Figure of Asian Woman Reclining, 5" x 7", Oil on Panel

"Letting Down Her Hair"

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Price: $69 USD plus $8 USD s/h
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I started ploughing through my collection of photos today. I have hundreds of models I've worked with that never see the light of day. That's because they often don't catch the light or ambiance I'm after. As I take dozens of each pose just slightly different, that amounts to a lot of unused photos. I decided this pose of Julie would work pretty well. I wanted to try some ideas I had on color temperature. Overall, I like the way it came out. Some things I think warrant changing but I think that I may do a larger piece of this same pose. Any thoughts?

Figure Painting of Young Woman in Soft Light, 9" x 12" Oil on Linen Panel

"Angie II"

This smaller piece was done from the same reference material as a much larger version, but here I was playing with the temperature a bit and also changed some of the colors. Not sure I'll use linen again for small pieces. While I enjoy the texture of the canvas, it tends to soften the edges on small pieces too much for my liking. While I can work around this with thicker paint and sometimes do, I didn't want hard edges except in a few places where thick paint just got in the way of flow. Paint and learn.

Antique Asian Vase and Magnolias Oil Painting, 9" x 12

"Matinee"Currently NFS

Ho hum. Another Sunday afternoon. I'm going to be focused over the next few months in turning out some work for the summer festival season. If you see something without a price but have an extreme itch to own it, send me an email and I'll let you know if I can part with it. I try to make nearly everything available for sale but this sometimes works against me and I end up with nothing available and having to scramble to get work together. I intend to be unruffled and ready by the summer season. Yeah, right.

Pastel Painting of Approaching Storm over Farmland, 11" x 14"

"Storm Watch"This painting is framed and matted to 14" x 18"
Please email me if you are interested in purchase.




Where I live, there are a lot of open fields. We're facing the Strait of Juan de Fuca with our back against the Olympic Mountains. Although the weather changes frequently, because of the mountains, we are saved from the worst of the rain that blesses the State of Washington. However, the combination of sea and mountains makes for some pretty dynamic weather effects. One of my favorites is when the sky darkens with heavy clouds and the sun is low enough to shoot underneath lighting up parts of the landscape. This happens here quite frequently and I paint it whenever I can. While not as dramatic as some I've done, I enjoyed the quiet atmosphere of this piece. There is something exciting about to happen, but the land the is waiting and watching. Nothing stirs.

Asian FLoral of Two Red Poppies, Oil on Panel, 5" x 7"

"Two Poppies and a Chinese Vase"

Today was just a crummy day. I was tired after my long haul back from my Seattle based atelier class (three 1/2 hrs) the night before I had to get up early to clear the studio and set up for teaching. The class was good but I finished tired and then after lunch couldn't get myself moving again. I was just brain dead. Nothing inspired me and I seriously considered just fading into the couch with a good book. But guilt, the driving force behind my self discipline, got me moving -- trudging actually. As I set this still life up, the lamp came apart and hit me in the head, I turned too fast and knocked the newly primed board off the easel, knocked over the space heater and scared the bejesses out of my cats! I need to take a copy of this post and pin it to my studio door. One of the things I should know about myself by now is that the discipline of focus on a painting will usually chase the cobwebs and fatigue away. I felt abut two hundred percent better about half way through this little. And now I'm fully recovered - well about ninety percent. I'm going to make dinner, try not to have an accident, and then fade into the couch with a good book. Guilt be damned.

This painting is also available framed. Email me for details.

Peonies and Green Apples Oil Painting, 9" x 12", Oil on Panel

"Peonies and Yellow Apples"

I recently finished a commission of peonies and had so much of the color left on my palette, I decided to do another peony painting. I just couldn't see wasting all that luscious pink paint. The apples were green originally but I liked them better as yellow. They were left over too. Not anymore...I just ate the last one.

Dogwood and Chinese Apples Oil Painting, 5" x 7"

"Dogwood and Chinese Apples"
SOLD










I recently sold a small nude to a collector and framed it for her in one of these hand finished frames. It looked so good that I decided to offer them as an option on some of my other pieces. This little floral was so charming, I decided it needed its own little frame. The painting is available both with and without the frame. This frame is available for all my 5" x 7" pieces.

Oil Painting of Antique Vase with Yellow Flowers, 9" x 12" Oil on Panel

SOLD

I actually painted two paintings today but decided to rework the other a bit in the morning. I was striving for just the right tone in the background here and more texture on the vase.

Peonies in Asian Vase, Oil Painting, 18" x 24"

"Full Bloom"SOLD

This is a recent commission I completed just yesterday. I really enjoyed getting my teeth into something big again. The painting was done in layers for the most part although there are some wet-in-wet worked areas. My collector loves it and that's what's most important. Hope you enjoy it too! To see how this painting was done, click here.

Figure Sketch, Charcoal on Paper, 24" x 36"

"Anna Dreaming"
SOLD




What a great day. I woke up feeling totally exhausted after a very late night having worked until midnight. But despite feeling dragged out, the day went pretty well. I worked on my commission painting and really brought it to a great place. For those of you who are following my
teaching blog, the painting is really looking up. I changed quite a bit since my last post early this morning. However, I've decided to wait until I'm finished with the painting to post the rest of the lessons. Don't worry - I'm documenting every step! The reason for this decision is that I feel it is important that my customer be the first to see the finished painting. After all, it is for her. However, once she's approved the piece, I'll post the last two lessons.
So getting back to today...I got into the studio at 8:00 AM and brought the painting to it's resting place for the day and then realized that I still had shopping to do for my class next week and won't be able to do it between now and when I leave. So I cleaned up my palette, grabbed my purse and ran out the door. Three hrs later I'm back, but pooped. I just had time to dash off this figure sketch from an earlier one done in class. So my "daily" obligation is met and I can relax tonight. I won't be publishing again for a few days as I will be attending atelier in Seattle and won't return until Tuesday evening. With teaching on Wednesday and homework, my studio is disarray from the construction, it may be Thursday before I post again. Have a great week!

Peony Oil Painting, 6" x 6"

"Peony"
NFS

Today started with an early rise so that I could get my wrecked studio into shape for my students who were returning after the holiday break. What a mess! After about two hours I managed to get enough stuff moved around so that folks could work. I am so done with this whole waiting thing! I can't wait until the new studio is finished. You could hide a body in the old one.

After my students left, I got busy with Day Two of my commission but didn't wrap it up until dinner time. So for my daily painting, I borrowed one of the peonies from the painting and, viola! A daily painting. OK - so it's not for sale. But I did finish it in about the time I take to do a DP, so it sort of counts. Check in with my teaching blog later tonight for more about this peony and the painting as it develops.

Reclingin Nude Watercolor, 7" x 9", matted to 10" x 12"

"Watching TV"

I spent a good part of the day starting a commission for a large peony painting. Check out my teaching blog for peek at the beginning stages. Just when I had wrapped up the first session and was ready to start another small oil for this blog, I received a phone call from my good friend and walking buddy who's snow birding in CA. Chat, chat, chat...and nothing got done for the space of an hour. So I decided on a quick watercolor for a change. I could keep the lights bright and play for a bit. Hope you enjoy her as much as I did.

Internet Cafe Scene, Oil on Board, 5" x 7"

"Afternoon Browser"
SOLD



I recently met a friend for an coffee break and a chat at a local cafe. A young woman who was intent on her computer while sipping her latte caught my eye. I loved the way her red wool dress and gray scarf were bundled about her. She was totally oblivious to my sneaky camera.
I used to be fascinated with airports and people watching at them until flying became such a hassle. Now I enjoy just looking at folks doing their thing at everyday places.
I did this painting as a poster study with large shapes and simple colors. These are good exercises and I enjoy the compositional problems that need to be solved on small pieces. Enjoy.
For those of you who have purchased work previously from me, I'd like to let you know that paintings are now being varnished with several gloss coats which brightens the painting and brings out the color passages.

Pen and Ink with Watercolor Painting of A Meadow and Trees, 5.5" x 7.5", Matted to 8" x 10"

"Evening on the Meadow"SOLD

I rarely paint in pen and ink anymore but it used to be something I enjoyed doing a lot. A bit like doodling but more detailed. In fact, it's so different from my usual stuff that I post here, that I decided to sign it with my maiden name.
This little watercolor is already matted to an 8" x 10" standard size and will easily fit in a picture frame.

Figure Sketch of Older Woman, 18" x 24", Pastel

"Juvia"$30.00, Available with Mat
Email me about this sketch.





Every now and again in figure drawing, I'm able to come up with a good color sketch. I particularly like the way this one came out. Juvia is an older model with interesting features. While not as shapely as many of the younger models who work for my group, Juvia is beautiful in spirit and has great character in her face. I think I managed to capture some of that in this sketch.