch as I did.  This leaves me with lots of insight into what another more finished painting would need.  It's funny though.  I've said this quite a lot, but I really like these spontaneous pieces!

Where's Our Car?

7x7" Pastel on Wallis Paper, 16x16" Framed

$150 + s/h (Framed)

It was the gesture that caught my eye.  This couple was having an issue with the car rental company at the airport.  I've been working on making small strokes work for me.  I'm trying to say what I have to say with what I consider a few major dabs and dashes.  Surprisingly, it's not easy to focus on fewer details.  This really was an exercise in moderation.  I will probably do it again, trying different techniques, but really like this one :-)



Boys and Their Toys

7x7" Pastel on Wallis Paper, 16 x 16" Framed

$150 + s/h (Framed)

SOLD

I like to paint Jones Barn as often as I can.  It's days are probably numbered due to the land here at the Lake being sold off so frequently.  I was able to paint it into this scene as these two boys were waiting for "take off."  So far, it has been a really busy summer on the water, giving me lots of material for paintings.  A good thing!

Lake Couture

6 x 6 Pastel on Wallis Paper, 16 x 16 Framed

$150 + s/h (Framed)

SOLD

What fun this was to do!  It actually changed midstream.  I was painting one of the children who was visiting, but as I worked the face it became an oddball woman :-)  I loved her, so expanded on it and left it as is.  It makes me smile and that's what it's all about...

Sailboats at Rest, Smith Mountain Lake

11-1/2 x 8-1/2 Pastel on Wallis Paper, 23-1/2 x 19-1/2 Framed

$200 + s/h (Framed)

 

This is a typical scene at Smith Mountain Lake.  I painted these boats at VISA, a sail club here at the Lake.  It was a hot, steamy day, and I might add buggy....but I was able to get a painting out of it with only a few bites!

Catching a Wave

SOLD

 I caught these two surfers just as they were going out.  Painting water and waves is probably one of my most favorite things to do.  I feel like I'm sculpting when I push the pastel around, and even though I'm in my studio, I feel the rush of the water and the spray.

Emily Airborne

SOLD
6 x 6 Pastel on Wallis Paper, 16 x 16 Framed

Watch out below!  This is Emily about to take off from the dock.  Her one toe was just lifting off as I snapped the picture.  She's the cutest little girl with lots of energy and not afraid of the water at all.  She might be an Olympian one day, possibly without the water wings :-)

A Perfect Place to Read

6 x 6 Pastel on Wallis Paper, 16 x 16 Framed

$150 + s/h (Framed)

Another painting from Emerald Isle.  I doubt if this woman would have been able to read so peacefully over the July 4th weekend.  We really lucked out with the timing of our trip there.  Cool breezes off the ocean, sun, salt air....AHHHH!

Great Dane Beach Taxi

6 x 6 Pastel on Wallis Paper, 16 x 16 Framed

$150 + s/h (Framed)

Believe it or not, this was a Great Dane PUPPY!  He filled the whole golf cart.  He was returning from the beach, and I guess he was tired from all the activity and needed a ride home.  What fun painting this quick study!

Chandler's Bees

7 x 7 Pastel on Wallis Paper, 16 x 16 Framed

$150 + s/h (Framed)

SOLD

Our good friends, the Chandlers, have started a colony of bees on a piece of their property.  I couldn't wait until I got to see them in their "designer bee clothes."  The whole set up is impressive, and I am extremely excited about getting honey from their hives next year.  I took a lot of photos, and plan on doing another painting when I have time.  This was a quick study, and I see lots of "should have," "could have" possibilities for the next one.  We were there when the light was fading.  These studies are so helpful for me, and I hope to go and watch them smoke the bees when the time comes.  It doesn't take much to get me excited!!

Chick Magnet

6 x 6 Pastel on Wallis Paper, 16 x 16 Framed

$150 + s/h (Framed)

 

I love King Charles Spaniels!  No one can resist them.  This dog was getting lots of female attention from all the people at the Roanoke outdoor art show.  I think the gentleman walking him knew that was going to happen :-)

Dock Piling

17 1/2 x 12" Pastel on Wallis Paper, 27 1/2 x 21 1/2" Framed

SOLD

Another older painting.  I don't know why I felt the need to paint a dock piling, but I do remember how I liked the light reflecting on the walkway and the post.  I can tell I've grown artistically, because when I now look at this painting, I would like to get back in there and make the colors more vivid.  They actually were brighter on the original than they appear here, but I would still like to push the lighting effects.  I thought it would be a good example of  "then" and "now."

Boothbay Harbor Flowers

SOLD

This is a painting I did on my second trip to Maine.  I have always liked this one and thought I'd post it.  The flowers in Maine are so beautiful and the colors so vivid.  It must be the salt air.

Cupcake Bliss

7 x 7 Pastel on Wallis Paper, 16 x 16 Framed

$150 + s/h (Framed)

SOLD


A departure from all of the beach scenes!  What can be better than a giant cupcake?  This painting took me longer than I thought it would.  It looks relatively simple to paint, but it was a struggle to get the paper to look a little transparent, with traces of the cake embedded in it.  I put it aside for a few weeks, but finally finished it.  I'm glad I didn't give up.  Another lesson in patience :-)

Beach Stroll

6 x 6 Pastel on Wallis Paper, 16 x 16 Framed

$150 + s/h (Framed)

Continuing my beach theme, here's another beach occupant getting some exercise.  I'm especially happy with the way this painting turned out.  The weather here today is in the 90's...hot and humid.  I might have to start doing some snow scenes to cool off...

Summer Crush

6 x 6 Pastel on Wallis Paper, 16 x 16 Framed

$150 + s/h (Framed)

Ah...Love at first sight!  This is a very wet Cooper, (I've painted her before), and a dog she obviously thought was attractive and was trying to pick up for a summer romance.  Actually, the other dog was on leash, but I chose not to add it.  Apparently, there is a leash law, and Cooper's significant others got a WARNING from a beach officer in a dune buggy.  After that, I think Cooper felt the rest of the trip was a "bummer."

Little Surfer Dude

6 x 6 Pastel on Wallis Paper, 16 x 16 Framed

$150 + s/h (Framed)

 

He caught me!  I was taking his photo as he was walking towards the water with all his "toys."  I was on my way off the beach, but would have loved to see him out there in the waves.

Beach Quints

This was another scene from my beach trip.  It was around noon and the sun was overhead, but there was a great breeze.  Looking up the beach, there was a blue haze in the distance, and specks of other people on the sand.  It couldn't have been a better day!  I would imagine this scene would look a lot different today with all the beachgoers there for Memorial Day weekend.  I have another painting in mind for this scene.  Can't wait!!

Scuba Doo

SOLD

 

This is my son and daughter-in-law posing while scuba diving off Mexico.  I normally don't like to paint anyone posing, but what I loved about this was the sun on their noses.  Sounds crazy, but they both had the same triangular shape when the sun hit their faces.  I have to say, this reminded me of the movie "Sleeper."  There is a scene where Woody Allen is trying to steal the "Leader's" nose.  You have to know the movie to appreciate this.  I told you it sounds crazy :-))

The Shell Seeker

16 x 16 Pastel on Wallis Paper, 16 x 16 Framed

Gone to a Lucky Winner Who Entered My Website Special

We had the most wonderful couple of days at the beach.  The weather was perfect, and the beach was relatively empty.  This woman was walking with her bag of shells, searching for more.  I'm used to the Long Island beaches, which I always thought were the most beautiful in the world.  This North Carolina beach, however, gave the Hamptons competition.  I came back with lots of ideas for paintings, so the trip couldn't have been better!

Sasha Noel at 15

NFS

 

I seem to be on a dog painting mission lately.  We had to put our beloved Bichon, Sasha, down a few months ago.  I had done a quick study of her while she was still alive and healthy, but this past week, I had the urge to paint her again.  I really love this one because it captures her so well.  I didn't sketch before I began but jumped right in with simple strokes.  Her ear sticking up on the back of the couch is my favorite part.  I just came back from a few days at the ocean, and when I pulled up the photos I took, I was surprised at all the dogs I snapped pictures of.  It might be time to think about getting a new canine companion :-)

Pugs At Attention!

7 x 7 Pastel on Wallis Paper, 16 x 16 Framed

$150 + s/h (Framed)

 

They were definitely thinking "If we wait long enough and look R E A L L Y cute, we'll get a treat."  These pugs were so adorable!  I was dropping paintings off at "The Grainery" gallery, and they came to greet me as I walked in.  There were three of them, but I was only able to get a picture of these two.  Looking at them, one cannot help but smile :-)

Spectacular Sunset, Gills Creek

5 x 8 Pastel on Wallis Paper, 15 x 12 Framed

$150 + s/h (Framed)

SOLD

 This painting is in my new art book "Waterscapes and Landscapes in Pastel."  It is the first painting that appears and is one of my favorites.  It is hard to even come close to the spectacular sunsets we get here, but I think this one works well.
I want to thank all of you who purchased one of my art books.  I get such pleasure putting the joys of life around me into my pastel paintings, and I'm glad that you can take that journey with me.

Mother's Day Cupcakes

6 x 6 Pastel on Wallis Paper, 16 x 16 Framed

$150 + s/h (Framed)

SOLD

Believe it or not, the best part of getting these cupcakes was painting them!  They were really beautiful.  Now, I'm off to work out on the treadmill..... :-)

Gypsy Woman

7 x 7 Pastel on Wallis Paper, 16 x 16 Framed

$150 + s/h (Framed)

This could also be titled "Free Spirit."  I saw this woman get on the ferry in Boothbay, and saw her again on Monhegan.  She caught my eye immediately because of the way she was dressed.  It brought back to mind my time living in the Village (Greenwich Village) in the 60's.  So Cool!  She must have had on about 10 layers of clothing, and that wonderful turban which I found really hard to capture in such a small painting.  She didn't exactly pose when she saw me, but she gave me that great smile.  I'd like to paint a larger version of this.

A Corner To Lean Against

Don't you love when there is a buffet and there is no place to sit or even stand?  This gentleman found a corner but had to keep shifting every time someone walked by.  You had to balance your food and drink, and eat at the same time.  There were so many people at this show that you couldn't even see the art, and the paintings were uneven from being bumped so often.  When I took his picture, he gave me a "Do you believe this?" look.

Keeping Them Green

6 x 6 Pastel on Wallis Paper, 16 x 16 Framed

$150 + s/h (Framed)

I really didn't think this painting was going to work.  First of all there was so much green to contend with, and also a lot of dark areas.  I like the way the figure came out and might paint a different version another time.  I will use this one as a learning experience.  Each painting, whether it works or not, serves a purpose.

Photographer's Squat

6 x 6 Pastel on Wallis Paper, 16 x 16 Framed

$150 s/h (Framed)

I love the way this one came out!  A few of us from our art group were plein air painting at Booker T. Washington Park a few weeks ago, and one of my friends was trying to take pictures of the baby sheep in the barn.  She was really into her new camera, and I caught her in this pose.  The title really should be "Ready, Aim, Shoot!"

The Door's Open. Come in Out of the Rain!

SOLD

This was one of the first thunderstorms of the season.  It rained really hard and then the sky turned a beautiful pink in the distance as the storm passed.  The water was running downhill like a stream and the reflections of the lights on the wet pavement was so wonderful.  I took a number of shots from the open door of Goose Creek Studio looking up Depot Street in Bedford, VA.

Blue Laundry Day

7 x 7 Pastel on Wallis Paper, 16 x 16 Framed

$150 + s/h (Framed)

 

Another wonderful scene from Maine; sunshine, great shadows, beautiful clapboard house.  This was a quick study.  The blues and greens against the stark white was what interested me and made me want to reach for those yummy pastels.  I can't wait until I go back in September.  I never get tired of it!

Art Enthusiasts at Goose Creek Studio

7 x 7 Pastel on Wallis Paper, 16 x 16 Framed

$150 + s/h (Framed)

 

Isn't it nice to see two people really engrossed and enjoying artwork?  For all practical purposes, I could spend my time just watching people do what they do and enjoy myself, but I'm so glad I have a chance to capture them in my artwork.  Just a blip of time in the scheme of things.  How great is that?!

Reflection

6 x 6 Pastel on Wallis Paper, 16 x 16 Framed

$150 + s/h (Framed)

 

During my show at Goose Creek Studio, I caught this gentleman really studying one of my paintings called "Painterly Stance."  It is an image of a local artist with a white beard.  I couldn't wait to paint this!  I wonder what was going through his mind while he stood there!

Animal Catering

6 x 6 Pastel on Wallis Paper, 16 x 16 Framed

$150 + s/h (Framed)

 

My artist friends and I had a great day painting at Booker T. Washington Park.  The weather couldn't have been better with full sun making the color of the spring grass glow. I didn't get much painting done, but I did take some really good photos.  This particular woman who caught my eye apparently works for the park service and takes care of the animals. When I saw her here she was heading to the pigs with her buckets full.  She was leaning to the side with the weight of the pigs' food.

Shoeshine Downtime

This gentleman has a small corner on the main floor of the local airport.  The lighting in the little cubby area on that particular day was really interesting, and it's funny how the most mundane things catch my eye.  I could see the painting before I even painted it, which happens all the time, but I was attracted to the shadows of grays, violets, and pinks on the wall, his perfectly ironed shirt collar, the tiny reflection of his glasses, and that great reflection on the top of his head.

Waiting for the Doggy Bag

6 x 6 Pastel on Wallis Paper, 16 x 16 Framed

$150 + s/h (Framed)

 

It was a really hot, windy day in Asheville and this little dog was sitting patiently, waiting for his "significant people" to finish their lunch.  Again, this is a quick study, but sometimes these rough pieces stand on their own.  A more polished piece might not have the same feeling of movement.

Sunlight and Shadows - Maine

7 x 7 Pastel on Wallis Paper, 16 x 16 Framed

$150 + s/h (Framed)

SOLD

This is the quintessential Maine.  We ate at an outdoor restaurant across from this boathouse.  The red and stark white next to those great darks was so perfect, and a painting waiting to happen.  I am going to do a larger painting of this scene so that I can incorporate more of the water reflections when I have time.   So much to do...so little time...

A Quiet Corner to Read

6 x 6 Pastel on Wallis Paper, 16 x 16 Framed
$150 + s/h (Framed)

SOLD

 This man found a coveted corner at Barnes and Noble and loaded up with lots of reading material.  He was oblivious to anything going on around him.  If I could have set up an easel right there in the store, I would have been so happy.  What attracted me to this scene were the colors surrounding him.  Also, the smell of Starbucks.  Nothing can beat that!  YUM....

Lifting Off!

6 x 6 Pastel on Wallis Paper, 16 x 16 Framed

$150 + s/h (Framed)

 

A few years ago, friends of ours invited us to go to Abingdon, VA, to see the hot air balloons.  They were "chasers" for a friend who participated with his balloon.  Their job was to follow his balloon as it drifted and, hopefully, get to the spot where the balloon set down.  Everything was mapped out, but it all depended on the wind at any given time.  It was always a challenge to get to the right spot, because it might be in a cow pasture, a stream, etc.  We were enthralled watching them fill the balloon with hot air, and then seeing them lift off one at a time.  It was such a beautiful event to see.  I finally got around to painting this.

Dapper, 1920's

NFS

 

This is a painting of my two uncles.  The photo was taken in the 1920's.  My objective was to make it look like the old photo it came from.  It isn't a polished painting, but I really love the way it came out.

Window View, Pemaquid Point

This window was so old and in need of repair, and some of the glass was leaded and some had been replaced, kind of like the human journey....The scene was spectacular but glazed over by grime and grit.  The wonderful thing about being an artist is that one sees things that might have been overlooked in everyday life.

Morning Fog, Boothbay

SOLD

During my second trip to Maine, I woke up early one morning and didn't think I would be able to paint at all due to the fog, so I took a few photos.  I put them away for about 6 months and found them by accident when I was cleaning out my studio files.  I really liked working on this, but got frustrated half way through.  I just kept grabbing pastels and smudging everything.  When I stepped back to look, it was like a "WOW" moment.  It has since sold.  You never know! 

Smith Mountain Lake Spring

13-1/2 x 11 Pastel on Wallis Paper, 23-1/2 x 19-1/2 Framed
$200 + s/h (Framed)

Spring is so beautiful here at Smith Mountain Lake.  Right now, the trees are all blooming and everything is getting green again.  It's a chance to use my pastel called "Spring Green."  I must say, though, that the color doesn't even do justice to nature's spring green.  I pass this scene when I walk everyday and never get tired of it.  I don't know if any of you artists out there have the same problem I do when painting a scene with lots of greens in it.  I find it difficult to get the variation without overuse.  I was pleased with the balance on this one.

Red - Super Cool!

6 x 6 Pastel on Wallis Paper, 16 x 16 Framed

$150 + s/h (Framed)

 

I had so much fun painting this man.  He let me take a few photos, but I really would have liked to take a lot more.  He had the most fascinating face...and that wonderful hair!  I don't even know if I did him justice. I'll just have to do the painting again at another time, but I do think I captured the amused expression which was what I was going for. 

"Hey Buddy, Can You Spare 25 Cents?" Chicken Panhandling

6 x 6 Pastel on Wallis Paper, 16 x 16 Framed

$150 + s/h (Framed)

 

These chickens remind me of the panhandlers in New York City.  You'd expect them to ask people as they pass by for a handout.  I think they've learned that this is a good place to hang out... and they say chickens aren't smart....

Painting Monhegan

13 x 9-1/2 Pastel on Wallis Paper, 24-1/2 x 22 Framed

$250 + s/h (Framed)

 

This is actually an older painting. I did it 'plein air' the first year I went to Monhegan and still love it.  The wind was blowing, the sun was shining, and you could smell the ocean.  Nothing is better than that!  As I had mentioned in other posts about Monhegan, everywhere you looked there were artists painting the scenery.  I set up my pastels and spent a few hours in the "zone."  I've kept this painting, and whenever I look at it, I can feel that day and smell the salt air.

Creature Comfort

When I saw this woman with her cat I pretty much knew what I was going to paint, but this painting was a real problem to do.  I changed the background a number of times and finally just left it as is, which was a good thing, because the paper wouldn't take any more pastel.  What I really liked about the scene was that I wasn't sure whether the woman was comforting the cat, or the cat was comforting the woman.  It was probably a little of both!

Tuning the Clay Pots

A few months ago, we went to see "The Electric Junkyard Gamelan" band.  They are a group from New York who play music using original instruments made from pots, pans, clay pots, saw parts, etc.  In other words, junk.  They were marvelous and we really enjoyed the evening.  The woman I painted was tuning the clay pots during intermission.  Amazingly, the pots do have to be tuned.  They each have their own sound.  She was nice enough to let me take her photo.  I used some of the colors of Bali for the background because their music was inspired by their trips there.  This was just a fun exercise that didn't take me very long and is not really "polished," but I like it anyway.