"STAND BY ME" Pastel 11.5" X 11.5" Sold

We live in an area where there are many of these Mourning Doves all year round. Spring is the active season, of course, with courting, nest building and chick-hatching. In fact, sometimes you have to be persistent in order to keep them from nesting in certain areas. We've had to "discourage" them  from building on top of the garage door motor housing or on the electrical box. Some of them get quite creative at times. But, we do enjoy watching them develop into a tight family group, and  being awakened in the Spring and Summer months to their cooing. (Sometimes at 4:30 a.m.) And they do present continuous photo ops and painting subjects for admirers.

"MARDI GRAS PEARS" 8" X 12" Pastel Sold

For me, pears continue to be a favorite subject to paint. They have everything going for them - shape, color, values, lighting,reflections and personality. Rarely, are any two alike. Some are tall and thin, some short and heavy-set, some lumpy, some smooth, some leaning, some upright, etc. Add to that the artist's temptation to elaborate with out-of-the-ordinary, not-so-normal "pear" colors. A good recipe for a fun painting session! How do you view pears?

"A SATURDAY IN JULY" Oil on panel 8" X 10" private collection

Painting water and waves is a delightful challenge. I love all the different shades of blue and green and was able to use my palette knife to lay in some of the white foam of the waves. The reflections, shadows and contrasts are all so vivid on a bright sunny day. This painting was a gift to a childhood friend who grew up in a house right on the beach near Allyn, Washington. Although she lives in a larger city now she returns to walk on that very beach occasionally for old times sake.

"INTO THE MOMENT" 12" X 16" Pastel Sold

One of the things I dearly love about pastel as a medium is the gorgeous color that one swipe of a pastel stick can lay down. Pastel, some people think, is the same thing as chalk. It is not. Pastel is pure pigment - the same pigment used in oil colors - held together with a binder making these soft pastels in different degrees of hardness. Therefore, when you lay it down on a surface this marvelous, rich color flows over the top. The softer pastels flow just like butter. In this painting I added many colors, both warm and cool, into the skin tones. I think it added some life to the pose.