The Chill of First Snow

Cold winters are not a part of living in California but for most of the United States mountain region this is a typical winter vista.   Learning to work with  snow as a major part of a painting is challenging ..... I truly enjoyed the process and delighted with the outcome.

The Chill of First Snow
Private Collection

22 x 15
Watercolor

Memories

This painting was triggered by a memory challenge.    The question was "what picture would I create if I thought about a childhood vacation."   This visualization  came to mind.  It was  my vacation with my cousins on the cape when I was 15 years old.    I remember the vibrant colors of the mornings and evenings so I have tried to reflect that in this painting.  I had great fun painting remembering a time when only the fun of the day was important and nothing else.

Memories
22 x 15
Watercolor

Wistful Day

Somedays are just about simple things with no real energy being exerted.   This was one of those days and I was happy with the results.  I find painting  flowers  a peaceful pleasure.     I have always enjoyed flowers and take great pleasure in viewing the changes season to season.    Flowers can tell so many stories in their structure and color.   Flowers are also used to say so many things and express many emotions.   As this was a wistful day I have named it so.

Wistful Day

22 x 15

Watercolor

Tranquil Templeton

Throughout the year I visit friends in Templeton California where we take morning walks with Codi, their dog, through the hills that surround their home.   It is a beautiful location with wonderful views from each hill top.     The colors change with each season and many times we see  deer roaming through the grass unaware that we exist.    It is truly a tranquil existence and that feeling inspired this painting.

Tranquil Templeton
19 1/2 x 15
Watercolor

River Roads

RIVER ROADS

A trip to Folsom to visit my son and his family prompted a long morning walk by the river.  Son by my side and cameras in hand we explored the rocks and the rivers edge.     Finding a wonderful display of rocks below the moving river we began snapping pictures and climbing rocks to get a better perspective.   Now reviewing the results of our excursion I find that between the two of us my photo box is a wonderful resource for additional paintings.     How many times have we sat by a river bed just watching the flow of water as it moves down toward some unknown destination.   For me it is a peaceful setting where I draw on wonderful memories.   

River Roads

22 x 15

Watercolor   

Pushing The Boundaries To Success

This is a design that has been roaming  around  my mind for a long time ……  and I have been toying with painting a series featuring women …. This could be the beginning, or maybe not.   Not quite sure.   I enjoyed experimenting with new colors and the basic design went through many changes finely  evolving into this final painting.    It was a wonderful adventure.

Pushing The Boundaries To Success

22 1/2 x 18 1/2

Watercolor

A Calla Affair

"A Calla Affair" was great fun to paint. I began by sketching and then poured the paint over the paper. I had a lot less control of the results and this is very different for me. The pouring created interesting dynamics and I could then go back in and define the shapes that became flowers and leaves. I felt little control over the outcome but very happy with the results.

A Calla Affair
Private Collection

22 x 15

Watercolor and ink

Winter 2011

With the winter so very cold and rainy I took brush to paper and portrayed what I imagined it must be like for city dwellers during this harsh 2011 winter. I complement the strong of heart who venture out in the coldest of times to go to work or to school. But soon we will have cherry blossoms and warmer weather and we will all thaw out, dry off and enjoy the pleasantries of spring .

Winter 2011
Private Collection

19 1/2 x 15

Watercolor

Dead of Winter

Living in California, where we have been bathed with clear sunny warm weather, and listening to the news about the east coast snow storms it brought back old memories of cold frosty days. Now those memories are from when I was a child living in Boston so they are a bit frosty as well. Never the less, I seem to remember the park looking a bit like this and we, bundled up in five layers of clothes, would drag our "flyer" (a type of sled for those of you who don't know the name) up the hill and slid to the bottom. This continued until we were to wet and cold to try again. So home we went to a hot chocolate and a warm furnace. All of these memories whirled through my mind while painting this piece.

Dead of Winter

22 x 15

Watercolor