Taking A Break

8"x 10"
acrylic on masonite

This is the current entry for Karin Jurick's Different Strokes From Different Folks Blog. What I enjoy about painting people is having the time to contemplate and consider who they are and what they're doing instead of just passing them on the street.
It took several tries to get the drawing to fit within the space, a challenge I remember from Life Drawing class. I need more practice!

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Stress Less

6"x 12"
acrylic on canvas

I lived in Newport Beach, California throughout my high school and college years and whenever the pressures of school got to me, I would take a break and go for a run or a bike ride along the boardwalk. There was something about gazing out over the vast ocean that always put my comparatively small stresses back into a healthier perspective!

Coffee House #1

10"x 10"
acrylic on canvas

I hadn't seen my friend Beth since 5th grade (34 years ago!) until we recently reconnected on Facebook. She saw some of my art work posted on Facebook and asked if I would hang some in her new espresso and tea bar, Paradise Perks in Irvine, California. Beth has done a wonderful job of creating a beautiful and inviting neighborhood destination and I feel honored to be hanging my art there. Here is one of three paintings hanging in Paradise Perks and I plan to continue to add to the series but would like some help with names....for the series and the individual paintings. I would love to hear what you think!

Rest From Row

8"x 16"

acrylic on canvas

I am continually surprised by the Different Strokes From Different Folks challenges. A subject that seems simple can be hard and one that seems hard is often easy and enjoyable! I thought this would be a bit boring and was concerned about painting all the water and making it interesting, but I actually really enjoyed this painting and had fun with the water! That is the value of having someone else give you an "assignment". I am painting things that I may not chose and learning every time!

Summer Veggies

5"x 7"
acrylic masonite

This colorful arrangement of summer vegetables was the current image for Karin Jurick's Different Strokes From Different Folks .
Click image for larger view.

The "Gathering Of The Gals" On The Wall

8"x 10"
acrylic on masonite

The main meeting and gathering place in Avalon on Catalina Island, is "The Wall" which serpentine's along Front Street and the beach where most of the city's action takes place. It is the perfect place to sit, relax, watch people, contemplate life, or "forget your troubles come on get happy"! I can't help but wonder about these four ladies and what they're discussing, what they've been through together, the length and strength of their friendship and how many years they've been gathering together on The Wall.
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A Colorless Challenge

This challenge from Karin Jurick's Different Strokes From Different Folks blog was tough for me! As you can see, the reference photo is colorless.....thus the challenge. Make up the color! How hard can that be? It's farmland and sky! Ahhh, but there are MANY different colors of blue and green and gray. I spent several hours on what I thought would be very straight forward and simple! After painting many, many swatches trying to decide on the right color for the mountains in the background, I reminded myself (as I often do) that I could paint this a billion different ways and just pick a color and start!!! Unfortunately I lapsed back into indecision when I got to the foreground and had to remind myself again! Trial and error and thinking and planning are good , up to a point......then you just have to paint!
The good part of this was that after I decided on the colors, and established the darks and lights, I found myself referring to the photo less and less since it wasn't providing me the color information I needed. It made it very clear just how much I rely on my visual resource!

4"x 12"
acrylic on board

Click on image for larger view.

Good Morning?

12"x 12"
acrylic on masonite

Saturday, March 9th, marked the opening day for the Farmers' Market. After a long, dark, cold, winter, most of us were thrilled to get outside. This is the ONLY time of year that I feel like singing a Barry Manilow song: "We made it through the rain....." and the over all mood seemed to be of relief to have survived the winter, and excitement and anticipation for summer! I was struck by the posture of this little one who seems confused about all the fuss and would be happy to be back home in bed!

Madison Ave., New York City

8" x 10"
acrylic on masonite

A photo of cabs at the corner of 39th and Madison Ave. was the subject for Karin Jurick's Different Strokes From Different Folks challenge. I had a great time with this!
I have been learning a lot about seeing color by taking the original photo and increasing the saturation and individual hues in photo shop. Also looking at the photo without color helps to see the values.
Click image for larger view.

Inspiration From You - Amy and Chloe- April 2009

Amy and Chloe
5"x 7"
acrylic on masonite

This painting of Amy and her daughter Chloe sitting on a terrace in Rome, writing in their travel journals, seemed to be an appropriate subject to paint over Mother's Day weekend. As Amy says about this moment :
"It was morning on the terrace of our small rented room within view of the Pantheon. The room was one flight of stairs up from the street, so we could look down at the activity below, watching Rome wake up in the morning and then wind down at night. Funny, how in a city with so much to see and do, that I felt I could actually spend a lot of time right there on that terrace and be perfectly happy."