Soft Impressions

Cleveland's University Circle

This nighttime scene was painted from a photo that I took looking out of the window on the 11th story of a hotel.  The lights reflected and light was scattered so the softness seemed to capture the feeling.

Magnolia Plantation

This is also a soft impression of a beautiful forest and lake at a plantation in Charleston.

Peony Shadow

This really is a small painting, only 5" x 7" but I love the way that the white flowers seemed to cast lavender shadows.  An experiment that I now love.

Peony White

Another painting of a peony that doesn't look so much like itself but actually came together with that touch of red and warm lavender cast shadows.  This one is also small--about 5" x 8" and matted with white--it's a keeper!

Lenten Series 2015

Easter Cross

This watercolor represents the beauty of the Resurrection--a cross amid flowers.  The unexpected. Just as Jesus surprised His followers, so this image suggests an enigma.  Joy is the theme.

Palm Sunday Lenten Series 2015

Tree

Palm Sunday tells the story of Jesus triumphant entry into Jerusalem and the wonderful things that happened and then the terrible things that happened.  

I selected this somber tree because it seems to suggest the loneliness that Jesus experienced in the garden.  He had asked his disciples to be with him but they fell asleep.  It reminds me that it is so important to be with people when they are undergoing trauma.

Fifth Sunday of Lent 2015

Seeds of Biodiversity

This Sunday a reading included the phrase "unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit."  The seed doesn't actually dies but rather the casing breaks away as the seed germinates.  So, I think that the message is to break out of our shell and let and positive and good things about us flourish.

Lenten Series 2015 Fourth Sunday

Light and Eye

The theme for the readings this Sunday is light.  John often speaks of light in his gospel.  Jesus says, "While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."  The story gets more complex because the healing story comes into play.  Jesus heals a blind man and gets in trouble for it.  So, the dialogue goes on about whether the man who Jesus healed was actually born blind.  Then the analogy to spiritual blindness comes in.  So, light, seeing, and self-delusion get discussed.  It's quite complex.

I purposely chose dense applications of dark and light.  Then, the eye is a portion of a flower collaged to the surface.  Not beautiful but it makes the point!

Lenten Series 2015

Saint Francis de Sales Church 

The Scripture reading for today was the Ten Commandments of which "Keep Holy the Sabbath Day" is one.  This parish church and community is represented here with abstract flowers and vivid colors.  It is indeed a holy place where people like myself go to keep Sunday holy and to try to carry it through the week in sometimes unexpected ways.  

This parish rests among an urban environment and is a beacon to the community; an anchor and inspiration to the neighborhood.

Abraham's Test

The Fire of Faith

The Second Sunday of Lent has a reading from the Book Genesis where God tested Abraham's faith.  The story tells that Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son because God told him to do so.  Although nothing bad happened to the son, it shows such great faith.

This painting is layers of acrylic prints made from hand cut stencils.  The flames of fire, the wood, the mountain top against the blue sky help to tell the story.

Lenten Series 2015

Noah and the Rainbow

This post begins the self-assigned project to do a painting for each week of Lent.  From the Sunday readings I will pick a theme and then create some art that represents one or more of the ideas.

This Sunday we read that God made a covenant with Noah and all living beings that there would never again be a destructive flood to destroy all mortal beings.  The sign of this covenant is the rainbow.

This simple painting wasn't really so simple to create.  I started with the colors of the rainbow painted into the back ground,  Then I layered shapes using a gelli plate multiple times to get the block-like shapes which I made from hand-cut stencils.  After that I collaged some lightweight painted paper onto the shapes, outlined with ink, added decorative swirls and called it finished.

Leaving Indiana

Leaving Indiana

This watercolor was painted from memory of a scene in my side view mirror when returning from Indiana.  I was captured by the white sun and the silhouette of the trees.  I added scribbles of watercolor crayon to suggest fallen leaves.

Below is another version of this scene, this time done as a print using my new Gelli Plate and hand cut stencils.  Again, the focus is the white sun and this time there are stylized trees and shapes of color to suggest the fallen leaves. I used Golden Fluid Acrylics for the paint on the plate.

Gelli Print #1

Angel

This angel is bringing good news.  I think that the title might be, "Be Not Afraid."  I am using it as a Christmas card this year.

Snow Impressions

Snow Impressions

The backyard was so beautiful today--deep blue sky, brilliant white snow, dark edges of branches and a few lingering rust-colored leaves.  It just called to me to paint it.  But, painting snow with watercolor is challenging and yet using a new technique that I learned from a recent DVD gave me the urge to try.  I am pleased with the result.

Halloween Postcards

I painted an 8" X 12" abstract using fluid acrylic, collage, and hand cut stencils.  Then I cut it into 4 pieces, each one being 4" x 6".  They are painted on 300# Arches paper so will stand up to the stress of being mailed--one across the ocean to London!

Thanks to tutorial by Jane Davies for the step-by-step directions to making postcards.

New Richmond Peacock

Jacob--New Richmond Peacock

This is my most recent painting in the New Richmond series.  Jacob wanders around the town and is greatly admired but never petted!  This bird is distinctly beautiful but is definitely "No Touch!"

I tried to capture his beauty in a fun way with some of the iconic structures in New Richmond: the porch of the Ross Goudy historic home and the tent where community concerts are held. 

Of course, the cubist, colorful style engages the eye and adds a little humor.

More of this series is shown at the Front Street Cafe in New Richmond--a casual place for lunch or dinner right on the Ohio River.

Celebrate! New Richmond

Celebrate! New Richmond

This watercolor painting features Front Street in New Richmond, Ohio.  The colorful buildings generate a happy exclamation for this historic river town, located near Cincinnati on the Ohio River.  You can see the painting at the Front Street Cafe, a charming place for lunch or dinner with outdoor dining overlooking the river.  This summer the community is celebrating 200 years of history with many interesting events including music, plays, parades and more. This painting is framed under glass, 22" x 28" is priced at $259.

Rhythm in Red

"Rhythm in Red"

Watercolor of musicians performing at the Front Street Cafe where this painting now hangs.

Stop by this quaint little town, New Richmond, Ohio for a grand view of the Ohio river plus yummy food at the cafe.  

More paintings on the walls for you to enjoy!

Hot Rod Watercolor

"Hot Rod"

This watercolor recently sold at the Front Street Cafe in New Richmond, Ohio.  It features an antique "hot rod" that reminds the viewer of the antique cars that drive in during the summer months every Sunday in this quaint Ohio river town.  This cubist style painting with its bright colors brings in some of the buildings of the town, including the cafe and the River Hills Bank which has art deco architecture.  

I have others on display at the cafe which is really a hot spot on Friday and Saturday nights with great music and a full dinner menu.  It's worth a trip along route U.S. 52 east of Cincinnati to enjoy the food, the music, and of course, my art!

Festival New Richmond

This watercolor is the most recent painting shown (and sold) at the Front Street Cafe in New Richmond on the Ohio.  It's another in the series of bright and fun shapes depicting events and places in this quaint river town.

Sample Art at Front Street Cafe

Below are examples of the art that will be for sale on December 14 at the Front Street Cafe from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Come for lunch, browse the art

 Pear Collage on Canvas (SOLD)

 Acrylic Ink and Watercolor Sunflower

Path to Yosemite, Watercolor & Pastel

Sunflower Poured Ink and Watercolor

Poured Ink and Watercolor Sunflower

This is the finished product.  Below are some of the steps of this process.

Here is the sunflower drawn with edges and highlights masked.

I added yellow, red, orange and brown ink to the sunflower after wetting the surface of the flower only.

Here I have added green, yellow and blue to a rectangle around the flower after wetting the area with water.  I repeated the process for the light blue area.  Each time it must dry. 

Here is the painting with the mask removed.  The colors of the ink are really quite brilliant.

Here is the painting after adding some negative painting to suggest leaves.

Watercolor & Pastels

Below are small paintings that are watercolors embellished with pastel.  Each is matted to 8" x 10"

Edge of the Field

Sunflower

Poppy Please

Seaside Fence

Path to Yosemite

Fall on the Marsh in bright gold and soft blue 

Cottage by the sea is soft and gentle for Irish memories.  

Shore Marsh is almost abstract with its strong patterns of color.