Cow Skull and Camellias

 

11 x 14"

oil on linen

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The painting hanging on the wall in the background of this piece is by my friend Gabriella. I helped her relocate her artwork to a new studio over the weekend, and got to bring home a couple of gems to "store" on my walls. Lucky me!

And yes, I am also lucky because I found this cow skull (along with a deer skull) at an estate sale over the weekend. Got a fabulous deal on them, too.

Art Opening Flowers

 

8 x 10"

oil on canvas

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A bouquet my husband gave me on the night of my art opening, including one yellow rose, which he almost always gets me. It just goes to show that if you once say you like something, you may end up getting it for the rest of your life! (Just kidding, honey.)

Bouquet with Gold Mirror

 

14 x 18"

oil on canvas

$300

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The art opening Friday night went really well. Turnout was great, wine was excellent, and everyone seemed to be having fun, especially Eleanor! Here is a picture of her dashing across the gallery, which was conveniently free of folding chairs or any other kind of obstacle for a little runner.

White Camellias and Wine

 

12 x 12 x 1.5

oil on canvas

$325

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Winetasia

 

14 x 18"

oil on canvas

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I have to admit, I'm feeling stressed. For my last big art show, I didn't have to worry about hanging the pieces, choosing which ones to use and how to arrange them, making the title cards...and as it turns out, that's the hardest part - making decisions! So I am doing all of the above for my Silvan Ridge Winery art show, and it's definitely fun, but it's got me tossing and turning at night, reminding myself not to forget 800 little details.

Figure Painting - "Nude Reading"

16 x 20"

oil on canvas

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I did this last night, in about three hours. I guess I paint pretty fast, although a 16 x 20 canvas looks a LOT smaller in the figure painting studio than in my studio at home!

Orange and Green with Books

 

8 x 10"

oil on canvas

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This little bottle goes very well with the Kaffir Lily - they are both green on the bottom and orange on top! There are a number of things in this still life which are significant to me: the little bottle once contained some sake that I bought long ago while still living in Baltimore. I've used it for mixing and storing medium ever since. The books are by Paul Bowles, my former favorite author (still in my top five, I'm sure), and the plant pot was made by a company my friend Sean designs for in Corvallis. They make all kinds of things out of paper pulp.

Kaffir Lily

 

9 x 12"

oil on canvas

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This plant is called a Kaffir Lily, or Clivia Miniata. My sister in law bought it about five years ago, and passed it on to me after it was done blooming, since I am ridiculously overconfident when it comes to houseplants, and was just sure I could get it to rebloom. Four years later, it has, and I doubt it had anything to do with me!

Camellia Japonica

 

"Camellia Japonica"

11 x 14"

oil on canvas

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oil sketch for "Camellia Japonica"

8 x 8"

oil on panel

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Camellia and Mirror

 

8 x 10"

oil on canvas

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I have to thank yet another awesome neighbor, Sky, for allowing me to pick this gorgeous pink camellia. Even more so than the daffodils, these blooms herald the approach of Spring around here.

Figure Studies

 

"Man Reading"

11 x 14"

oil on canvas

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Below is the preparatory sketch for this piece.

8 x 10"

oil on canvas panel

$50

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Daffodils and Pears no. 2

 

8 x 10"

oil on canvas 

(on hold)

I found that the trick to capturing these daffodils was to paint the light yellows first, and then fill in the shadowed areas of the blossom. It keeps the lights from getting muddy.

Daffodils and Pears no. 1

 

8 x 10"

oil on canvas

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Thanks to my neighbor Joanna for the daffodils! She gave me permission to pick a few once they bloomed, though I still felt like someone across the street was spying on me from a crack in the curtains as I plucked these from her front yard.

Wine, Pears, and Unlit Candle

 

12 x 12 x 1.5"

oil on canvas

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Here is a work-in-progress shot alongside the 6x6" oil sketch. You can see how I often tone my canvas before I begin painting - that's why the pear area looks all orange - because I haven't gotten around to it yet!

  

 I've added a little section to the sidebar listing a couple of workshops I'll be teaching locally this spring. This is a huge experiment on my part, since I've never actually taught art before, but I think it will be fun!

Repose by Candlelight

 

18 x 24"

oil on canvas

$600

(on hold)

We had a great time last night at First Friday Art Walk. I am the March featured artist at Imagine Gallery, and they have nine new, framed paintings of mine - almost all of them painted in 2011! Wish we had remembered to take pictures! Thanks so much to Tym for making the gallery and my work look so great, and to everyone who stopped by to say hi.

This piece has kept me busy for the past few days, including repainting the candle once because I decided I wanted it to be shorter. Good thing it's in the nature of candles to, well, become shorter! 

P.S. Franken Frames is offering free shipping this weekend on $100+ orders. Especially for artists, or those of you collectors who have a lot of art you'd like to frame, this is a great deal. I can personally attest to the awesomeness of this company's product quality.

The Art Studio

16 x 20"

oil on canvas

$200

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I was trying to play up the contrast between the spotlit, flamelike torso of the model, and the uniform grayness (and clutter) of the studio all around. The image ends up being kind of a contradiction, since the three hands are busily painting, but art studios are such peaceful places, especially when everyone is working, in their own worlds.

Blueberries and Water

 8 x 8"

oil on canvas
$150
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Reading and Writing

 12 x 12 x 1.5"

oil on canvas

(on hold)

Black Hair, Green Eyes

 

16 x 20"

oil on canvas

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Here are my results from Open Studio last night. I think this guy has incredibly expressive eyes...in my large finished portrait (above), he's even got something of a young Don Draper going on. Well, I see it, anyway!

Here is the preparatory sketch. I did the sketch in one hour and the final piece in two.

 

8 x 10"

oil on canvas panel

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And, because I love all my loyal fans, (and am always hoping to reach new eyeballs) here is a $1 ebay auction! Bid on it, share it on Facebook, or just ignore it completely! Either way, know you are appreciated.

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Winter Wine

 16 x 20"

oil on canvas

$500

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Here is a work-in-progress shot, less than half finished, I think. Well, the roses look just about done. When I am behaving responsibly, I paint the most perishable parts of a still life first. When I'm not, I just paint whatever seems like the most fun at the time - usually, the gold vase. Why else would it be in almost every single one of my paintings!?

Floralia

 16 x 20

oil on canvas

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I had a really hard time photographing this - there's some glare all over the place, but especially in the dark areas in the lower left corner. So, more wine paintings! Not only do I have a show coming up at a winery, but a couple other wine-related opportunities have also floated my way. Good thing I'm not getting tired of the subject! Work-in-progress shots are over on Facebook. Oh, and in case you're curious, here's some info on the title!

I Heart Oregon (Wine)

 14 x 18"

oil on canvas

$350

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Below is the preparatory sketch for this painting. As you can see, I decided to shift the whole composition to include more of the cork board, and the entire "I ♥ Oregon" bumper sticker tacked onto it. I  like the sketch as well, since it shows more of that luxurious shiny cloth.

 

"I Heart OR (Wine)/Sketch"

8 x 10"

oil on canvas

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I just posted a work-in-progress shot, and some other pictures from around the studio on my facebook page. "Like" me to get updates on the upcoming March First Friday festivites.

Love and Friendship

 

16 x 20"

oil on canvas

$500

click to buy

My husband sent our 18 month old staggering into my studio yesterday carrying this huge bouquet of flowers - it was almost as big as she is!