Grandmas House-1940

"The Bird Song"

"Carnation Reincarnation"

"Tulips and Oranges"

"White Roses, Mona"

painting in progress

"Daisy Day"

 
 

   Can you tell I am excited for spring to arrive? This is my plea to the gods! This painting is one of four that will be in a show in march. 

 

Rick The Cat

This painting of Rick was commissioned  by one of my brothers friends. I had one picture of the cat to work from, it was kinda hard because I wanted to get the essence of Rick but my first attempt made the cat look evil. I reworked the face a bit and it came around. This is the second pet portrait I've done, the whole idea of having a painting of a pet is funny to me, a little kitchy, but I enjoy doing it, as long as people keep asking. People really love their pets, don't they? I looked at my crazy old cat Neptune alot when I was doing this, they have similar features. Meow... toodles

"Sun Tea"

"Hydrangeas Pink, Hot Peach Zinnias"

"Ball Jar with Blue" - the process

When I paint my flower still lifes, I think about certain visual traits to display. I love the look of flowers picked from the garden, wild and fresh. My mother always had a bouquet on the breakfast nook table, and there was something so organic about the pairing of flowers in her design. If it was beautiful and had bloomed, she would pick it, pair it with an odd grouping of other ripe flowers, and bring it in. The randomness of the buds and staggering heights of the chopped stems made for a visual appeal that seems middle class homemade and nostalgic. I am also interested in the vases of these still lifes that I do. I love old jars and vases with text or other interesting features. When you put the water and stems in the vessel, the glass reacts in such an interesting and marvelous way. It excites me when I paint. 

Often times, I have an idea for color in my head weeks before I start a painting. I will see a combination in life, one or two or three colors together that are paired so nicely, and then I will create a still life in my imagination. Not to say that these are so planned,  in comparison to much else, they are not, but the color is one factor that comes to me and leads the way for the painting, it is the driving force.