I was thinking about my favorite things about the Pacific Northwest when I thought of the sanderling. By painting in red, I wanted to suggest sunset on the Pacific Ocean. In the painting, the main contrast is the curved lines of the bird contrasted with the linear bands of waves. I enjoy watching the sanderlings scurry about on the beach, seemly in constant movement. I like the contrast of the quick movement of the bird with the rolling, gentle movement of the wave.
99 - Sanderling in Red, $150 (Watercolor Pencil and Colored Pencil, 7" x 5")
"Leaves Along the Path" is the second in a series of paintings depicting leaves found along a bike path. In this painting, I focused on the lines created by the veins of the leaves along with the leaf shapes.
98 - Leaves Along the Path, $185 (Colored Pencil, 8" x 10")
"Still Life with Green Apple and Tropical Plants was inspired by one of the still life set-ups of the Wednesday drawing group I work with. One of the plant pots was labeled "tropical plant", which I found humorous, hence the title. I liked the greens of the apple and plants against the copper color of the picture.
97 - Still Life with Green Apple and Tropical Plants, $250 (Colored Pencil, 11" x 15")
Triangles and curves form the core shape for the painting of "The Chameleon". The painting started out as a pure abstract study of overlapping triangle shapes contrasted with curves. Then, the idea of the chameleon super-imposed on the triangles came to me while out running. The chameleon both links and divides the triangular shapes. The curves suggested the chameleon's spiral tail.
96 - Chameleon, $250 (Colored Pencil, 11" x 15")
"Jack-In-The-Box Balancing Plates" is third in a series with a Jack-In-The-Box" as a subject. Done with watercolor pencil and regular colored pencil on hot press paper, I again wanted to explore the contrast of light and dark. The color scheme and shapes were purposefully kept simple and in a supporting role to the contrast of light and dark.
95 - Jack-In-The-Box Balancing Plates, $250 (Colored Pencil, 11" x 15")
"Still Life with Red Poppies" was the second in a series inspired by the arrangement of red poppies. My interest was pushing the expressive approach toward the subject while using colored pencil. When using colored pencil, I am often temped to show detail. By approaching the subject in an expressive manner, I can explore the richness of color and movement and let the viewer fill in the remaining details.
94 - Still Life with Red Poppies, $250 (Colored Pencil, 11" x 15")
"Waiting for Riders" was developed from a still life drawing of a saddle. The idea to set the saddle as if it were on a horse came to me as I extended the graceful lines of the saddle shape. As I was painting, the memory of beach horses saddled up and waiting for riders popped into my head.
9 - Waiting for Riders, $210 (Colored Pencil, 9" x 12")
"The Fish Pond" started out as an exercise. I drew a variety of shapes on my paper and started painting. It popped in my head that it would be fun to add fish. The result was the fish pond.
82 - Fish Pond, $250 (Colored Pencil, 11" x 15")
My intent with this painting was to do an abstract study using primarily three colored pencils, yellow, red and blue. I wanted to work to see the range of color I could mix on paper. As I worked, the shapes made me think of dancers and tropical landscapes. "Exotic Dance" refers to the dance of color, line and shape, plus the image that I had as I painted.
81 - Exotic Dance, $250 (Colored Pencil, 11" x 15")
During a trip to Mt. Rainier, WA, by my husband and me, I decided to do some studies of the local environment. For some reason, I decided to draw a "micro landscape", instead of the usual mountain scene. I was captivated by the natural flow of lines between rocks, plants and roots on the forest floor. Maybe the next time I go to Mt. Rainier, I will consider the mountain.
80 - Forest Floor, $250 (Colored Pencil, 11" x 15")
On a trip to the Oregon coast, I was captivated by some "weeds" and grass growing by a fence post. I was intrigued by the contrast of lights and darks against the fence post. I liked the rhythm and flow of the shapes of grass and the leaves.
70 - Grass and Leaves, $250 (Colored Pencil, 11" x 15")
While visiting my niece, I practiced gesture drawings of her cat. The cat moved frequently, so I only had a minute or two to draw a given pose. I was struck by the cats complete ability to relax and drape herself over the furniture.
69 - Lazy Afternoon, $250 (Colored Pencil, 11" x 15")
"Summer Rhodies" is second in a series based on the rhododendron growing in our front yard. To me, rhododendrons are a signature flower of the Northwest. In this work, I was interested in the lines that connected the flowers arrayed on the bush.
65 - Summer Rhodies, $250 (Colored Pencil, 11" x 15")
In "Pacific Forest", I wanted to show the multi-strata of vegetation in the coastal forest, from the young trees to the old, wind-blown snags. As with most of my paintings, the colors evolved intuitively.
6 - Pacific Forest, $230 (Colored Pencil, 10" x 14")
"Morning Whites" is one of a series of paintings I did working on ways of portraying white on white.
5 - Morning Whites, $200 (Colored Pencil, 8" x 12")
This colored pencil piece was done from a drawing I did from life. The model had a large, floppy hat on. To me, it there is a touch of sly humor having a quiet, serious nude model with a big, floppy red hat. I couldn't resist making a colored pencil piece.
428 - Red Hat, $450 (Colored Pencil, 17" x 8")
"Cat-itude" is one of a series of paintings done of a cat in a Northwest garden. I enjoy exploring the cool attitude of the cat in contrast to the cool colors of the garden.
3 - Cat-itude, $210 (Colored Pencil, 9" x 12")
This painting was inspired by a drawing I did for my niece. I started by drawing a box, then another, until I had several. I liked the tension of some of the boxes drawn slightly out of perspective, and others resting precariously on the box below. My niece wanted to know "how I draw people", which was the catalyst for turning one of the boxes into a "Jack in the Box".
25 - Jack-In-The Box: A Question of Balance, $285 (Colored Pencil, 13" x 20")
"Rhododendrons" was based on several drawings I did of the rhododendron in bloom in our front yard. I am interested in the relationship of the big flower shapes to each other.
24 - Rhododendrons, $250 (Colored Pencil, 11" x 15")
I started this painting thinking about the beach and the ocean. Some of my favorite symbols and rhythms of the beach revealed themselves as I worked and explored the painting.
22 - Rhythms of the Beach, $210 (Colored Pencil, 9" x 12")
Sometimes, I just enjoy playing with simplified forms. Such is the case of the "Golden Dragonfly". The swirls allude to water below the dragonflies. The swirls also serve to connect the dragonflies.
194 - Golden Dragonfly, $185 (Colored Pencil, 8" x 9")
"Breakfast Whites" is the second painting in a series exploring white against white. Paradoxically, I like to use white subjects against a white background to explore color and the effects of light on an object.
19 - Breakfast Whites, $210 (Colored Pencil, 9" x 12")
"Red Canyon" was inspired by the spectacular geological formations of Red Canyon and Bryce Canyon in Utah. I did several on-location drawings and studies during a three month visit to the area in 2006. I also did an abstracted study of the canyons which became the basis of this work. I was thinking about the steep walls and the powerful impact of ice and wind on the rock.
180 - Red Canyon, $250 (Colored Pencil, 11" x 15")
"Field of Flowers" started out as a study of shape, blue against orange. Slowly, floral shapes began to reveal themselves. I like to paint around the shape, emphasizing the negative space. Soon, I had a complete field of flower shapes, flowing as if blown by a meandering breeze.
179 - Field of Flowers, $250 (Colored Pencil, 11" x 15")
"Moon Goddess" is inspired by the long nosed bat, queen of the night in the southwest. She is a pollinator of flowers from saguaro and other cacti. To me, bats are delicate and beautiful mammals of the night.
158 - Moon Goddess, $180 (Colored Pencil, 8" x 8.5")
I collected this toy horse when I was on a trip to Belgium. I had a story book, Old World quality to it. It reminds me of long lost childhood stories. The big shadow perhaps refers to the giant the little horse is to me.
152 - Toy Rocking Horse with Big Shadow, $225 (Colored Pencil, 11" x 10")
"Beach Shells, Pebbles and Crab in Blue" is one of an on-going series of still life paintings depicting some of my favorite beach treasures. I enjoy arranging the items on what I consider my mini-stage. As usual, I apply my own color schemes. The blue of the background alludes to the blues of water.
151 - Beach Shells, Pebbles and Crab in Blue, $230 (Colored Pencil, 10" x 14")
"Night Flight" is another painting of one of my favorite local subjects: birds, in particular pelicans. I enjoy watching the long formations of brown pelicans as they fly down the coast of the Pacific Northwest.
113 - Night Flight, $250 (Colored Pencil, 11" x 15")
"Warf" is about contrasting curves with lines, swirls and checkerboards. I like the other-worldly feel of the swirls and spheres. I purposely added the contrasting checkerboard-like pattern to the background to enhance the surreal, science fiction mood. The painting is named after a favorite famous sci-fi character. See if you can see "Warf".
112 - Warf, $250 (Colored Pencil, 11" x 15")
When I do my morning run on the Pacific Coast beach, I like to watch the swirls of sand created by the ebb and flow of the tides. In this painting, I added the sea shells frequently encountered on the beach. I use line and color to lead the viewer around the painting, amongst the swirls of shells, tide and the starfish.
11 - Swirls of Sea Shells & Starfish, $230 (Colored Pencil, 10" x 14")
In "Butterfly Duet" I wanted to the movement of the butterflies to by upward, as if the butterflies were emerging and flying up into the spring air. I intended line and abstracted shapes to dominate. The movement of line and shape was done to suggest the pair dancing with each other as they flew skyward.
101 - Butterfly Duet, $250 (Colored Pencil, 11" x 15")
"Pears" is a study of the simple shape of a pear. I wanted to accentuate the lusciousness of pears by using warm colors and repeating the curves. My intent was to paint the shapes and rhythms in and around the pears, not the pears themselves.
100 - Pears, $250 (Colored Pencil, 11" x 15")
"Horses of a Different Color" was a second version of my horses and saddle. In this version, I played up the differences in colors and the rhythms of line and shape.
1 - Horses of a Different Color, $210 (Colored Pencil, 9" x 12")
