"Chinese Lanterns in 1940s Vase"

Chinese Lanterns are such an interesting plant and really do look like lanterns! I arranged them in this lovely, vintage vase from the 1940s because of its shape, simplicity and wonderful contrasting color. The cool blue-green coupled with the bright oranges, reds, golds and white against the dark background created a true feast for the eyes. Enjoy.

Title: "Chinese Lanterns In 1940’s Vase"

Medium: Oil on canvas, mounted on board

Image Size 8 x 10"

Unframed

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"Pears on Striped Satin"

I love to pose bright colored fruit on this beautiful black and white striped satin cloth. The shininess of the satin picks up the reflections of the colors in the fruit and bounces them all over the place. Fun! To add even more fun (for me, and hopefully, the viewer) I added this little vintage glass bottle through which you can see a distorted version of the stripes and additional colored reflections. Altogether, a really complex little painting.
Title: "Pears On Striped Satin"

Medium: Oil on canvas, mounted on board

Image Size 6 x 9"

Unframed

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"Purple Irises On Blue"

Every spring these graceful Dutch Irises faithfully raise their lovely heads to once again grace my yard. Their interesting shapes naturally create dynamic compositions, making my work easier. Nature knew what it was doing when it put together the gorgeous purples with dazzling golden “beards” of these lovely flowers.
Title: "Purple Irises on Blue"

Medium: Watercolor on 140 lb. archival paper.

Image Size: 6x8"

Framed Size: 12 x 14”

Framing/Matting: This painting is double-matted, under glass, in a lovely, blue-gray metal frame.

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"A Breath Of Spring"

Tulips are just fun to paint! I was immediately attracted to these beauties because of their luscious pink color. Like satin – or silver - tulips have great shine where the light hits them. When I placed them, along with some Baby’s Breath, in this old, silver pitcher, I was delighted by the way the pink reflected so beautifully in the silver.
One of my favorite props is this beautiful cutwork cloth. It added some textural contrast, interesting design elements and rhythm to the composition. I placed the two tulips on the cloth so that their leaf shadow would fall down the cloth, creating a three dimensional feel. I added the sweet, vintage cup for balance and because it had a tulip on it.

Title: "A Breath of Spring"

Medium: Watercolor on 140 lb. archival paper.

Image Size: 13.5 x 18”

Framed Size: 22 X 27”

Framing/Matting: This painting is double-matted, under glass, in a beautiful wooden frame. The color of the frame is silver and champagne with subtle texture.

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"Summer Dahlias"

I love Dahlias, and I love the color orange, so when I saw these beauties in a neighbor’s yard, I just had to paint them! With their multitude of petals, Dahlias are very complex and time consuming flowers to paint. In order to capture the light on the petals in sunlight as well as the deep, rich colors of the petals in shadow, I had to paint each petal at least three to six times, glazing to get just the right color and value on each one. This award winning painting has always been one of my favorites, and I have kept it in my private collection until now.

Title: "Summer Dahlias"

Medium: Watercolor on 140 lb. archival paper.

Image Size 18 x 24"

Framed Size 27 x 33”

Framing/Matting: This painting is triple-matted, under glass, in a beautiful wooden frame that has accents of gold and orange to complement those colors in the painting.

Note: “Summer Dahlias” received the Second Place Award in American Artist’s 1999 national floral competition. It also received the People’s Choice Award at the Art Methods and Materials Show in Pasadena, CA, October, 1999.

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"Mid-Summer Bounty"

This painting reflects the incredible warmth, lushness and abundance of summer! The magnificent English Roses are from my garden and range in color from delicate pinks to rich apricot and deep peach. They were the perfect companion to the actual apricots and peaches in the still life.
I loved contrasting the textures of the fuzzy peaches with the shiny, brass bowl. The blue/green cloth provided a necessary cool complement to all that warmth. It also gave me a great challenge - to paint folds in cloth covered by an intricate pattern. The little white, ceramic pitcher with its lovely floral design brought in a sense of times past.

Title: "Mid-Summer Bounty"

Medium: Watercolor on 140 lb. archival paper.

Image Size: 14 x 20”

Framed Size: 24.5 x 30”

Framing/Matting: This painting is triple-matted, under glass, in an elegant, wooden, gold leaf frame. The accents of finely painted burgundy threads on the gold frame harmonize with the burgundy on the peaches.

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The Money Plant 7 x 5 inches

The Money Plant

The lovely Lunaria, also called Money Plant, Silver Dollars, Honesty, Moonwort and Satin Flower, produce wonderfully decorative, oval seedpods in the Fall. Shimmering, silvery and translucent, they just beg to be painted! I placed them in this vintage, ceramic vase for its similar colors and contrasting texture.
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BIRD NEST AND EGGSHELL 4" x 4"

I am very fortunate to have many creative people as friends. This charming little bird’s nest was given to me by a friend who works in the fiber arts. It is made out of paper and small weeds and grasses. One morning last spring I found this cracked half of a Robin’s eggshell and popped it into the empty nest as soon as I got home. Even though one was “faux” and the other “real,” they seemed made for each other.
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CANISTER AND ONION 6" x 8"

CANISTER AND ONION

This old, brown canister has been in my kitchen forever! I don’t really use it anymore since I sort of stopped cooking somewhere along the way, but I still like looking at it. I paired it with an onion and this vintage, lace tablecloth for a “homey” look.
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LEMONS ON STRIPED SATIN

LEMONS ON STRIPED SATIN

Here is another painting on my black and white satin cloth. I love the high contrast between the black and white stripes and the brilliant yellow of the three lemons “nested” upon it. I am also fascinated by the way the folds in the cloth shimmer, shine and reflect the light and the yellow of the lemons. Very fun - and challenging - to capture it all in paint!
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GRAPES IN BRASS BOWL 5" x 7"

GRAPES IN BRASS BOWL

The simplicity of this greenish, brass bowl complements the relative busyness of the red grapes with their twisting stems. The bowl’s foot and the grapes reflecting into the bowl add interest and movement to this peaceful, quiet painting.

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CHINESE LANTERNS

CHINESE LANTERNS

Chinese Lanterns are such an interesting plant and really do look like Chinese lanterns! I arranged them in this beautiful Asian vase made by a potter friend of mine. The bright oranges, reds, golds and white against the dark background created a true feast for the eyes. Enjoy.
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JUST FRIENDS 5" x 7"

JUST FRIENDS

Like old friends, this single pear and plum looked very comfortable together on this vintage embroidered tablecloth. I liked the way the colors of the embroidery thread echoed the colors of the fruit.
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BLUE HYDRANGEA

BLUE HYDRANGEA

There's hardly anything more beautiful than a huge, blue Hydrangea. I have a large plant in my garden that produces voluminous, vividly blue blooms all summer. I also love them when they begin to fade and change colors. Since the flower itself is so complex, I decided to put in on a simple, white cloth.
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RAIDING THE PANTRY 4" x 6"

RAIDING THE PANTRY

I needed a little break from still life and decided to paint something outside my studio for a change. Like a bird. Chicadees are probably my favorite backyard bird. Their bright “chicadee dee dee” call always makes me smile, and they don’t desert me in the winter. This little guy knows just where to find a tasty treat from nature’s pantry. Enjoy.
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RED PEARS AND STRIPES

PEARS AND STRIPES

I bought this satin cloth just for the pure pleasure – and challenge - of trying to paint it. I was fascinated by the way the light reflected off the black and white stripes adding drama and movement to the set up. The red pears brought in the perfect color to top it all off.
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SUMMER’S SPLENDOR

SUMMER’S SPLENDOR

I love the incredible abundance and variety of colors found in summer. I started with this wonderful, 1950’s yellow-green vase by Mary Spence and then arranged these luscious red-violet plums and Hydrangeas around it. The vibrant, contrasting, complementary colors just said it all! Enjoy.
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SILVER AND GOLD

SILVER AND GOLD

More of the Asian plums. This gorgeous Asian plum scattered its gold, yellow and orange colors all over this highly faceted silver dish! Every ridge and curved surface of the dish caught the reflections of the plum as well as the light from the room. Rich, rich, rich!
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ME AND MY SHADOW

ME AND MY SHADOW

I saw this sweet, little dahlia bud poking through and casting shadows on an old white, picket fence and just had to paint it! In fact, this is the first in a series of flowers and old fences that I am very excited about painting. Seeing a new, fresh-this-year flower sharing the same space with a decades-old fence suggests such a wonderful feeling of timelessness. Enjoy.
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ROW OF GOLD

ROW OF GOLD

A friend of mine brought me a branch of yellow Asian plums that had broken under the weight of them. These little guys are small – about the size of a golf ball – but, boy, are they filled with juicy lusciousness! They were so beautiful, that I just lined them up and started to paint.
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VINTAGE COPPER TEA KETTLE 5" x 7"

VINTAGE COPPER TEA KETTLE

I spotted this old copper tea kettle while browsing through an antique store on the Oregon coast. I loved its color and the wonderful way it reflected everything around it. I placed it on a beautiful vintage cutwork cloth I have, added the small, teal bowl for color and the marbles for fun.
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AND BABY MAKES THREE 4" x 4"

AND BABY MAKES THREE

My neighbor generously shared some home-grown garlic from her garden with me. It was just beautiful, shining with subtle colors ranging from ochres to reds, to purples. While I was breaking it up to arrange for this still life, one tiny, little clove fell out. Suddenly, a bunch of garlic cloves became a family, and I had my painting!

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BINGS IN A SILVER DISH

BINGS IN A SILVER DISH

These luscious, deep red – nearly black – Bing cherries looked so gorgeous in this highly faceted, silver dish! Every ridge and curved surface of the dish caught the red reflections of the cherries as well as the light from the room. Rich, rich, rich!
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GOOD TIMES OLD AND NEW

GOOD TIMES OLD AND NEW

I live near this fabulous, vintage, wrought iron fence that has definitely seen better days. It was once painted and standing proud but today is deeply pitted and rusty, with much of the original paint peeling away. The Oregon winters are not kind to metal. The contrast between it and the new, fresh cosmos speaks to me of timelessness and renewal. Enjoy.
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TEA TIME WITH TULIP

TEA TIME WITH TULIP

I have painted this before in watercolor, but I liked it so much I decided to paint it again in oil even though there is a tremendous amount of detail work in it. The cup, which is very tiny and delicate, is part of a vintage chocolate pot and cup set that my friend, Sybil, loaned to me. It, and the little Forget-me-nots, make the normal-sized yellow tulip look huge. They are all set on a beautifully embroidered, vintage cloth that I have.
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MASTERS OF DISGUISE 5" x 7"

MASTERS OF DISGUISE

Kiwis are truly amazing! On the outside they are drab, brown little fuzz balls. But on the inside they are juicy, succulent and gorgeous! Who knew? The contrasting textures make them very fun to paint.
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MY MOTHER'S TEAPOT

MY MOTHER’S TEAPOT

This is all that is left from my mom’s china set. It’s really a beautiful teapot with the bamboo motif and accents of gold. The limes harmonize with the pot’s green colors, while the plum provides a nice, complementary note.
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I'M LEANING YOUR WAY

I’M LEANING YOUR WAY

While at the grocery store shopping for fruit to use in a still life, I spotted these beautiful pears. I was attracted to their lovely yellow-green color, accented by an amazing blush of orange and pink. When I actually set them up on my still life “stage,” they leaned toward each other. Right away I imagined them as individual beings engaged in a conversation. The title suggested itself immediately, and I began to paint.
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"N" BLOCK AND MARBLES

“N” BLOCK AND MARBLES

This lovely old wooden child's block was obviously much loved and used. It is all scuffed up with much of the original paint faded or missing. I added the vintage marbles as a contrasting design element (square vs. round) and to show another toy from the same era.
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