Lazy Daisy

Lazy Daisy  6"x 6" Oil on Board

Did you know that there are lots of varieties of pink

daisies?

Prairie, Sunshine, Swan River and Ox-eye to name a few.

I went with the Lazy name because it

matched my mood (it's summertime!) and picked them from the

nursery for their beautiful pale pink color.

I had this set up for an out door still life demo but it was

so windy they kept falling over so I had to switch to

something heavier.

to purchase this painting for $100 click here.



Relaxing Read

Relaxing Read   6" x 8 "  Oil on Board

This is a good friend of mine that is nice enough to pose for me.

It's difficult to do but she's really good at it.

Anybody recognise her?

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Blue Beard

Blue Beard  6"x 6" Oil on Board

I haven't forgotten I've been working on a  series of faces!

I want to tell you about my opening this past

Sunday afternoon.  It was lots of fun and I want to

say thanks to all the people that came by.

More on that later, right now I have to rush out for

a plein air session - the weather is absolutely

beautiful- unlike the opening.....

to purchase this painting for $100 click here.

Shopping with Kids

Shopping with Kids 8" x 10" oil on board

There is something universal about shopping with young kids

no matter where in the world you are. The parents never

seem to have enough hands!

This is a market in Munich that we visited when we flew to

visit our German friends.

Viktualeinmarkt

a tradition since 1807.

Kids are kids everywhere except of course in France

where they are trained to sit through a three hour lunch and

act like little angels-

how do they do that?

This piece is offered by auction- price begins at $100

click here

The Scarf

The Scarf  6" x 6" Oil on Board

This is a painting of a good friend of mine that wears all kinds of cool head gear

that looks great on her. Turbans, hats, scarves, I'm always wondering what's next!

This scarf was irrestible.

to bid at auction click here

Hellooooo!

Hellooooo!  6" x 6" oil on board

Meet my French neighbor.  I've just returned from my house in the French

countryside. If you'd like to see and hear a little more about my last trip

please sign up for my newsletter.  When you sign up you are eligible to win a collection of

 French Letters, a set of six greeting cards of paintings done in France.

to purchase this painting for $100 click here

Peaceful Stroll

Peaceful Stroll  6" x 8"  oil on board

I love to go to outside in Malta and paint. It's one of the few places where you can

 find lots of trees and and shade?

Can anyone guess what park this is?

I'm off to my house in France for some R and R.

See you in a week!

to purchase this painting for $100 click here

Daily Break

Daily Break  6"x 6"  oil on board

This is the type of scene I see regularly in France, Italy and Malta, a bunch of guys hanging out having coffee or an apero.

I think it's because Europeans take their leisure much more seriously than people do in the states.

What do you think?

to purchase this painting for $100 click here



Kendall and Jaiden

Kendall and Jaiden  9"x12" oil on board

Enjoyed doing this painting of my girls! I feel like

I really "got" their personalities.



Souvenir Search

Souvenir Search   6" x 6"  oil on board

People are endlessly entertaining to me, especially tourists.  Easy to spot and fun to watch.

Look like anyone you know?

to purchase for $100 click here

Cefalu, Italy

Cefalu   6"x 6"  Oil on Board

This is a painting of the promenade along the sea front in Cefalu, a village in Sicily.  I was there last year in May enjoying a workshop given by my friend Francesco Fontana.  Francesco gives a great painting holiday and I met lots of new friends.  If you want a vacation you'll remember forever I highly recommend this. For more info check it out here.

   to purchase for $100 click here

Lost in Translation 2

Lost in Translation 2   Oil on Board   6" x 6"

My personal trainer ( and studio Mascot- Robi) a 100 lb. Bouvier, and I went out for our daily exercise program and ran across this couple- again. They immediately struck me with their cozy, intimate pose. I hated to disturb them but couldn't help but blurt out-"Hey, I know you guys"!   They were a bit startled but I proceeded to explain that I'd done a painting of them before in the exact same pose, at a different park, with different clothes on.  They politely allowed me to snap a photo, perhaps to get rid of me and back to his translation of what they were reading before we had interrupted. So I parted with a "I really like what you're wearing today".  They just stared at me with a very quizzical look on their faces. Robi bounced around a bit with a smile on his face. I think there were relieved when we moved on......

to purchase this painting for $100 click here

Poster Girl

Poster Girl  6" x 6"  oil on board

In this painting I took just a few colors and a few values and played with the design.

I can't exactly describe in words how much fun this is! It's all about the patterns of light and dark, and it's amazing how many different options can be created.

to purchase for $100 click here

Bench Warmers

Bench Warmers   6" x 8"  oil on board

Park benches give me endless entertainment.  When people are relaxing and taking

a break like these two painting friends of mine, their candid poses have an attitude that

gives me insight into their personalities and their "story".  Does anybody out there want to guess who they are?

click here to purchase for $100

Three Day Weekend

Three Day Weekend   7"x 9"  Oil on Board

The weather in Malta is beautiful this time of year and people are

flocking to the rocky shore. Some of the crazy visitors from much colder climates even go swimming.

The Med is way too cold for me until July or August.

Are you a fair weather swimmer or prefer the polar plunge?

To purchase this painting for $125 click here.

Out of the Box

Out of the Box  6"x 6" oil on board

Cherries can be a problem to paint.  They have a mind of their own which can get troublesome,  I should know! I can turn around while I'm painting them and the next thing I know- one of them is out of the box! Sneaky cherries...Does anyone else have problems with these troublemakers?

to purchase for $100 click here

Peanut Butter Crackers

Peanut Butter Crackers   6"x6"  oil on board

Three weeks ago I left for the states and took some time off to visit with my kids and family.  It was a great trip and the time flew by.  I also got some painting time in and did a long awaited workshop with artist Carol Marine. It was definately worth the wait and I enjoyed meeting all the other artists.  I learned alot too which prooves even old dogs can learn some new tricks.

click here to purchase this painting for $100

Nude Study

Nude Study  8"x10"  Oil on Board

I just love doing these timed studies. They are good fun.  This will probably be my last post until April.  I'll be abroad stateside enjoying seeing my family and doing a little painting too.

See ya on the flip side, for those of you old enough to know what that is....

for purchasing info click here

Contemplating Colors

Contemplating Colors   18" x 24"  oil on canvas

Sometimes I like to take my small studies and make them bigger. There is so much more room on the canvas to play around with larger strokes and have some fun with texture.

Sennelier

Sennelier  6" x 8" oil on board

Next time you're shopping in Paris don't forget to stop by the

famous Sennelier Art Shop on the Left Bank (Rive Gauche).

It's not just for pastels anymore...

for purchasing info click here

Contemplating Colors

Contemplating Colors  8" x 10"  oil on board

The last painting in a session seems to turn out the best.  Maybe it's because I'm warmed up and in the flow.  Maybe it's because the late afternoon light creates more intense warm and cool shades.  Or maybe it's because there is a more interesting mix of colors on my palette.

What do you think?

for purchasing info click here

Touch of Red

Touch of Red   6"x 8"  Oil on Board

This is another timed quick study from life.  I like the suggestion, the lost edges,  and the colors of the under painting showing though. 

for purchasing info click here

Future Fajitas

Future Fajitas 6"x 6" oil on board

What inspires me to paint has to do more with the colors, shapes, patterns and light than what the actual subject matter is.  When I'm painting, it doesn't matter whether it's a figure, a still life or a landscape, it all boils down to simple artistic principles: values, composition, color, and texture-

just to name a few....

for purchasing info click here

Study of Zhanna

Study of Zhanna  6" x 6" oil on board

I just love doing these timed small studied from life.

for purchasing info click here

Fresh Juice

Fresh Juice  6"x6" Oil on Board

This is the time of year the orange trees ripen in Malta.  It's so cool to just step into my garden and pick something off the tree to paint!  I've been timing my studies recently which is a great learning tool.  Not only does it make me faster it doesn't give me time to get fussy and over think things.  Paintings seem to turn out better when they come from an intuitive place. All I was thinking about when I painted this was following the values and patterns. It was lots of fun.

I've entered it in the Daily Paintworks challenge- Paint it before you eat it.

Please check out the link below.

for purchasing info click here

Blue Shoes

Blue Shoes  6" x 8" oil on board

Recently I've been working from life and sharing the modeling cost with some friends.  It's really interesting how differently we approach things.

We usually warm up with quick ten minute sketches and then do a few timed longer poses, with the longest being 45 minutes.  A good time is had by all.

Some of my friends out there may have noticed a slight pause in my postings. I have been stuck in the technological doldrums. My IMac 24's hard drive crashed so I had to order a new computer. Things seem to move quite slowly in Malta, island time I suppose. My old Mac, who I hated to see go,

has now been replaced with a two terabyte dual monitor monster that is much smarter than I am.

I feel like a red neck cruising the strip on Friday night in a suped up truck with way too much horsepower. But, when I actually learn to drive this baby, fasten your seat belts!

For purchasing info click here

Wanna Band Aid?

Wanna Band Aid?  6" x 8" Oil on Board

I was in Bali over the holidays and one of the things I found most intriguing were the monkeys.  I could watch them forever. They are also very mischievous! They will take your sunglasses, your purse, anything they can grab.  I even saw one take a blue flip- flop off a girl while she was walking! Further down the path I saw the other blue flip-flop already discarded.  Do you think it was the color that the monkey liked?

Actually they are hanging out and picking pockets so that you'll trade them food to get your possessions back.  Very industrious!

for purchasing info click here

sold

Back Alley

Back Alley  6" x 8"  oil on board

When I'm in France, everyplace I look I can find something that motivates me to paint.

Does anyone else have a special place they just "click" with

creatively?

for purchasing info click here

Calle de Calle Lillies

Calle de Calle Lillies

6 x 6 oil on board

Lately I've been in my studio just playing around and experimenting.

I spent the entire week doing nothing but applying lots and lots of thick paint.

You never know what's going to happen later from that special creative time without the pressure of finishing a painting.

Does anyone else do that?

to purchase click here

Escape

Escape  18"x24"  Oil on Canvas

No I haven't retired, I've been visiting my family in the states for my first Thanksgiving in six years. It was fabulous and I even ventured out the following day to the mall on Black Friday for some shopping and great people watching. I loved every minute of it!

I did this piece upon my return. Women reading seems to be an ongoing theme for me. I was trying to paint more directly, thoughtfully progressing and finishing off a section at a time.  If I wasn't happy with it, I'd scrape off the paint and start again. I was also sticking with cool lights and warm darks.

I won't be posting again until the second week in January. We're going to Bali over the holidays, someplace I've always wanted to visit. I can't wait to paint the beautiful tropical surroundings to share with you when I return to Malta.

Best wishes to create a magical New Year.