"Gourds A Plenty"

In this painting I tried a new canvas - clear primed linen. I sprayed it with fixative and tried to execute it in pastels. The surface didn't grab the pastels like I was used to. I just couldn't get clean edges on my gourds. I sprayed it again - this time with retouch varnish. I left the background like it was and painted over the gourds with oils. I liked my set up and I was determined to make it work. I mounted the painting in a dark frame with a white linen liner. I'm finally pleased with the results.

Oil and pastel on linen________ 8" x 20"

Framed _______$595

Comments are appreciated.

"Coosa River in the Fall"

Well, all I can say for my first day of plein air painting in a while is that I learned a lot and I need a lot more practice. The scene I painted is a section of the Coosa River in northeast Alabama. There is still some color in the trees. The weather couldn't have been any better. We start painting again at 8 tomorrow morning. Way too early for me, but I will manage.

Oil on canvas panel____9" x 12"
Framed______SOLD

Comments are appreciated.

"Festival Girl"

Another of my recent attempts with pastels for portraits. I'm finding that I really enjoy working with skin tones though trying to find just the right shade of pastel can be daunting. The stick visual color is not necessarily what you expect when you apply it to paper next to other colors. There is a lot of trial and error. Now I want to see what I can do with oils.

Pastel on pastel paper _______ 14" x 11"

Framed _______ $850

Comments are appreciated.

"Life is Good"

A progress painting in pastel. Looking for a change from landscapes and still life, I attemped a portrait in pastels. This is a work in progress.

Pastel on pastel paper _______14" X 11"

Framed________SOLD

Comments are appreciated.

"Autumn Splendor"

I decided to break out of my comfort zone and try a painting with a palette knife for a change. I used gobs of paint - lots of paint! This one will take a long time to dry. It was fun using bold gestures to go with the energy of the warm colors. You can almost feel the wind blowing the leaves off the trees.

Oil on linen_____8" x 20"

Currently unframed_____SOLD

Comments are appreciated.

"Morning Mist on the Lake"

I tried to capture the mood of the scene of early morning mist using a limited palette of Indigo, Cobalt Blue, Burnt Sienna, Indian Red and White. Working small gives me more freedom to experiment in case the painting doesn't work out. I think I will keep this one.

Oil on Gessobord_____8" x 8"

Framed______SOLD

Comments are appreciated.

"Old Truck and Barn"

After about two months, I have finally found my way back to my easel! Taking care of my new gallery among other things really is time consuming - leaving me too tired to paint in the evening. I started this one a while back but never found the time to finish it. It felt so good to fit it into a frame. This scene is typical north Alabama. As the city of Huntsville grows though, these farms are disappearing and turning into subdivisions. The first thing they do is plow down the trees!

Oil on canvas panel 16" x 20"

Framed_____SOLD

Comments are appreciated.

"Studio 100 Fine Art Gallery"

My gallery at its new location is now OPEN and ready for business. We only had 6 weeks to finalize the design, get bids and get the interior built out and moved from our old location. Nerve wracking, frustrating, messy, but we did it. We had a successful night during the Summer Gallery Tour on July 23rd. Lots of new patrons. It doesn't hurt that we are next door to a popular pizzaria and gelati shop. If you are in Huntsville, AL please stop by. We are located at 117 North Side Square. (256) 539-5845.

"Wild Billy Kirk"

A long time teacher and friend died recently. He was a special person who made a big impact on me and my painting. He died soon after he had a painting accepted in the Oil Painters of America national exhibit this year. He was so excited and I was proud of him. He loved western painting and went to reenactment events for resource material. This pastel painting is of him in his cowboy garb.

Pastel on velour mat board 24" x 18"
Framed _____$1750

Comments are appreciated.

"Santa Cruz by the Bay"

My daughter used to live in Santa Cruz, CA and this is a scene that was a block or two from her house. I understand why it was so hard for her to return to northern Alabama. The ocean has a mysterious pull.

Pastel on pastel paper 11" x 14"
Framed _____ SOLD

Comments are appreciated.

"Flowers and Cherries"

Pastel still life. Switching from oils is a bit of a stretch, but I love them both. Even though I have hundreds of pastel sticks, finding just the right color can be challenging. This forces me to be creative by applying the color in different ways to get the effect I want.

Pastel on pastelbord 24" x 18"

Framed  $1995

Comments are appreciated.

"Fairy Tale Dreams"

This pastel was recently accepted into the 2009 Southeastern Pastel Society Juried Exhibit in Athens, Georgia. This is truly a pastel painting and not a drawing. I sculpted the shapes of the fabric with the sides of the pastel sticks and thoroughly enjoyed the process. I've been away from pastels for a while, but have missed them. I've got several more pieces planned.

Pastel on pastelbord 18" x 24"

Framed $1750

Comments are appreciated.

"Study in Yellow & Blue"

After painting something very detailed, I decided to have fun with my paints and paint something more loose and sketchy. I had fun globbing on the paint! It was a nice change from my previous painting.

Oil on wood panel 10" x 10"

Framed   SOLD

Comments are appreciated.

"New York City Red Hots"

Just finished! I normally don't post my paintings in a frame, but I was anxious to see how it would look. It is easier to tell if it is finished or not with a frame or mat. This scene is from a recent visit to NYC with some friends who were giving us a tour. I was intrigued by the colorful hot dog stands that seemed to be everywhere.

Oil on canvas 16" x 20"

Framed   $1495

Comments are appreciated.

"Old Country Church, Bethel, TN"

Plein air painting from recent workshop in central Tennessee west of Nashville. It was an overcast day, threatening to rain. Luckily we were able to paint under a covered pavillion.

Oil on canvas panel 9" x 12"

Framed   $675

Comments are appreciated.

"Nashville Farmer's Market"

Another of my plein air workshop paintings. We traveled to the Nashville Farmer's Market which is a wonderful place to visit. As it turned out, it was a great place to be for outdoor painting since it is covered and we had a tremendous rain storm pass through while we were there. It was difficult to decide what to paint - every direction was a feast of color. The vendors seemed to enjoy having artists paint their booths.

Oil on canvas panel 12" x 9"

Framed          SOLD

Comments are appreciated.

"Reed's Produce & Garden Center"

This is my first painting this week from a plein air workshop I am participating in in Franklin, TN. It was a cloudy day, but the bright flowers could not be dimmed. I'm still travel weary from my trip to Reston, VA, but I persevered and finished the painting. The garden center is lively with patrons, but sadly will be gone soon due to the city's plan for "progress".

Oil on canvas panel 9" x 12"

Framed      $675

Comments are appreciated.

"Quick Portrait Sketch"

I am in Reston, VA right now attending a Portrait Conference. I took part in a quick drawing class and was reminded how important drawing on a regular basis is to painters. My sketch pad that I grabbed for the trip had drawings dated 2001.

Graphite sketch on Strathmore paper

NFS

Comments are appreciated.

"Lonely Little Boat"

One last painting before I go on the road - first to Washington, DC and then to a plein air painting workshop in Franklin, TN. I'm both excited and stressed - I hate packing and living out of a suitcase. I love to go new places and see, taste and feel new things. I also enjoy the people I meet along the way. I hope the weather cooperates.

Oil on masonite 6" x 6"

Framed SOLD

Comments are Appreciated.

"Just Picked"

Another of one of my favorite themes - peaches. I've been struggling along on a larger piece that seems destined to never be completed, so took a break and painted something I knew I could finish in a reasonable time - only 2 painting sessions.

Oil on wood panel 8 " x 8"

Framed SOLD

Comments are appreciated.

"Fruitful Bounty"

Luscious fruit and the bold colors of the table linens drew me to this picture. The warm, bright colors remind me of summer meals on the patio with friends and a cool glass of wine.

Pastel on pastel paper 12" x 16"
Framed    $625

Comments are appreciated.

"Can't Tie Me Down"

This isn't a recent painting, but one I did while in art school many years ago. A bit of beginner's luck I guess. It is very popular when I display in my gallery. It is not for sale, but I do make high quality prints on matte photo paper (13" x 19"). My kids are already fighting over who will get the original when I croak!

Unframed prints available

11.75" x 17.75" actual image size

$65 plus shipping

"Pitcher with Forsythia"

Spring time is slowly arriving and I needed a break from 2 large paintings that I am working on, so decided to paint something that I could finish in one sitting. I need closure sometimes.

Oil on masonite _______6" x 6"

Unframed _______SOLD

Comments are appreciated.

"Wading Beauties"

Just west of the Ft. Lauderdale airport in Florida are the Flamingo Gardens which is actually a rehab/rescue site for wild birds. The gracefulness of the flamingos and their lucious pink feathers were a pleasure to paint. My biggest challenge was capturing their reflections in the water.

Pastel 24" x 18"

Framed   SOLD

Comments are appreciated.

"Coneflowers in the Sun"

These flowers with their bright yellow and blue remind me that this dreary, rainy winter won't last forever. Each flower seems to have its own personality, which is why this was fun (or at least interesting!) to paint. Sometimes I would get confused as to which flower I was looking at.

Oil on canvas 12" x 16"

Framed   SOLD

Comments are appreciated.

"Along the Bayou"

I love painting water. I think it is a primal thing with me. Until I was 18 I always lived within a mile of the coast - somewhere. Water can be so many colors - it is hard to believe it is a clear substance. With pastels I can layer the colors and still see colors underneath.

14" x 11" Pastel on pastelboard

Framed _____SOLD

Comments are appreciated.

"Pretty in Pink Paperweights"

This is the 2nd in my current paperweight series. Trying to capture the detail of the paperweights as well as the glass proved to be quite a challenge for me. I had to push myself to keep at it. My eyes rebelled! There is a lot to be said for photo-realistic paintings, but I think I will do something a bit more stylized next. Something with a 1" brush!

Oil on masonite 8" x 8"

Framed $375

Comments are appreciated.

"Signs of Spring"

This is a scene from Bellingrath Gardens near Mobile, AL. It was late March and the azaleas were not quite in bloom yet. This made me focus on other flowers that I would have otherwise overlook. This pastel is currently hanging in the Huntsville Museum of Art as part of the museum "Rhapsody in Blue" Art Gala and Auction.

Pastel on pastel paper 19" x 25"

Framed       $1750

Comments are appreciated.

"Autumn Brilliance"

I decided to dust off my pastels before I forget how to use them. This little piece was painted on one of my favorite surfaces - velour mat board. I liked pushing the colors to their limits - I've so many delicious colors that it is a shame not to use them all. I want the viewer to be aware that this is a painting and not a photograph. I love the energy of the colors.

Pastel on velour mat board    8" x  10"

Framed    $495

Comments are appreciated.

"Australian Paperweight"

This paperweight is one of many in my collection, but I think it is my favorite. I brought it home from a trip to Australia. The paperweight seemed to capture the intense colors of a country with practically no air pollution! It is like seeing with new eyes. The challenge of this painting was to see if I could capture the shiny, reflective surface of the glass.

Oil on masonite 8" x 8"

Framed   $375

Comments are appreciated.

"Harvest Time"

Autumn brings warm, golden colors to the vineyards. I painted this pastel on velour mat board and it gave the image a pleasing soft texture.

Pastel on velour mat board     5" x 7"
Framed     SOLD

"Sand Castle"

My granddaughter and I went walking through the state park close to my house. She stopped to notice some busy ants on the ground. She decided that they needed a house! It has been a joy watching her observe life and grow and to be able to record that path with my painting.

Oil on masonite     6" x  6"

Framed     SOLD

Comments are appreciated.

"Onion & Scallions"

In an effort to paint more, I set up this little still life of onions - one of my favorite foods. As usual it took me much longer to paint than expected. Luckily I photograph my still life setups and paint from my laptop - otherwise the onions would not have looked this fresh when I completed the painting!

Oil on masonite 8" x 8"

Framed_____SOLD

Comments are appreciated.

"A Stroll Through Provence"

While I usually paint in either oils or pastel, I occasionally return to watercolors. This scene in Dieulefit, France shows the typical profusion of flowers that seem to grace every doorstep and flower box.

Watercolor on paper    16" x  12"

Framed     SOLD

"Streets of Paris II"

One of the many things that I love about travelling around Europe is all the flowers everywhere. Flowers are planted everywhere with joy and abandon. Flowers so uplift the spirits! This scene is from southern Provence. I can't wait to go back.

Oil on masonite     8" x  8"

Framed      SOLD

"Proud Billy"

While driving around New Hope, AL early one morning looking for things to paint, I came across a field full of goats. This billy goat was standing off to one side surveying the activity. I just liked his pose. I enjoyed modeling his body with my paint.

Oil on canvas panel______ 16" x 12"

Framed ______SOLD

"Home Tweet Home"

I spotted this trio of bird houses in a garden nearby. It was a warm, sunny day and birds were everywhere. I tried using both brush and palette knife to capture the the warmth of the sun as well as the lush foliage.

Oil 12" x 16"

Framed______ SOLD

Comments are appreciated.