Sunday, December 20, 2009

Finished!


This is the finished painting - just added a couple of layers of paint overall to give it a little more depth.
Sold

A work in progress...


Make mine red please... I still have a ways to go on this one but it's time to stop and make dinner - and I'm getting a little thirsty:)

Co-Pilots


This is my entry for this month's Nibblefest contest - the theme is View from the Window. This one features Dusty and Rainey attempting to fit two passengers in one passenger seat:)

Sold

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Work in Progress


Here are some fall trees I'm working on tonight in between making chili for dinner and writing out some Christmas cards...

Sunday, December 6, 2009

When you care enough to give the very best...


My dogs Dusty and Rainey took a much greater than usual interest in this painting - especially during the photo shoot process this morning:) And yes - they got to split the subject of the painting.

I drive past this house every time I go to get my hair done and I've had this reference photo for a long time - I've always liked it and finally today I took it out of the stack of photos and went to work.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Cattledog watercolor sketch...


I sketched this last night while watching Extreme Makeover - it's from a photo of my beloved dog Rocky but the face turned out looking more like my other dog Dusty... guess I'm just so used to painting Dusty and all the dogs I paint end up looking like Dusty:) I'm tempted to call it Do you Hear What I Hear because of the big ears...
Sold

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Faithful Friends


This one is a birthday present for my friend Jon. He loves the water and so does his faithful dog Mandy:)
NFS

Generations of Freedom


"Generations of Freedom"
As I was finishing this up this morning it occured to me that while I was painting these 3 horses I was hanging out and painting with 3 generations of family - my mother in law, my sisters in law, and my niece...how cool is that! It was a great day of painting and catching up with each other. I highly recommend getting together with your family to do something creative and bond with each other - it's good for the soul!
Sold

Saturday, November 28, 2009

A work in progress...

Here's what I'm working on tonight...I will be listing it on ebay tomorrow with 50% of the proceeds to go to Sierra Wild Horse Sanctuary. The reference photo was taken at a wild horse sanctuary in Utah during a trip to visit my dad and his wife Jenny a couple of years ago.

Friday, November 20, 2009

November nibblefest


This will be my entry for Nibblefest for November...

Monday, November 16, 2009

*****Felinicity*****


I started this last night - just playing with my paints while watching a program on PBS.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

two tickets to dreamland


Another painting of my cattledogs - Dusty and Rainey...

Monday, November 9, 2009

Comfort and Joy...


This is what "Comfort and Joy" looks like in our house:)

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Joy Comes in the Morning


I was listening to Michael Curtis Chapman's new CD while I painted this last night and the line from one of his songs became the title of this painting.

The Bee Hive


Today I took a trip down memory lane and did a painting of one of my favorite childhood places - The Bee Hive restaurant has bravely stood in the middle of downtown Montesano forever it seems - at least for 45 years...and it was "retro" even then:) I love this place and had a good time revisiting it this afternoon --- it's made me ravenously hungry just thinking about those big greasy french fries and thick creamy milkshakes...

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Her Heart Knows the Answer


I've been dabbling with this the last few nights... another portrait study. My year of focusing on painting better portraits is almost over. I've learned a lot about them and don't feel as much anxiety about painting people as I did before my year of painting portraits. In fact I really enjoy them now. I only have a couple of months to decide what my focus will be for 2010.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

One last painting before I have to go back to the "real world"


I don't think I'm quite done with this Sunday Night Jazz painting yet - but here it is so far... It's been a very enjoyable day of painting:)

Esperanza Spalding


Today I did a watercolor painting of one of my new favorite musicians - Esperanza Spalding. If you like jazz and you haven't heard her music yet - you should! I really enjoyed listening to her while doing this painting.
Sold

Leaving Leaves Long Shadows...


This is my entry for Karin Jurick's Different Strokes From Different Folks blog... Karin posts photos and invites all artists to post their interpretation.
Sold

A postcard for Fall


This is a little 4"X6" postcard I finished this morning in tribute to our beautiful Skagit Valley Fall season...
Sold

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Friday, October 23, 2009

Once Upon a Full Moon


I just got home from vacation yesterday and couldn't wait to painting something! I didn't know what to paint so I just put on some music and this was what happened...

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Nibblefest entry for October


This month the theme for Nibblefest is Halloween. I decided to challenge myself to paint something that wasn't an animal this time. I almost always paint a dog or cat. So this was something completely different :)
Sold

Monday, October 5, 2009

"Bay Watcher"


I saw this woman a couple of weekends ago - sitting at the end of the road looking out at the bay. I couldn't resist painting that red hair!!

"Witchy Woman"


Here's one for the season...

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Warm Light


Here's another painting where I did the acrylic underpainting with an oil painting on top.
Sold

In Flight


Earlier this week I experimented with painting an acrylic underpainting with an oil painting over it. I really enjoyed the process and look forward to trying this again.

Sunday, September 13, 2009


"At Rest"
8"X 12 1/2" watercolor painting. I painted this one
this afternoon at my sister in law's beautiful studio on the
water. As always - we had a great time painting together
with my mother in law and her sister also joining us...
what a great day!

Monday, September 7, 2009

Back to the basics...


I really enjoyed just getting back to the basics this afternoon - a pencil, a piece of paper and an earaser...
And for Dusty - getting back to the basics includes his bed and his red ball:)

Happy Dog


Happy Dog
My Australian Cattledogs are happiest when they have control of the "red ball"! Yes - we have more than one red ball...but they still always seem to want the same one and like to gloat when they have control of it:)
Sold

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Morning warm up


Here's a little Saturday early morning warm up . I'm going gallery hopping this morning and looking forward to being inspired!

Monday, August 24, 2009

Fork in the River


Sold

August Nibblefest


This is my painting for the August Nibblefest contest the theme is Rivers and Trees.
"Distant Shores"
Sold

Thursday, August 20, 2009

untitled


I've been working on this the past few nights
Sold

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Heart's Prayer


Another prayer painting for this gorgeous Pacific Northwest Sunday afternoon.

Under His Wings


The title is from a hymn:
"Under His wings I am safely abiding, tho the night deepens and tempests are wild; Still I can trust Him - I know He will keep me, He has redeemed me and I am His child."

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Cornet Bay


Here's the little bay I live on..more fun with my watercolor crayons.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

"Just Beachy"


I tried out some watercolor crayons I've had for a long time in the background of this painting and used my watercolor pencils for the two beach walkers.

Sunday, August 9, 2009

"Cash"


This is just a fun little ACEO pastel painting for this week's ACEO and ATC Enthusiasts weekly challenge. This week's theme is "cash" and Johnny was the first thing that came to mind for me! I could not for the life of me get a good photo of this little painting - this was the least blurry and color distorted of the bunch. The actual painting is much less pink and the background is a really vivid green that didn't show up in the photo at all. Oh well... I listed it anyway - on Ebay starting this afternoon.

Sunday sketch


I was listening to a show on the CBC this afternoon about Music that Changed the World and this week's segment was on rap ... while I was listening I did this little watercolor sketch.
Sold

Up and away...


This was my Saturday night art offering...
an oil portrait 6"X6"

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Local color


Last night I went out with a friend for our monthly dinner and gallery night in Anacortes. After I got home I just had to play with some art supplies even though I was dead tired - I did this 8"X10" pastel painting before I dropped into bed.

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Summer Reading Program


One of my favorite summer activities - sitting in the grass losing myself in a good book!
I tried something different on this one - the tree and girl are painted in watercolor and the grass and background are in oil pastel. I like the depth and richness of color the oil pastel added.
Sold

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Ode to Joe


My best friend in Jr High School nursed back to health a crow/raven named Joe. He stayed around their house for years following them back and forth to and from the school bus...this is my Ode to Joe.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Mother Nature sings Hallelujah


Sunflowers always seem to me to be nature's Hallelujah Chorus!
This is watercolor on 300 lb cold press watercolor paper.

Morning in the Skagit Valley


I had such a great day yesterday painting with my friends Evelyn, Marie and Carl. This was one of the watercolors I worked on before we switched to making jewelry and collages.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Anywhere I Hang My Hat is Home


My Nibblefest entry for July.
5"X7" watercolor
I was working on another painting and heard the song "Anywhere I Hang My Hat is Home" on our local jazz station and came up with the idea for this painting.
Sold

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Dreamers


I painted this during several short work night sessions. My favorite part was just playing with the magic of watercolors in the lower portion of the painting - splattering with water and adding a little salt to create texture...fun!
Sold

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Paws for Massage


Here's the finished painting...
NFS