“Expression implies emphasis and selection”
I am not sure where I first came across this quote, however I had it posted in my studio for several years to remind me daily of this idea. To me the idea that “expression implies emphasis and selection” is what the creative process is all about.
In order to synthesize my experience into a work of art, I need to investigate it and then choose how I will express my interpretation of the scene.
Read MoreWhen I first started painting with oil in late 2006, I struggled to understand and apply everything about the medium all at once, but when I switched my mindset from having to focus on everything all together to narrowing my attention to mastering one fundamental of painting at a time, things really began to take off for me.
Before that time, each painting experience had the potential of becoming emotionally discouraging and also a disaster in outcome, you know, making a bunch of mud. And in the beginning, the time I had to devote to learning to paint was precious, because I was still working as a full-time architect.
Read MoreAre you interested in learning to realistically paint with oils with a great deal of personal attention?
If so, I will be teaching three classes this autumn.
Read MorePeaches and Quilt
Whenever I want to revel in color and luscious and thick paint, I paint peaches. There is something so warm and yummy about painting peaches.
Emotionally peaches remind me of summer and my grandfather
Read MoreSunburst Lemon Aura Sunflower
A lovely new hybrid sunflower growing in my garden this summer.
Read More"Sisa" Dahlias
It is always exciting when flowers I dreamed about and ordered in the spring begin blooming. This year I ordered 23 different dahlia tubers, and the variety "Sisa" is the first to really take off and bloom for me.
Read MoreMorning Ramble, 20 x 16 inches
When I began this painting, I first completed a scaled color-study of the composition.Because I was working from a photo reference, I wanted to explore a few ideas and experiment on how I was going to simplify the busy and information filled background.
Something you may know about me, is that I am SUPER fascinated with detail, lots of texture, and complex shapes. However, detail and texture must be incorporated thoughtfully into a painting or else it will overwhelm the composition.
Read MoreThis is a painting of my daughter, Naomi, with her friend, Kiaya. They were two-year-olds when they first met in September 2013, and they have regularly been weekly playmates since then.
This double portrait is my personal exploration of their friendship, and a summer-time play date from last June (2016).
Read MoreThe garden is a variety of blooms now, mainly my heat loving zinnias and sunflowers.
Read MoreMorning Ramble
Last year in early June, my old garden was blooming well. Sweet Williams had taken over a corner of my flowerbeds, the chives I had separated and planted in a row, trying to create a bordering edge the year before were a riot of blooms, and everything else was green and lush. The garden was getting ready for the height of late June.
Read MoreRingtone and Flower Record Daffodils
In my quest to always paint the flowers that I grow in my garden, about three years ago, I began reading more about gardening. The magazine that has had the most influence on me in the last few years is the British periodical, "Gardens Illustrated" and as a result of religiously reading this magazine from cover to cover, I have begun to realize how helpful it is to use the correct names for the different plants and flowers I grow.
Read MorePeonies Festiva Maxima and Flower Bud
This is a painting I began on my own in the studio, and then demonstrated to my Saturday morning students how I finish a piece. Sometimes this final phase where I am tying up loose ends and trying to unify a piece can take extra time to resolve. So after the 3-hour class was over, I continued on a bit more adding the finishing touches.
Read MoreHello,
I want to share with you all that is going on right now in the studio.
First off, I am preparing for a museum exhibition at the Bennington Center for the Arts in Vermont. The exhibition will open in September 2017 and run through December 2017, and I will post more about it as time gets closer and I have finally finished the painting for it.
Secondly, I have finalized my teaching schedule.
Read More{my garden this morning}
It has been a busy couple months, with our move in December, establishing a new garden and all the regular stuff that life throws at you. I’ve been posting via Instagram recent work-in-progress paintings, but blogging about my studio process has taken a bit of a backseat. (It is just so easy to post an in-process photo via Instagram!)
Read MoreHello,
It has been a while since I shared progress on my new garden. So much is been accomplished, while there is so much that still needs to be completed.
Today, I want to celebrate the successes.
Read More
