Playground

16 x 20

oil on canvas

For awhile now I've been determined to finish up half-done projects and this is the last of the paintings.  I started this sometime toward the beginning of summer as part of a "where I live" project with online painting friends.  Our town was established at the  convergence of three rivers so we have plenty of playgrounds for our kayaking passion.  I took a lot of liberties with this depiction since we live in a subdivision and I replaced our neighbors with trees.  And this is our pond, not the river we like to use which is a couple of miles away.  But the important components are here.  

And speaking of kayaks, if you've never tried one - you should treat yourself.  It feels a little like flying and it doesn't do your arm muscles any harm either.  It's a week away from Thanksgiving and we're still getting out there!  In northern Indiana! 

Whitewalled

11 x 14
oil on panel
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As a northerner, we have our share of pretty trees, but nothing like the beautiful specimens we saw along the beach in South Carolina.  The staggering drama of those curvy branches against the blue-blue sky and the stark sun bleached stucco walls of this house was inspiring. 

Priscilla

6 x 6

oil on panel

Ever since our mug project, I've wanted to do little mini portraits of all the people in my life that I love and hang them together in our home.  Now that I have time, I'm going to set a goal of doing all of our immediate family before Christmas.  This is our Priscilla.  She is such a beauty and so easy to paint - the perfect model. 

Skipping a Beat

11 x 32

oil on canvas

Clouds are so cool.  They provoke so many memories and so many images for me.  When I see an beautiful expansive sky I think of  paintings by N.C.Wyeth, and Maxfield Parrish, or of The Simpsons, or Joni Mitchell, or simply of childhood moments of laying in the grass and looking up.  I don't have a lot of experience painting them myself, so this was another journey of discovery and it was fun.  Painting the long stretch of land in the middle suggests an EKG tracing with a moment of asystole (flatline) which then resumes the heartbeat, thus the name.  After all, really pretty skies do that to me.

Sydney

8 x 10

Oil on panel

I've had a long dry spell from painting throughout the summer and fall, due mostly to being too tired after work and too busy catching up with other things on days off.  Happily, starting this week, I have taken a new position that enables me to cut way back on my hours to the point I am considering myself semi retired, at least for now.  It's so exciting to have time for friends and spontaneity and ART!  To kick it off - I did this little painting for a friend of her sweet baby girl, Sydney, to go with one I did of her big brother a couple of years ago when he was about this age. 

Karin Do-over

4 X 4

oil on Ampersand panel

Friend and fellow Hilton Head Gang member, Maria Hock is compiling all our mugs into a book, a major undertaking for one little person to accomplish if you ask me.  Teacher, mentor, and also friend and fellow Hilton Head Gang member, Karin Jurick, was the first mug we all painted and I was never happy with my result.  Still not completely happy but if I repaint her again, it will be with her happy face.  I've probably only said this a quadzillion times, but if you get a chance to take her workshop, just do it.  Karin's website can be found on my list of favorite blogs to the right of this page.  

Adora

6 x 6

oil on panel

I had the absolute pleasure of painting this beautiful, sparkling little face at the invitation of her father for his blog, aptly called, Adorable.  He has brilliantly chronicled the life of his daughter Adora with paintings by artists all over the world.  I'm honored to be a part of it.

Growing Green

10" X 20"

oil on canvas

My idea of relaxing is sitting somewhere with a cold glass of something, feet up, and not sweating.  For my husband Scott, to relax is to be planting, plucking, mowing, or watering.  He works hard all day and (the way I see it) comes home and keeps working, but gets great satisfaction out of life this way.  And I get to stroll around with my cold glass and admire our beautiful flowers or shop in the garden for fresh veggies.  It's a win-win situation for us.

Cattatude

20 X 30

Oil on Canvas

I bet I'm not the only artist to be relieved when a painting is completed because I'm itching to get on to the next thing, and at the same time experiencing some remorse that it's finished because it was so fun to paint.  This is our attitudinal family member, Kitty Pie, posing among our porch flowers last spring. This was the first time I did an underpainting in complementary colors and although they didn't come through very well in this photo of the painting, it really made the colors pop.  For a large painting like this, it's clearly worth the effort.

Jeremy

6 x 6

oil on Ampersand

I'm beginning my series of friends and family mini portraits with a plan to hang them all together in a big block and with room to grow.  It's just for me to have and as a reminder of those I love and the blessings we have.  And I'm sure there will be some repeats of these cast members with new and older images.  This is my precious, oldest nephew Jeremy, the first of our babies.  I think I can allow for some sentimental gooshiness when I refer to the babies, even though they range from late teens to nearly thirty now. 

Walking on the Sun

6 X 6

Oil on panel

 Today was a good day.  Yesterday, not so much.  So when I woke up this morning, shook the tweedy birds out of my head and realized it was my day off, I was a happy girl.  It was a beautiful, sunny day to boot, so I got a few practical things done and some other fun things, including a long walk,  then devoted myself to playing in my paints which ultimately produced this little, loose landscape.  It's a departure from the portraits which I really love doing, but I have to say - this was lots of fun.  I painted three of these little guys and although the other two will never make it to the blog, I enjoyed doing each one.  It sort of felt like my brain was doing the little expressive dance Snoopy did when Schroeder played his piano.  Yesterday my brain was Munch's, "The Scream".  I needed today.

Vince's mug

4 x 4

oil on Ampersand panel

Just when I thought the fun was over, Hilton Head Gang member Maria Hock presented us with one more mug shot of Vince Fazio, organizer for the Sedona Arts Center and more specifically, Karin Jurick's Workshop.  He was so great and so helpful to us all through the week and he's quite an artist himself.  I had a great time painting his expressive face and wonderful beard.  I can't say enough good things about the workshop, Karin, and Vince.  If you have the time and want to experience a great week, painting with the best instructor possible in gorgeous Hilton Head, South Carolina, then check this out - The Karin Jurick Workshop.

Java Jonesing

8 x 10

oil on Ampersand panel

This was painted from a photo I took on a trip earlier this year outside of a favorite local coffee shop.  I got a kick out of the girl standing there looking like she just couldn't wait for them to hand over her morning cup of joe, or as I like to think of it, the reason to get up in the morning.  I can relate sister.  And I have to send a thank you to my Hilton Head Gang friends who offered suggestions for improvements through our critique blog.  I did make some changes and I appreciate everyone's input - a lot!  Purchase information can be found here. 

Maria's mug - The Finale!

4 x 4

oil on Ampersand panel

This is the last of the Hilton Head Gang Mugs and appropriately wrapping up with our gang leader, Maria Hock.  Maria is among the thinktank-cheerleader-organizers of the group who have effectively kept us all in contact and spear headed the creation of the Hilton Head Gang.  She is the host of our Hilton Head Picasa album where anyone can visit and see everyone's interpretation of each other's mugs which you can visit here.  And beyond that - she's always the first to make encouraging and flattering comments on everyone's new postings.  Maria, I just love you and so appreciate your friendship and efforts.  See Maria's artwork and writings at her blog here.  

Kit's Mug

4 x 4

oil on Ampersand panel

One more to go and we will finish our series of Hilton Head Gang mug shots.  I deviated slightly from the "official" mug shot of artist Kit Hefner because when I was ready to sit down and paint her, I couldn't open the file on my iPad.  The photo was a hoot and I thought, "Finally!  Someone made a face as goofy as mine - maybe just marginally goofier!" If I can retrieve it, I may still try to paint that one as well, but in the meantime I had this little happy face photo taken at our workshop that I really liked.  I think I smiled back at the painting the entire time I worked on it.