Apple Pitcher 5x7

For the last year, I have made an effort to declutter my home by eliminating all items that I can't live without. This pitcher is one item I chose to keep for I am emotionally attached for some reason. I can't even remember where I found it, but it's one thing from my past that I enjoy seeing on a daily basis. Our lives are so filled with unnecessary "stuff," but this is a whimsical piece that gives me happiness.

Barn in the Evening 3x5 50.00

Barns--can't get away from my rural upbringing. I once said that I would never again paint a barn because they are overdone and common, but are they? I am not sure that I will ever cease to appreciate a "good barn."

Petunias 3x5 $40.00

While walking in the summer, I always enjoy the volunteer petunias that chance up in strategic spots on the roadside. At one time someone may have planted them, and the plants have persistently endured,  a lesson for all.

Collie's Room 11x14 $60.00

While at the art colony at Lake Martin in October, the class painted an interior. Despite everyone doing the same study, all paintings looked different. Every artist has his/her individual style which means we had many "takes" on the same scene.  -interesting.

Interlude 11x14

During the few years I attempted to teach an art class at the high school, we tried various media. I was constantly carting items from my home for a subject to sketch, paint, etc. One that was always a favorite was this chair, hat, and uke. The angles of the chair were a challenge, but we had fun, so did I when I painted it lately in oils. If art is not fun to a person, she/he should find another interest.

Sierra Aspens 11x14

On a trip out West, I saw a stand of aspens in the summer sun. They appeared to be painted with whitewash. --such a beautiful sight.

Serengeti Sentry 14x20

The first time I ever saw a real giraffe was at Busch Gardens in Tampa. I was awed by the beautiful coloring and grace despite their height and gangliness. They appeared if they had been hand painted. Since then I have painted several. Always fun to depict, the pattern of their coloration is quite interesting.

Peace River 11x14

I remember crossing a river in Florida on more than one occasion called Peace River. This painting reminds me of what I saw. The water was still and deep, very lazy. --definitely a peaceful sight.

Christmas Blues 16x16

I remember returning home from a great aunt's house one Christmas Day afternoon. My parents had decided to spend time with the extended family, so we had spent a few hours at my aunt's house, crammed full of food and laughing relatives. As my dad was driving home in the darkening winter afternoon, I remember feeling a blanket of sadness descend upon my small brain. Christmas was over for a whole year. I was overwhelmed with a sense of gloom. Life was over--no more Christmas, no more gifts, no reason for celebration. As a kid, I simply didn't know the truth.  How sad life would truly be if our lives merely subsisted from one emotional high to the next, one manufactured preoccupation to another? In the midst of the baubles and glitz of the season, I am grateful that the true Christmas, namely the presence of God on earth is to be experienced all year, every moment, not just during a window of time. To not know differently would give me the same expression of the pup in the painting Christmas Gloom.

Renee's Garden Tools 6x8

No digging in the dirt for a while.This piece commemorates those long, hot days of summer. Remember???