Art Lovers

20x16 oil on cradled panel
Ask Castle Gallery about this painting

 This was fun to paint. And pretty fitting for the upcoming holiday. Happy Friday!

ps - the frame and the molding lines are not warped... camera does that.

With the Wyndhams

14x14 oil on linen

Been in a museum mood lately. It seems a good subject to paint a little larger. I keep hearing I should paint bigger but I worry that my subjects are rather intimate sorts of settings that won't lend themselves to large works. Who wants a giant chef in a busy kitchen on their wall? But I am scaling up to give several of my galleries more options. I do think I have a contemporary feel at least, and want to push that more so I can maybe hang these larger pieces on cradled panels and not frame them.

In this piece, I painted over a bad start that I had scraped and I used some palette knife just to add a little texture and move color around the background especially. I used my fingers some too.

I sometimes wonder if its cheating to use famous pieces of art in my own art. If people like the artist featured, for example, John Singer Sargent, then they have to like my painting. But, what I most like is to paint people admiring the masters, and doing what I love to do myself.

Docent Tour

20x20 oil on linen

I am not sure this painting is "right" so I thought I'd share it and get some feedback. Please give me your honest critique!

I am having such doubts of late. But thank you all for your wonderful comments and support. There is nothing like a support group to let me know my doubts are natural and expected. And given that my day was spent in research, talking to insurance advisers and taking my husband for more blood work, I have not had much time to think in the right brain.
The main thing I love about this painting is Mary Cassatt's painting "Little Girl in a Blue Armchair" and I will no doubt put it in a few more paintings in the future. Her relaxed pose makes me feel more relaxed.

Collector's Corner

18x24 oil on canvas
purchase info to come

I worked on this over several days. I prefer to paint alla prima, but sometimes its just not possible. And once I had the figures painted, the rest was like, well, painting several small paintings. Some of them unknown and were from the gallery photos, some are from magazines, featuring some contemporary artists whom I admire. I hope if they recognize their work, they will appreciate it in the spirit it is intended.

Being an artist, I sometimes get access to those back rooms where art is stored and its a pretty neat place to visit! If you go to Austin Galleries though, there is no mystery. Its ALL out. But it could take you weeks to go through all the work. Its an amazing gallery.

L'Impressionnisme

6x6 oil on panel
$100 + $12 s/h - sold

Am I overdoing this subject? Well, I'm really enjoying these figure studies and have done more, so bear with me. This couple is looking at one of Monet's earlier paintings, "Women in the Garden" (1867) seen in the Musee d'Orsay, Paris. How I wish I could go back there myself and gaze upon these works. I've grown so much as an artist since visiting 8 years ago. I feel I could gain so much more NOW from looking at the masters.

Pontificating Pollack

6x6 oil on panel
$100 + $12 s/h - sold

Ok, I'm sorry about the title. But it cracked me up.
This couple is looking at Jackson Pollack's painting One: Number 31 in the MOMA. A lot of people rather think Pollack was pulling one over on the public with his artwork, but I really do like it. I like the energy he created. And I imagine it was a very freeing way to paint. Sometime I must try it just for fun.

Close Up

6x6 oil on panel
$100 + $12 s/h - sold

A young couple scrutinizing Seurat's painting "A Sunday on la Grande Jatte." I have the same need when I get to see masters' paintings in real life. I want to get right up and inspect the brushwork and its all I can do not to touch. I once set off an alarm in a museum in FL because I was too close to a Monet.

I had the happy honor of being chosen a finalist again in the Raymar Fine Art Contest for the month of April. I submitted the painting below, which is now available at Castle Gallery in Fort Wayne.



Happy Memorial Day!

Gallery Opening

6x6 oil on panel
$100 + $12 s/h - sold

Loved this couple checking out the work in a local gallery. I really do like this subject. I think one of the things I like best about it sometimes is the spotlight effects and the multiple shadows that are cast from the overhead lighting. And the poses of the people, absorbed in art.

Note: I've had to go up on my shipping - its increased along with all the other postage/gas pricing. Sorry.

Modeling Picasso

6x6 oil on panel
$100 + $11 s/h - sold

I liked just the silhouettes of the couple looking at this large Picasso painting in the MOMA. His painting is Les Demoiselles d'Avignon.