Hello everyone.  I haven't blogged in a while nor painted because I am writing a book; however, I was stuck on my book the other day and turned to my oil paints to give my brain something else to focus on and here he is -- Cesar!  He just appeared from my imagination.  It took me about 4 hours to paint it because he must have been just waiting to get birthed, skipping around in my head, longing for escape.  I usually use a picture of some kind to get faces right - proportions, etc.  This time, I didn't have to use any tools other than my mind's eye.  I hope you like him.  He has some of the vagabond spirit of the main character in my book - what a surprise. And, don't you like his name?

Hope Springs In Winter

I was inspired to paint this little pastel after attending my grandson's wedding yesterday.  Even in winter, hope can be found, just as in the deepest pain, there is love and where there is lack, thereto is abundance. 

Weekend Get-Away

Hi Folks.  Still painting crabs in watercolor and ink.  This picture reminds of the days when we would just use a net to scoop up the crabs, without using a chicken neck as bait.  Ah, early mornings at the beach.  A whole day to just enjoy ourselves.  How many days can we do this anymore?  Thanks for stopping by.  This picture is for sale, framed, for $100.00.  Contact me if you are interested.

Make My Day

Hi Folks.  This is a watercolor and ink drawing I did of a favorite subject: crabs.  This one is ready to fight but the other two are scurrying away.  Don't blame them, do you?

The Great Escape

Good Morning.  This morning I painted this watercolor and ink drawing of blue crabs.  As a child, we just loved going crabbing.  And, the crabs just loved trying to escape from the bucket.  We'd take them home, purge them with fresh water and then someone would steam them and we sit and pick out crabs to our heart's content.  Have a great day.

Guardian Angel

We are leaning on our guardian angels a lot these days so I thought I would paint one.  My husband, after he saw it, remarked,"red hair runs in my family, she must belong to me."  Since I have a red-headed son, she could belong to me too.  May your guardian angel look over you.

TEA SPOT

Hellooo Everyone.  It's been a while since I have posted because I have been busy with family obligations and, working on this oil painting.  My hsuband gave me the teapot for my birthday this year and I decided to capture it in oil and put it in a setting that would be pleasing to me if I could create my own little piece of the world to sit and have a cup of tea.  As you can see, I would like a window, flowers, a lamp, and a table cloth.  So English, so peaceful.  I hope you like it.  Thanks for stopping by.  It is for sale.  The price is $250.00, framed. 

Mystic Roses

Thanks for stopping by.  This pastel painting called, Mystic Roses, was inspired by a friend's arrangement of "wild roses" from her yard.  I took a picture of the table where we were sitting and enjoying iced tea and good conversation.  I think that sometimes when we share our innermost thoughts, concerns, fears, joys, etc. with a good friend, a mystical and magical thing happens:  Everything seems ok.  Everything feels like it will work out, get resolved or maybe even improve.  Through this process, we hear ourselves speak of things, and in the speaking, it seems a part of us is affirming our ability to solve problems, achieve success or, just survive; and the friend, listening and speaking, is doing the same.  I wrote a poem called, "Lofty Companion."  It talks about that higher part of ourselves that guides us on our journey, and can look across time, and see things "from on high."  I think, when I sat across from my friend, with her wild roses beside us, our "lofty companions" exchanged greetings and it was mystical.

Over The Hills

     Hello Folks.  This is a framed 12" x 14" watercolor and ink painting I did to satisfy my need to paint poppies.  It makes me think of The Wizard Of Oz.  I enjoyed imagining being Dorothy as she skipped along in the Land of Oz. 
     It is for sale for $35.00.  Please contact me if you would like to purchase it and escape into the Land of Oz where everything is so bright and happy.  Thanks for stopping by.

February Snow at Bob's House

It snowed here last night and it was beautiful.  I looked out  in my backyard for something to photograph so that I could paint this gorgeous stuff.  Saw nothing but snow.  Then I went on FB and my friend, Bob Baxter, had posted a photo of his house that he took with his cell phone before leaving for work this morning.  I just loved it so I painted it today, using pastels.  I want to give Bob the credit for the photo and God the credit for the inspiration.  Thanks for stopping by.

China Cuppa 2

Hello Folks!  I painted today!  Nothing outside to paint so I grabbed a china cup and a flower arrangement and set up this still life.  I call it China Cuppa because I once had a roomate who was from Ireland.  She would ask me if I wanted a "cuppa".  Of course, that's what a cup of tea is called in Ireland.  So we sat down and had a cuppa.  I call this China Cuppa 2 because I bought a new camera today and China Cuppa 1 wasn't fit to print.  This pic isn't the greatest but I'm sure I'll improve.  Sure hope all is well with you.  Thanks for stopping by.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all of you from our house to yours.  This is a picture of our Christmas tree this year.  Several of the ornaments were made by my parents and me when I was a teenager.  Dad has passed on.  Mom is slowing down.  I'm getting along.  But, when decorating this tree each year with these ornaments, I am flashed back to the 60's with Mom, Dad and me making ornaments at the dining room table, decorating the tree, Mom making her divinity, and me wondering what I was going to get for Christmas.  In the background, Bing Crosby was singing, White Christmas", Brenda Lee was singing, "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree," and me crying the first time I heard "Little Drummer Boy."  The ornaments on this tree represent the early part of my family and the later years when the ornaments were hung on the tree at my house with my husband and 2 little boys.  And the same music played on.......  Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.

Grief

Hello Folks.  A friend of mine called yesterday to say that her aunt had passed away, having lived vigorously for 98 years.  My friend was crying and I understood so well how she felt.  Even though her aunt had been in poor health for about a year, my friend had been the one to travel to the assisted living center, the hospital, the rehab center, and her aunt's home to provide "care" for her in a myriad of ways.  My friend had called me often, exhausted, overwhelmed and sometimes even a little put-out because her own life had been put on hold.  Now, though, my friend spoke of what a blessing it had been for her to get to know her great aunt in the last few years as her aunt's mind was clear and she had entertained my friend with stories of herself and ones about my friend as a small child. 
I share this sketch with you that I call "Grief."  It represents my own grief over several losses I have suffered but I hope you see in it the silent part of grief that lingers and is triggered by small things in every day life that reminds us of those we loved.  These triggers often make us weep but sometimes they make us smile because no one ever leaves us, do they?  They stay in our heart and mind and we think of them and still love them, don't we?

Thanks for passing by.

Cary Grant in Bloom

Hello Folks, sorry I haven't posted in a while but things were busy at my house.  However, thought I would post this picture of the rose called "Cary Grant" in it's last stages of blooming for the season.  I hope to paint this over the winter and will share with you when I do.  Thanks for passing by.

BOA BABES AND THE NAKED COWBOY

Hello Folks.  Here is a watercolor I did of the Boa Babes (see previous post) posing with the Naked Cowboy in Times Square.  It was so much fun.  We four friends were on our yearly NYC jaunt and we happened upon the Naked Cowboy. So we gathered around him, stuffed money in his boot, and had a passerby take our picture.  When Wanda, Ruth, Pat and I went to NYC, we often lost our daily inhibitions and could become rather boisterous.  But that was the point of the trip, wasn't it?  Thanks for passing by.

THE PARASOL

Good afternoon.  I am quite proud of this painting as it combines three things that were on my mind to paint:  a cityscape, umbrellas, and something Asian.  So here we have an Asian woman in the city, caught in a rain storm with just a paper parasol while others rushing around have conventional umbrellas.  I feel sorry for her.  Her dress is already dripping.  She stands in a puddle of water.  And eventually her parasol will wilt and collapse on her head.  She doesn't look happy, does she?  But she does look like she is quite stoic and will wait to see what happens.  Life seems to be like that to me sometimes; others are hustling and bustling and seem purposeful, useful and well-equipped, while I feel stuck and, (ha ha) bogged down.  Thanks for passing by.

BULLRUSHES

Hello folks.  Back again to painting.  This oil painting is a 20x24 oil painting that I was inspired to paint to go with my new living room furniture.  I painted it early one morning.  It was in my mind to do something earthy, with nature as the theme, but I had no specifics in mind but color.  And, it seems this building sort of rose out of the bullrushes and it has prompted some folks to say, "the Parthenon", when they see it. What do you think?  Thanks for passing by.

Women and Hope

Good Afternoon.  This small watercolor represents to me the hope all women carry in their arms all the time. Hope for the children, the world, the country, the peacemakers, a cure for cancer, a happy outcome, peace, etc.  I hope it inspires you to carry hope in your arms, whether or not you are a woman.

Thanks for tuning in.

TWO SISTERS

Good morning, folks.  This is a pen and watercolor scene I did which, as you see, is called Two Sisters.  It makes me think of two sisters; one pregnant and living paycheck to paycheck, and the other living a more luxurious lifestyle.  The affluent one comes to visit the other and their mother joins their conversation taking place by the fence in the backyard of the pregnant sister.  Across the fence, in the background, you can see "the city" which the "uppity" sister calls home.  Standing beside the mudpuddle, the pregnant sister seems to be observing her mother and sister with hard, reality-based eyes.  "There she goes again," she seems to be thinking.  My intent was to create the city mouse/country mouse meeting and I decided to add the mother for the artistic tension as well as the natural tension that exists in families sometimes.  What do you think?  Thanks for tuning in.

Five Crabs

Hello Folks. Glad to be back painting again. This is a little watercolor I did as an exercise to try to jump start my muse again. These little guys, being orange and all, must have been boiled already. But, they're still smiling! I know that feeling, don't you - being boiled, or boiling with anger and resentment, or boiling over with emotion - and, sometimes I can still smile through it! Thanks for tuning in.