Been back in California a few months but I feel like I've just gotten here as I'm only now finding time to create. Finally being able to get this painting onto canvas after thinking about it for a year and a half has been a relief.
Two Thousand & Seventeen
It's always a good thing when the first piece you finish in a new year turns out to be something you absolutely love.
"Silk Stockings" Watercolor, charcoal & ink on paper. 2017. SOLD
In the Garden of
Sketchbook experimentation leads to new things. Rolling with it.
"In the Garden of" watercolor and graphite on paper, 2016.
Aegean
Sometimes (most times) I really miss the Aegean Sea. This is Livadia beach on Anti-Paros. Gouache watercolor on Cartiera Magnani paper.
Late Afternoon Camellias
"Late Afternoon Camellias" Oil on 12x12" canvas. 2016.
Another plein air piece from the Norfolk Botanical Gardens in preparation for an upcoming spring show. This one was a serious challenge with the composition and the tricky lighting that was changing so rapidly as I painted, but it was well worth the effort. (Frozen solid hands and all.)
In the Ancient Maze
Needed a break from all the holiday work to create for myself. Out came this little guy. I don't know why, but recently I'm very interested in revisiting my time spent in Venice. I guess I just miss that lovely, lively water.
"In the Ancient Maze" Gouache and acrylic on 5x7" pine panel. 2015.
The Love Affair Continues
The stories this garden tells, I want to know them all. Two new plein air pieces from the past few weeks at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens.
"Sitting in the Zinnia Patch" 2015. Oil on canvas board.
SOLD
"Fall by the Fountain" 2015. Oil on canvas board.
Norfolk Botanical Gardens
Never was there a garden I loved more.
"Bright Morning" Plein air, oil on canvas board, 2015.
"Rubens" Plein air, oil on canvas board, 2015.
The Golden Hour
When the images you see in front of you flatten against your reality, you find yourself in unexpected places.
"The Golden Hour" Acrylic and oil on canvas board, 2015.
Gather In the Midnight Meadows
"Gather In the Midnight Meadows" 2015 Acrylic and oil on canvas board.
Wondering what gathering in midnight flower fields would be like.
Venezia
Once Upon a Time...
I lived in Venice.
The End.
Velvet Dusk & The Glimmering Dawn
Because sometimes you just need to spend about 100 hours of salvaging, repairing, filling, sanding, staining, gilding, and painting a 1940s vintage armoire thus saving it from a life of slow decay. How does one do this? With hand painted Art Deco "wallpaper," gold, copper, and silver details, hummingbirds, flowers, and lightening bugs.
Before
This piece was in need of some serious love. Old, peeling paint, delaminating wood, broken parts. The damage was worse than what first appeared, but structurally she was sound enough to make the effort.
After
The Outside: A Chinoiserie Wallpaper Inspired Hand Painted Mural
Details
The mural features camellias and fuchsia flowers, hummingbirds and fireflies, all highlighted with silver leaf on the branches where the moon illuminates from above. The legs are silver in both the front and back, and 3/4 up the front legs they're stained a deep, rich brown. The top as well was stripped to the wood and stained a deep coffee color with silver leafing along the edge. The copper "tulip" drawer pulls are new-old-stock from Ajax Hardware Corp. circa the 1960s.
The Inside: A Hand Painted Art Deco Pattern with Gold Detailing
Details
The inside is probably my favorite and most hated part of this restoration. To understand what I mean, it took about 30 hours to hand draw, paint, and gold edge each inch of this vintage Art Deco palm pattern into the inside of this. It was a hellish task, as creating most sumptuous things are, and I couldn't be happier with the result. Opening the armoire from the outside moonlit garden scene to the burst of sunshine within - worth every backbreaking effort.
Some more photos for you to check out the details. Click to enlarge.
Guest Bedroom
My hallway into our guest bedroom, aka, The Chill Chamber, aka, La Jolla, aka, whatever we decide to call it each day. Gouache on paper.
SOLD
Wonderful Nothing!
If you ever have visited my site before you'll notice there's a lack of words on this page. I've decided a clean, blank slate was what I'm in need of right now. There's too much noise on the internet, and I personally don't like the weight of all my words stored here. From now on, just art, and a few simple thoughts.
