Reflective Lake

fall is approaching!

Lake Wylie Lab

This photo is of me in my Pjs and my Dog Sam, he is about 11 years old but I love him to death.













I painted an ACEO today of the Ocean, its a bit shiny because I painted it in Oil so I'm waiting in hopes it gets less shiny. I'll post it as soon as possible.I like BIG dogs cause they are the perfect size for a hug.

Dolphin Daze

6 by 10 $ 75.00 watercolor on paper.

I used to teach watercolor classes and Dolphins were a favorite subject of my students. Dolphins always seem so happy. They convey a sweetness and a wonderful spark of energy which is genuinely curious.
Next month I'm going to be doing a series of paintings which are related to the Earth and specifically water. Be prepared to see some lake paintings because Lake Wylie is a great subject but I may do some under water paintings too. I've been working them up in my mind. Usually I'll walk the dogs several times per day and while on these walks I allow my mind to develop paintings. I see mist rolling across the water in the early morning light with fishermen standing in their Bass boats, also another painting of White Egrets and Heron standing at the waters edge or just taking off from the water. Of course my beloved Koi looking up thru the water to the surface, and then there is always colorful sailboats and wonderful sunsets. I look forward to my month of water paintings, and I hope this month of painting water will remind you how precious each drop of rain and every inch of water is to us and our planet.

Running River 2

Here is the better photo of "running river".   It being an Oil painting I had to be careful, it is still wet.  While take the photo, I tilted the painting downward while holding the camera straight.  This way the oil wouldn't reflect back into the lens and look like sparkles.   

It works but you then have to use a photo shop type program to square it back up.

koi pond

This is painted on gessoed masonite & it's been sprayed with a fixative so it can be framed without glass. I have spent a lot of time lately looking at ponds and I guess it was just a matter of time before I painted a pond. With any good pond there has to be fish so I painted a few Koi to splash around.
I’ve had lots of fun painting the Monet series lately but I have to admit it…. one of the paintings didn’t quite turn out as well as I would have wanted. Every one has a bad day at times and I’m not blaming my brother BUT… I have told him numerous times “Don’t come over while I’m painting” but some folks including my relatives think painting for me is like eating… They think it looks so easy and I paint so fast that I could do it in my sleep. The think you can still paint well while having a conversation about something as insignificant or nutty as, say.. the problems of ebay or the election or even the compost heap. You get the idea. For me this is not true.
As an intuitive painter I have to be in my own space. but not wanting to be rude… I start in with the painting trying to get back to where I was before the compost heap became so important that he walked across the street to tell me about it.
I’m standing at the easel looking down at my painting trying to figure out where I was going next thinking it is almost done and as he talked and talked and talked, I kept mixing and mixing and mixing. Now, anyone who paints knows this alone is a recipe for a major mud fest. Even I knew when I was mixing it this can’t be good, but I kept trying, I painted and mixed and painted and remixed, trying to make it work, while occasionally saying “ “right” “Yeah?” ” really “ ”Hm”. The only color I was really getting of course was gray and no real values… so after he left, I took the painting outside to dry and this little painting must have had 1/2 inch of paint on it. Three days later and I’m pretty sure it isn’t dry yet. I should have scraped it off but I didn’t have the heart.

sun, sand and h20

Watercolor on professional grade watercolor paper. Matted in white $150.00 7″ by 20″Lots of talk these days of making a trek to the beach, looking for beach houses and places to go. Of course we have to take the dogs too. The dogs are all very well behaved and don’t ruin things or pee indoors, so it shouldn’t be a problem. Of course Art my husband won’t go, just me and the girls with the dogs. Hopefully we can find a house right on the beach and the beach is as deserted as this painting. The plan isn’t to go until October so I have plenty of time to find just the right place. Maybe Pauly’s island, or Edisto…. Any suggestions, I don’t really want to drive more than three hours or four at the most from Charlotte NC.

Koi fairy

This painting is a work in progress because I want to touch up a few areas.  I'll let it sit for a day or two before I make the changes. 

My condo back yard water feature

This is a photo of my back yard, its a bit small so I put in a little water feature I made out of a metal tub.  I may bury it, but it looks pretty good next to my deck.  You can see by the pots along the fence... Its still early spring here, most of my flowers haven't grown large enough.By the end of summer they are tall and growing up the fence.

  The water is blue because I put in a  special non toxic coloring.  Its so the algae won't grow.  There's a small bubbler which keeps the water moving.  I bought another water plant it looks like a caterpillar.