What's on my Easel?

More Rudbeckia!  Cadmium Yellow is one of my favorite colors.  I look forward to adding/editing more details and filling in the background soon!  

Golden Pear

The 2nd half of the "Pear Pair" is complete.  Enjoy...I am pumped about this painting!


8 x 10 stretched canvas, acrylics and heavy gel medium

Palette Knife Rudbeckia

To one of my favorite summer flowers.  I photographed the rudbeckia I bought at Harry's a few weeks back.  The colors were outstanding on my patio so I couldn't resist painting them.  I am pleased with the outcome.  


At 5" x 7", this is a small painting.  Small is quick, and challenges me to edit.  I look forward to more smalls...


5 x 7 stretched canvas, acrylics and high gloss gel medium

Up in the Air

In November 2009 a couple of artist friends and I donated time and talent to the Dream House for Medically Fragile Children.  We painted a lively ocean scene on the ceiling of their main bathroom--a huge room with a tub, toilet, multiple sinks, and a "walk-in or roll-in" shower that is accessible to all the kids...and 12 foot ceilings.  I just saw a news report today that they had to suspend care for kids in their facility due to lack of funding.  I hope they are able to secure additional sponsors and funding soon to continue their dream.  

What's on my easel?

I spy...a pear-in-progress!  This will be my second palette knife painting.  I am thinking to change the light blue to a darker blue to coordinate with the first pear color scheme.  This will make the yellows and golds stand out, as blue and orange are complementary on the color wheel.  

"Stop and smell the roses." Then photograph them.

Taking pictures of flowers with my DSLR camera reveals details my eyes do not.  In person and through the lens, I frame and capture the moment with a click.  When I review the photos later, I get to appreciate the moment in a new way.  Drops of dew on a petal, the ruffled edge of a pansy, and the tiny stamen in the center of a Gerbera daisy are there, just never noticed while snapping the shots.  What a great way to see and appreciate more detail.  

These are great reference photos for future paintings--stay tuned!  

"Up with your chinny-chin-chin!"

Welcome Harry the Pig to the blog.  He is quite the character..."some pig" as a celebrity spider once said.  I see a bit of mischief, eh?  


12 x 12 gallery wrapped canvas, acrylics

Palette Knife Pear Complete!

I love the finished product!  And a 2nd pear--to make a pair (teehee!)--is next. 

8 x 10 stretched canvas, acrylics

Palette Knife Pear--in Progress

Glossy glossy!

More texture!

I love learning new things.  I watched a palette knife demo and wondered if I would enjoy the technique.  Sure enough, once I took advice to "go crazy" and "sculpt with the paint", I had lots of fun!  Thanks Jill :-)


A lovely pear was my first subject.  Seeing this painting and all the texture I created makes me happy.  I learned something new and that inspires me to create.  Not to mention "palette knifing" (I'll call it) is super fast!  


8 x 10 stretched canvas, acrylics and high gloss gel medium

Models in LA

In "Lower Alabama" that is!  Photos of my dad's model train layout.  I entered two of the engine shots into the North Cobb Arts League members' show in June.  I was pleasantly surprised to see a very similar photo composition of actual trains by another artist.  :-)

Figo's Smiling Face

Figo is such a happy boy, don't you think?  I painted this portrait as a "thank you" to my friends at Erin Sonderman Photography for capturing my family in action.  


12 x 12 gallery wrapped canvas, acrylics - NFS