Citrus City 4x6 oil

Small study of a very busy store front. I needed to keep it simple and got hung up with detail. Everything seems important to say.

Bold and Beauteous 5x5 acrylics

These are fun and don't take much time...and make nice little gifts matted and wrapped in clear cellophane.

DSFDF December Challenge 8x8 oil

Wow, this was a tough one. Beard, hat, expression, shadows and well a likeness etc etc. Glad to have it done. Goals for 2010...portraits!

Merry Christmas Doodle 2.5x2.5 pen and ink

No time to paint. Just thoughts of Christmas in doodle form. Merry Christmas to all!

Me Too! 26x20 vine charcoal

I wonder if all my color stuff is a reaction to the charcoal under my finger nails. I would much rather have color under my finger nails than charcoal, which looks like my person hygiene has gone south for the winter.

This is a final project for my Grilli class at Saddleback. I think it is a little rough and well so am I. I had to think too much on this one and almost thought myself into a bad dream. Really it is more a statement of my life. I have more to me than what is out there for sharing in plain sight. I had this brilliant idea to repeat and repeat ... you know my image (so i got one repeated, another great idea left on the planning table). Kind of a lets go deeper and deeper and the flower merely a symbol of a bloom and death thing. The cycle of life. Looking at my face for hours on end is a clear reminder that no matter how I feel inside the skin is starting to not relate...who is that person in the mirror anyway. She is me...geeeee!

Snap Out Of It 5x5 acrylic

Morning addiction! More coffee please. Anyway, here are more in the way of therapy. Like the flowers my values got lost and I found myself tightening up...could it be Christmas is right around the corner and I'm playing in paint. Funny how I hide and avoid. Wooowww, this is therapy!

Bursts of Color 7x5 acyrlic

Played some more. Lost my values more than I would like, but didn't realize till the end. This is an issue for me. I pulled out my red filter and could see that I abandoned the full range of values. So much to work on and put to practice. Good thing I love the process!!!

Fluff 14x11 oil

Had a model day this week. I cut it to a quick draw because I didn't get there till lunch and had to leave before it was over. So I approached it fast and furious. I have been painting in acrylic with primary colors for the past few week and it came out here. When I got home I calmed it down a bit. I had to think about warm and cool and realized with all the fun I have been having that I have disregarded the importance of warm against cool. This is still very warm. You can only imagine what it was.
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A Pear to Share 7x5 acrylic

I love doing these no fuss, fast drying, crazy color acrylic paintings. One thing is I am not hung up on what I am doing. I'm not looking at a still life. It is totally made up and all about learning color balance. I am an over blender with a strong fear of bright color. This is like therapy!!!!! the artists answer to journaling. I can work in my pajamas and shuffle about releasing emotions through paint. It is rhythmic and relaxing and very playful. Play is a very important thing in art and LIFE. Permission granted to stick your fingers in the paint.

Daisy 8x8 acrylic on w/c paper

Daisy was a street dog. She was so dirty when she was found they thought she was dark grey. There was great surprise to find out she was actually light in color, almost white, after her bath. She is a sweetheart and has melted the hearts of all who meet her. Once she is in your lap, she is in your heart.

This is for my nephew commissioned by my sister. I think of this great guy, grown and a business professional, with this little dog he just loves so much. It just makes me smile. I say dogs are sent to us to melt our hearts and to love us unconditionally. They don't stay long enough, but the lessons they teach stay with us forever.

Cupp'a Joe 8x8 acrylic

Worked on these all at the same time. I didn't want to do all the same coffee cup so I tried to find a coffee cup in the under painting and start from there. These are what I came up with.
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Flowers Bright and Cheerie 7x5 acrylic

What is really fun about doing these is you work a few at a time. The paint is carried from one to all of them. So when you're done you may have 3 or 4 with the chance of one working out. the paint is pretty direct from the tube with mixing happening visually on the page. they end up pretty bright and cheerie.
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Trees, Trees, Trees acrylic

Another in the Burridge series of color play.

Pears of a Different Color 7x5 acrylic

These are a result of a day of play. I am not much for acrylic paint, but in an attempt to experiment I pulled them out. Dana Cooper came over and gave me a workshop in a day on Robert Burridge. I have been playing ever since. I love the idea of laying down paint quick and seeing the results right away. It is sort of letting the paint tell you what to do next. The best part is it doesn't take long and the return is abundant. I will be posting more and then back to oil.