"Floral Impressions", 16x20"

It is such great fun to pick flowers from the garden and set them up on the screen porch to paint. I like the way the light filters through the screen and lights up the flowers from behind.  I painted this one several times, destroying what I'd painted when it seemed that things were getting too tight.  I'm hoping the third time's the charm on this one.  Time to put down the paintbrush!

"Framed Rendezvous" 30"x40" And Thoughts on Going Big

I've become seriously addicted to Pinterest this year.  One of the things I like looking at the most on this site is photos of artists in their studios.  It struck me that so many of the artists were working LARGE, and I started to think, "well, why not?".  I managed to wedge a few gigantic stretched canvases from the Dick Blick art supplies store into my car, and I was off!

"Framed Rendezvous" is the second painting I completed during this phase.  It's really not more difficult to paint large, it just requires more of a commitment.  Lots of time and lots of paint are required.  Beyond that, it's not any different than painting smaller.  The biggest benefit of a larger scale is that it makes much more impact on the viewer, just because it's taking up so much more space.  Add some red to it, and it pretty much shouts "Hey look at me!".

This painting is in Saugatuck at the Button Petter Gallery.

 William de Kooning

 Jenny Saville

Michelle Doll

"The Faces of Barrington"

"Grace", 12x16"

Since September, the Barrington Cultural Arts Center has been meeting on a weekly basis, asking residents of Barrington to sit for a portrait.  The result of all this effort (and fun) is a wonderful exhibit of this work, numbering nearly 150 portraits!  If you are in the Barrington area this Friday, I would love to see you at the opening of this show at the Ice House Mall from 6:00 to 9:00pm.  Many of the models and artists will attend, and food and drink will be supplied by Barrington businesses.

I will have four portraits on display.  It would be so wonderful to see you there!