View South Through the Madronas SOLD

This was done out of doors in my yard on an overcast day. We have a large stand of madrona on our property and they all lean out over the hillside.  This is a view south towards Tacoma with the lightest part of the painting the light reflected on the water.  I like the close color harmony created by the subdued light.

Sequim Slough

Another view of Sequim.  The land is low and sandy near the water and this tidal inlet works its way back towards the town.   I like how this painting is opposite of the previous Sequim view - dark in the foreground and light in the back.
This painting is for sale at my Etsy Store

Sequim View SOLD

It's often sunny in Sequim WA on the Straits of Juan de Fuca.  The Olympic mountains (in the background of this painting) catch all the moisture and leave clear blue skies.  This is a view near the ocean looking back at the mountains.

Nancy's Shed and Madronnas

The sky was a deep dark blue and the madronas were dark, with reddish tones from the red bark .  All these darks acreate strong contrast and push the shed forward.

Nancy's Shed and Fence SOLD

Another view of Nancy's garden shed. I like how the strong sunlight is reflected under the eaves and warms the shadow

Nancy's Shed with Lavateria SOLD

This is a neighbor's shed painted from photos taken last summer.  It was late in the summer and the lavateria was in full bloom, the apples were almost ready to pick and the grass had turned golden.  A souvenir of a perfect summer day.

Yellow Daffodil on Mauve SOLD

A painting from this spring.  Mauve is the name of a light purple color that was the first synthetic dye color.  It was created by accident in 1856 by an 18 year old chemistry student, William Henry Perkin, who was trying to synthesize the anti-malaria drug quinine. The name mauve was given to it from the French name for the mallow flower.  The color of this dye is familiar to those of us who remember ditto  machines- it was used in the ink.

Three Cherries Shadows Reflections

How do you make a light intense vibrant red?  If you add white you wind up with pink, so the trick is to make all the dark reds almost black and leave the light reds pure saturated color, straight out of the tube.  When I paint cherries I pick the red ones to paint so that I have somewhere to go with my dark colors.  This suits my family just fine because they like to eat the darker sweeter ones.

Cup of Cherries

A strong down-light illuminates the rim of the cup and saucer and casts dark shadows.  The cup saucer and tabletop are white, but the shadows are quite dark, and only the highlights are pure white.

Sngle Pink Rose Glass Jar on Gray SOLD

This painting was painted before the previous entry, but it had a very unsuccessful pink background behind the rose and jar.  The painting was just pink everywhere -screaming, unsubtle pink.  After I painted the two roses I went back and subdued the background in this painting.  Suddenly the pink rose was delicate and the painting was balanced between a very large area of neutral color and a very small area of bright saturated color.

Two Pink Roses Square Glass on Gray SOLD

These delicate single pink roses are blooming on shoots of the rootstock that our species roses are grafted onto.  The rootstock is probably Rosa Canensis, or dog rose.  A very prosaic name for such a lovely rose.  I like how the gray background contrasts with the pink.

White Pitcher Blue Saucer Red Cherries

Another painting of cherries.  I put a narrow piece of cardboard between the light and the still life subject and this threw a shadow across the back of the still life.  This made the objects in the light more contrasted and the objects in shadow less contrasted.  It gives a sort of atmospheric perspective in a very short space. 

White Cup Cherries on Gold

I kept the palette simple to unify the composition. This still life is toplit, so the rim of the cup and the tabletop are light. And the light is reflected back up under the cup and under the cherries too.

Seabold Hall Bainbridge Island SOLD

Done at a class on Bainbridge Island at Seabold Hall.  This is the building in which the class was held.  I painted quickly but chased a few shadows across the page.  I am fond of the patch of blue sky in the trees;  I kept it dark so that it reads as part of the background.  After I finished I realized that the peak of the roof should not have been on the edge of the canvas. 

Two Sailboats

Two sailboats silhouetted against the dark green hill of Maury Island near Dockton, Washington.  Late afternoon sun casts a yellow light on the sailboat, and turns the shadows lavender. 

Pt. Robinson Lighthouse with driftwood SOLD

The old Point Robinson lighthouse on Vashon Island sits low on the beach close to the point.   There is an ugly modern tower just to the left of this view but it didn't seem to go with the mood of the painting so I left it out.  This July 4 is the low tide festival this year --between 10 and 3 the lowest tides of the year will uncover rocks, sandbars, and tidepools that are not visible for the rest of the year.

Yellow Centered Jonquil Charcoal Wall

Another jonquil painting from this spring.  I like to paint flowers with simple structure.  Also, jonquils hold their petals for several days as cut flowers.  I like the strong turquoise and charcoal colors.

Jonquil with Vertical Blue and Turquoise

This was painted this spring when the orange centered jonquils were blooming.  I have discovered I really like blue and white together.  The smidgeon of orange and green and gold  contrast with the dominant blues and make them seem even bluer.   

Single Cow SOLD

A very simplified background with sharp light outlining the cow's back and head.  I especially like the streak of orange in the background.

Cherries Cup and Bowl SOLD

A study in black and white and gray with some tasty cherries thrown in.  I especially like the white bowl which is painted light gray except for a few strokes on the rim of the bowl.  But it still reads as white!

Tall Silver Bowl Three Cherries

Another painting of cherries again on gessoboard.  Although the surface is smooth, it creates texture by showing every detail of every brush stroke.  I like the suggestion of shine and reflection. 

Three Red Cherries, Black ,White, Gray

I found cherries in the store and managed to paint a few paintings before I ate all the cherries.    This is smooth gessoboard rather than Raymar panel; the brush strokes are more apparent and maybe a little looser.  It also makes it easy to wipe out an area because there is no texture to hold pigment.

Twisp River Trees

Last fall on a visit to the east side of the Cascades we drove up the Methow Valley and found this stand of golden trees near Twisp.  It was a perfect fall day with warm sun shining through golden leaves.  The next day was overcast and rainy, and snow was falling in the passes as we scooted home before winter.  This painting is in my show in Anchorage this June at the Artique Ltd Gallery.

Nason Creek Fallen Log SOLD

A view of Nason Creek near Lake Wenatchee.  Low angled sun breaks through the spot where the tree has fallen.  This painting is in my show at the Artique Gallery in Anchorage this June.

Near Chiniak SOLD

View of a tidal creek on the road to Chiniak on Kodiak Island.  A very cool and misty scene with lush green grasses and very gray sand.  This painting is in my show at the Artique Gallery in Anchorage this month (June)

White Sand Beach SOLD

The white sand beach is at the end of the road at Monashka Bay on Kodiak.  Late afternoon sun turns the mountain pinkish orange.  This painting will be in my show at the ArtiqueLtd Gallery in Anchorage in June.

Ninilchik Church with Gold Fireweed SOLD

A view of the Russian Orthodox church in Ninilchik Alaska with autumn fireweed turning reddish gold.  This painting will be in a show in the Artique Ltd gallery in Anchorage in June. 

Near Slana

A view of the Copper River drainage along the Alaska Highway, somewhere between Slana and Tok.  Fall colors turn the hills red and purple and gold.   This painting will be in my show at the Artique Ltd. Gallery in Anchorage, Alaska in June.

Near Eklutna

Late afternoon of a day's fishing near Eklutna.   This painting will be in my June show at the Artique Ltd. Gallery in Anchorage.

Nabesna Road View

A view of the mountains seen from the Nabesna Road in the interior of Alaska.  The area is part of the Wrangell - St. Elias National Park. This painting will be part of a show at the Artique Ltd. Gallery in Anchorage Alaska in June.

Near Island Meadow SOLD

Near Island is next to the town of Kodiak, where we used to live, and is connected to the town by a tall bridge.  It's a perfect place to picnic and stroll on a sunny day.  This painting will be in my June show at the ArtiqueLtd gallery in Anchorage AK.