January through April 2023

For Rent?  .  14x11  .  oil on linen - sold

After moving and getting settled, going through the holidays and commissions, I finally set this still life up (consisting only of my black vase and clay pot tray!) in my new studio (read painting place!) to express my crazy recent hunt for a new home to rent!  The experience had been really hard on me, as rents had blown through the roof, so to speak, and I think I needed to work through that real life trauma.  My love of birds and their annual making of a new home was running through my mind, along with the idea of painting a bird nest.  It appealed and sold very quickly, for which I'm grateful. Also grateful I am not making a new home every year!

 

What Lies Beneath  .  10x10  .  Oil on Linen

Having a desire to paint another water lily/pond scene, especially after my last one had sold, I tried my hand at another narrative painting.  I feel post Covid has brought us all to a sense of reflection about ourselves and others, so the title came very quickly.  Then it was up to doing a little figurative work and water reflection to illustrate my point of reflection!  I liked the way this came together, and the use of a new favorite blue, Rembrandt's Sevres Blue, made it a joy to paint.

Allie  .  11x14 .  oil on portrait linen mounted on aluminum

Along came a lovely commission to paint a grandchild of a dear friend.  The six to ten-year-old can often be a challenge, but it's their innocence and zest for life that makes a captivating portrait!  Allie has that zest in spades and it was a lovely opportunity to paint her.  Having painted her older sister previously, I made a concerted effort to create a harmonious portrait for hanging alongside her sister if called for.  There's so much beyond just applying paint and capturing a likeness . . . I framed both paintings in identical, simple black floater frames for a modern look to round out the idea of posterity for the younger generations.

Awakening  .  12x9  .  Oil on gessobord

Working from my imagination towards abstraction is a fabulous exercise, and add to it a combination of palette knife and brushwork, it can be exactly what the doctor ordered!  I love making these paintings as it allows a certain freedom of creativity that I so enjoy.  I would love to do more of these in the future and in a larger format.  My inspiration for this was our changing season along with that beautiful blue and another favorite. . .yellow!!  

Here's a still life continuing in that theme of the hopeful heart looking forward to spring!  We've had such crazy weather that our hopes have been up and down.  The title of this piece is Winter Grey Welcoming Spring, and I guess I'm stuck on the blue/yellow hues!  Truth is, I set my blue Irish vase up to use as the vessel for the small flowers and it all fell into place.  Palette knife work in the background in various greys with touches of color rounded out this 10x10, oil on linen painting.

Spring Marsh  .  12x9  .  oil on gessobord

Can you see a theme here??  Gah, so needed color after our winter. . .another work from the imagination with color galore.  Brush and palette knife used in tandem to create one of my most favorite marsh scenes.  Having spent years in Florida and Charleston, I don't think I have the low country out of my system yet. 

Creamy Roses  .  10x10  .  oil on linen

Last, but not least, Creamy Roses. . .bought in the depths of winter from Trader Joe's!  They were gorgeous with their unfolding and soft hues that I simply had to paint them.  Store bought lack the fragrance we crave, but the beauty (and feel!) of their intricate petals is really something to behold.  

I'm currently waiting patiently for new supports to arrive and I've been busy letting ideas percolate, and doing research for new paintings.  Our weather is still a bit iffy, but the pollen is heavy.  I had a month off in March due to health reasons, yet the beat goes on despite the current slow down of sales.  I fear our daily news is quite grim at times, and it keeps us in such a state of uncertainty for making any purchase.  I would encourage all to support their local businesses and community as the dollars are earnestly needed for them to continue their enterprise.  All of these paintings, except the portrait and bird nest, are available in my Etsy shop.  Meanwhile may we all have a peaceful, loving summer to look forward to.