sweet creek

Today's pastel is "Afternoon at Sweet Creek." A bright scene during these days of wind and rain in the Seattle area.

old painting, new look

Two months ago I washed off and repainted a piece of Wallis for the third time. It became a dark and moody winter pond scene.

Since January, every time I came across it on my new paintings blog it bothered me. Too dark, too moody, something discordant about the colors. Today I unframed it, added two transition colors - a muted pale green color (mostly on the left side) and a dusty blue (mostly across the horizon). 

Also, and most importantly I think, I cropped the work into a little different scene. The red line shows the old parameters of the image, the lighter stroke shows the new crop. Once again, I'm not sure if this piece will survive. Time will tell. To see the before image, CLICK HERE. To see the piece as it is today, CLICK HERE

packing up

Today I'm packing up 30 older pieces for a solo show at Olympic College Art Gallery, Bremerton, Washington. Many of the pieces are from my artist's collection, have been stored away and I haven't seen them for years. Most are colored pencil, from around the time I co-authored "Colored Pencil Solution Book." Each one brings back memories. Some are colored pencil with watercolor as I was trying to let go of colored pencil as my comfort medium. There is one called "Unchain my Heart" (from colored pencil). There are also a couple all watercolor pieces that I truly love. If you are in the area and enjoy colored pencil, please visit this show at the Olympic College Art Gallery during school hours March 29 through April 27, 2010

time to move on

I needed a new pastel for the upcoming Wonder! show at Women Painters of Washington Gallery, Seattle. Completed "A Sense of Place II" today by painting over the original "Sense of Place" from a year ago. Time to move on, time to make room for new dreams.

plums in bloom

Our plum trees are blooming in succession. First, the tree of small round yellow plums was a mass of white, now the large oblong yellow plum is flowering. The Italian prune trees (one of them from my childhood home) are still sleeping. Lots to paint around here as plants and trees awaken.

love the one you're with

This is how it feels to be looking for the perfect retirement property. We have narrowed it down to a location, been hopeful, been discouraged, come up against obstacles, hopeful again. There are bright spots, doubts, confusion, temporary resolution. As in my painting of several days ago, "You are Here," I will appreciate the great parts of where we live now. Good advice: "Love the One You're With."

nothing but blue skies

Another playful mixed media piece for spring. Better bigger, click to enlarge.

you are here

Playful painting days; finding my bearings on the brink of a new season. "You are Here" is much better close up - click on the image to enlarge.

playing by the rules

An old painting from 2005 revisited. The underlying grid work gave me security the first time around. Today, five years later, it just made me want to push it (break it up, skew it) but also to leave enough showing to look back and laugh at my then-self.

springing

Suddenly, it is spring and everything is whacky. Yesterday was spent on a copyright infringement issue - someone copied one of my paintings for their own financial gain. As stress relief, I walk in my flower garden. Not much to see this time of year but I am amazed by the tenacity of green things popping up through heavy wet earth. Springing! Today's mixed media painting is called "Spring Madness;" the view outside my studio window.