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Into the Woods, Pastel, 19x14" $350

This is a scene from my office window of the path that my husband mows for easy access into the woods. It tickles me to watch turkeys strut down this path or the deer promenade from out of the woods. I painted this primarily plein air and did some touch up from photo reference in my studio.

Fall Splendor, Acrylic, 10x8" SOLD

"All good things come to those that wait". Had this little piece in our local Manchester gallery, The Wild Acorn, for what seemed forever. I got the call today while in my Open Figure Studio in Tecumseh, that my piece had sold. This scene is from one of my husband and mine's many forays into northern Michigan.

Linda, Oil, 12x9" $100

Linda was our model today at Open Figure Studio. She is fantastic and doesn't move a bit. At break time she  once again becomes her usual bubbly personality! Linda is a wonderful artist in her own right and I am proud to say that she has been one of my many students.

Letting Go, pastel 9 x 9" $250

The All about Me Challenge was posted by Carol Marine on Saturday Apr 30, 2011. The details are: This challenge is just for fun - simply paint a self portrait. Nothing to learn here, except perhaps that a self portrait is frickin' hard! So, make it normal, make it silly, but let us see the real you! I was captivated by the "let us see the real you".

The real me has little to do with how I look and everything to do with who I am. I love blue skies, the warmth of the sun on my face and having a connection with nature. I am in awe of God's creation and I am thankful to be alive.

OK, I am well aware of the cliché, pushing up daisies. Soon after the photo was taken that I used for reference of myself, I was diagnosed with cancer. It was one of the scariest passages of my life and one of the most profound. After surgery, I was given a good prognosis and I am just shy of my five year anniversary. A day doesn't go by that I don't think of it. And the good news is, not a day goes by that I don't think about it! Life is short and I don't have time for crap in my life. Whatever crap I find, I turn into fertilizer that feeds my garden!

Pulse of New York, Color pencil on paper, 7 x 5" SOLD

Yet, another Daily Paintworks Challenge! I love doing figures, and I have already done an oil painting on this theme, All A Twitter. Many of you have commented on the use of my color on the DPW site. I love color, it is music for my eyes! New York is pretty drab, but definitely an exciting place. Color is what excites me and is a good metaphor for the sounds, smells and intensity of the city as well as the look in this woman's posture and face.

Here is my second version in acrylic:

Pulse of New York 2, Acrylic on panel, 7 x 5" $150

I haven't worked in acrylic lately, other than demonstrating for my students. Thought I'd give in a whirl! I used a limited palette and like the subtle difference in the color scheme.

The Road Less Traveled, Oil on RayMar panel, 5 x 7" $100

This is the companion piece to Headed Toward the Light. This was actually toward the beginning of our hike and in near proximity to my pastel painting, Around the Bend. As you can see, we were still on relatively level ground. When I paint these little pieces, or even gaze at them, they take me back to being there. But, most of all, walking hand in hand with my best friend, my heart, my husband.

The Long and Winding Road, water soluble color pencil, 2.5 x 3.5" $50

This is my second submission for the German Landscape Challenge, hosted by Carol Marine and Daily Paintworks. When I am painting, I feel as if I'm at the movies. With every stroke, I become a part of the scene, enjoying all the sights and sounds. I am the director and I like happy endings!

To view more on this piece or to purchase, please click here to go to my Etsy page.

The Long Road Back, water soluble color pencil, 2.5 x 3.5" $50

This is my submission for the German Landscape Challenge, hosted by Carol Marine and Daily Paintworks. I have never been to Germany, but my objective with all my paintings is to express myself with color and mood. I know what the light looks like and how the air feels on a day such as this. I hope you feel the breeze in your hair and the warmth of the sun on your skin, as you remember walking the long road back home.


To view more on this piece or to purchase, please click here to go to my Etsy page.

All A Twitter, Oil on Canvas, 20 x 16" $450

My husband and I were out at a park last summer and I was taking photos. I have a pretty good zoom lens on the camera, so I was able to snap photos of people doing 'their thing' undetected. I took some snap shots of this young lady and worked out some ideas.

I love the light, shadow and the many angles of this composition. It seems rather abstract to me. It is reminiscent of a pinwheel that spirals down to the phone in this girl's hand. I just imagined that she was probably texting her 'honey bunny', her heart was going 'pitter patter', and she was 'all a twitter'! All said, it was just another quiet summer day in the park.