Nature's Ballerina

Nature's Ballerina 6 x 8 oil on panel
This wild plum tree reminds me of a ballerina  in her beautiful tulle skirt making her debut on the Spring stage. There is a grace and beauty in these trees reminding us that Spring has arrived and showing off their blossoms against a few green buds just opening on the other trees.
This is an example of a "do-over". I had an unsuccessful painting, sanded it down and toned the old painting with the "soup" from the bottom of my paint thinner container, always a neutral grey, sometimes warmer, sometimes cooler. This tone was slightly warm. If you haven't tried doing this, it is a free tone from what you would wipeout and throw away.

Sunrise Peeking Through

Sunrise Peeking Through 6 x 8 oil on panel
Early in the morning driving to a small the town nearby I held my camera to the window and just clicked away. Bone chilling cold, crisp clean air . The delight in seeing this sliver of sunrise was just calling to be captured in paint. It is a quiet moody piece, very contemplative when you spend a few moments looking at it.

Wild Grapes

Wild Grapes 7 x 5 oil on panel
During my summer at Mt. Carmel I have the delight of watching a fence full of wild grapes change from green to blue/purple. the most fun is getting to pick them and make wild grape jelly which is unequaled in taste.

Drying Out

Drying Out 5 x 7 oil on panel

Drying Out, every day after swimming at Mt. Carmel, wet towels and suits are hung out to dry, they make a colorful display moving in the breeze. It is a reminder of the squeals and giggles of the children jumping and playing in the lake who have probably worked up an appetite and are wolfing down cookies and chips.

Snowy Perch

Snowy Perch oil 6 x 8 on panel
All dressed up in formal wear just waiting for the party to begin. This delightful little bird has found a perch on a snowy pine branch all dressed in his feather tuxedo. I giggle every time I see them, they seem to be hyperactive and chatter constantly. All the more fun to watch them and paint them.

The Beauty of White

The Beauty of White   pastel   11 x 14 pastel on panel
Growing up in the Midwest lilacs were in almost every yard and always in a farmyard. When we moved last  year we left the beautiful purple lilacs planted by my husband's Mom in the 1940's
Their fragrance filled the air. Imagine my delight when we moved to find two white lilacs in our front yard. Just had to paint them, and here they are.

Tiny Bubbles

Tiny Bubbles, 5 x7 painting, showing rustic barnwood frame
I fell in love with sunfish when I was very young, fun to catch and so pretty to look at. Well, not much has changed as I have aged.
I teach painting at Mt. Carmel, a family retreat center near here and one of the young boys went fishing every day off the dock and was always so proud of his catch and was happy to share photos with me, so I adapted  the fishy to look like he was coming up for air. At the same time my husband was making frames from the 125 year old barnwood from  our farm and when we put the two together it was like magic, the bubbles from the fish appear to go right off into the frame. Now how cool is that?