This week I've been working on some quarter-sheet florals for the upcoming festival -- so attention flower lovers! I love the vividness of colors and try to combine different varieties into an interesting arrangement. [...] more »
I find that a pig theme adds a humorous touch to my artwork. Ever since I witnessed a runaway pig at the Iowa State Fair, pigs have been a featured design in my collages. I usually start with a contour pencil design, and now I use [...] more »
Just to keep things interesting, I have been working on two different paintings simultaneously. I believe this pushes me to keep my work fresh and uniquely distinctive. I began this week on the watercolor of the glassware still life, which includes the tall amber-colored bottle. This bottle was also a part of my teapot series […] more »
This has been a busy week so far. I intended to finish a portrait commission and start the barn collage, besides finishing the Des Moines cityscape. As usual, things got interrupted for good reasons. In my mind, I like to think and plan colors ahead and let the thoughts simmer for a while. I sorted […] more »
The idea for a hot red sky occurred to me a week ago. I began cutting the sky-shape on the pinkish-cerise pre-painted papers. Because it is very textured with swirling paint patterns, I’m careful to choose a spot on the paper that is pleasing texturally. Some areas are lighter or too dark. I’m also using […] more »
Looking at the week ahead — in addition to preparing for the upcoming festival in Albia — I have many projects in the works. Over the weekend I gathered my newest goblets and Miss Liberty photos — and took them all out to the gazebo and set up an arrangement. I also added fabric with […] more »
I spent the blistering hot and humid weekend finishing my newest barn collage. For this piece I used a photo of a barn in Mahaska County with a windmill and added rolling hills and hay bales in the background. It’s always difficult choosing colors, as each hue will determine the alternate colors next to the […] more »