Bell Ringers

oil 10x8 inches click here to bid The only time these old bells ring is on Saint Joseph's Day. These gentlemen waited for a long time for their cue. Painting that wall proved challenging. Part brick and part plaster everywhere, I indicated the basic pattern of shapes and kept edges soft so the men and cords remain the focal point.

Sunny Day Shed

oil 8x6 inches click here to bid A friend and I visited Mission San Juan Capistrano on beautifully sunny Saint Joseph's Day. I took lots of photos for possible paintings of which this is the first. The yellow and blue of this shed caught my eye. They even painted the old smudge pot to match. The shadow was the icing on the cake. We're still busy with family fun, but I managed to squeeze in a little time in my paint cave. My little granddaughter, Gracie (3),joined me for part of the time, painting watercolors at a little table beside me. What a sweet time. I'll post some pics when I can.

Little Ballerina

oil 8x6 inches not for sale This is our little granddaughter, Emily. I thought this pose was so precious; that moment when she's feeling a bit tentative and at the same time focused on her teacher. Getting a likeness when the face is only one square inch of canvas is darn hard. I needed a one-haired brush. It turned out pretty close. Sorry my posts have been sparse lately. I'm feeling fine, but busy with other things. Tomorrow we celebrate our son and daughter-in-law having earned their college degrees. We're so proud of them! Then next week our Idaho son and family come for a good long visit. I'll paint and post when I can.

Yellow Rose

oil 8x8 inches click here to bid I started this floral at the art festival last Saturday and just now finished it. In between I battled exhaustion, discouragement (not from the painting) and later, food poisoning. Started with a fresh bouquet and finished almost a week later with a smelly-watered half dead subject. Still not feeling up to par, but I hope my painting is lively anyway. It started out that way anyway! A sincere thank you to a few kind friends who stopped by my booth at the festival. Your interest and support means A LOT.

Winter Glow

oil 8x6 inches not for sale My son lives in Idaho. In the winter they sit out on the back porch around this old washtub and "chill." I liked the glow on his hand and face. Because of the glowing windows I wanted to title it "Home Fires." You know, "Keep the home fires burning." Then I thought it sounded too much like a house on fire. Maybe I'm over-thinking this? :-) That stick might be a bit too short for most of us, but he's a welder, so the heat is no big deal. They're coming for a visit in a few weeks and I can't wait! Tonight I'm getting ready for the Chino Arts Festival tomorrow. Hope to see some of you locals there. By the way, sorry about the lack of spacing in my posts. Blogger made some changes and I don't know yet why this is happening.

Dappled- sold

oil 8x10 sold A lot of little girls love drawing horses. I wasn't one of them. My first attempt at painting a horse, it took me a while to get the drawing right, but I'm really happy with this one. This is a friend of ours going about his daily chores at Amy's Farm.

Suburban Squeeze

oil 8x8 inches click here to bid I went out one afternoon shooting cows...with my camera :-). When I got close to the fence a herd of young cows came rushing over so close I had to back up. This one stuck his/her? head up just like this. I had a hard time getting a good shot of this painting. It looks so much better in person. I'm beginning to think some colors photograph better than others. I find it sad that the dairies continue to be pushed out by housing, but hey. 20 years ago we moved into one of those houses. Hmmm..... The Chino Festival of Arts is this Saturday from 10:00-4:00. Come on out to the Civic Center Lawn for a fun day of music, dance and art. Stop by my booth and say hi or hang out with me while I paint.

Wheelbarrow -sold

oil 6x4 inches private collection McDonough, Georgia I like old wheelbarrows. My dad used to push me around our backyard in one when I was little. This is not that one, but it conjured up the happy memories anyway.

Can't Miss Mollie's

oil 12x9 inches
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Driving through Utah a couple of summers ago on our way to Idaho we ate at this classic diner. It was the real deal and the food was good. Do you think they have enough signage?

Rusty Roof

oil 10x8 inches
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Yesterday I ventured out to Yorba/Slaughter Adobe, one of the oldest standing adobe residences in San Bernardino County. Built in 1852, it was even a stage stop for Overland Mail from 1858 until the Civil War. I like rusty roofs against a blue sky. I think this is the barn. Nobody was out there but me and the bugs, of which there were plenty and very friendly at that. I emptied the last of my bug spray onto myself hoping they weren't ticks, cause they were biting. Got a good bit done, went home for a shower and finished it up today.

Self Portrait

oil 6x6 inches
not for sale

Rummaging around in my still life junk, I picked up a spoon and noticed my reflection on the back. I turned my back to the window and could see myself even better. I moved my easel around and taped it to the easel right next to my canvas.

Liebster Blog Award

Today David Boyd, Jr. offered me the Leibster Blog Award. This simple award is passed along to artists who have motivated and inspired you. Well, I could easily turn around and offer him one too! Thanks so much, David. I have no idea what "Leibster" means, and frankly, this reminds me a bit of the old chain letter! But the artists I've named are deserving. I especially enjoy their variety of subject matter. I thank them for sharing their work and inspiring others.

To accept the award you must:
1. Link back to the person who gave it to you and thank them.
2. Post the award to your blog.
3.Offer the award to 3 to 5 artists whose work inspires you and who have fewer than 200 followers.
4.Leave a comment on their blogs so they know you've awarded them.

The artists I've chosen are:
Layne Cook
Brian Cameron
David Lloyd

(Brian and David's number of followers not available.)

Tulips

watercolor 13x9 inches
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One evening a week I get to meet with artsy friends and make art, talk art, laugh and eat dessert. I usually want to play around with watercolors in a "not very serious" way. This is what developed on one of those nights.

Patio Pottery

oil 8x8 inches
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Yesterday I felt like staying home, but thought it'd be a shame to miss out on the sunshine. It was 82 degrees. I wandered around in my backyard looking for a subject and settled on these favorites of mine. I tucked myself next to our fence for shade and put them on the concrete next to the pool. Then shadows came over, shadows moved, I got hot, the seat was hard, you know. I laughed at myself for being such a wimp in my own backyard. :) But as for the painting, I like it.

Storm Passing

oil 8x8 inches
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Today I'm thinking about Easter. I hadn't planned on it, but this painting fits. Because of Christ's victorious resurrection there's hope for us in the storms of life and the assurance of heaven if we trust in Jesus. Happy Easter, everyone!

Christina

oil 12x9 inches

Yesterday I had the rare opportunity to paint from a live model. The set up had it all: great color combinations, and a quietly confident young lady with high cheekbones and a beautifully long neck. I used the Zorn palette which I absolutely love for figure painting. The room we were in lacked good lighting. At home later I made some adjustments, mostly warming up shadows. There's SO much to learn about painting people! The more I learn, the more I find out there's more to learn. It's all good.

Mandarin On Edge

oil 6x6 inches
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Monday morning my sister-in-law, Linda came from La Quinta. She brought two friends who wanted to watch me paint. The four of us squeezed into my little paint cave and I did this still life. After the fun and some purchases, they treated me to lunch at Islands. What a nice morning!

Grove Gold

oil 6x6 inches
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Saturday at "Celebrate Citrus" in Redlands, I stood right next to a blooming orange tree full of fruit and painted this little study. A thick cloud cover made for poor light, but I was in the mood to paint. My friend, Evey helped me set up and kept me company. In spite of the cold and low attendance, we had a great time.

California Girls

oil 10x10 inches
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Our recent rainstorm gave us some beautiful stormy skies, so I drove out into dairyland to take pictures. This is a typical scene for our area, but the way the sun shone on the palm trees and Chino Hills in the distance made it even better.

Tomorrow I'll be getting ready for "Celebrate Citrus" on Saturday in Redlands. Come on out for art, music, citrus tasting, activities for kids and free fruit. It's from 1-4pm at the orange grove at Prospect Park, corner of Highland and Cajon. Hope to see you there!

Guarded

oil 8x10 inches
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It's about time I painted some cows. In the 1950's our area had the largest concentration of dairy cows in the nation. When we moved here in the 70's I liked hearing the mooing early in the mornings accompanied by hired hands singing in Spanish. The smell didn't bother me, but the flies were unbelievable. Though housing has replaced the dairies in Chino, there are still plenty within a mile of our house. So I drive around taking pictures of cows. This guy was curious and nervous at the same time--typical.