The inspiration for this painting is the flower: hollyhocks. I am quite fond of these old-fashioned flowers. I love the saucer shapes of the blossoms, the buds, leaves -- every details describes this wonderful flower! more »
Usually I begin with the flowers and work my way around the design. This one was different -- the vase was the focus. I changed the peonies to dahlias; the shape reminded me of the full, spidery petal shapes. Red-painted daisies were added to the bunch. more »
I am always inspired to paint fresh flowers from my garden and these peonies and bleeding hearts were no exception. I enjoy painting the pale pink variety and the deep, crimson colors. more »
Over the years I have created many barn collages, and the first four collages I painted were of barns with a variety of farm animals. I fell in love with the old, rustic barn structures. My love of animals inspired me to add these whimsical creatures to the barn shapes that attract people of all ages. more »
My inspiration for this collage was my love of the shapes of the different buildings in downtown Des Moines, Iowa. I was attracted to the colors and details of this familiar and popular establishment. more »
The main inspiration for this painting was a fresh flower bouquet displayed at the open house at Artisan Gallery 218 in February. The hues of the flowers were bold and vibrant. The combination of the different floral shapes were interesting: the stargazer lilies with creamy pale green buds among the deep crimson roses. These contrast […] more »
My creative approach for collages is like taking a journey without a predetermined destination. I begin by setting up a still life and taking lots of photographs for reference. The flowers were picked from our garden and I usually plant favorites that find their way into my paintings. I did complete a sketch which is […] more »
My goal at the start was to create a unique design using a limited palette. I wanted the final design to be out of the ordinary and be eye-catching. It is also important to me to vary the shapes and sizes of these. This is the part of the process I love. I have no […] more »
This is a non-objective vertical design, which began without the help of a drawing. I find it challenging to work this way allowing my creative energies to flow without a definite end product in mind. I first chose some colors from my cache of hand-painted collage papers, limiting the hues. This is difficult for me […] more »
I have challenged myself to do a series of petite collages. No easy feat when you are used to 22” x 30”. Using my sketch of a perky bantam rooster, I collaged the rooster shapes with yellow, tan, and orange feathers. Keeping the background simple and plain because of the small area to work, I […] more »