The Deal

18" x 24" • Oil/Canvas • SOLD

I took this picture in Arequipa, Peru in a local restaurant. The woman in the back is cooking what I had for lunch! I liked the intensity of the two men talking and it looked like they were up to something and that's how I got the name. I love using fruit for color but in retrospect, I should have painted a bottle of tequila on the table!

On The Way to Mismaloya

10" x 8" • oil/canvas • $125

South of Puerta Vallarta, Mexico is the town of Mismaloya which was accessible by a nice drive through the jungle on a dirt road. On the way there was this inviting little restaurant/bar which was in sharp contrast to arriving to Mismaloya which was developing into a huge resort. It's been several years since I took this picture but hopefully this little gem is still there!

Iris Beauty

11"x 14" • Oil on Canvas Panel • $150

Once again some of my favorite color combinations! I accentuated the orange to bring the other colors alive. Kind of gives some tension to the feel of the painting while still showing the quiet beauty of the iris.

The Noble Macaw

5" x 7" • Oil/Canvas • $90

I can't help myself! The Macaw is one of my favorite subjects to paint. Their contrasting colors are awesome to me.

La Quinta Church

36" x 48" • oil/canvas • $800

This painting was inspired by a church in La Quinta, California which is near Palm Desert. Every time I drove by it I was taken by it's placement against the mountains. I added an imaginary river, rocks and more palm trees to liven it up.

The Emperors

11" x 14"• oil/canvas • $200

This painting was one of my "experiments" with daring to use unconventional color. I use outlining alot in my paintings but this is one of the ones where I've started to use a wider "fuzzier" outline. I really like the colors in this one---hope you do too!

Girly Boots

8" x 10" • oil/wrapped canvas • SOLD

I have wanted to paint these boots for a long time but when I finally did, I had to meet some challenges new to me. Working in browns didn't come naturally and I struggled alot trying to differentiate textures and color. The true colors are a little richer and try as I may, I couldn't get them completely right with my photo studio application. But the thing with painting is that you can always be humbled and learn something new! I learned I need to get to know browns better!

Beach Bum

8" x 10" • oil/wrapped canvas • $100

I've been trying to think of new subject matter and I set up a still life of the tennies and cap. I needed a setting to place them in, and what is more obvious than a beach!

Hiya Sailor

6" x 6" • oil/wrapped canvas • $85

Doesn't she look like she's flirting? When I took the picture I actually got her to sit still for a moment!

Juicy!

8" x 10" • oil/canvas • $125

I like working in these colors for the contrast and "yum" factor. It needed a little more something so I added the turquoise highlights on the leaves.

The Hideaway

11" x 14" • oil/canvas • $200

This painting came out of my head--- probably a part of my obsession with tropical themes! I would love to have a place like this with the steps leading down to a white sandy private beach with a beautiful aqua colored sea. Aahhh.... Wouldn't it be nice?

Desert Vista

8" x 10" • oil on panel • $100

This is an earlier work from the years I lived in Palm Desert, CA. It's all pretty much invented out of my head with images borrowed from what you can see away from all the fancy schmancy homes and stores etc.

Purple Haze Callas

8" x 10" • oil/canvas • $125

This painting is a smaller version of a previous one. Calla Lilies seem to be a favorite subject for many artists, and what can I say, I'm one of them!

Papaya Delight

6" x 6" • oil/canvas • $85

I've been working with this color palette and it seems to work well with painting fruits and vegetables. I think using the oranges and yellows with the turquoise and purple/lavender really makes the painting pop.

Kamikaze Karrots

6" x 6" • oil/canvas • SOLD

When I finished this painting, I was trying to give it a title and I thought to myself, "these carrots look like they're diving off the canvas!" and there it was.

Have a Half

6" x 6" • oil/wrapped canvas • SOLD

I was trying to solve the problem of half an apple floating on the canvas and nothing to hold it down. I couldn't figure out where to end the turquoise outline without still giving the "floating" look. Then the duh moment came to simply create a slight shadow/horizon and there it was!

Yummy Avocado

5" x 7" • oil/wrapped canvas • $90

Since I've been painting in this smaller format, I find the size really lends itself to the real size of the subject matter which to me, is more appealing to the eye. Somehow painting this avocado in a size such as say, 24" x 30", would make it more like a monster avocado eating up the wall space!

Pepper Trio

5" x 7" • oil/canvas • Sold

Who can resist painting peppers? These are some of my favorite color combinations.

Wally the Warbler

6" x 6" • oil/canvas • $80

I'm really liking painting these little birds. I've been choosing ones with the brightest colors as they contrast so well against a sky and leaves.

Little White Water Lillies

5" x 5" • oil/gesso board • $75

Sure do like painting water lillies! The nice thing about them is they come in a variety of sizes and colors so the paintings can be varied too.

Gorgeous George

5" x 5" • oil/gesso board • Sold

Working on this smaller format lends itself to painting birds and I've only recently taken an interest in other birds besides macaws and flamingos. There are alot of these little guys that I'd never seen before until I started looking in books and online. I'm enjoying discovering and painting these gorgeous little birds.

Mr. Toucan

5" x 7" • oil/canvas • $75

My favorite subject matter is anything tropical or colorful and the Toucan has such remarkable color he's irresistible!

Orange Cactus Flower Duet

5" x 5" • oil/gesso board • SOLD

This was my first attempt at using gesso board instead of canvas. Takes some getting used to but I really like the smoother surface.

The Pathway

12" x 16" (canvas size) • oil • $200

This painting is based on a photograph taken while traveling in the Andalusian region of Spain. I liked the area so much I rented a small farm house on a hillside outside a town in Mijas where I had to pump my own water and see by firelight or kereosene light in the evenings. It was quite an adventure!

Pretty Duo

6" x 6"• Oil on Canvas • $75

I like painting flowers on this small format as they tend to come out life size which I think has more impact.

Americana

8" x 10" • Oil on Panel • $100

I started out with a picture of this house then changed everything! There were no trees, flowers or bushes, the house wasn't yellow, and it was squashed in between two other houses. The porch foundation continued up with a cement wall which I replaced with the railing.

Happy Hollyhocks

5" x 7" • Oil on wrapped canvas • Sold

Okay, okay... you can't tell if a hollyhock is happy or not. Absurb title, but I'm a sucker for alliteration.

The Black Sheep

5" x 7" • Oil on wrapped canvas • $85

I confess, I'm a turquoise freak. I just can't get enough of it. Problem is I don't have a budget to go with it. At least though, all my pieces were bought in Santa Fe, Taos, or along the Turquoise Trail in New Mexico so I feel better about buying it closer to the area where it was made. (How's that for rationalization?)

Lunch at the Copper Queen, Bisbee

18" x 24" • Oil on Canvas • $300

The outdoor patio at the historic Copper Queen Hotel is a great place to gather with friends and sip your favorite libation. The red brick buildings in the background are also very old (actually everything in Bisbee is very old!) and still used for various activities. Having eaten there many times I thought it was a great setting for a painting. And once again I couldn't resist putting a cat in the painting!

Flora Electra 1

24" x 30" • Oil on Canvas • $400

This was one of those paintings that I had stashed away because I wasn't quite happy with it. I brought it out and reworked it changing a previously black background to aqua leaving part of the black as an outline. Still not happy. Then I dared myself to add the lavender outline and was delightfully surprised. Now I was satisfied and started to think about combining realism with abstract color accents in future paintings.

Happy Feet

8" x 10" • Oil on Canvas • SOLD

I know it may seem silly but I bought these tennies (obviously the other shoe for each color is not shown) because I loved the colors. Whenever I wore them, it took me back to Steve Martin's "Happy Feet" routine where he used to do this quirky dancing in one spot. People always remarked about their color and I always felt like jumping around (and sometimes did I'm afraid) as if they were happy! Sorry... couldn't help myself.

Taos Before the Storm

11" x 14" • Oil on Canvas • SOLD

I took a photo of the village just in time before the sky opened up, and BAM! I really love the lighting when the sun is still lighting the foreground with the ominous skies behind.

Pretty in Purple

6" x 6" • Oil on Canvas • SOLD

This painting is based on a larger version of a previous painting. The sides are painted with a continuation of the image on the front. Still trying to get used to painting on smaller canvases!

Cottage by the Lake (Mini)

6" x 6" • Oil on Canvas • $75

The larger version of this painting has been sold, but I've had so many compliments on it in the past that I thought I would paint a smaller version.

Where's My Fish?

14" x 18" • Giclee on canvas with stretcher bars • $150

This giclee turned out better than I had expected as the colors kept their brillliance. If you've found the cat, he's wondering what happened to his daily meal!

Hacienda

48" x 48" • Oil on Canvas • SOLD

This painting is based on a photograph I saw in a magazine advertising a realtor. I added the fountain, palm trees, and all the potted plants. I like to do paintings of homes or places I would like to be.

A Fruity Banquet

11" x 14" • Oil on Canvas • $200

I created this composition out of my head-- I think all us artists can't resist painting fruit as the colors are always so luscious. I had to play with this one a bit to get all the colors to lay nicely together and flow across the canvas.

Mighty Macaw

8" x 10" • Oil on canvas • $125

Can't help myself from painting these beautiful birds! I really like painting subjects that are tropical.

Water Lily Electra

11" x 14" • Oil on Canvas • (SOLD)

Solo Flamingo

14" x 18" • Oil on Canvas • Sold

I don't know how long it will be until I get certain subjects out of my system once I've painted them, but the exotic, colorful, tropical nature of so many flowers, animals and landscapes drives me to paint them more than once! This is the first Flamingo I've done, but it's sure to show up again!

Bisbee Hill Houses

18" x 24"• Oil on Canvas • $300

I've been living in the Bisbee, AZ area for the last couple of years and the charm of these old houses is irresistible to any artist. This is a composite of several photos I took and I painted the homes in bright colors to make them stand out. I like adding cats somewhere in my paintings... found it yet?

Desert Retreat

8" x 10" • Oil on Canvas • $100

This is the first painting I've done to try to be a part of the Daily Painters. I will be experimenting with different sized canvases to get used to this smaller scale! I will also have to pick up speed as I tend to take my time. This painting was an imaginary location based on a larger painting I did when I lived in Palm Desert, CA.

Calla Lillies

11" x 14" • Oil on Canvas • (SOLD)

Of all my floral paintings, I really like the beauty of calla lillies in particular. This is one of several I will probably paint in the future.

California Bungalow with Cat

20" x 24" • Oil on Canvas • $325

I painted this from a photo I took of a house in Pasadena, California because I really like the architecture of these older homes. Have you found the cat yet?