Young Blue Heron

Oil on wood panel 6 x 10 - SOLD

These gorgeous creatures are visible in many of the landlocked bodies of water here at the coast.  I still stop and stare when I see one and if I'm lucky I get a decent photo.

Roufous Hummingbird

 8 x 10  on linen panel

A little female who visited my home many times last year.  I was lucky she sat so still for me to get a nice close up photo.  I misidentified her as an Anna's.  I'll give this subject another go.  Good example of a painting that just doesn't work.

Pattypan Domination

Oil on Gessobord 8 x 10 - SOLD

Mickey Sue Needed Painting!

                                              Oil on stretched canvas 18 x 24

So I did!  This is from the busy fishing village of Garibaldi 5 miles south of me.  Way too much material to choose from, but I lean toward the old guys. 

Four Square

      12 x 16  Oil on canvas panel - SOLD

I am thrilled to have been one of 12 artists and 12 writers accepted into a local event called 'Word and Image'.  I submitted this piece, Mona Lisa Livestock, and Cloud Cover.

The event brings artists and writers together in a random pairing, who choose one of 3 submissions of each other's work and create one completely new piece from the work chosen.

At the close of the process, we gather to see the results.  Last year it provided the best evening of entertainment I've experienced in a long, long time.  The artwork is on a screen onstage, and the writers read their work.  Fantastic!

Copying an artist you admire.....

There is much to learn from these little exercises.  I discovered how hard it can be to see the minor variations in values and how pushing from cool to warm can make a huge difference in the perception of those values. I was captivated by the incandescant light in this still life by Cook. 

8 x 10 copy of John Cook's 'The Jug'

I hadn't fully appreciated what a delicious color Viridian can be until I copied this little painting from Lipking.  Prior to this I mostly used it for mixing, but it makes wonderful sea greens and grayed aquas.

I also figured out tilting the camera slightly downward when taking a photo of a finished painting helps to avoid catching the glare from every brushstroke.

8 x 10 copy of Jeremy Lipking's 'Hotel Room'

The Chinese Crested Dog - Powderpuff Variety

Doorknob 12x12 oil on wood panel

You've seen them on commercials, and they always win the ugliest dog contest because the breed is notorious for losing most of their teeth by the time they reach old age.  I'm talking about the most well known naked dog, bred to keep Chinese sailors feet warm - or so I read on the interweb.  Often a litter will produce a couple of puppies with a full coat and those are called Powderpuff Cresteds.  That's what this guy is.  I vote for giving back hair to all of them!