Proudly Purple

5" x 5"  oil on gesso board   $55.00

Proud sugary white and aromatic royal purple reigns.  Iris' delicate petals float outwards to let the light in.  Most of all they delight the senses.

Bread for the World

14" x 19"    watercolor   $450.00 unframed   $575.00 framed

This adorable child lives in Kenya and  is helping the family by selling bread.  I was given permission to use a photo by a pastor in Kenya, and I changed the story by adding the bread, the baskets, and the huts.  The beautiful intelligent face and gentle eyes would have been enough, but the clothing is also so lovely and decorative.  I was immediately hooked.  Thank you Karen Michaelle and Paul Odari.  10% of the sale will go to Upendo children's home.

Strumming in the Straw

  15" x 22"  watercolor  $750.00

My nephew sings Christian songs, plays guitar and enjoys nature.
The beautiful light streaming in from the door and shafted across his shoulder, arm, and guitar are spiritual in nature.  God's light is powerful, changing shapes, and strengthening and enlightening  our spirits.  Music is reflected in the straw shapes.

SpectacularView From the Top

 

16" x 20"  acrylic on canvas board  $300.00

Clouds, clouds, clouds....and sunset!  Can't do much better than that for a God rush! 

His canvas  and palette are so much more amazing than mine.  Millions of colors, and shades. to thrill your heart and mind.

The Biggest Sunflower

9" x 12"  watercolor  $150.00

I set up a demo for my students, and am certain that I enjoyedd it as much or more than they did.  After they left, I decided that the bottomwas too plain, so I added some lace.  The flower was enormous and I probably should have given it a larger vase.

Krystal's Eyes day 24 of the 30 day challenge

6" x 6"   watercolor  SOLD

Krystal is my first granddaughter.  She is now 27 years old and and actress in Hollywood.  When she was a baby she had enormous brown eyes and a tiny face.  She was always curious, loved to be the center of attention, and we loved giving it.  Krystal is so humorous.  She imitates anyone she meets and exaggerates their speech, colloquialisms, and mannerisms.  She is quite sharp witted and sarcastic, diminutive, adorable and has a monumental heart.  She has gone through some tough times in her short life, but is able to elevate those times to humor.  I respect and love  her so much and am so impressed by her massive courage. 
and I just adore her and never get enough time with her.

Babe in the Leaves day 23 of the 30 day challenge.

6" x 6"  watercolor   $50.00

My second attempt at this little blond head.  I made her face larger, (better for my  eyesight), and put less shadow on her face.  It is better I believe, and I won't paint it again real soon, but I so enjoyed getting her to look like a baby, that I probably will do her another day.  Thank you Nancy Wylie for loaning me your granddaughter's photo!

Girl Picking Grapes Day 18 of the 30 day challenge

6" x 6"  watercolor    $60.00

Selecting succulent grapes from the vine for her family, in Tuscany, Italy, on the Pevina farm, she not only looks for that particular color and size, she checks the fragrance and taste.  How amazing that so much  ado has been made about grapes and healthy vines.  We all know that apart from the vine, our branches will not bear good fruit.  I am now finished with day 18.    I am happy.

Girl in Paper Hat Day 16 of the 30 day challenge

6" x 6"   oil   $70.00

  At a fair in downtown Colorado Springs, CO. the Pikes Peak Watercolor Society helped attendees make wonderful paper hats in 2012.   Children and adults scribbled on their hats and shaped them around hat forms.  The result was genuinely stunning.  This little girl was gorgeous in her sun drenched hat.

Yellow Braids...Day 2 of the 30 day challenge

12" x 9"  watercolor   $135.00

Young ladies love to create their own style, whether it is bohemian, classic,  ultra feminine,  beachy,
cosplay, dramatic, culture or country.  I am enamored with their delicate features, beautiful skin, eyes that sparkle and hair that can be tossed, straight, curly, short, braided or buned.  I adore their spunk, their desires, their strengths and poise.

Lights and Stars Wabi Sabi

17 x 24   watercolor baatik on rice paper with gold thread $125.00 unmounted

This is  a technique I am learning from Carol Naylor.  Carol is an excellent teacher who stays with you to the very end, and also feeds you delicious fare and drink. 

 I mentioned that the figures weren't very perfect.  My friend, Becky said that is called "Wabi Sabi"

I took a lot of wrong turns on this one, but with Carol's guidance it came out.    

I love this painting and hope to do many more in the near future.  It took all day to pull off this effect of the dancers and stage lighting because of the many layers!

All the paintings created  in the class were fabulous!

Two Heads Are Better in Color

11" x 14"  watercolor  $45.00  portraits

Are you serious?

The first definition of "play" in the dictionary says "play" is to engage in an activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than serious or practical purpose.  However sometimes play teaches us something very practical, and that is that everything is not always as it seems.  For instance this class demo proves that a face does not have to be painted in skin tones to look like a face.  Is value then, more important than color?  

During our class we also played,  blowing paint with straws to add a little abstract movement.   

Sugar Sherbet Snowfall

11 " x 14"  watercolor      $100.00

Some time ago I had seen the sun shining through the evening clouds with the brushy limbs and the ancient  tree stumps at the bottom of the trunks and always thought I should paint that scene.  When my students wanted to learn snow, I remembered the scene and thought, why paint blue snow?  Let's get creative.  I had so much fun planning this peaceful painting.  I let the spirit of the painting come through, and challenged and delighted myself.  Notice the repetition of shapes and colors.  What would we do without repetition?  Just think of our cells, the grass, bricks and hair.  How about learning?  Repetition is sooo important.

All the Trees of the Field Will Clap Hands

10" x 14"  watercolor, collage, ink    $150.00

As often happens, one idea gets squelched and another emerges when painting.  When this painting looked sad and 

wimpy, I added the collage with used, shredded dryer sheets and glued them onto the lower part of my painting.  After it dried I added more color everywhere, brightening and darkening, introducing colored pencil.  This painting took on a whimsical life, so gold and silver specks and scripture were added.

 When I relax on my porch in the autumn evenings and the aspen tree leaves are quaking, they sound like thousands of little hands clapping.  I love that sound.  Often scripture from Isaiah 55:11 -12  comes to mind

…11So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. 12"For you will go out with joy And be led forth with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands

Paper Hat

11" x 15"   watercolor    $135.00

Paper hats were the hit of the day at the Pioneers Museum last summer.  Children and adults designed, crumpled, banded and wore their new fabulous creations.  

Breakthrough

10.5" x 14"  watercolor   SOLD

There is so much blue in the sky and so much light in the sunlit clouds that I can never decide where to stop and start.  I love our world and sort of imagine the mysteriousness. 

This was a late evening shot from my back deck. Now it looks like an early evening shot from somewhere else.

I really enjoyed making the clouds and mountains float and disappear against the sky horizon.

Mr. Rabbit 3

8" x 10"  watercolor   sold

Mr. Rabbit is a ball of fluff sitting in the sunset.  The golden colors wash over him, and the purple shadows surround him softly.

Betsy's Sunflower

7" x 10.5"   watercolor    SOLD   

Betsy came to my class today and we both painted her beautiful sunflower.  I loved the lyrical intensity of this flower.  Thank you Betsy!  My own sunflowers are taking their sweet time, but at least there are succulent evenly designed buds on top of the giant stalks and leaves.  I can be patient.  Of course that is the good thing about nature. We have no choice but to be patient, for the fruit comes when it decides to come.  Now if I could learn this with other parts of my life.  Buy at auction on daily paintworks.com

Old Car Chuggin' Along

16" x 20"  oil on canvas  $400.00

Taking a ride on an old dirt road in the beautiful Colorado scenery in the days of old flivers was a treat.  Gas was cheap, roads were bumpy, and exhaust was not measured, but the allure of discovering great beauty in the good old summertime was difficult to ignore.  You can almost see the fishing poles and flies being cast after they reach Trapper's Lake.

Last Light

30" x 30"    oil   $800.00
In the last light of day, the American eagle, a symbol of freedom, ceremoniously surveys his kingdom, a desert sanctuary.  Generous golden light passionately kisses every edge, transforming the harsh landscape before putting it to bed.  Gooddnight eagle.  Goodnight desert.  Thank you God, for the symphony of color.

“Dusk is just an illusion because the sun is either above the horizon or below it. And that means that day and night are linked in a way that few things are there cannot be one without the other yet they cannot exist at the same time. How would it feel I remember wondering to be always together yet forever apart?”
― Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook