Ava in the Blue Cap

 14x11 - pastel

We had our granddaughter for the month of July and she loved to wear her grandpa's caps.  In the kayak, on the trail, at a campfire, everywhere she went.

A Dusting on Blue Mountain- Sold

 8x10 


Not much snow yet, although it looks like we might be getting more this week.  It's snowing this morning and very cold, so it's looking good for lots more.  Crazy weather this winter - yes, there is global warming.......I just finished this small painting of Blue Mountain with a dusting of snow.  We went up to the Adirondack Museum Saturday to Christmas shop at the gift store.  There was only a dusting of snow on the mountain, but in the  hour we were in there, the entire top was covered in snow.

Matt's Attitude

 8x10

This pastel was done from a photo I took of my grandson, Matt, when he was a teenager and in his "renegade stage."  Actually, he was always an easy kid, but every once in a while, he'd try for an attitude and this was one of those times. 

The Hiker

14x11

A few weeks ago, we hiked with the Adirondack Club to Mitchell Pond in the Moose River Plains.  The hike was about 8 miles, round trip and a lot of fun.  We saw lots of beaver dams, trees cut down by beaver, and actually had to cross a river by walking over a beaver dam because the bridge was out.  I took lots of pictures of this particular hiker, mainly because I loved that hat and the way the light hit that yellow and orange.

After the Storm - Sold

 12x18 - Sold

Our condo in Dana Point, California is above a golf course and we love the walk through it to the beach.  A few years ago, it was incredibly rainy ( very unusual) and I decided to take a walk with my camera and get shots of everything in the rain.  This tree is near the golf links and was bathed in this incredible red light, with the storm clouds surrounding it.  My cousin purchased it and it hangs in her and her husband's home in Aliso Viejo.  I'm very happy they're enjoying it.  I don't think I've ever seen the light like that again.

Last Rays at Salt Creek Beach

 11x14

Last year I went back to doing some oils and this is one from the beach at Dana Point, California.   I love the way the sun sets and everything shines in those last brilliant rays of light.

Storm over the Everglades

 20x30 - Sold

This pastel was done many years ago, went into a show in Florida, and then was sold not long after that.  Storms over the everglades are awesome and scary at the same time.  It's such a beautiful place.

Morning Mist

 18x24 - NFS


This is another pastel from the past.  I'm working on two new paintings, but am taking lots of time with them.  One is a portrait and I haven't done portraits in quite a while so I'm taking my time and trying to get it completely right.  Anyway, I did this one a number of years ago when we went to the resort, The Hedges in October.  The mist was rising off the lake in the early morning and I think I got it.  I gifted this to the owner of The Hedges because she's such an amazing lady, who took this rustic place and lovingly restored it to it's glory days.  We all thought, before it was sold, that we would never be able to enjoy it again, but we're still going back, at least for dinners, whenever we can.  She has it hanging in her office and I'm very pleased she's enjoying it.

After the Ride - 20x30

A very early portrait of my daughter, my grandson and my daughter's best friend.  We all went to Disney World and they were bathed in light when a ride they were on was finished.  I snapped the picture and painted it when we returned home.   I still like the light and I did get their likeness, but I was just beginning to paint at the time and I feel it's too stiff.   My grandson is now 20 but wasn't he just too cute then?

Cutter's Cabin - Sold - 11x14

I've been painting this cabin for years - sometimes better than other times, but it just calls to me to paint every summer.  This painting sold almost immediately, which really encouraged me at a time when I was just starting to paint plein air.  The house is now in disrepair, the paint is pealing - I don't know what's happening with the property, but it still sits in a lovely place on Blue Mountain Lake, New York

Yellow Sails

 11x14 - $100.00

I'm posting some work that was done awhile ago.  This pastel was done plein air at Dana Point, California one early morning.  The sky was a beautiful pale yellow and  the students were getting ready to take their boats out that morning, for a lesson in sailing.   I had to work fast, as they were starting to pull the boats out.

Foxy Lady

 14x11

We've been so lucky to have a gray fox return to our yard every few days.  Apparently, she's living somewhere in our woods and comes to eat some of the bird seed now and again.  The first time she turned up, last week, I started taking pictures of her from our window.  I think I've taken about 200 pictures - she's just so beautiful.  I started this painting yesterday and finished it today.  It's from the first photo I took of her, looking so regal, sitting at the furthermost part of our yard.

Twilight Fire on Lake Durant

 11x14


Painting the lake in twilight - I was at the Adirondack Museum last month and was in awe of an oil painting of an Adirondack lake done around 1840.  Can't remember the artist's name, but have wanted to paint the setting sun on the lake ever since.  I've put in a lone camper sitting by the fire, with his boat pulled onto the sandy beach.  Lake Durant has a couple of lovely sandy beaches, which is unusual.

My Little Chickadee - Sold

 8x10

We've been feeding the birds near our front window and they love the sunflower seeds.  I've never seen so many small, delicate birds come to the feeder.  The cutest is the chickadee.  They will eat out of your hand, if you let them.  We also have juncos, blue jays,  nuthatches,  redpolls, and pine siskins.  And, that's only this time of year.   I love my camera - it's got a great Carl Zeiss lense and I was able to take some nice photos from my window to the feeder and trees.  This is a chickadee, hanging on to the tree next to the feeder.

Morning Light on Tirrell Pond

 11x14 

 
We haven't walked into Tirrell Pond this  year, but I love this place.  The hike is about 8 miles round trip and we didn't think the dogs would do it this  year.  (Yes, we blame the dogs!)  This is from a  photo I took a couple of years ago.  This is the second time I've painted from this photo but the first one sold and I love this place.  I thought I'd play around and paint it in morning light this time.

Shadows on the Path

                                                      

18x12  
 
This path is located on the Sagamore property in Racquette Lake, New York.  The Sagamore is a Adirondack great camp 4 miles from the main road and the wilderness around is just that, wild.  This path was actually a wagon road for the farm that was on the property in the late 1800's and is now used as a walking path through the woods.  It's a quiet place and I loved the shadows crossing the path the autumn day we hiked.

Lilies in the Wild-Sold

 8x10


Waterlilies on the lake at Lake Snow, Indian lake, NY. 

Canoes at Summer's End - Sold

9x12 -  - Pastel

Fall is here and the colors this year are beautiful. I think, because we got lots of rain and it was very hot this summer, the colors are especially brilliant this week. I took a photo down by our lake of the boats, finally put away, waiting for the snow to come in a couple of months.

Setting Sun

9x12

In this same class, I just started painting a scene on the lake, trying to be very loose. From my own imagination, I was hoping to show the serenity and beauty of the setting sun on the wild lakes here in the Adirondacks.

Rainy Day in the Adirondacks

10x8 - $65.00

This August I took a watercolor class in Indian Lake. It was a fun day and I really learned quite a bit about techniques in the medium. We did some free flowing paintings and this was one of them. It's loose and I just let it run to see what would happen. So much fun!

Lake Snow Autumn

12x9 - $85.00

A watercolor done at our lake yesterday, with pastel overlay. I worked on watercolor paper and like the effect. The fall colors are really starting to come out now and the nights are getting colder. Today I was told that, after I left to teach the workshop, a bear turned up on our driveway. I think he was after the birdseed at our feeders. I hope I get to see him before too long.

Marsh lilies

9x12 -$100.00

This year the lakes and marshes were filled with lilies. I felt such peace and calm canoeing through them and taking pictures of all the blooms and flowers. I have another picture that I feel compelled to paint, so when I finish it, I'll post it, too. They are all very different, just as the lakes and marshes are different and special.

Wild Autumn Apples

8x12 matted for 12x16 frame - $175.00

My neighbor has this old apple tree on the corner of her property and it's amazing we don't have bears eating the fallen apples but I haven't seen any yet. The other day I took pictures of the light playing on the apples and the leaves and did this painting. I didn't want to get too detailed on the leaves, letting the apples tell the story of the light.

Out of the Woods

8x10 - Sold
The second painting from the Old Forge Paint Out. I forgot to post that a reporter from the local NBC tv station stopped by the bridge where I was painting yesterday and asked if he could interview me. I think I had pastel all over my face when I was on camera, but didn't get to see the news last night because we stayed for the auction and got home pretty late. An exhausting day, but I hope my neighbors got to see the news and didn't laugh too hard at my pastel smudged face!

On the Moose River

12x16 - Sold
Yesterday was a crazy and joyful day. I was invited to join artists at the Old Forge Plein Air Paint Out. Old Forge is an hour from my house, so we were up early and there by 9:30 a.m. It looked like rain and who knew if I'd be able to paint. Not only that, but it was 54 degrees out and windy. There were lots of artists braving the cold and in the course of the day I did two paintings. I wish I'd had more time. It was nice because they had two tents set up in town. One tent was for the auction of the work done over the course of the weekend. All paintings done over the three days of the paint out were auctioned off to benefit the new arts center going up in Old Forge. The other tent was for paintings the artists wanted to sell, a portion going to the arts center. I brought three paintings and sold two! And, I'd say, my two small pastels done that day made a respectable amount of money for the arts center. A very nice day!

Unfortunately, I was so cold that I didn't take pictures before the paintings were up and behind glass, so forgive the photo.....

Yellow House on the Harbour-Sold

9x12 - Sold

This unique house sits in the harbor in Old Forge, NY. Old Forge is, itself, a unique little town, on the edge of the Adirondack Park. In the summer, it's the busiest little town, with theme parks and miniature golf places and, if you like the woods and quiet, you should stay away. But, in the winter, it's the the most beautiful place, with frozen lakes and a huge hardware store that sells everything you'd ever want.

Waiting- 20x16

This is a watercolor of a woman I saw years ago and snapped a picture. I love the fluidity of watercolor and really enjoy painting figures in the medium.

Waterlilies at Tupper Lake-Sold

9x12 - Sold

There's a peaceful pond in back of the Wild Center in Tupper Lake, NY where I painted these waterlilies. The Wild Center is a museum about the natural history of the Adirondacks. It's a sprawling place, with nature hikes and lakes and exhibits that are fascinating. If you ever get a chance, head up there and enjoy the day.

A Stroll through the Past/Santanoni Barn

14x20

There is a Adirondack Camp called Santanoni, back in the woods, about 5 miles back in the woods. It was built in the 1870's by one of those very rich robber barons roaming New York City during those times. He built a Japanese inspired Adirondack home overlooking Santanoni Peak, beside Newcomb Lake. It has history, but getting back to it takes time and patience. My husband and I have walked the 5 miles in and 5 miles out a number of times. About a mile in, they put a farm in an open clearing, built some stone and wood buildings for the managers and workers. Put in a silo and barn. During those times, all they had to do was get back there (which wasn't an easy thing, even for them) and all their food for the summer was grown and stored right on their own grounds. Now, that's the life! Unfortunately, a few years ago, someone burned the barn buildings down, including the silo. The police have concluded it was arson. I recently found this photo of my husband walking near the farm. Of course, I wanted to paint it. I hope to include it in the solo exhibit I'm having this January at the arts center here. If you get a chance, google Santanoni and you can see the camp. It's in the process of being restored and I feel lucky to have seen it before the restoration and after. It's so beautiful.

At the Campfire

8x12

We were at a resort/Adirondack Camp a few weeks ago, visiting some friends who stay there every year. It's called The Hedges in Blue Mountain Lake. Before building our house, we used to take our grandson there every year for two weeks in the summer. What a great place this is! We left at night as the campfire was lit and I took this picture. I'm sure, after we left, a lot more kids were sitting around that fire, roasting marsh mellows, just like we used to do with Matt. It took a couple of weeks to get to it, but I enjoyed painting this.

Pasley Falls, Indian Lake, NY

14x11

Last fall we hiked to this beautiful spot in Indian Lake. It was a little bit hard to find, as the trail had become overgrown, but we made it, with the dogs. I usually have my camera with me on all our hikes, but this time I had to use my cell phone. Call phones in Indian Lake are only good for photos, as finding a cell signal is sketchy, at best. Anyway, the photo came out great and two weeks ago I finally got around to doing a pastel from it. It was raining and I set up on the porch. I got very detailed with it but I wanted it to look like an early 1900's painting. That's the feel we got when we hiked back there and I hope this painting has the same feel to it.

I haven't had much of a chance to paint lately, as we've had our granddaughter with us for the last month. I take her back to Florida tomorrow for five days, then I can paint to my heart's desire!

Flamingo -

11x14 $100.00 +s&h

The oil spill in the Gulf is so upsetting. We spent 28 years in South Florida and took the oceans and the parks for granted. We enjoyed the everglades and used to go to Flamingo Gardens to spend the day and admire the beautiful flamingos.

Laguna Niguel Park - 8x10

A beautiful day at the park near our condo in Dana Point.

At the Market

11x14 $85.00 +s&h

A Market in Peru, from a photo taken by my sister-in-law, from their many travels. I tried simplifying the scene, especially the background.

Water Lillies - 20x30 - sold

We're on the road now, heading to the Adirondacks of New York from California. A week before we left I had a commission to paint - water lillies. It's nice when someone decides they want a piece of art and they want you to paint it. I'm always thrilled and then a bit apprehensive that they'll like my interpretation. The client had a photo for me and I actually simplified it for the painting.

Waiting for the Parade 15x30

We attended the parade last year in San Juan Capistrano and I took way too many pictures! I was considering painting those beautiful horses, but decided that doing the people across the street would be more fun. Didn't know if I could accomplish it - so many different people...

A Day at Buttermilk Falls

11x14 

Buttermilk Falls is a serene place near Long Lake, New York. It's easy to get there, no big hike, very close to a road, so it's usually very busy in the summer months. At the bottom of the falls, kids can wade in the pool of water, so there are usually lots of kids climbing the rocks and parents yelling at them to keep away from the edge! It's not easy painting children from a distance with pastels and I hope I've done them justice. It wanted to just let people feel the falls and the fun kids have on those rocks

Autumn Birches on Blue Mountain Lake - Sold

Done recently from a photo taken at The Hedges. This is such a magical place. We used to spend two weeks every year here with our grandson. Families from all over would spend the same two weeks so Matt grew up knowing that every year he would see certain friends and they would be free to roam the place, kyack, fish, swim, canoe. A very Adirondack experience and one we're both happy to have given him.

Aspen Road 11x14

Here's another from Colorado. This was done plein aire - the house was there but the road wasn't. I just thought it would make a better composition with a road and it sure worked. This is also at the Cottage Gallery in Laguna Beach. I love those aspens!