Stop and smell the roses!

Valentine surprise  12x16 oil

Once in a while I am drawn to something immediately. The combination of the shoes,  purse and flowers grabbed me right away. It all looked so "girly" ! I figured the roses would fade and get droopy before I finished the painting, so I worked diligently on them the first day while still blocking in all my shapes and values. It is usually best to work up everything at the same time, but with something like flowers, I have to make an exception. Because of this, the painting has a somewhat spontaneous quality and freshness that I really like. Be sure to take time to stop and smell the roses.

Pet Portraits

Brittany 11x14 oil

PITA  6x6

As an avid animal lover who raised dogs and cats I like to try my hand painting pets. When my children brought home a stray needing a home, I always caved and our house has been home to many and various animals over the years. When I was asked to paint a dog for the Brittany Rescue Foundation I was really excited and honored. I warmed up painting PiTA the cat while I was thinking about what to paint for a Brittany. I was torn between doing the face only or the entire animal. I settled on the face because there is nothing more touching than a dog's precious eyes looking soulfully out at you. The interesting part doing this was the markings did not follow the contours of the head. Color changes made the modelling somewhat more of a challenge than painting a dog like a golden or lab that is all one color. The dog sitting in the car with the light hitting one side made it work with the highlights and shadows helping to define the form and counterbalance the patterns in the fur. I intentionally left off the dog's collar so it would not be identified as a particular persons dog since it was for the foundation.

Audubon Sanctuary

Close to Paradise   16x20 oil

Near home the Audubon Sanctuary in Norfolk, MA provides a beautiful setting year round for plein air painting. The water, boardwalks and foliage are spectacular in all seasons and the wildlife is abundant. During the fall I went walking with a friend and came upon a pair of swans who had moved into the habitat. I knew from national seashore tours that swans are very territorial and drive out other birds. The swans were the only birds visible that day. The bright green duckweed provided a stunning diagonal leading back to the dense  grove of trees ablaze with color. The wind rippling across the water in the distance provided a bold cobalt blue accent to the dark water and a perfect backdrop for the swans. The blue/orange harmony brought a unity  and contrast to the scene that seemed to tie it up in one beautiful package-all it needed was to be painted. The layering of the water, reflections and duckweed floating on the surface had to be done over a number of sessions, but the time was well worth it to get the special effects I wanted. I hope you like it.

The Music Court at Bird Park

The music court at Bird Park is a painting spot I've enjoyed over the years from many different perspectives. I first painted it back in 1980 during a concert. I was working in watercolor and trying to capture the many people and the varied activites that took place as families enjoyed music and a day's outing with balloons and picnics and pets. Since there's been Shakespeare in the Park and many other concerts, but recently my paintings are just about the architecture itself. In this one I was interested in the play of light as it danced across the open areas of the structure. The play of light and shadow creates patterns  that seem to dance and have a rhythm all their own. The painting is 6"X12" to accentuate the length of the music court as it stretches out along the pathway at the edge of the large field. The warmth of the sunlight is dramatized by the vibrant red tree being directly hit by the sunlight.

Cheers to Holiday Traditions!

Bird Park beckons once again!

While working on another painting at the opposite end of the park, I decided to take a break. I walked through the park to enjoy the great fall weather and the park's beauty when I came across this little girl who was captivated by the migrating geese that had just landed. I was hooked when I saw her classic "sandbox squat". The concrete bench and distant bridge are included to give the painting a sense of place. Focusing on strong sunlit areas,  meandering edges and bright green patterns reflecting in the water lead the viewer to the young girl communing with the lone goose at the edge. The red of the girl's shirt repeats in the trees, reflections and turning grasses  to hint at autumn's arrival.

Masterpiece Masquerade

The Art Gallery and Studio at Patriot Place in Foxboro, MA hosted a "Masterpiece Masquerade" this month. Artists from 5 area art associations were invited to create a painting based on a famous favorite artist, but to give it a "twist" of some kind. My love affair with water and Monet made this choice appealing for me. I call it "Frog's Dilemma". In recreating Monet's painting, I realized the more spontaneous and abstracted the work is, the more difficult it is to re-create. In the end , it was a lot of fun working the many layers and glazing between some to create a watery effect. I loved using the frog that visits our fountain on the patio as a model for the "twist".