My First and Last Cactus 16" x 20"

This was very sweet to receive from my mom for Christmas. This painting has hung in her office for a very long time and before that I think it hung in the home I grow up in.
It was the summer of 1968 and I spent it painting with my next door neighbor in his garage. It was my first attempt at real oils. My mom told me how much I complained while I was painting this. I am sure now that it was because I really was not sure how it would look when I was done. I was a little embarrassed for fear of failure. When it was all done I was pleased at what I had accomplished and my mom got it framed. I was 13 years old and I only wish now that I had continued painting at that time. I always loved and dabbled in art, but did not have the patience to attempt anything like this again.
So here I am, many, many years later. I look at this with great memories of the summer I painted in Carlos Hadaway's (http://www.thearizonakid.com/) garage. He saw something in me, that took me along time to see in myself. So thanks to Carlos for planting the seed and mom for reframing this and giving it to me. The best gift!

Bob and the Boys 11" x 14" pastel

Well, I was feeling alittle chilly this evening and was dreaming about warm summer days. This is a pastel done from a photo of my boys, my husband and my nephew in the water at Newport Beach.

Still Life 11" x14" oil

Newport Back Bay 6"x8" oil

Love this place.

Hana House Sketch

This sketch was done while on vacation in Hana last summer. It was the first time I carried all my art gear for plein air. I worked in pastels. I only did a few sketches, but it was worth it. I enjoyed Hana a lot.

Three Pears 12"x 24" oil

Houses in a Landscape

Boat in the Harbor 8" x 10"

Another one from Tom's class.

Vase of Lilacs 10" x 8"

This was done in Tom Brown's Painting class at the Irvine Fine Art Center. Tom has a wonderful way of teaching and having a student produce a painting in one class session. It is a step by step approach and it works for just about everyone. You get done and feel pretty good.

Petit Sugar Bowl 4" x 6"oil

Well, another attempt. Something to keep working on, or maybe not.

Still Life Study 8" x 10"

This started as a table filled with fruit outside at Tom Brown's workshop. Somehow mine ended up looking like it was inside with a lamp on it.

Half a Lemon and Bottle of Oil 8"x6"

Little Flower Pitcher 6"x4" oil

Well this was not easy. I thought not to put this up on my blog, but I think it is important to remember where I am in the process of learning. I have a sugar bowl to do as well and hopefully I will take what I learned here to the next and the next and.........
Also, I am learning about photographing my work. This photo is not the best. Frustrating to say the least.

Three Pears in a Fruit Bowl 8"x6" oil

Copenhagen Cafe

This pastel came after a very special family vacation to Europe. It actually is in the collection of a very dear friend. So nice to see it again. It is a wonderful reminder of our time in Denmark.
I am having a wonderful walk down memory lane this week. I have to take a few photographs to get back to the present.

Partial to Pears

I love pears. I love their shape. I love their color. I love the way they just lay around. They are all just different enough to be unique.
I did this some time ago when I was starting to work in oil. I had studied pears in pastel and felt comfortable enough to try them in my venture into oil. It is fun to look back.
I painted pears yesterday in an attempt to do a painting a day. I have a new appreciation for those of you that paint a painting a day to post and then paint everything else you are working on. I need to learn to simplify so that I don't spend the whole day on one thing. I don't have that kind of time. Practice! Practice! Practice!