Garry Oaks

I was asked to make a painting for a friend's house in White Salmon on the Columbia River in Washington (Near Hood River). When I visited the scenery was spectacular but I was also excited to see so many Garry Oak trees with their oblong acorns and wonderful leaves. My friend wanted something simple and monochrome with silver and texture. The painting is four feet wide. 

This is the landscape that inspired me on that gorgeous September day. Oak trees ahead. 

Back in the studio I started with a sketch. Soon I switched to fatter brushes!

All Creatures Great and Small

I have been spending time in Jordan these past few years teaching art and craft design to farm women near the Dead Sea for UNESCO. I love the landscape of rocks and sand that can seem empty - until I take a closer look.

I haven't titled this yet but I was thinking about the wonder I feel when looking at the world from a different angle. The small child is vulnerable and alone but safe on the back of the mule...the desert is empty but full of life... I have seen all the small creatures and plants while by myself in the desert in Jordan.

This painting is about solitude I guess. But we are never isolated from our connection with nature if we take the time to look down at the ground that supports us. Am I saying that some of my best friends are bugs? (-:

This is oil on canvas and measures 30x24 inches.

Poppies and Peonies

This commission was a dream - peonies and poppies in shades of salmon pink. Everything is so pretty - I couldn't go wrong. But the challenge was to bring interest, texture and strength of shapes. I also kept the brush work spontaneous for a light hearted and expressive feeling. For variety I used both silver (aluminum) leaf and gold composite leaf and the canvas is a lightweight wrinkled cotton that adds texture too. This painting is four feet across. Thanks Katherine for asking for this fun painting.

Olive Dreams of Paris

Some wonderful clients supported my desire to paint an unstretched canvas that hangs in folds like a curtain. This emphasizes the silver leaf in a more fun way that a flat surface. The request was for a painting of cherry blossom and the Eiffel Tower so I created an environment that looks like my client's dog, Olive, is dreaming of walking the streets of Paris in spring. This curtain will hang in a young girl's bedroom and she visited the studio several times to help me paint the piece. 

Vegetable Garden with Tomatoes, Brussels Sprouts and Fennel

I usually photograph my pieces outside on a cloudy day. Huckleberry watched. 

I showed this painting at the Ballard Farmer's Market on a cold winter day in 2013. It had a gold leaf background - and was part of a series of organic farms and food. It was a celebration of the weird and wonderfulness of the Brussels Sprout plant. I remember thinking that the white stems looked like rib bones. 

I haven't shown my work in public much lately as I have been taking commissions for large pieces instead. So this painting sat in my studio for a couple of years - looking kind of serious. Eventually I decided to lighten it up by layering silver leaf over the gold.

And then a fennel plant appeared. 

The fennel is based on a series of paintings I made in the farm fields of the Snoqualmie Valley. This photos was taken at Full Circle Farm, near Carnation.

And these are from a different painting that I later painted over. 

And then I added some tomatoes.

And here it is. 

That's a basil plant at the bottom. 

Nancy's Magpies

This painting practically painted itself. The inspired choice of magpies and daisies requested by my client for her new residence worked very well with the 'silver' leaf. 

 

I love Chrysanthemum leaves, though it is foolish to set myself up in comparison with the incomparable William Morris. 

Carol's Summer Produce

This commission was so much fun. Carol gave me a list of summer produce and then let me experiment with my painting techniques. The result is a rich 'silver' and color filled garden that brings summer inside - even in February. 

The 'silver', which is aluminum leaf, reflects light differently depending on the angle of the viewer and the angle of the light. You can compare the painting above and below to see this lively effect. 

 

This is the original sketch for the client. This is about as detailed as I ever get with sketches - and often I don't use them at all.

Herbs arranged along the bottom of the painting are, from left to right, thyme, rosemary, basil, sage and chives.

I began by drawing in charcoal and pencil. Then I used a watercolor technique for color - nice and loose and fun.

Then I applied glue and leaf. And thicker paint. I used sand paper and more charcoal and more paint and loved building up the layers that show the 'history' of the piece. Carol was supportive as I pushed this visible process further than my previous work.

I like working on commissioned pieces and find client's feedback helpful. Sometimes the opinions of my cats, my usual collaborators, are not enough.