Earlier this year, I wrote down many ideas for subject matter to paint. I intended to do a music series after the guitars and violin. For this piece I used my reference photo taken at the Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad, California. Beginning with a very loose pencil drawing and weaving colors and shapes […] more »
I am continuing my bicycle series and loved the challenge of doing a smaller piece. I began with a simple line drawing of a bicycle close-up and started gluing some of the positive shapes. Halfway through gluing, I decided to add another smaller bike above it — a bit of a squeeze, but it adds […] more »
I have been doing a series of bicycles for my upcoming show for the Artisan’s Gallery in Des Moines. This is the seventh in the series. While cutting some of the map pieces, I have been noticing places of interest and small towns in the state of Iowa. Especially interesting are the scenic routes. The […] more »
Bicycle shapes are wonderful, and I am continually working on this series. The design possibilities are endless. I love the geometric shapes and the challenge of working on this theme. As the others, Iowa maps are used in the background. I used an archival foamboard for the support. Gel medium and a UV Varnish is […] more »
This is another collage I decided to rework. Most of the design was good, but needed fine tuning. Color adjustments were made and I also added details to the ears and cap. Dachshunds are adorable dogs and these cute pups are ready for Christmas! more »
This collage is part of my Iowa Series started way back in ’85. My first collages were a small square format of barns and farm animals. Over the years these have evolved to include other elements of farm life. I love the patterns of spots on the dairy cows and the interesting shapes of barn […] more »
Flowers are a consistent theme in my work. I work from life, drawing my garden flowers and taking numerous photos. I began with an idea for the design and sketched it out on tracing paper the same size as my paper support; in this case I used 300# Arches watercolor paper. The heavier paper doesn’t […] 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 »
This is a small watercolor still life of some of antique bottles and jars. I have done numerous sketches because the transparency of glass interests me, and also the unique bottle shapes. Among the shapes are a clear, frosted larger bottle, an amber square necked jar and two red ones. I usually work from my […] more »