Seascapes
37 Malaga Cove 20x24
The wet sand at low tide reflects the morning sky making the shore look like a collection of jewels with smoothed and glistening surfaces.
41 After the Rain 11x30
The sky cleared and the sandy beach turned a coppery gold in the descending light of the sun. It was an amazing evening. The panoramic views I caught with my camera helped revive the experience once I returned to my studio.
43 Emerald Isle 11x14
Porch Memories
17 Lake View 20x20
Summers at the lake in upper New York State are filled with fresh air and outdoor adventures.
At your whim, you can go sailing, swimming, water-skiing, row-boating, canoeing, walking, hiking or bike riding. You can pick wild flowers or do absolutely nothing. The sense of freedom is without limits.
21 Puss 'N Shoes 16x20
It's always good to have a companion when you are doing any kind of work, reading, writing or sketching for a painting.
This painting was meant to catch the moment when your companion is on the look out for your return.
22 Rocking Porch 24x24
On the coast of Maine, the wrap-around porches on many old homes are inviting. Rocking on the front porch was an important part of everyday life in summers.
23 Room with a View 12x16
In Southern France, the balcony's reflections are almost as spectacular as the views. It was tea time, late afternoon. Going back out to the balcony, I stopped and set up my easel to capture the moment.
24 Saturday Afternoon 20x24
Saturday afternoons are the best. You can sleep late, no need to dress, time to read or listen to music or to the birds singing. Everything seems better out on the porch. When I was still young enough to be in school, I loved knowing that Mom would push the screen door open to let me know when lunch was ready. What a day! What a life! Anything was possible on Saturday.
25 Screened-In 22x28
Sebasco, Maine circa 1958.
This scene was painted from old photos that remind me of the tastes and smells of summer there. The salty air off the rocky coastline mixes with the scent of pine trees. In those days, to be screened-in was a luxury. It meant we could eat as though we were picnicking outdoors but without shooing away flies or worrying about mosquito bites.
26 Summer in Savannah 28x22
There is nothing like the classic wrap-around porch in the South. The promise of a nap in the hammock calls you.
31 Waiting for a Friend 16x20
An open deck with an umbrella for two overlooks this most luscious coastal shoreline. The breezes are wonderful up here and the trees are the proof that the air is moving.
32 Daybreak 20x24
It was a Spring morning in South Carolina.
I felt the humidity begin to rise as the morning dew disappeared. It was quiet with only the sound and smells of trees, flowers and grassy lawns around me. I wanted to capture that serene beauty on my canvas.
35 Sun-Kissed 20x20
The rocker here is like the one my grandma loved on summer afternoons. Often with a fan in her hand, she would sit, rest and sometimes begin to tell us stories about times when she was a child.
47 Autumn Wrap 16x20
Still Life Studies
02 Bell Book and Candle 14x18
The book happens to be John Keats' POETICAL WORKS, 1924. I noticed it one day on a table covered with my grandmother's needlepoint. I added an old, much used candle in an heirloom candle holder and a brass bell once used to call for help. The glasses belonged to my mother who often lent them to her mother to read small print. The apple is good to keep the doctor away, she said.
06 Bird in the Bayou 11x14
Even in the marshes of Louisiana, the sun breaks through to warm the feathers of this resting bird. It's good to have a lens zoom for moments like this one. The clear blue sky reflected in the murky water is a welcome surprise here.
14 Fruit for Thought 11x14
The orange is so delicious in multiple ways. Its delicious as it grows increasingly fruitful in the tree or in your hand or in your mouth or in a glass full of its squeezed juice. It emerges here in its full glory with a spot of sun to help it grow.
16 Grape Escape 8x10
This is a still life study inspired by the seeming escape of the clever grapes. I enjoyed the light playing on the copper colander and the different textures of the fruit involved.
18 Life Cycle of the Rose 11x14
Finding support from the weathered wooden gate, this beautiful rose is flourishing in its life cycle. The rich color of the new bud peeking out between its green encasing shows the promise of the full flower to come. Found in Mendocino, CA, I took my oil sketch home to glaze the petals of the full flowering rose, layer upon layer.
20 On the Chopping Block 20x16
This is a still life study of the makings for a salad. The soft orangey ochre hues in the onion, the chopping block and the knife handle contrast with the sharp blade and silvery reflections in the pitcher. With the paper texture of the garlic cloves and the sparkling clarity of the reflective glass in shadow, I decided to take this painting off the chopping block and put in on the for sale list.
29 Time Flies 18x24
She loved her garden her whole life. Now, a grandmother and great-grandmother, I know she spent most days tending that garden, weeding, trimming and fertilizing. When she picked flowers, she picked them at just the right time so they would live long. She then made bouquets for us and for lucky friends close by. I love the portrait of her younger self behind her. She often said that time flies and looking back at her life was much like telling me about a dream.
36 A Potters Dream 16x20
The window light highlights the view of this potter's haven. It is a quiet paradise. Baskets and pots, twine and plastic wrap, plants and forgotten apples warm up the space. Everything here awaits the return of the potter.
44 Reflections 8x10
48 Red 30x48
Ascensio inspired work
50 Orange Slices 8x10
51 Citrus Jewel 12x12
52 Nature Made 12x12
53 Paradise 8x8
55 Quiet Place 12x6
City Streets
01 Arrivederci 16x20
In Italy, the hills seem to support towns like this one with narrow winding streets. Or, is it that the towns grow out of the hills? This town is teeming with life and stories about people then and now.
07 Blue Shutters 16x20
In Southern France, amidst the aged winding streets, the basketball hoop doesn't seem to belong. When I saw the young boy with his basketball and a wishful look toward that hoop, I felt a universal connection. I thought about generations of young boys and girls who no doubt lived here and played here and tried to achieve their dreams here, athletic or not. Just like kids everywhere, now and then, do the same.
08 Clothesline 14x18
The clotheline is surely dry by now, hung high in the sun above the town center below. The warmth radiates through the aged cobblestones and vine covered walls. The history is almost tactile. You can feel it when you are there, and I wanted to capture that feeling on canvas.
09 Court of 3 Sisters 18x24
This is a famous courtyard in the heart of New Orleans. It has an undeniable lure. The windowed walls surround the benches and steps to sit on. You know people are nearby. People live, work and play here. I set up my easel right there and did an oil sketch.
19 Morning in Provence 16x20
A sunny day in this French town, Aix en Provence. It was once inhabited by renowned artists who participated heavily in the Impressionist Movement. I was struck by the stonework, the inviting sunlight and shadows, rich colors and textures of the roads, steps, entry ways and walls.
30 Under the Tuscan Sun 20x24
This lovely quiet courtyard seemed golden beneath the Tuscan sunlight.
A serenity prevailed as though all was and is and forever more shall be right with the world. It shimmered before my eyes.
40 Venezia 48x24
The water reflections everywhere in Venice magnify the pleasure. This spot could be called Honeymoon Canal for all those couples who have found romance here. It is also a gloriously lovely place to walk and think and feel the gift of just being here.
46 Stairway in Sienna, gallery-wrapped 20x24
Night Life
10 Dinner at Eight 18x24
This painting was inspired by and in honor of Michael Flor who created this ambiance in his style of painting. The rich strong complimentary colors are striking.
28 The Waiting Game 11x14
This painting captures a moment in a restaurant cafe in Asheville, North Carolina.
The surroundings provide an inviting atmosphere for this woman to wait for the arrival of the someone she anticipates.
49 Night Life in New Orleans 11x14
54 Piano Man 9x12
Landscapes
12 Into the Light 16x20
The Hawaiian sun seems brighter than anywhere on earth. The sweet scented flowering foliage reveals the full spectrum of greens, every possible shade of green, blues, reds, yellows and browns. It is sometimes jungle-like, rich and thick here,but the paths are well worn and comfortable. And, always the light shows you the way.
15 Garden Patio 16x20
Serenity is offered by sunlight filtered through the leafy trees above as it nurtures plants and flowering pots below on a bricked garden patio. City life offers moments of ease in places like this one.
33 Oak Creek
Near Slide Rock in Arizona, the Sedona-like red rocks are outstanding with the pale gray rock formations behind them. The green pines in mid-ground seemed to light up in an almost surreal way. The sunlight seems at play here.
34 Secret Garden 20x20
When I was a child, one of the first books I remember was the story of The Secret Garden.
I imagined that after the thick layers of overgrowth were cut away, the stone walls would be revealed concealing the secret. The gate would be discovered and opened. A ceiling of sky and sun would be exposed over a most beautiful, pristine garden of flowers, greenery and secret sitting areas. I suppose this story has drawn me always to gardens that remind me of my childhood awe and delight.
38 Abalone Cove 20x24
It was a bright sunny day at Malaga Cove in Palos Verdes, California.
People come here, park and shop daily. The feeling of a beach community at work and play, silently hugged by the beauty around them, caught my attention. The bright colors of the buildings and cars contrast the soft hues of the hillside and sky.
39 Rebirth 20x24
The early sunlight falling on morning dew seemed to caress the trees, branches and vines. It appeared as though a fire of light would dry up the old and encourage the burst of new life.
45 Transitions 14x18
Skyscapes
13 Fire Sky 16x20
Inspired by the skies in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Here I found the most beautiful and vast show of fire works above.
27 Sunset 24x30
I am periodically obsessed with skies and I don't think that will ever stop. Our planet is so spectacular and sometimes it is the sky that most beautifully captures it. At the moment, this sky caught my attention, it was a sunset off the north coastline of Washington. I was struck by the amazing blood-red orange melting into the golden yellow at the cusp of an almost irridescent blue. The clouds seemed to absorb and reflect everything in the atmosphere.
