painting from a few years ago

Here is a large painting from a few years ago. The footprints are my daughter's.

paintings in progress

Here are some things around the studio. I have not been painting as much as I like, and so these develop slowly. Most of these are nearly done.

what I did on my summer vacation

I know I have been a real slug about posting. My camera has been acting up, so I haven't been able to photograph what I have been making. Anyway, I was able to scan some things, so here they are. It has been a busy summer, trying to figure out how to proceed with my various business endeavors, and enjoy making new things. These are small paintings with collage elements. When the camera is working, I will post photos of two new sweaters I made over the summer, mostly while sitting at the pool.

Lake Isle of Innisfree

With spring in the air I am thinking of being in the country. I pulled out this slide of another painting from a few years back. Sadly, I have not had much time for new work lately. This is based on the Yeats poem, "The Lake Isle of Innisfree".


I WILL arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;
Nine bean rows will I have there, a hive for the honey bee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight's all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet's wings.

I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements gray,
I hear it in the deep heart's core.

Paintings from the archives

I have been drawing in my sketchbook all day; what a luxury! I am generating ideas for a new project that I don't want to show just yet. In the meantime, here are some paintings from the past several years, all around the "Tree of Life" theme which has been a favorite subject for a long time. (See it also in the logo from the last post.) It's one of those ever-present archetypes. The painting at the top is quite large (5' x 7'), the leaves are 2' x 2', and the last is 18" x 18". These were all done pre-motherhood, ca. 2001.

a couple of things hanging around the studio

Friday

The week seems to have whizzed by. I don't have anything very interesting or new to share today. I have been working on a catalog for my cards, fairly boring task. Today I may cut loose and paint, to feed my soul. Here are a couple of pieces from awhile back.

Emma home sick

Emma is home sick today, and there is a blizzard here in Denver. So much for my day at the studio. It's just as well; I will make soup, do laundry, clean house-- all that I did not do over the weekend. At least I went grocery shopping, so we won't have to brave the roads.
I am posting a few more images, just wanting to get my feet more wet here. These are a couple of years old. I will post newer stuff when I get things photographed. And a pic of my girls-- Emma and Nutty.

from Emma's Garden

I am in the stage of just figuring out how to use and work this blog, so bear with me. My main computer with everything on it is at the studio I have in a big, old church. I don't have internet access there, which is really a good thing as I don't have this distraction. But I need to bring home images I want to load here, and haven't figured all that out yet. I am going to put a bunch of things on etsy but need to sort that out yet, too. But, I do want to put some images on here, as this is like a new, fun toy, and I have a lot, so I am just randomly picking out what I have around now, to give a background of sorts about me and my work.
One thing I can already tell is that there is a large potential for neurosis here. So many choices! Color of type, background color, layout, on and on. I am one who works and reworks just about everything. In my paintings this creates a rich patina, but here, well, I will see. There is also the glorious feeling of just lettin' it rip... Here is a series of botanical images done over the past couple of years entitled Emma's Garden in honor of my daughter Emma. They started as preliminary sketches for large paintings, done in gouache on paper. I ended up liking the small ones even more, so made more, and have been selling them as prints. A few originals are still available, and the prints are open edition. Cards with these images are also available. (click on image to see larger)

The painting behind my head

Someone asked me what the painting is behind my head in my profile photo. Here it is, and the title is The Rites of Spring. I finished it this winter, despite the title. (Maybe wishful thinking.) It was one of those I kept layering over; finally the green emerged, triumphant, as spring. This is still available, price on request. It is 36" x 36", mixed media on canvas. (click on image to see larger, and on white background)