Daddy•Dancing•Donna

I've been wading through family photos and sorting through ideas for a piece for the upcoming "Roots" show. After lots of thought and exploration, I found one of the few photos I have of including my father and isolated the two of us and found it so compelling that I could think of nothing else. I'm combining it with another image of myself that represents me well. This piece is coming along nicely.

Windblown Gulls

On this rainy afternoon, I completed this painting, "Windblown Gulls". This was from a scene at Rockaway Beach on a stormy day. I began this 16" x 20" painting back in November, and recently got back to it.

Pillar Point II

Today I completed "Pillar Point Wetlands II"- a 16" x 12" painting. It felt good to load up a palette with fresh paint and really get into it. Yesterday I worked with leftovers, and I was not having a good time! It pays to prepare properly.

Next I need to finish the gull painting. As a birder, I always joked about saving gulls for old age because they were difficult to identify. They are difficult to paint well too and I've been procrastinating!

I'm Back! Painting from Pillar Point

I did this 12" x 9" painting today of the "Pillar Point Wetlands" at Princeton Harbor. Meanwhile I have been refining my gull painting, and finishing up my orchid painting.

Works in Progress

I've been back in the studio working on unfinished pieces. Since the weather was stormy again, I was inspired to paint in the more monochromatic palette required for my 16" x 20" Windblown Gulls painting above that was started in November 2009. It will soon be complete. My past two paintings were quite bright and springlike.

The painting above is in a primitive, raw and early electric stage and is in major need of refinement. I'm creating this piece for my husband to replace a painting I sold that was a favorite of his I did in acrylics many years ago. This 24" x 36" canvas is a larger piece with different proportions from the first version.

The above piece is a 12" x 12" canvas that was a rough study in acrylics I painted years ago that I am reworking with oils. I was toying with putting this "recycled" painting in the Deja Vu as a recycled canvas, but somehow, that alone didn't seem worthy of the theme. This painting is almost complete.

Really finished!

Okay, now . . . Since I asked for and listened to feedback about this painting, I re-worked parts that were disturbing to some, and have come up with this revision. Now it is definitely complete.

I hope everyone loves it!

Down the Coast

I'm finished with my 10" x 20" oil painting now, in spite of feedback from a fellow artist who thinks the tree on the left and the path on the right in the foreground are distracting him from being able to stay settled in the distance, and in the past I've had feedback of people being stuck in the distance . . . go figure. (Image now appears in the post below) Since it's my world here, I like the playfulness of the unfinished tree as a place to ponder and take off from. I photographed this on an overcast day and got great color representation. I'm contemplating a project for the Deja Vu show, wondering what I might recycle.

And the beat goes on: Progression of a painting

First day of painting with areas blocked in with warms and cools and darks and lights with basic compositional masses.

Second day of painting: I start bringing in details of the background areas.

On the third day of painting I correct some of the background shapes and details and start working into the foreground areas.

Forth day of painting: I began adding hues in the foreground and detail shrubbery. I have resolved some compositional concerns. Now I need to finish up with more texture, contrast, and probably more chroma and the detail of the shrubs in the foreground.
Thinking I had finished on my fifth day of painting (above)
After deciding I was finished, I decided to listen to what you had to say and I made adjustments. The color is not quite true in this photo, however you can see the compositional adjustments and hue changes.

Groundhog Day

Today I dropped off my entry for Arts on Fire then worked on this oil painting above. I think I should be able to complete it in a few more painting sessions.

Sunday Painting: Golden Greenbelt

While some watch football, others paint. I think I have completed this piece.

Resolving Issues

Painting today began with my gull painting. I could tell I was not in harmony with that so I switched to the canvas above. I made some good progress though I think something is still not quite grabbing me. The storm rages on. I will sleep on this and come back to it again.

Painting Sketch

Today I was back in the studio painting working on my Coastal Vallemar piece. Do you ever get to that point where you wish you could press the undo button and get back to where you were before? That is how I felt today when I was struggling to get just the right intensity on the foreground weeds. The more I worked, the less sure I was. That was when it was time to loosen up with the above sketch. I grabbed a 8" x 10" canvas and decided to do the piece above as quickly as possible.

Untitled Coastal Vallemar Painting

I've been working on this 20" x 10" oil on canvas for the last week or so. I'm feeling it is almost finished. Alternately, I have been working on my gull painting I started in November. It's interesting to work on a nearly monochromatic painting along with this color rich piece. I keep gravitating to the sun filled colorful pieces rather than the more somber coastal gray day paintings.

Meanwhile, I studied the gull paintings by renowned Swedish Artist, Lars Jonsson last night in his new book that displays fabulous paintings in oils and watercolors expertly executed in beautiful simplicity in the field. It also shows drawings from his sketch books which are his field notes.

New Year's Inspiration

Today I hiked from Vallemar out around the water treatment plant across the hills of Mori Point looking for new inspiration. It was a lovely day and there were quite a few hikers out, but still peaceful enough for me to find my own quiet connection with my surroundings.



It almost seemed like spring with the willows beginning to form buds.

Above Mori Point I found new horizons for new art.
It was a revitalizing walk.

Old concrete highway dividers, an enviornmental eyesore on beautiful Mori Point, became a canvas of textural painted sculpture against the natural backdrop. As beautiful as they are, they still look foreign against the eroding hillside above it. They seem to have been planted by aliens.

Speaking of aliens... well actually native frogs... I was completely baffled by invisible singing frogs. When I got to the spot where they seemed to be, suddenly the frogs became silent. I looked and looked and they were absolutely nowhere to be seen. Is it possible they were burrowed underground?

Finishing Beaded Gourd Stitch Necklaces

I added a little bling from some recycled jewelry to the tiny #11 seed beads on one of my gourd stitch necklaces for a new twist. With Christmas on the way, this will make a nice gift for some lucky lady.

Below, some of my pets get into the act.

Small Works Show

My work is up ready for appreciation and sales.

Small Works Show and Sale

At home, I am visualizing what my 8' space is going to be like, and how I can arrange my work for the show.

My actual hanging turned out nothing like the my original layout. My space held far more than I imagined, so I added more work. The photo above indicates the need for more work in my generous space, so I brought in another group of paintings. I decided to keep all my paintings $200 or less thinking that it is better to make a little money than no money in these difficult economic times. Normally I would sell my larger canvases for twice this amount or more. Take advantage of this great offer!

I am also promoting my Gourd Stitch Snake Necklaces. These are fun to wear and make great gifts!

Good Gulls

In between computer hassles, internet modem/router connection issues, troubleshooting, tech support calls and those day to day issues, I have taken some refuge in painting between the struggles.

I'm working on gulls for a change of pace. Here is my work in progress. This oil painting is on a 20" x 16" canvasboard panel.

Chino Valley #3

Today I finished Chino Valley #3. I'm pleased with how I resolved the open areas that were too dark and abstract yesterday.

Continuing Chino Valley Series

Here is the completed Chino Valley #2 that I began yesterday. It is a 14" X 11' canvas.


Below is today's start of Chino Valley #3 that is a 20" x 16" canvas. I have to think about this one overnight and paint more tomorrow.

Chino Valley Paintings

These two paintings were inspired from my road trip from Las Vegas to Prescott. Chino Valley, Arizona was a beautiful sight as the sun sank into the horizon.


The painting above has one area I need to re-work on and re-photograph. I was finishing up just as it was twilight and the color isn't as good as it could be.

What is Art?

I think this is!

BTW: never eat sushi at a buffet in Las Vegas. I learned the hard way.

Birds after Storm

Our palm tree in front of the house has been the home for nesting Barn Owls. Apparently there is a youngster who is unable or refusing to leave the nest. Every night for weeks there has been a terrible screeching all night long as this bird begs for food. 2 birds were visible this morning after the storm of yesterday that removed more dead palm fronds.

My Coffeeberry shrub is fruiting in my mostly native front yard, and the berries just became ripe. Today the shrub was hopping. Robins and this Black-headed Grosbeak gorged on berries until the neighbor outdoor "bad cat" bird hunter showed up. I also glimpsed a bird that appeared to be an Eastern Warbling Vireo with the usual Pygmy Nuthatches and Chickadees. There was also a tremendous outbreak of termites that were thickly covering the pickets on the fence. Yikes!

Stormy Days . . .

Today our huge storm has hit so I am unable to photograph yesterday's work in natural light. For now, I will put these temporary photos in before a probable power outage!

This newest piece (above) is called "Joli's Apples". It is an 8" x 8" piece in progress. Below is the completed "From Mori to Marin". This canvas measures 14" x 11".

Completing Mori Point Paintings

Above: Sunday, October 12th I finished this panoramic painting of Mori Point looking south.
On Saturday I continued working on the above painting. I finished this smaller piece below, as well as working on another in my Mori Point Series.

Meanwhile, I am beading up a storm in the evenings. I am now working on my 5th tubular peyote stitch snake necklace but this one is in "my colors" rather than snake colors.