Down Parkerville Road

 11x14 - $165.00

I take this road every day to get to the main route to town, or out of town.   Since a flood last March, this is the ONLY way out of our neighborhood, which is a bit scary, as it goes over a brook.  Every day the sky and mountains have a new look and it's always beautiful. 

After the Catch

Well, haven't been painting lately - I found another passion while up here in the Adirondacks of New York State.  It's quilting!  Oh boy, never thought that would be me, but I'm actually enjoying using patterns and coming up with my own color scheme and putting them together.  It's almost like painting,  and learning to actually quilt is no easy thing!  Once I send it off to my grand daughter, I'll post the quilt here. 

 16x20 $225.00

Anyway,  after finishing my granddaughter's quilt the other day, I painted this from a picture I took this past November on our trip to Cape Cod.  I've missed picking up those pastels and now I'm on to another painting.  We went to NYC a couple of weeks ago and I have some great pictures of the city.   We also ended up at the Met and spend a few hours in heaven, looking at all the impressionist paintings on display there.  The museum had two rooms filled with pastel paintings of Degas.  Unfortunately, they had the lights turned so low, they were hard to see, but still - what a treat!

Ocean Dunes on Cape Cod

9x12 - pastel - $95.00

We spent a week on Cape Cod recently.  It was cold, windy and empty of tourists, for the most part.  We had a fantastic time - mostly for all those reasons.  Of course, the ocean and bay beaches were wonderful to walk on and the dogs enjoyed running free on those empty beaches.  I must have taken 50 photos of the place, every day, so I'm overloaded with painting material.  We loved Wellfleet the most and we're already planning on going back next year.  I only wish it was less windy so I could have painted outdoors.

Under the Falls at Yosemite

 11x14 Pastel  $200.00

I started this pastel while in California, right after we returned from our week in Yosemite.  I never finished it, although I've been puttering around with it for awhile.   As usual,  I sometimes lose interest in a painting, put it away and then pull it out later.  Sometimes years later.....and finish it.  Although we're now in New York, I decided to finish it yesterday, before starting one of Cape Cod.  That mist in the background gave me trouble, as this is a view of the running water under the Bridleveil Falls, where the mist turns into rain as you get closer to the Falls.  It's really fabulous to stand so close, but I just love the rushing water further back.  It reminds me of the Adirondacks, too.

Ava with Hibiscus

 9x13 pastel

My daughter sent me this picture of Ava, my granddaughter, holding a hibiscus.  I just loved it and decided to try a pastel on the velour paper again.  I'm beginning to like this paper for portraits, as it seems to blend very nicely using girualt portrait and landscape pastels.  Looks like I may just try one of my husband next! (and, yes, she does have those very light blue eyes!)

Girl in a Turban

In Albuquerque at the IAPS convention this past June, a beautiful girl was sitting in the grass at the Hotel as we returned from Old Town.  It was such a hot day, almost 90 degrees and she looked so spotless and cool, underneath that gorgeous turban.  I asked if she would mind if I took her picture and a few of us artists started photographing her.  I planned to paint her asap, but, of course, that didn't happen.

 14x11 - Pastel

Was going through my stash of pastel papers and found some velour.  I think I used it once and wasn't happy with the results.  Asked an artist friend how she applies pastel to velour, and then got that photo out and started this painting.  I've been working on it for a few days.  It takes applying hard and medium pastels and I tried building up some layers so that I wouldn't loose the pastel on the surface, which happened to me the only time I tried this paper.  I think this worked and I'm very satisfied with the results.

Country Road to Blue Mountain

With all the rain we're getting this week, the leaves are finally falling, so the peak is over.  I hate to see it end - I love fall the best.  it's an artist's dream season, I think.  I took a photo of Blue Mountain from the road a couple of weeks ago, when the leaves were still glorious with color.  It's amazing how great my camera is, it got the shot at 50 mph!

 11x14 - $175.00

This weekend I spent it at a quilter's retreat in Lake Pleasant.  I finished a crib quilt for my soon-to-be grand baby and then did this painting from the photo.  I love it when the road seems to reach up and has a life of it's own. 

At the Butterfly Garden

 14x11 - $225.00

Since getting to New York, I haven't had too much opportunity to paint for myself.  I was painting for the Old Forge Paint-Out, then for the Moose Festival in our town and now I'm actually working on a baby quilt for my soon-to-be new grandbaby. You could say, I've been busy......Anyway, this week I got the pastels out once again and did this of the butterfly garden at my mom's place - in Mission Viejo.  Some of the residents there took it upon themselves to create a beautiful oasis near their community center at Casta del Sol.   We visited it a few times this summer, each time I took photos and this painting is from one of my photos.  I'm not sure if I'm going to paint someone sitting on that chair, or not.  Have to give it some thought, but, for now, I like it the way it is.  I just wish I knew the names of all the flowers surrounding that walk!

Nancy's Bouquet

 16x12 - $225.00

Today is a sad day, remembering 10 years ago.....my friend called me this morning during the memorial services and we talked awhile about that day.  We were together, she was visiting me in California and we were enjoying some fun time in the sun - no worries, just laughs for a week.  That morning, her daughter woke us up and told us to turn on the tv - well, my daughter was living just 15 blocks from the World Trade Center and I guess I had a panic attack, right there in my living room.  Thank God Mary was there to calm me down and help me get through that day.  My daughter was fine, in most ways, but shocked and very traumatized by all she saw.  Anyway, today I wanted to paint something beautiful and natural and happy.  My neighbor, Nancy, grows the most amazing flowers around her house.  She gave me these two varieties of hydrangea and so I used pastel and painted this still life.  I never paint still life.....but it made me happy today.

Moose pictures

In our town of Indian Lake, we have a Moose festival every September.   People come up from all over New York for the festival and I've been asked to paint some pictures of moose to sell.  Last year people were complaining that there wasn't enough moose things to sell! This year, our club is selling gorgeous, homemade quilts and  I'm doing some moose paintings in oil and some in pastel.   All are small, 5x7, 6x9, 8x10.  I plan on having 10 available for sale - some of the proceeds go to the Volunteer Fire Department in town.

From the Green Bridge

Last weekend I painted at the Old Forge Paint Out for the arts center auction.  They've changed the name of the center to The View and it's such a beautiful, state of the art center that I'm always excited to be a part of this fund raising event.  This is one of the paintings I gave them for auction.  I painted this from the Green Bridge in Old Forge Sunday morning for the auction that night.  I also brought two other paintings for them to auction.  The three small paintings brought over $900 for the center!  Yeah!!

Yellow Harbor House

 11x14 - Pastel

I'm painting for the Old Forge Labor Day Paint Out.  I was invited to join the artists for a plein air event, but they also sell paintings and this is one I'm bringing for sale.  In Old Forge, it's a local treasure and sits across the lake from the downtown area, so it's very visible and loved by tourists and locals alike.

The Loon at Blue Mountain Lake

 6x9 - Pastel

One of the most fascinating creatures in the Adirondacks - the loon.  The other morning, about 7 a.m., I took coffee out on the porch and listened to them calling on the lake.  This pastel was done from a photo I took in the kayak last summer.  I was glad I took this photo in high resolution because I wasn't actually close to this loon.  I was able to crop and paint a close up view.  They very rarely let you come that close.

The Adirondack Arts Center has this one for sale.

Rock Island Dusk

 8x10 - Pastel


Rock Island on Blue Mountain Lake is a wild and lovely little island in the middle of a large, deep, cold lake.  I've painted this island more times than I can count, but I still keep going back for photos and plein air.  This is from a photo I took a few years ago when we were canoeing the lake at dusk.  Thank goodness I had my camera with me at the time, otherwise I would have missed this gorgeous pink sunset on those thirty foot rocks.  I think I've mentioned that my grandson goaded me into jumping off that rock at one time and it was hair-raising!

This painting is going to the Adirondack Center for the Arts for sale.  They've asked me for a number of pastels to sell this summer and I'm happily obliging!  I'm thrilled that they're selling these small pastels.

Waterlilies on Racquette Lake

 8x10 - Pastel


I'm participating in the Old Forge Paint Out Labor Day weekend, which includes being able to bring and, hopefully, sell some work.  I decided to paint waterlilies for this gallery, along with a few scenes of Old Forge.  Haven't started them yet, but have finished these waterlilies.  They are beautiful this year.  I guess they're beautiful every year.  I can't wait to paddle among them next week!

Cabin on Blue

It's been awhile since I've been able to post any new work.  We've been traveling to New York and our cabin in the Adirondacks and I'm finally settled in and able to paint.

 9x12 - $85.00

This week I gave a beginner watercolor class at The Hedges, a resort on Blue Mountain Lake.  Usually I demo before we start painting and this was the view from Blue that I chose to paint.   Before the class was over, I decided to add my pastels to the watercolor painting I had started.  It was a lot of fun to hear the student's comments once the pastel was applied.  I decided to leave the mountain and some of the trees in watercolor alone.  I liked the effect.  I hope it spurs my students to try pastel over watercolor.

Moving Along the South Inlet

 18x12 - $175.00

I'm in a canoeing mood and painted another of a couple on the South Inlet near Racquette Lake.  We're hoping to canoe this in August, as there's a waterfall two miles upstream and it's suppose to be beautiful.  We'll have our granddaughter, Ava, with us and I hope she'll appreciate a day on the inlet, lunch included!

Yosemite Valley

 18x24  $650.00

I'm still looking at my pictures from Yosemite Valley and this one was calling to me to paint.  I was reluctant to start, as I didn't think I could capture the majesty of those mountains.  I decided to work larger than I usually do and I'm still fiddling with it here and there, but I thought I'd post it and see what you think.

Beach Tree

 14x11 - $140.00

We went out to paint this afternoon at the edge of Doheny Beach.  I thought it would be foggy, as it was all morning, but the fog lifted and we had some nice shade to  paint under and nice sun for cast shadows.  I brought some larger paper, 11x14 and some 12x16.  Used the 11x14 and am happy with the results.  Painting outdoors is the most wonderful experience, even with the moving sun, the changing light, it's exciting and different every time I go out.  After the painting was done, a sailboat came into view and I added it at the last moment.

Canoing the Moose River

 11x14 - $145.00

I found some photos I took last summer of people canoing the lakes in the Adirondacks.  Just had a feeling I wanted to paint one of them yesterday.  Finished it this morning and now that I look at it, I want to grab the canoe and get back to those beautiful lakes!  I hope this conveys that feeling and the knowledge that those guys are jut loving it, too.

Girl with Scarf

Got back last week from five days in Albuquerque at the International Association of Pastel Societies.  It was a whirwind of demos, workshops, visiting with artist friends and making new friends with artists from around the world.  This organization brings together all pastel societies from around the country and the world to educate others about the medium of pastels.

 20x16 - $200.00

I went to an all day workshop with Bill Hosner, and award winning pastellist who paints people in outdoor settings.  After watching him demo with this model, it was our turn and this is my version.  His is fabulous, I have much to learn.

Yosemite Falls

9x12 - $100.00

These are the upper and lower Yosemite Falls near Yosemite Village.  It's so amazing that these wonderful falls are so approachable from the meadow and there are hikes that go up to them.  We didn't have the time for that, but I was able to take loads of pictures and did this at the park.  We would love to go back and do more hikes, especially to the top of one of these falls.

River View

 9x12 - $100.00

We just got back from four days at Yosemite National Park.  Wow!! What a place - you can almost feel John Muir and Teddy Roosevelt's presence there to this day.  At least I could, especially when we climbed almost 1,000 feet to view half dome,  Bridalview Falls and the Valley Floor.  We stayed at a campsite just outside the park, which was right beside this river.  In season the fishing is suppose to be really good, but there was still snow in parts of the campground and it hadn't been stocked yet.  Oh, well, I still sat the first afternoon and did this pastel in the quiet.

Water Falls

Last summer we had Ava with us for a month.  She was six at the time and we wanted to keep her excited about places and nature and so we took her to Pottersville, NY and the Natural Stone Caverns and Caves.  It's a truly remarkable place where the moving water has carved out caverns within the rocks.  They claim that it's the oldest natural rock formations in the Northeast (we've heard that before....), but it just might be!

 12x16 - $100.00

I took lots of pictures and started this pastel before I left New York.  This week I decided to rework it.  My picture was head on and just wasn't that interesting to me so I changed the composition and now am happy with the results.  Sometimes I have to put it away and come back to it to find out what's wrong or what's right.  By-the-way, you can take a look at this place on line.  They have cross-country in the winter and diving in the summer.  Quite a place!

Park Path

 12x15 3/4   $100.00

It's a wonderful experience, painting on location.  We went to Laguna Niquel Park this week, even though it looked like it might rain.  Actually, the sun kept coming out, then going in - we had a few sprinkles, it was warm, then cool.  Had a great time, even though we have to chase the light throughout the day.

The Bue Door

 13x10 - $100.00

Went out to paint today at San Juan Capistrano.  Not a sunny morning,  but pleasantly cool.  For some reason, I really struggled with this painting.  Couldn't get the strong darks in at first.  Had to put it away and worked on it when I got home, to finish.  Anyway, had a great day, painting with two women who inspire me to be better and had a wonderful lunch with them afterward.  Life if good.

Shade Trees

 9x12 - $100.00

Yesterday we decided to paint in San Juan Capistrano.  I found a shady spot in Los Rios away from cars and other people and set up the easel.  I wanted to paint one of those historic houses there, but didn't have a clear view.  Being comfortable and cool, I decided to paint what was in view, which was the trees across the street.  Hey, there is so much to paint, no matter where we are!  I'm definitely going back to try painting a house next time.

Man with Cap

Took Alicia Sotherland's one day workshop this week and was totally blown away with her pastel portrait technique.  She's a terrific teacher and subscribes to negative shapes in painting portraits.  I'm here to attest that the process works.  I have lots of practice ahead of me, and with her help, I produced this portrait from one of her photos.  Now my husband wants me to paint him!

19x15