Monday, March 29, 2010

Road to the Lighthouse at Old Head, Kinsale, Ireland



5"x7" oil on gessoed masonite artboard

"STRANGE IRISH GOLF FACT: One of the propellers of "The Lusitania", sunk off The Old Head of Kinsale in 1915, was melted down and turned into sets of golf clubs that sold for $900 each."


Here's the third painting from my new little series of scenes from Old Head of Kinsale:
****I'm currently reading, "A Course Called Ireland" by Tom Coyne...which I'm enjoying immensely even though I'm not a golfer. But I AM a traveler who claims Ireland to be one of the most wonderful destinations I've had the good fortune to enjoy. Coyne's descriptions had me hankering to get out the pile of reference shots/materials I had from last summer, that I had used in completing a commission painting for a collector who HAD actually golfed there many times. The wildness of the rocky coastlines and ever changeable weather that makes for some dramatic skies make for a dramatic painting....and lots of great memories!

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $100 USD plus $10 USD s/h
Or, send me an email


I've begun a small series of these landscapes from this corner of Ireland.
I have 3 that I've finished so far. Am currently interrupted by some unexpected travels...hope to be back by the end of this week.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Clearing Sky Over Old Head of Kinsale, Ireland



5"x7" oil on gessoed masonite artboard

"Long ago, when men cursed and beat the ground with sticks, it was called witchcraft. Today, it's called golf."
- Irish saying


Here's the second painting from my new little series of scenes from Old Head of Kinsale:
****I'm currently reading, "A Course Called Ireland" by Tom Coyne...which I'm enjoying immensely even though I'm not a golfer. But I AM a traveler who claims Ireland to be one of the most wonderful destinations I've had the good fortune to enjoy. Coynes descriptions had me hankering to get out the pile of reference shots/materials I had from last summer, that I had used in completing a commission painting for a collector who HAD actually golfed there many times. The wildness of the rocky coastlines and ever changeable weather that makes for some dramatic skies make for a dramatic painting....and lots of great memories!

I've begun a small series of these landscapes from this corner of Ireland. I have 3 that I've finished so far. Am currently interrupted by some unexpected travels...hope to be back by the end of this week.

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $100 USD plus $10 USD s/h
Or, send me an email

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Wild Sky Over Old Head, Kinsale, Ireland- sold



7"x5" oil on gessoed masonite artboard


"Springtime is the land awakening. The March winds are the morning yawn."
- Lewis Grizzard


I'm currently reading, "A Course Called Ireland" by Tom Coyne...which I'm enjoying immensely even though I'm not a golfer. But I AM a traveler who claims Ireland to be one of the most wonderful destinations I've had the good fortune to enjoy. Coynes descriptions had me hankering to get out the pile of reference shots/materials I had from last summer, that I had used in completing a commission painting for a collector who HAD actually golfed there many times. The wildness of the rocky coastlines and ever changeable weather that makes for some dramatic skies make for a dramatic painting....and lots of great memories!

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Curve of the Garden Path



6"x8" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival panel (Raymar)

"Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings."

"The first man to compare the cheeks of a young woman to a rose was obviously a poet; the first to repeat it was possibly an idiot."
- Salvador Dali


Yes, I'm still (on the road) down here in Florida visiting with my mom. Just here for a few more days, then I fly home (and yes, I am getting very homesick to be back in my own studio, and not having to grab bits of internet time at the local Panera). I do have one more little painting to share from another (slightly chilly) afternoon over at Leu Gardens in Orlando, "Curve of the Garden Path" is a little 6"x8" oil sketch from this botanical center.

Mom & I traveled down to Captiva Island this week (way down by the Fort Myers area). It was nice to be able to gather some sea-shells & remember when we did this roughly 40 years ago, when I was a kid! On our way back to her house on Wednesday, we stopped in St. Petersburg to visit the Salvador Dali Museum. I'm not even a Dali fan, but this was incredibly fascinating. Definitely take the docent tour - it's included in the price of admission - and you'll truly want some insights behind the artist's life & works....otherwise you'll be thinking, "freaky!, the man was truly freaky!". hehe, you'll probably end up thinking this anyway, but in an 'enlightened' way! The other fascinating part of the whole story is how this museum came to be (only 1980/82 - not that long ago)....the couple who started this collection, and how the state of Florida became involved to have this collection located here in St. Petersburg. They are currently working on a new building structure to house the collection, it will be hurricane-proof. In the current structure, there is a vault to move the works to for protection. But if you've seen the 5 or 6 huge masterworks this collection contains (at least 5-7 feet in any direction) you'll have an understanding of the risks they undertake during every hurricane season. Aside from the fascinating paintings (and I do mean mind-blowing!) - my favorite things on exhibit were the jewelry pieces. More than just ornamental pieces, they had the same levels of meaning & genius behind them as any of his other work. Now, as for ego, whew, Dali had more than enough of that to go around. Perhaps that is some of the fascination as well. I'm definitely looking forward to the opening of the new structure in 2011!

Planning to visit the annual Winter Park Art Festival tomorrow! Hoping for some warm sunshine for the artists & visitors, it's been a chilly time here in central Florida so far this year.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Iris Evening & Foxglove Cuttings - watercolor & sharpie sketches




"Break open a cherry tree and there are no flowers, but the spring breeze brings forth myriad blossoms."
-Ikkyu Sojun


Today, I'm sharing two sketches with you, just sharpie marker & watercolor washes. A simple way to think out ideas for future paintings, but delightful in & of themselves. It's a rainy, dreary day today here in Florida, with tomorrow looking like more of the same. So, some quick sketches to flesh-out some thoughts about garden views that I've really loved. So even on rainy days, even on vacation/travel, I'm always thinking about painting (and gardening), looking for a beautiful image to share my views on.

The first is "Iris Evening". In a previous home, we had a grouping of those tiny white Irises, surrounded by 'pinks' (dianthus?). The contrasting shadows & illuminated spaces were really breath-taking. The second sketch "Foxglove Cuttings", a simple watering can on our front porch, was filled with foxglove cuttings, put there by my husband...no doubt waiting for me to paint them!

Well, I'm hoping Panera will just reserve this seat for me while I'm in town visiting! A nice foamy latte & some internet time & people watching isn't a bad way to spend part of the afternoon!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Good Morning Sunshine & On The Road With Daily Painters!




8"x10" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival board (Raymar)

"May flowers always line your path and sunshine light your day. May songbirds serenade you every step along the way. May a rainbow run beside you in a sky that's always blue. And may happiness fill your heart each day your whole life through.”

- Irish Blessings


Holy cow, today was sooo beautiful outside here in central Florida! I have been wanting a day like this ever since January 1st! I'm still down here visiting with my mom this week, and it's finally warmed up! This morning I met up with my friend & fellow Daily Painter, Sally Shisler and we went to Leu Gardens here in Orlando to paint. We have 'talked' online for a long time now, but today was the first time we had met face to face! What a very fun morning, thanks so much Sally!! And what do women artists talk about?...besides paint brands, paint drying times, paint quality, painting surfaces, gear & supplies, other favorite artists we admire, and all the technicals of our craft in general?...well, parenting, and our families of course!

And thank goodness for 'Panera", great coffee & free wifi....a little quiet time to catch up online for this 'wired' woman!

Good Morning Sunshine

About This Painting:
What a gorgeous sunny day here in central Florida! I've been hoping for a day like this ever since the bleakest days of January!

Media: oil on Belgian linen mounted on professional artboard
Size: 10 in X 8 in (25.4 cm X 20.3 cm)

How to Purchase:
send me an email

Monday, March 8, 2010

Happy Returns



8"x6" oil on Belgian linen mounted on archival board (Raymar)

"Restlessness is discontent and discontent is the first necessity of progress. Show me a thoroughly satisfied man and I will show you a failure."
- Thomas Alva Edison


I'm still down visiting my mom in Florida for a little while longer. (This newsletter comes to you via the free wifi at Panera!). Florida has been incredibly cold on this visit, so of course I'm still daydreaming about what's going to be coming up this summer in my garden again. We have a variety of day lilies called "Happy Returns" that bloom all summer. They're a lemony color of yellow and really contrast nicely with the unusual variety of coneflowers that I found at our local nursery. I don't remember the name of that variety of coneflower, but they are a bit different from the regular 'purple' ones, having a bit of a 'warm pinky lavender' purple color to them.

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $125 USD plus $10 USD s/h
Or, send me an email