Dec 2018

I hope you are having a wonderful Holiday season. I wish all of you a Healthy, Happy 2019!

Abbie's Trees, oil on panel, 9x12"

 Abbie's Trees were painted from a photo in the studio. I kept thinking about O'Keeffe while working on them.

Gracie, graphite on Bristol, 9x12"

 Dreamy Gracie was a challenge I enjoyed.

Pond Reflections, oil on panel, 16x20"

 Pond Reflections were painted on location, by an ever changing beautiful pond.

Springtime Canigou, oil on panel, 16x20"

 Springtime Canigou is waiting for me to have time to evaluate it. I am torn between my old detailed way of working and my new carefree approach.

 All the work above was commissioned and I am very grateful for your trust and the challenge and learning that comes with each new piece. 

 However, I am not accepting any new commissions for at least a year as I want to finish current projects and cut out some time to work on paintings of my own.

October 2018

Green Canigou, oil, 9x12"

Green Canigou is the painting I started working on just before the short television segment.  The foreground was the most difficult part of this painting.

Rosie, graphite, 8x10"

Rosie was a commission I was going to do just in graphite, but I could not bring myself not to include some color into it.

Blue Sky Canigou, oil, 9x12"

Mosaic Canigou, oil, 9x12"

Blue Sky Canigou and Mosaic Canigou were started in the SAAC Gallery at Stone Oak, where they looked tiny because of all the big canvases and the size of the room. They are color studies. I so liked the colors and glass or mineral quality of the first impasto brushstrokes of Mosaic Canigou,  that I decided to treat the rest of the mountain as grout. 

The following paintings date from my time as a student of Edwards Povey. I did not show them much. I am needing more room in my studio and so they are for sale. 

Portrait was done from a photograph taken by Edward of a dear friend who died of cancer. I thought she was beautiful and enjoyed working from a photo of such high quality. At the same time, I felt for her and her family because of her untimely passing. 

Portrait, oil, 11x14"

Inspired by Mary was interesting. We first analyzed several paintings by Mary Cassatt including a mother in bed with her baby and a tea party. Then we were introduced to a scene set up in the studio consisting of a bed with a mannequin "asleep" under the covers, a doll, a black hat and coat, old photos on the wall, a coffee pot on the nightstand, clothes on the bed and a tea set. There were a lot of us around the bed painting the scene, only a few got to paint the head of the mannequin and the doll. From my angle they were unfortunately invisible, but I enjoyed painting the rest especially the tea set and the warm and cold light on the drapery on the headboard and the red blanket on the bed. 

  

Inspired by Mary, oil on canvas board, 12x16"

The Green Line, la Ligne Verte, is a copy of Matisse's painting, done from a photograph. We had just seen a Matisse exhibit, where I had been studying his fauve works.

Copy of Matisse's La Ligne Verte, oil, 12x16"

 

Dog days July 2017

We experienced very high temperatures this July in San Antonio, we had dog days really!

For a few of months, people have started referring to me as the cat lady, not the crazy cat lady, mind. (I am told I don't have enough cats to qualify for the special addition.) It has been impressed upon me that we live in a dog loving world and in spite of that fact, I will continue to dote upon my feline friends. However, I love my dogs and am willing to make some concessions.
After I had been asked repeatedly about dog portraits, I drew and painted three during the last month.

First meet Izzy, a beautiful Belgian Shepherd.

"Izzy," graphite

Then two best friends.

"Dog Pyramid", watercolor and pastel

Last of all: Faith a chihuahua.

"Faith", watercolor
and marker

 Last of all, that is what I thought, but then Bruce came along and needed a portrait as well.

"Bruce", graphite and pastel

My last painting was done by me and Sandy Gray and we imagined instead of researched it.

(Huey, Dewey, Louie Cats" watercolor

Have a safe summer! Stay out of the heat!

April, May and June 2017

While listening to Marcel Proust and Emile Zola's novels, I have been drawing and painting my commissions over the last few months.
The Brother with his Baby Sister are direct descendants of Mary Cassatt's brother Alexander. I found it quite an honor to portray Mary's relatives.

Brother with baby sister, graphite 16x20"

The Virgin of Guadalupe is very popular in San Antonio. This is the first time I painted her image.

Virgen of Guadalupe, watercolor on wood

Sham in his darker summer and lighter winter coat. I enjoyed painting this portrait. It started when the trees were bare and I kept thinking, I need to paint those black trees with a building. There was very little time to paint and before I knew it, spring had come and the trees were leafing out. Looking through the photographs I had taken of Sham, I found the right one with lots of bare branches.  I felt confident that Sham's owner would understand, so I began without consulting her. (It is the first time I took such a chance on a commission.) As it turned out, she likes it, too!

Sham, oil on canvas, 18x24"

In June and July, my art will be exhibited at the Courtyard Cafe at 7600 Eckhert Rd in San Antonio (till July 31st). The reception will be on June 23rd from 4 till 6pm. It will be followed by BillyRay Sheppard Jazz duo from 7 till 10pm. The Courtyard Cafe has gluten free and vegetarian options.
I hope some of my local supporters can make it.

Have a great summer!