aeonium

Now I'm back to nature. I love succulents and wanted to try painting this aeonium. I love the colors. This is my red/green complementary color palette.

Aeonium
Watercolor
Image size 9" x 9"
Unframed

Rocks III

This is the last painting in my "Rocks" series. It was fun to do abstracts but I'm ready to go back to representational art for awhile.

Rocks III
Image size 15" x 22"
Watercolor
Unframed

Rocks II

"Rocks II" is the second abstract I've done that was inspired by granite slabs. I'm getting more comfortable with painting abstracts but it still isn't really my thing. I'm much too literal to see things in an abstract way.

Rocks II
Image Size 15" x 22"
Watercolor
Unframed

Rocks I

This is very different from my usual painting style. I've never felt comfortable with abstract painting. It does not come easily to me. However, I recently spent quite a bit of time in granite yards while we were picking counter tops for our house and was inspired by the beautiful stone configurations in some of the slabs. This is the first in a short series of my rock inspirations. I also used a limited palette of Ultramarine Blue, Raw Sienna and Burnt Sienna. This could also be considered an alternative primary palette using the Raw Sienna as the yellow and the Burnt Sienna as the red.

Rocks I
Image size 18" x 24"
Watercolor
Unframed

Sunflowers on a Shelf

Another try at a still life and yet another version of sunflowers. I really am tired of painting them because of all those darn petals but they are such happy flowers.

Sunflowers on a Shelf
11" x 15"
Watercolor
Unframed

Yellow Angels

This was an interesting painting to attack. I had fun with the border details and working the organic shapes in with the geometric shapes. I used a different brand of paper than I usually do so I had to fight with it throughout the whole painting. It was like learning to paint again.

Yellow Angels
30" x 22"
Watercolor
Unframed

Pear Trio

This is another painting that is being influenced by the workshop I'm taking.

Pear Trio
7.5" x 11"
Unframed

Magnolia Still Life

This is a painting I worked on in a watercolor workshop I am attending. The colors are new to me and I really like their richness.

Magnolia Still Life
7.5" x 11"
Watercolor
Framed

Greek Doorway

This is a watercolor that I started a couple of months ago and finished this week. I'm sure finishing up a lot of unfinished paintings lately.

Greek Doorway
22" x 15"
Watercolor

Picket Fence Morning Glories

This is a painting that I started a while ago and decided to finish this week. It always feels good to get back to flowers.

Picket Fence Morning Glories
11" x 15"
Watercolor
Framed

Pastel Pear

This is a small pastel study. I had forgotten how much fun pastel can be.

Pastel Pear
6.5" x 4.5"
Pastel

Framed

Pink Waterlilies- Watercolor

This was an unfinished painting that I had given up painting. I took the challenge to finish it and am pretty happy with it after all.

Pink Waterlilies
15" x 22"
Watercolor
Framed

Tuscan Hillside - Silk Painting

For some reason this silk painting didn't steam correctly and the dyes didn't set. I'll try again tomorrow but wanted to post this on time. I'll re-take the picture when it is steamed and I can stretch it.

Greek Walkway

Because this week was really busy, this is just a watercolor sketch.

Greek Walkway
12" x 9"
Watercolor
Unframed

Purple Iris

I'm taking a break from silk painting and am back to oils. I love being able to work in different media. This is on a gallery wrapped canvas and is ready to hang with no frame.

Purple Iris
24" x 8"
Oil
Unframed, gallery wrapped with painted sides

Silk Waterlilies - Silk Painting

Waterlilies were the subject for this week's painting. I love using watery mediums to depict watery subjects.

Silk Waterlilies
15" x 15"
Silk dyes
Sold

Paso Robles Vineyard - Silk Painting

I chose to use the wrought iron with a landscape behind it. I had a lot of fun with this one.

Paso Robles Vineyard
24" x 24"
Silk dyes
Unframed

Corfu- Oil Painting

On a trip to Corfu, Greece, I took a picture of this scene. I love hte sense of serenity.

Corfu
18" x 24"
Oil

Unframed

Color Magic Rose

Back to flowers. This is a watercolor painting with details done in colored pencil.

Color Magic Rose
6" diameter
Watercolor
Unframed

Silk Koi - Painting on Silk

Big surprise, another silk painting. I've done several smaller Koi paintings on silk and wanted to try it on a larger scale.

Silk Koi
22.5" x 27"
Silk dyes
Unframed

Wrought Iron Grapes Silk Painting

Back to silk painting. I have so much fun doing these paintings that I can't stay away from them for long. I've used the wrought iron theme again on a smaller scale. I concentrated on using more subdued colors on the leaves and am very happy with the results.

Wrought Iron Grapes
15" x 15"
Silk dyes
Framed

Italian Awning

Here is a pastel just to do something a little different. I started it about a year ago and decided to finish it this week. I love the looser, gestural look that pastels can give.

Italian Awning
13" x 8"
Pastels
Framed

Watercolor Sunflowers

Okay, just one more sunflower painting. I had to try them in watercolor.

Watercolor Sunflowers
10" x 14"
Watercolor
Framed

Fuchsia Vignettes

This week I painted two small vignettes to go inside of a garden club yearbook. They were done to complement the cover which was a more complex fuchsia painting. It is a watercolor titled "Hanging Fuchsias" and you can find it on my website. The original is sold but Limited Edition Giclees are available.

Fuchsia Vignettes
5" x 5" each
Watercolor
Sold

Sunflower Silk Painting II

Again, another silk sunflower painting with yet another look. Same flowers with a different border, more intense colors and a square format. I think I like this one the best which is good because I am REALLY tired of painting sunflowers now!

Sunflower Silk Painting II
15" x 15"
Silk dyes
Sold

Sunflower silk painting I

I wanted to paint another silk painting with the sunflowers but with a different look. I was planning to use it for a booklet cover for a project I'm working on. They are the same flower design as the previous silk sunflower painting but repositioned a bit. Without the wrought iron framework, I think the result is completely different.

Sunflower silk painting I
11" x 14"
Silk dyes
Unframed

Square Sunflowers

Another oil painting of sunflowers. This is a more contemporary version.

Square Sunflowers
8" x 8"
Oil
Unframed
Sold

Sunflowers Oil Painting

Sunflowers done in a different medium

Sunflowers
11" x 14"
Oil
Framed

Silk Sunflowers W/Wrought Iron

This is a silk painting. Silk dyes are used on silk after the design has been applied with resist to keep the dyes from spreading uncontrollably. It is a really fun medium and I love the effects I can get. I love the graphic quality and bright colors.

Silk Sunflowers w/Wrought Iron
22.5" x 22.5"
Silk dyes
Framed

Loquats oil painting

This is the first painting of my weekly painting series. I have just quit a watercolor class I had been taking and hope to strike out on my own. In the past, I have depended on teachers as crutches and think it is time to try to critique my own paintings and, through both experimentation and experience, improve all aspects of my artistic endeavors.

Loquats
10" x 10"
Oil
Sold