Abundance

Every year I look forward to the middle of summer when my Hydrangeas bloom. Although they are a difficult and complex flower to paint, I can never resist painting them. Their range of blues and deep pinks get me every time. Although I started this painting at the end of the summer, I really got bogged down with it and didn’t complete it until November. I placed the flowers in a square, glass vase and paired them with a lovely blue and white covered ceramic jar. As a contrast to all the blues and violets, I added this wonderful copper kettle which promptly stole the show! Abundance, indeed. Enjoy.

Title: “Abundance”

Medium: Oil on canvas mounted on RayMar board

Image Size: 8x10 inches

Unframed

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The Long and the Short of It

This red apple and yellow, ceramic cream pitcher just seem made for each other in a Mutt and Jeff sort of way. Although one is quite tall, relative to the other, they are both rather rotund. I liked that the apple had exactly the same shade of yellow on it as the little pitcher, and I loved the cast shadow of the stem. I really experimented with the background, making it very loose and somewhat rough relative to the smoothness of the apple and pitcher. It was really fun to just smoosh paint around for a change. Me, being loose. Enjoy.

Title: "The Long and the Short of It”

Medium: Oil on canvas, mounted on board

Image Size: 4x6 inches

Unframed

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Basket O' Bings

I actually started this painting in mid-summer, but have only now had the time to put it up. I am a new grandma and spent two weeks in Brooklyn with my daughter, her husband and their new baby girl, Maya. What joy! Since I'm in Oregon, I guess we will have to rely on Skype. sigh. Anyway......,

There is hardly anything more wonderful or eagerly awaited than the first summer crop of Bing Cherries. Their glossy, deep red – almost black color – is so lush and mouth watering! To highlight their luxuriance, I piled a bunch of them into and around a shiny, brass basket. I loved the way the dark cherries contrasted with and were reflected in the light basket creating a truly superb and sumptuous display. Enjoy.

Title: "Basket O’ Bings”

Medium: Oil on canvas mounted on board

Image Size 6x8 inches

Unframed

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Pansies in Lyn's Yellow Bowl

Lyn, my dear friend and Mahjong player extraordinare, has four of these yummy yellow bowls that she uses for popcorn. As soon as I saw one, I mentally filled it with blue and violet pansies and then begged one bowl from her to use for this oil painting. I happily filled it with these gorgeous pansies who always seem so delighted to be wherever they are. I popped in the little ceramic egg separator decorated with blue, pansy-like flowers and was very pleased with the cheerful little group. Enjoy.

Title: PANSIES IN LYN’S YELLOW BOWL

Medium: Oil on canvas mounted on board

Image Size 4x6 inches

Unframed

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Purple and Gold

Whenever I start feeling artistically insecure, I turn to onions. They are sort of homey, simple in shape, hold their pose and are just quiet, friendly little beings always on hand. I love them.

Although simple in form they are very nuanced in color and texture. I especially liked the gold on the purple onion skin in the front. Plus, as you can probably tell, I really like painting shiny things. For this painting, I went to the pantry and pulled out my onion basket that contained these gold and purple beauties. The contrasting textures and colors of the white cloth and the wooden weave of the basket added an interesting dimension to the scene that pleased me very much. I feel more competent now. Enjoy.

Title: "Purple and Gold”

Medium: Oil on canvas mounted on board

Image Size 6x4 inches

Unframed

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Quietly Pink

In this original oil painting, the background of vibrant, green leaves provided the perfect contrast to these wonderful soft, pink Camellias. They seemed so tranquil and quiet that I placed them in a simple, clear glass of water to keep that sense of peace. I was delighted when the light shining through the glass created a sparkle on the table. Enjoy.

Title: "Quietly Pink”

Medium: Oil on canvas mounted on board

Image Size 6x4 inches

Unframed

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Waiting For The Bus

This is a simple little original oil painting of fruit – Kiwis and Plums. I liked the dissimilar colors and textures – the dull fuzz of the kiwis contrasting with their juicy insides and the sleek, shiny plums. When they were all grouped up they sort of looked like strangers waiting for a bus. Enjoy.

Title: "Waiting for the Bus”

Medium: Oil on RayMar canvas panel

Image Size 4x6 inches

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Deep Pink Camellias

This is one of those rare times when the painting almost painted itself. I have been trying to loosen up, and this is the best I've been able to do - so far. It's not perfect, but it is going in the right direction. I have a wonderful brass vase that looked wonderful with these deep pink Camellias from my neighbor's yard. Unfortunately, the flowers nearly covered it, but what was left was yummy. How nice to get a break from total frustration!

Title: "Deep Pink Camellias”

Medium: Oil on canvas mounted on board

Image Size: 5x7 inches

Unframed

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“The Snuff Bottle”

I found this wonderful little 1930s snuff bottle (I know – kind of ick, but it was so cute!) in an antique shop and had to have it. I loved its color and rounded shoulders and figured it would be a perfect small accent piece for a still life. Instead, even when surrounded by objects much larger than it as well as very orange Japanese Lanterns and “Cuties,” it became the star of the show. You just never know.

Title: "The Snuff Bottle”

Medium: Oil on stretched canvas.

Image Size 8x10 inches

Unframed

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"Path of Light"

Here is a new painting featuring Chinese or Japanese Lanterns which are very challenging, interestingly shaped and colorful. When they are dried they are a muted orange, but when they are fresh like these, they are a very bright orange. Last fall I picked these from a friend's garden, and this year I'm going to plant my own. This little stem of them looked like the lights you might find along a path, hence the name. The turquoise teapot added a nice, cool complement to all that warmth. Enjoy.

Medium: Oil on Ray Mar panel

Size: 5 by 7 inches

Unframed

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"Jist Plum Purty"

Here is a simple little painting of plums in which I am trying to loosen up a little. You'd think that would be easy, but, for me it definitely is not. I must have been born with a double gene that loves details and demands I "get it right." sigh. Anyway, here is my attempt. I decided to light this little group from the back so the shadows of the plums could be a stronger part of the composition. I think that worked pretty well.

Medium: Oil on Ray Mar Panel

Size: 4 by 6 inches

Unframed

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“The Glory of Summer”

These gorgeous blue, violet, pink Hydrangeas are from my yard. I paired them with dark, purple plums to echo the color of the flowers and then contrasted them all with my favorite shiny brass bowl. The vintage embroidered cloth adds some movement and a touch of the same colors toward the bottom.

Medium: Oil on Ray Mar panel

Image Size: 8x10 inches

Unframed

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"You Lookin' At Me?" Fenton Glass Bird Oil Painting

For this original oil painting on stretched canvas I posed a lovely Fenton glass bird with a vintage teapot and a beautifully embroidered cloth. A very brilliant summer sun was shining through my studio window onto a table, and I decided to go with it and backlight this scene. I was delighted with the gorgeous ambers, yellows and golds reflecting through the bird and onto the tablecloth. The bird has such an intent look that I decided to title this painting “You Lookin’ At Me?” just for fun. Enjoy.

Title: "You Lookin’ At Me?"

Medium: Oil on stretched canvas

Image Size: 8x10 inches

Unframed

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"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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