Friday, December 2, 2016

Grandpa's Barn

16X12
Oil on Linen Panel
Reference Photo taken by Joan McDaniel



This barn reminds me of my grandfather's barn in Illinois, which burned about 1959. His barn did not have a rock bottom, nor were there mountains nearby, but still...It was red and this reminds me of the wonderful man he was.



The Field


24X12
Oil on Canvas
Reference photo by Daniel Edmondson


I fussed with this one a fair amount. I painted in four cows, but they did not help with the flow of the painting, so I scraped them out, brightened the field, turned some trees to fall colors and accentuated the sunflowers in the foreground. I may paint this again and see if I can't make the cows work. I love the field and would like to roll in the grass.

Saturday, November 12, 2016

Montana River

18X14
Oil on Linen Panel
Reference photo by Gregory Biggs

Washing your face in the rushing river after a night of camping is risky. Several items were washed downstream when our teenagers greeted the morning by washing their faces in the really cold water.
Much shrieking occurred when H's washcloth and towel were pulled out of her hands by the rushing water.

Irish House


14X11
Oil on Linen Panel 
Photo taken by Jud Cooper


We visited Ireland in the early summer of 2005 and found the people there welcoming and full of love for their country. My husband asked one young man what would he do if the tourist industry industry ceased to exit -- basically, "What would you do instead?" The young man looked horrified and said, "Ireland would be in trouble." He was not concerned for himself, but his country. I'm sure our college age students would give an entirely different answer. 

This rooster was the most difficult part of this picture. I took it out and put him back several times before leaving him alone.

Monday, October 31, 2016

The Rose 


24X18 
Oil on Canvas 
Photograph reference was an ad from the Internet




Since I painted the peony that was so very pink I've been thinking about what a red rose would look like painted large that way. I thought the rose would be so much darker red, but I do like the more orange pieces and the alizarin crimson in the dark places. I was trying very hard to not make it pink in any way.

Aspens

24X18 
Oil on Canvas
Photograph reference by Joan McDaniel





I painted this once before on a small canvas, but I struggled with this one. I've had the picture by turns too dark, too light, too much contrast in places, and not enough light on the trees in front. 24X18 is not considered a large painting, but it does require a different thought process than a 12X9.

Dustinburgh Wave


14X11 
Oil on Linen Panel 
Photograph reference by Keith Saint





I learned a lot with this wave and am so excited the way it turned out. Splashing waves are thrilling to me. We don't have them in New Mexico, and they never seem large enough when I'm on the Pacific Coast. I may try it again and put the wave a bit further into the distance.

Colorado Meadow 

24X12 
Oil on Canvas 
Photograph reference Daniel Edmondson




Again, the water is what I like best, but mountains, grass and clouds are wonderful to contemplate. We look at meadows like this in Colorado from New Mexico and are envious. 

Fireweed near Anchorage 

16X12 
Oil on Linen Panel 
Photograph by Barbara Cooper




My husband and I visited Alaska this summer and were interested in the story about fireweed. It seems the petals of fireweed bloom bit by bit during the summer. When the petals bloom to the top, fall is there, and trees  begin turning immediately. The petals then turn a papery white and blow away leaving a skeleton of the original plant. I took this photograph at a park outside Anchorage overlooking a parking lot a few days after the plants had bloomed fully.

Fishing at Sunset 


14X11 
Oil on Linen Panel 
Photograph reference by John Frost




Fishing is not my idea of fun, but the many moods of water is. This water is so tranquil and the time of day so peaceful that putting it on canvas was fun.

Rick's Sailboat 

12X12  
Oil on Canvas  
Photograph reference by Beth Holtan




I asked my brother what he would like me to paint for him and without hesitation he pulled a framed photograph off his wall and handed it to me. The photograph was of his beloved sailboat, which he sold when there was no one at home to help him sail it. I liked the opportunity to paint this kind of water.

Laura's Peony


12X12 
Oil on Canvas  
Photograph reference by Michael Bogeanu 



My daughter asked me to paint her a peony and the first one I tried wound up far too large for her small house. Finally I found a ruffled peony that I could paint smaller. It took a while, but my goal was to put color into the painting, but not be so pink as the other peony I painted, and still have the light feminine qualities of a peony.

Nectarines and Cherries


12X9
Oil on Linen Panel 
Photograph reference by Daniel Edmondson






When I began painting last year I thought I would never like still life, but this small painting was a kick to do and I still like it. My husband says he never liked still life paintings until I started painting them. That's nice to hear too.

Annie


14X11
Oil on Linen Panel
Photograph reference by Daniel Edmondson



Bit by bit I'm learning to do figures, but they are not my favorite kind of painting. On this painting I learned more about how to paint gravel -- or small rocks.. I still have a lot to learn about both kinds of painting.


Riding in Southern Colorado

16X12
Oil on Linen Panel
Photograph reference Mac Dixon




When my family first came west from Illinois in the early 1950s we lived at the bottom of this mountain on the far right. This was my first attempt to paint horses. 






Saturday, October 29, 2016


Two Monarch Butterflies

Oil on Linen Canvas
8X6 and 6X8
Photograph references Mary Villain and Jan Hathaway
Not available


On these small paintings I learned that it's much easier to paint the whole butterfly black, let it dry and then put in the color than to try to paint the black between the color. 

Purple Tulips

16X12
Oil on Linen Panel
Photo reference unknown


I've loved the image of tulips since the first time I saw it several years ago. I learned about the spark of color in this painting. I don't know that I've been so bold since then but I'm not quite so afraid of  putting in brighter colors.

Fruit Bowl

24X12
Oil on Canvas
Photograph reference by Daniel Edmondson



I love fruit in a bowl, but the one on my counter doesn't keep very long. Painting this one allowed me to make something bright for my kitchen and not worry about it spoiling before someone got around to eating it.

Pink Peony

24X18
Oil on Canvas
Photograph reference by CherryLynne Ferrari
Not Available


My daughter asked for a painting of a peony for her small home, but when I started to paint this flower I could not paint it small. I learned a lot painting it. For example, on a flower all brush strokes must follow the curve of the petal.

Tuolumne Meadows

16X12
Oil on Linen Panel
Photograph reference by Lindsey Tallcott

Sunday, June 5, 2016

Melville Lutheran Church, Melville, MT

16X12
Oil on Linen Panel
Photo reference by Joan McDaniel

Aspens and Cliffs 

20X16  
Oil on Linen Panel  
Photo reference from Daniel Edmondson

Swan  

16X12 
Oil on linen panel 
Photo reference by Russ Bridges


Cosmos and Car 

18X14 
oil on linen panel
Photo reference from Daniel Edmondson


Apricot Blossoms 

oil on pasteboard 
10X8
Photo reference by Dianne Hewitt

Thursday, April 28, 2016

White Sands Yucca

11X14
Oil on panel
$

Checking Nets 

Oil on panel
16X12 
From a photo by Daniel Edmondson



This photo was taken at the northwestern most point of the Olympic Peninsula in the State of Washington. If you could see the top of the largest rock you would see plants and trees growing. The white things in the water are buoys. The yellow balls (my husband calls them lights) are to hold the net so it can be seen and retrieved.


Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Cannon Beach


11X14 
Oil on panel
Photo Reference by Joe Loehr
$

Pansies in a Tin Can

16X12
Linen Canvas
Photo Reference from Daniel Edmondson
$

Aspens

11X14
Linen Panel
Photo Reference by Joan McDaniel
SOLD

Winner of the March 2016 Photos for Artists Trees Challenge

Sunflowers for Regina

8X16
Cotton Canvas
Photo Reference by Eva Butowski
SOLD

Elk Surprise

20X16
Linen Panel
Photo Reference by David Spradlin
SOLD


My Favorite Ski Apache Trail

12X16
Oil on Canvas
$

The Rancher


11X14
Linen Panel
My first portrait
Photograph from Daniel Edmondson
$
The rancher seemed to be so amused at being asked to pose so people could paint him. I tried so hard to get that little smirk.


Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Blue Bird in Tree

9X12
Linen Panel
SOLD




Painted from Photograph by Lawrence Splitter


Hidden Falls


14X18
Linen Panel
SOLD


Painted from photograph from Daniel Edmondson

Thursday, February 4, 2016