Poppy & Pod
January 20, 2010
I was inspired by my garden poppies last year. While looking over the file photos, I decided to include more textures using oil pastels with an acrylic wash over that. This was something new, and it worked perfectly for the ruffled, crinkled petals of the flower. While adhering the rice paper, some of the soft […] more »
Orchard Pears
December 11, 2009
I decided to use on of my earlier photos of the purple goblets for this piece — I wanted to get back to the purple colors and our pears from the orchard. I was attracted to the strong sunlight patterns and the wood texture of the table. I wanted to capture the abstract patterns in […] more »
Walk On Farmers Market
September 10, 2009
Hello! Thank you all for coming to Ottumwa’s Walk On Art Street festival last weekend — the weather was perfect and art lovers were out in full force! I enjoyed talking with old friends and meeting new ones. [...] more »
Strawberry Blonde and Evening Sun
September 9, 2009
I painted this because of my love for sunflowers, and I planted six different varieties this year. The title includes names of two varieties. Instead of one big bouquet, I just used one bloom per glass, which simplifies the composition. The fabric cloth was purchased at the Des Moines Farmers Market last month. Interestingly enough, […] more »
Red Delicious Tableau
August 30, 2009
This is a continuation of my glassware series combining red elements — the apples which are a favorite design shape and the silk scarf woven around the glasses. There was a lot to think about while painting this: getting the sharp crispness of the apples and glass with the softness of the fabric, and working […] more »
Slices & Spots
August 1, 2009
I spent some time setting up this still life and decided to cut apples on the dark patterned cloth. This was partially painted at my demo at Tassel Ridge Winery in July. more »
Casting Anchor after Art Sail
July 29, 2009
My recent experience at the Clear Lake Art Sail last Saturday was delightful! Not only was the weather perfect -- 74 degrees and sunny -- but all the people that stopped by were enthusiastic about my artwork. Many customers recognized my work from the previous year. [...] more »
Radiant Reds
July 29, 2009
A garden floral design with colors of cerise and orange-red. I wanted the background to sing — so I included the warm yellow-greens. more »
Golden Petals
July 21, 2009
Once again my inspiration changed my choice of subject matter. I previously planned to paint more local town scenes and got up early yesterday to take advantage of the early morning sunlight and shadow patterns on our town square. [...] more »
Demonstrating at the Winery
July 13, 2009
Last Saturday I spent the afternoon demonstrating watercolor painting at Tassel Ridge Winery in Leighton, Iowa (near Pella and Oskaloosa). A similar experience as working "en plein air", but it was better to work inside in a beautiful area. [...] more »