magnolia blossoms

This pen and ink and colored pencil drawing was inspired by a sprig of magnolia blossoms that a friend brought to work last week--exquisite in color and form.

first art journal

This is my first art journal and I'm using the opportunity to experiment with anything and everything--watercolors, pen and ink, colored pencils, acrylic paints, gesso, Mod Podge, scotch tape, and a variety of techniques.  I have two other empty art journals ready to go, again made with brown paper grocery bags and bound with yarn.  I'll take my favorite techniques and mediums and start creating journals with themes.

I made the cover with a piece of fabric glued on with Mod Podge and then trimmed with household masking tape.  I braided the ends of the yarn used to bind the journal.  I'm very please with my first attempt and can't wait to start on the next one.

forest path

This is one of my favorite paintings and the image that I used as a basis for the previous painting.  This was actually painted a few years ago and hangs in my reading room.  It included a technique I had never used before which was to lay down certain colors and then rub some of the areas lightly with the end of a wax candle.  The waxed areas then resist colors that are layered on top, preserving the underlying colors.  This created the highlights and rough areas on some of the tree bark and on the path.

flowering pear leaves and berries

On Thanksgiving morning a few months ago, I went out early and photographed some of the leaves and trees in my neighborhood. I used one of the photographs as a guide for this painting. It has become one of my favorites.

My friend, Jim, saw it and called me wanting to know how much I wanted for it. Not wanting to part with it, I painted another version for Jim.