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 inspiration for this painting: these fresh cut flowers from my garden were gorgeous in color and begged to be painted! I never tire of painting flowers. Everything about them motivate me to paint them; the vivid colors and shapes and tiny details. When I observe flowers to paint, I always begin with lots of […] more »
My inspiration for this artwork was to explore another area that interested me: abstract compositions. A client recently requested this specific type of painting and I challenged myself in completing one. This is easier said than done, especially when my forté is painting still lifes and working from one of my reference photos. Some of […] 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 »
This watercolor painting was inspired by my late-blooming cosmos in our garden last fall. I picked a full bouquet and set up the still life in sunlight with an Indian-patterned cloth and the teapot. Other items were also included in the set up. When I set up the objects, things are moved around for different […] 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 »
This composition is another adventure, a voyage into the unknown. It seems easy enough to choose favorite colors and then the decisions begin with different shapes and arrangements. Because I hand-paint my papers with Golden and Liquitex pigments, the juicy, thick paint results in a highly textured surface that adds interest to the patterns and shapes […] more »
The most exciting moment for me is completing a collage without a thumbnail design, allowing the process to carry my creative mind on an adventure of discovery. In the past I began with a specific idea and drawing for a collage. It started with Iowa barns and farm animals. I traveled in southeast Iowa searching […] 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 design from my archives that I decided to rework and improve with various color changes and textures. The inspiration for this vertical design was the architecture of the buildings in downtown Des Moines, Iowa. I love the different shapes of the buildings. It began with a picture-taking adventure throughout the city, from various […] more »