Pre-Christmas List Check 8x10

I would like to think that the early days of December are spent in preliminaries, such as checking the old Naughty/Nice List. The big guy doesn't want to foul up the big event.

Skiing Santa 16x20 125.00

This guy is irresistable, anytime of year. I can remember thinking Christmas would never come. Now, the event slips up on me before the Thanksgiving table is cleared. We have managed to turn the joy into drugery; God forgive us.  

Green Bottle,Crock, and Fruit 8x10 $60.00

Glassware is always a challenge when painting a stilllife. I like this study because of the interesting color combinations

Santa Fe Light 8x10 $60.00

I never tire of studying my Santa Fe photos , admiring the colors and sunlight. Of course, photos always flatten the values and much of the impact is lost, but I have to compensate when painting. The only solution is to return to this place and paint on location. ...maybe...someday. Let's hope.

Light Play 8x10 $60.00

While in Santa Fe, NM, I fell in love with the stucco architecture which assumes a peach glow in the desert sun. Combined with blooming flowers, these incredible colors were fascinating to me. --truly lovely.

Bald Rock, Rear View 8x10 $60.00

Cheaha State Park, near my home, is one of Alabama's best kept secrets. Offering noteworthy views any time of year, especially for plein air painting, the park is well-worth the trip . This view is looking out toward Bald Rock's panoramic view; however, the scene is as it appears from the trail through the woods, not from the summit itself.

Teapot and Fruit 8x10

Blue and white dishes are a long-standing fetish of mine. I have a difficult time refusing their purchase. Now, however, I simply paint them, much cheaper.

Blue Vase and Fruit 8x10

The power of simple is often underestimated, as in the case of this blue vase and yellow pear. One of the traps of painting is the tendency to include too much detail and clutter. Often I fall into this trap and ruin a potentially nice composition. More is not always better.

Little Brown Jug 8x10 $60.00

Pottery of any kind is always a favorite in stilllife paintings. The varied colors and surface textures provide an ongoing experience in the painter's craft. This small painting is big on impact with the reflection in the shiny brown surface of the brown jug and the stark contrast between the colors of the objects. Of the studies that I still have on hand, this is one of my favorites.

Deck View 8x10

I never tire of looking at the tall pines behind my house. During the summer, I often set up my plein air easel and paint on my deck. This view was one of my first studies when doing this. I love the shafts of light that flicker on the tree trunks, and I have tried to catch the view at different times of day as the light changes. How easily we become so familiar with the beauty around us that we fail to notice.

The Girls 16x20 NFS

Last Christmas, son-in-law Seth had a photo session with the family. He has become quite the photographer. I'm glad, for his skills are much sharper than mine, and his interest in taking shots saves my having to take care of "documenting" moments. Now, I can concentrate on other things. However, I follow him around and retake his shots, for he has a much better camera "eye" than I.  I simply fail to see some photo ops that he sees. This shot he took of the girls enjoying the sunny winter weather and the leaves in the front yard. After pondering the pose, I thought I would try to capture in with oils. I like it for it's a moment in time. They will never be like this again. That's one of the many beauties of art of any kind. The "moments" around us are so precious.

Pretty Lady 12x16 90.00

When I saw this face, I had to paint it. Who could resist this?  

Basket of Veggies 8x10

Yesterday I picked the last of the tomatoes, small ones, ideal for a salad. The summer is wanning and so are the they. Sometimes I wish I could slow time and relish the moments instead of trying to cram my schedule with a "to do" list that is unending. I read recently that most of us spend out time either reliving the past or anticipating the future. One is gone and the other may never be. I need to learn to slow down and "enjoy the veggies." Now that I think about it, speeding time is not the problem. I am the problem. How did the subject of veggies take such a strange turn?

Sierra Overlook 11x14 $70.00

The white bark of birch and the aspen have always appealed to me.  Against a dark background of green, the trunks of these trees look as they they have been whitewashed. My first sighting  was on a trip out West several years ago. I hope I never get over the sight.

I love the colors here. These zebras make me feel the heat from the plain. The animal kingdom is such a wonder.

South of the Border 16x20 80.00

The only time I have been south of the border was on a driving trip out West with relatives. They wanted to go across the border into Juarez, Mexico. Since then, I have come to realize how utterly stupid that was, but we simply did not know better. Trust me, the Juarez I saw did not look like this painting.

Stranger in the Villiage 11x14 70.00

One day I look at this painting and I like it, the next time I don't. I think I need to go back and add more people, but then the "stranger" would look not-so-strange. Maybe not.

Parked 8x10 $60.00

The relic has held the parking space for some time, too long. I could not resist painting it. Who could ignore it? My friend and I stayed all day in the lot, such a storehouse of memories.

Girl's Night Out 3x5

Inspired by my pearls lying on the counter, this small piece is definitely girlie. I can see it being used in a bathroom or dressing area. Anyway, I like the pearls in the blue/red tones.

Santa Fe Impressions 16x20 90.00

Santa Fe, New Mexico is yet another place in which I could live. I love the hues of the surrounding desert, and Santa Fe is a cool city with an incredible emphasis on the arts.

Ivory Coast 11x14 70.00

I am attracted to the starkness of the black and white pattern of the keyboard. When my eight-year-old daughter wanted to take piano, I thought I would take also. As an adult, I felt like I could freshen up on the lessons I took at the same age so many years ago. Neither of us turned out to be virtuosos, but we had some good times. She faired better than I. Years have passed, and now her daughter is taking lessons. The sight of a piano somehow is comforting to me. I may not can play, but I enjoyed painting the keys.

Little Dutch Girl 6x8 60.00

This little dutch girl planter remained a constant in my childhood. At one time, she held a prominent spot in our home. I can't remember being told from where she came; however, I do know she is old. Not being an antique glassware collector , I don't know the name of the pottery, but the little piece no doubt has a history, if no where else but in my parents' household. A  the years passed, the dutch girl gradually moved from prominence to ignominy. She was moved to darkened nooks on furniture, cluttered dishware cabinets, and eventually banned to underneath the kitchen sink, the abyss of obscurity. After the death of my parents, my siblings and I were parceling family possessions. I spied her amidst the heap  of mementos, just an insignificant piece of pottery with no value other than sentiment. I realized she represented a truth, however. The insignificant things in life, those things that are so constant we take them for granted, are often our true wealth. That beautiful sunset, the face of a dear friend, and the breath I breath are of untold worth. Thank you, little dutch girl, for your lesson.  You deserve to be perserved on canvas.

Shastas 6x12 wood panel

I don't have any shastas in the yard this year, not sure why. They have personality, if a flower can have a personality, happy and vibrant. The colors are intense, and they are fun flowers to paint simply because they are predictable and have a whimsical appeal. Let's hear it for the shasta.

Morning Glories on Panel 6x10 $60.00

In the mornings when walking  now, I see a fence line that is covered in morning glories such as these. They are volunteer, and that makes them all the more pretty. They simply bloom where they are. The moral is a good one: bloom where you are.

Apples on Panel 6x12 60.00

The old masters used wood long before canvas and other surfaces were used. This apple arrangement is worked up on primed panel that appears to have a frame when it actually doesn't.

Lemon, Anyone? 6x8 60.00

These two items were in my kitchen when I went off to my studio; both of which I thought deserved a portrait. --nice combo.

Primaries 6x8 $60.00

This study was of items in my home. I thought the combo of primary colors was playful and eyecatching.

Daylilies by the Fence 8x10 50.00

When I see daylilies blooming, I always think of my dad who had a daylily nursery for several years. Nothing made him happier than to be working in his flowers. At the time, I thought he must have been bored, but now I understand.

Blue House PEI 8x10 $70.00

After three weeks gone from home, I am reminded once again how much I love my home, always have been a "nester." This small study is one that was done after a trip to PEI. We took photos of places we thought would be good to  use in paintings. I came home and worked up this study of a someone's home. The house was so welcoming; maybe it reminds me of what a welcome sight my home is to me. The old song is so right. " Be it ever so humble, there is no place like home."

The Ford 11x14 75.00

She has had better days, but she still stands. My painting buddy and I had a good day painting in a sea of old vehicles.

South of the Border 16x20 175.00

This subject is totally unlike anything I ever do, but I had fun trying.

Villa Entrance 16x20 125.00

-just finished as of Saturday. Villa Entrance 16x20 was difficult because of the distance created in the background. I struggled with achieving the expanse of the distance between the villiage and background. I like anything that has the "old world" look. This is a scene from a travel brochure for an Italian vacation, which appeals to me immensely. -just maybe someday.

Nosey Neighbor 11x14

I have an ongoing love affair with donkeys. My neighbor has a small herd, and I never tire of watching these guys. Is it possible we have something in common?

Light in the Forest 11x14 60.00

The house in Light in the Forest reminds me of a house that was in the neighborhood in which I grew up. We kids pretended the old place was haunted and would dare each other to go in and investigate. A brave soul would often inaugurate a search only to run out in fear. I'm not sure why we were so afraid. We were basically stupid. Our fear of the unknown often frightens us and prevents our understanding on so many levels. My present-day  fears are probably just as ridiculous (in comparison) as the fear of the neighborhoods kids of the empty house. I thought this scene was mysterious, yet inviting.

Somewhere 14x14

I have no idea where this is, but it looks likes a place I would like to visit. ----maybe someday.

Calendar Scene 10x20 90.00

We have all seen them, the old calendars with those famous scenes which we recognize instantly, yet can't name the title or artist. When I saw this old photo, I remembered a calender which was displayed in my parents' home. I had to give the scene a try. Granted, this piece is not original, but the scene is a comfort to me.

View from my Window 11x14

All summer I enjoyed this view. Now that winter is in full swing and this view is gone, I thought I would revisit it with a painting. Truly, this mixture of color was a delight.

Apple Pitcher 5x7 50.00

I've had this pitcher for a long time and bought the plant this past summer. I liked these two together. Must have been the polka-dot flower pot that cinched it. I'm trying to use items around the house for quick studies. This one was a lot of fun to paint.

TN Outbuilding 8x10 $60.00

My painting buddy and I spent the entire day in the same spot. When we wanted a different scene, we simply turned around the opposite direction. This is just a ordinary view seen in rural areas everywhere, a dirt road among trees. However, to me there is something appealing about the ordinary, the wonder of the ordinary. May I never cease to amazed by the "ordinary" beauty around me.

Potting Shed 16x20 $100.00

I love the colors of clay pots against greenery. Having painted clay pots on many occassions, I  should tire of them, but I don't. This arrangment of clay pots against a wood-grain background reminds me of the pots that I store on the my patio. These are empty like mine, waiting for spring. Potting Shed is a recent piece that has special appeal to me.

Shady Lane in TN 8x10

Life's joys come in various forms. One for me is plein air painting. This study was done one morning while camping in TN. My painting buddy and I saw this beautiful old church that was painting-worthy. Her husband, our faithful and patient driver, put us out. We stayed most of the day, enjoying this location thoroughly. This road was behind the church with some great background in the distance.

Creekside in TN 8x10 $60.00

We camped for a week near Cades Cove, and everyday the afternoon showers fell. Painting outdoors is a wonderful experience, but not in a steady downpour. We listened to the forecast and decided rather than lug our painting gear to our chosen location, we would paint near the campground. The nearby creek was pleasant enough; in fact, the view was lovely. The moral of the story is that beauty can be found in our own back yard, if our eyes are open. I need to keep my eyes "open."

301 Santa Fe Drive 8x10

Santa Fe Drive is a long winding street in Santa Fe, NM that is absolutely cluttered with art galleries of any description one could imagine. My friends and I spent several days wandering through this place until we were exhausted. There are many places I think I could live and this is one of them. This little study was worked up from the many photos I took. Every nook of the area was clustered with flowers, pottery, and statue, not to imagine the art within the galleries. I loved the combination of flowers and the stucco. The  color and light combination were lovely.

Collie Drive 11x14 $60.00

In October I was fortunate to attend an Art Colony at Lake Martin, a wonderful time of study, painting, and fellowship with fellow artists. This study was painted while there. A cityscape is not a typical subject for me. As a result, I struggled with the composition.

Garden Stroll 11x14 $80.00

I often use magazines and cards for reference ideas for paintings. This painting is one such painting. Based on a card with a similiar design, I thought the end result was nice, perhaps something to be improved in the future with a larger design

Blue Enamelware 8x10 $60.00

I bought these enamel dishes for sheer decoration several years ago. They were in my kitchen for several years until I decided that I needed to simplify my "decor." Before they left my kitchen, I decided to paint them as a token of my affection. I have always liked blue and yellow together,  so this little study is one of my favorites.

Yellow Teapot 8x10 $60.00

I bought this teapot years ago because of the color. Yellow is such a happy color, and I had a yellow and blue kitchen at the time. I never regretted the purchase because it has become my favorite teapot of the several I have accumulated. I paired it with a black/white plate which makes a striking contrast.

Cheaha Lodge Upclose 8x10

I will always say that Cheaha State Park is one of Alabama's best kept secrets. The multitude of rock surfaces is one of the beautiful characteristics. Rocks are EVERYWHERE, in the landscape and in the architecture. Bald Rock Lodge is a beautiful old structure that has always captured my imagination. My friends and I spent an entire day trying to capture the beauty of this rock-strewn place.

Cheaha Sunset 5x7 $60.00

Cheaha State Park is one of Alabama's best kept secrets. From the restaurant's deck, the sunset on a clear summer evening is heart-stopping. I had the opportunity two summers ago, to paint this gorgeous view. --a perfect end to a wonderful day.