“Potted Flowers” is just that: potted flowers. Sometimes I just want to paint something with a lot of character, but not a a lot of complication. While it is plain and simple, it does add a lot of character to a room. The original is a 12×12 acrylic on paper in a 20×20 frame. The original is on sale while you read this, for $125, plain and simple. No shipping. Must be picked up. Use the contact form above for questions or to purchase. “Potted Flowers” means you have flowers in your home year round. It doesn’t get any better!
“Catch of the Day” 33×10 Acrylic on canvas, tryptic in acrylic painted wood frame
Sometimes I paint something I really like. This is one of those. I often mentioned that I get a lot of my frames at estate sales. This one hadn’t sold and they were tossing it. Debbie to the rescue!
I brought it home and probably looked at it for a month before deciding what I would do with it. It was likely from the 1950’s and it’s a heavy solid wood black frame. The edges are slightly scalloped and the indentations give it a 3D effect. I love doing tryptics, three separate paintings with a continuous flow. I thought that with a few modifications, it would be the perfect frame. First, it was meant to hang vertically. That didn’t work for me, so I removed the brass hanger and changed it to a horizontal plane. Then I bought three, 4×6 canvases. I thought it cried for a fish and viola! The project was finished.
This is another story of a dramatic trash rescue. The frame and the canvas were in perfect shape, but the painting was apparently not to the owner’s taste. It wasn’t my cup of tea either, so I carefully repurposed it.
My first go at this was pretty abysmal, but after looking at it for a month, it fell into place and “City Reflections” was reborn.
This 13×30 framed work would look great in your living room or office. There is only one original! The unframed version is shown here. The original is framed.
I don’t paint without purpose….I usually develop a story from whatever I’m working on and then I paint. Sometimes I write the background story and other times the story is written for me. Case in point, “R U A Fan?”
I found this canvas lying by the trash. Someone had thrown out a painting and while I think all art is beautiful and special, this was not. The canvas was a gigantic 40×50, and it has a huge sun on it. I got the impression someone made it for their grandmother and when she died and the family tossed it. Nevertheless, it was there and it was a perfect canvas.
I dragged it upstairs and 4 layers of gesso later, I covered the original painting. Well…most of it. Whomever did this used chalk to make the sunbeams. I tried everything to remove them to no avail. So I had two choices: find a way to use it as it is or toss it. I chose to use it. I didn’t want to paint a sunbeam. I looked at it for weeks and came to two possible paintings: One was a peacock; the other a fan. I’d painted peacocks, but never a fan. I really love the way this came out and I saved the life of a doomed canvas!
I’m finally gearing up for some arts and crafts shows, the first in over a year, and I have lots of new items that I will be selling. Among them are these beautiful, hand painted coaster sets.
Let me tell you a little about them.
The pink/peach set was about 4 weeks in the making, with a lot of that drying time between coats and edging. Speaking of edging, this set is outlined in raised gold and the set is covered with resin and has a cork bottom. There are four coasters in this set.
Pink, peach and rose coasters. Set of four.
The lilac/blue set also took about four weeks to complete, only this set is outlined in raised silver metal. It too is covered in resin. Both this and the above set began life as 4×4 while tiles. There are four coasters in this set.
Purple, rose and lilac coasters.
The green set is glass with glass footings. It too was hand painted with small dots around the edges. This was painted on the bottom and was cured over two months, so you never have to worry about a glass scratching it. There are two in this set.
“Continuum”, three, 8×10, acrylic on linen canvas. (Approximately 10×26 when hung}
Continuing in the tradition of Jackson Pollack comes, “Continuum”, a tryptic consisting of three, 8×10 acrylics on canvas. These are designed to be placed side by side with minimal space between each. Once hung, it would measure about 10×26-perfect for that hard to fit space! Go ahead. Buy it….your wall is crying for it.
“Red and Black on Linen”, 16×20 Acrylic on linen canvas.
I am inspired by other artists. I created “Carefree in Givenchy” which was inspired by Monet after a visit to the French Countryside. “Poppies, Poppies Everywhere” came about after a visit to Arles and St. Remy, France where Van Gogh spend a lot of time. “Red and Black on Linen” came about after looking at paintings by Jackson Pollack.
Many critics pooh pooh his work, saying that he simply threw paint on a canvas. Those who know better understand that it takes a certain amount of talent to get the finished project to mean something.
Having said that, I decided to give it a try. First, it’s not as easy as it looks. Pollack used linen canvases to do many of his paintings and I did the same. Linen canvas is very unforgiving. It requires prior planning because wherever the paint lands, it oozes into the canvas, not a lot, but enough to make a difference.
I thoroughly enjoyed painting this and I hope you enjoy it as well. Thank you, Jackson Pollack, for the inspiration!
Use the contact form above for any questions or to purchase.
“Waterwheel at the Mill Top Tavern”, 19×24 acrylic on paper
If you’ve ever been to St. Augustine, you’ve seen the less colorful version of this. This painting could be a reminder of a fun vacation to the historic city or a burst of color over your living room sofa. Please use the contact form above for more details or to purchase. Hurry. Only one available!
“Northern Lights” 8×10 acrylic on canvas board, framed to 15×19. $125, including shipping
If you’ve seen the Northern Lights or know someone who has, this original painting will be a fond memory. This is a standout and a wonderful conversation piece. The Aztec looking wooden frame perfectly accentuates the piece.
As with all originals, there is only one available. Support an artist. Get it while it lasts. Email me with questions or to purchase. [email protected]
I often change directions in what I paint and how I paint. Most recently, I am intrigued in creating 3D art. I love things that appear to pop off the canvas or the board or whatever substrate I start with.
Once upon a time, we had an aquarium. We filled it full of expensive fish which died within days. We were so disillusioned – and not about to invest in more fish – that we left them in the aquarium until they floated and bloated. We created an interesting conversation p;iece we called our, ‘float fish’.
Given that I love a good aquarium, but I don’t have the knack to keep anything alive, I’ve decided to give this a shot. I thought it might be fun to create an aquarium where nothing ever died. It’s a project that’s going to take a good while to complete, but one I hope will be worthwhile in the end. I will keep you updated on my progress. Stay tuned!
For now, here is the humble beginning of Project Aquarium.
