WELCOME TO MY BLOG. Please join me in my art journey in the FLORAL GALLERY and the VARIETY GALLERY. Our time is precious so this will not be a daily diary, but updates when I have painted a piece that I hope will be worthy of sharing with you. I will attempt to share some of my art experiences with you, but generally will expect the art to speak for itself. Enjoy!!

Variety Gallery

"White Ibis" was painted this year on the spur of the moment when artist Jane Freeman put out a call for artists to donate to a fund raiser for saving the Loons.  It was right up my alley (lol) so hopped to and was rather pleased with the result!  Framed 19"x15".


And here is a recent one where I just felt like playing:  "The Tropics" - still in the white Ibis mood!!


Painted this year on clayboard.  The greens are not phthalo in case that is what shows on your monitor!!!  Marsh Grasses is a soft green painting - partially real and partially my creation.



At Solivita Artisan Guild, I took a class from Larry Outlaw on drawing portraits.  Next I took a workshop from my friend, Bob Hague.  Next I had a burning desire and fear to try my hand at portraits -- you know real portraits, not just paintings of people.  It sort of stopped there  because I haven't put in the time to learn, but am going slowly at it.  Don't want to feel failure too soon in the game!!  This is my granddaughter.  We were rolling her around Walmart one day and she wanted to try on the hats:  "Nessa in Cheap Hat"


This is my Granddaughter riding a bike.  It is another study of portraits.  Maybe I can make an art career just painting her??!!!  They say to paint what you love.


When my husband and I lived in PA, we spent many happy hours riding the Rails to Trails.  The Pine Grove Furnace was not too far from our home so we went often and I fell in love with this sanctuary for birds.  It took a few trips before I saw it hidden behind trees.  I obviously took artist liberties but portrayed my feelings for it's beauty and peaceful setting!!


After I tried my hand at painting my nephew, I received a commission to paint "Sydney". It was SO scary for me that my hands actually shook and my palms got all sweaty wondering if I could convince the viewer she was wearing a crocheted hat.  We won't even discuss the dress!! LOL.   This was before digital photography, so quality is not so good, but I and the parents were very pleased.  


Way back when my nephew was very little, I painted him and called it "Discovering Spring".  Today he is busy discovering adulthood!!  Man how time flies.  Those were the pthalo green days as you can see - I still like pthalo, but not as much as when  beginning watercolor.


My good friend, Amelia Jordan, got together on the lanai one day just playing with watercolor and different ideas.  I didn't expect much, but really liked what came out.  "At Winters Edge:


This was a second result of our "playdate" on the lanai:  "Fall in Florida".


This is a friend's Chinese Bridge at Hendersonville, NC.  I would change some of the landscaping effort if redone, but not the trees.  When I painted them, I felt I had painted like that all my life.  Weird some of the feelings I get when in the studio.

Central Pennsylvania was known for it's fertile farmlands with wonderful strawberries, etc.  Many canned the foods as a way of life.  This was my tribute to that lifestyle.  "Keeping the Bounty": (13" x18")



Fun paintings are great exercizes.  My little elf is so cute and dear to my heart that I will never sell him.


We went to Cancun with our close friends and in traveling the countryside, we saw this old building.  Thought it was perfect for a quick, happy painting!!  Plus it was a good reminder of our trip.



This is my self-portrait.  It is called "Southern Comfort."  As you can see I was a bit wary as a babe,  still am!!   Mary was my "nanny" and I still remember loving it when she took me to the park to swing.

Every once in a while, I get in the mood to make a statement about our society with a painting.  I consider it my rebel art!  This is a pepsi graveyard we passed somewhere in Virginia.  The painting is called "Pepsi Generation."  I received permission to paint and name it that.  I was struck with the proof of our throw-away society.

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was a commission.  I still have prints of it if anyone is interested.  The quality of the photo here is not very good - colors are nicer in real life.

This York, Pa  horse farm was a commission.  I got to tour the house and barn which is used as a horse hospital.  Let me tell you it was really, really nice inside.  Lucky horses!
Hats was exhibited at Harrisburg Art Association.  He belongs in a hat shop, dontcha think? (28"x21")

End of Season is an emotional tribute to my friend, Barbara Ward, who had her doctorate in art and was a member of Imagine (PA art group).  She was dying of cancer so I drove her to the park for fresh air her last week.  Barb always kept our group towing the mark and focused on art.  In typical Barb fashion, she spent that day teaching me light and shadows and art.   And here I thought I was doing her the favor!   The day before she died, she pointed to the white leaf and looked at me
 -- we both knew the symbolism...


Tai Chi was an important part of my life for ten years,  which happened to also be when I was studying watercolor.   "Sefu" (teacher) is one of the results.  Nathan was the most excellent instructor and no two classes were ever the same.  This was my attempt at painting fire and portraying the force  of Taiji .


"Harpist", framed 24 1/2" x 18", is one of those paintings that turned out totally different than I had planned.  I guess she is happy sitting there for all eternity playing beautiful music for us.  I thought the lace would be hard, but was actually easy to paint.  Enjoy her music. Photo taken before digital so quality is off.

Another Rails to Trails painting, the "Park Ranger" started his watch while we were resting.  He seemed quite content on this beautiful day and I hope I caught the beauty of the trail also.  24 1/2"x 31 1/2" - juried.


Are you tired of my life on the Rail Trails yet?  Here is another one from the day we biked the Jim Thorpe area.  We stopped to picnic on the rocks and watched a dad helping his daughters.    "Help Me, Dad," 3/4 sheet.


"Peggy's Cove", 21"x28", was fun to paint as I really do like texture as well as the play on transparency and light.  This vertical/horizontal composition works well for this lighthouse painting.  Photographed in glass frame and the light circle is not actually there.


The Camel Race  was a fun challenge from some of my artist friends.  It is not my creation (I have never seen a camel race), but I entered the painting challenge just to prove to myself that I could still paint loosely...

The next three paintings, I just have saved on a shelf because they  did not turn out good enough for me.  I realize now it was simply lack of experience, but I wanted to show the failures in my blog  also.  They also meant a lot to me because they were a result of our biking days:  We stopped to help a fellow near Maryland here.  He was doing OK without us so we lent lots of "Moral Support".

I about killed myself getting the shot for this painting.  They passed me going really fast and I just had to photograph it so I took off trying to catch them for approval.  Finally did, but it took some time to breathe afterwards!! They actually laughed at my near death experience!!

This is called "Gone for the Season".  I thoroughly enjoy painting like this, but have never even framed it because something isn't quite right.  Should get a good critique on it.  We spent a lovely few days in upstate Pa  near Wellsville at the Pa Grand Canyon just to bike this trail early one frosty morn.  I wore gloves and wished I had a snowsuit.  The water was unbelievably beautiful and still as glass. (21"X16 1/2")

Santa was painted a long time ago and I never showed him. He is tired, but still taking requests!!