Over the years I have painted more than one hundred of these chairs- and houseplants-themed watercolors. In this particular painting, I used photographs of a friends' chairs, and I wanted to do something a little different for the plants. more »
I am constantly inspired by the geometric shapes of Des Moines, Iowa. Grand Avenue is a direct route leading into downtown. The buildings are familiar, but there is always some kind of new construction going on -- changing the silhouette of the skyline. more »
This painting began first as a watercolor. Then I decided to switch media and create a collage using bolder colors. I used the watercolor painting as a springboard for the new design. more »
My inspiration for this acrylic collage are the shapes of various buildings in downtown Des Moines. I love the different shapes, with all their details that make up an interesting design. The challenge is a complex design of familiar buildings in the downtown environment using bright colors. more »
Painting a series of musical instruments has been on my mind lately. This began with a very loose contour drawing in ink and turned out to be more complicated than I thought. I completed the drawing from life and included the many sections of details as I worked. Sometimes I like to begin doing a […] more »
It all started back in 1985, when a customer told me about a cool barn to see and possibly do a painting of it. So I grabbed my Minolta camera, the old film kind, and took off. The adventure led to traveling down many southern Iowa country roads without a plan or map — just […] more »
The impetus for this design was an upcoming juried competition and the fact I wanted to do an abstract composition. Having a definite deadline always propels me into action. Starting with some geometric shapes, I began arranging the shapes on the support and thought about a definite value pattern. My main idea was a circular […] more »
Another bicycle design! I am inspired by the geometric shapes of the bicycle. When working in a series, it is a challenge to come up with a fresh and interesting composition. I zeroed in on the front of the bike and focused on the gears and spokes. The Iowa map came into play too — […] more »
Flowers are a favorite subject matter for me — they are so fresh and the vibrant colors are lovely. This bunch of peonies were set up in a vase on my table outside in direct sunlight, and I took many photographs from various angles. The result is not a duplicate of my photo, but an […] more »
Cats play a big part in our lives and I have a lot of models around during the day. Felines love squashing themselves into a small box and I used a reference photo for this watercolor painting. I used a limited palette of cadmium orange, cerulean blue, sap green, ultramarine blue, white and thalo red. more »