Verticals & Red

One of my daughters tells me that my Everglades work is all about a balance of verticals and horizontals. It's very possible that she's right! The upright palms against almost any vertical background continue to interest me. When I come across them, whether a group, a clump, or a line, I am compelled to explore the scene further in a painting. Sometimes it's about trying to get the most distance possible out of the scene. Sometimes it's about a balance of color or light. In this painting it's about getting past the confrontational aspects of the landscape and into it's heart.
Several of my paintings have been selected by curator Jack O'Brien into a show called Florida Naturally at Physician's Regional Medical Center on Pine Ridge Road. My work is the soft counterpoint to a number of landscape photographs. If you love the Florida landscape you'll enjoy the show. Stop by before August 20. They have a wonderful cafeteria if you're out for lunch!

Verticals & Red
5" x 7" (12.7cm x 17.8cm)
acrylic on canvas
$150 plus $12 shipping and handling in the US
E-mail me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

Racing for Home

The other day a group of sailing boats reminded me of an earlier time in my life when I often sailed Long Island Sound and north to the Maine Coast. Moving along with no sound but the wind in the sails and the cries of sea birds was exhilarating and good for one's soul. Clouds are building in this painting and the ships are looking to get home before the storm. Soon the summer rains will come and this will be a common scene. When out on the water in the summer in South Florida you learn to gage the speed of the building storms, and learn correct timing to be home just before it pours.

Racing for Home

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Framing and Talking

I mostly sell my paintings framed, so dashed across the Everglades early yesterday morning to pick up an order of frames from my supplier who had received a container the day before. We found upon opening the boxes that the style I needed most came through with an unacceptable quality. I was able to get some of what I needed, dashed back in time for yesterday's Artist's Tabletalk luncheon.
A wonderful group of women artists on Marco Island meets once a month for art talk. We are all serious artists working regularly, and have only one rule for our table--that for those two hours, the subject must be art! If someone digresses we lead them back to art. We struggle to have only one conversation going on at a time, so have a limit of 12 participants and sit at a round or square table. We start by going around the table so that each artist can take a couple of minutes to tell about what they've been working on, reading about, or exhibitions seen in the month since we've met. We're usually so excited about what everyone is doing that this takes most of the time! We all know that we spend so much time in our studios working alone that socializing becomes very important. Meetings like this energize me. I'm so grateful for all my artist friends who take the time to come to the table! I hope they get as much out of it as I do!
Today's painting is a simple one reminiscent of my mad dash across the glades. It's just about a hundred miles across from Naples to Fort Lauderdale and this scene is a common one. Remember, all my prices include a simple gold frame.

Golden Grasses
7" x 5" (17.8cm x 12.7cm)
acrylic on canvas
$150 plus $10 shipping and handling in the US
E-mail me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

Stream in the Back Country is a little larger than my last few daily paintings. I had blocked it out a while ago, and it was sitting there quietly waiting to be completed. It's a nice country meadow, and if you know Collier county you can find the scene off Turner River Road. I enjoyed working with the deep, rich colors. The rest of the last two days were spent opening a Paypal account and learning how to get the button working. I wanted Paypal because you can purchase a painting with your private information secure and it can be used from anywhere. But I so struggle with the technical aspects of the Internet. (Sigh) Deep apologies if you received several strange emails or repeats on Monday. I'm not sure how it happened, but will really try to ensure this doesn't happen again!
Many, many thanks to David Darrow, a fine artist with technocrat abilities as well. In addition to David's skill as an artist, he wrote a Paypal button compatible with Blogger for other artists to download. Paypals own buttons are more suited to Ebay, so are sometimes cranky on Blogger. Although we have never met, when I emailed David with my questions and frustrations, he immediately called to help. I'll be forever grateful! Also thanks and congratulations to Ms Ries, who was willing to give the Paypal way a try when she contacted me to purchase "Hurricane Cut." She and her sister own many of my smaller paintings, sometimes exchanging with each other back and forth. They're among my dearest collectors!

Stream in the Back Country
20" x 16" (50.8cm x 40.7cm)
acrylic on canvas
$500 plus $25 shipping and handling in the US
E-mail me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

Blue Water

Painting a small painting each day and putting it up for sale on the Internet is a new way for artists to market their work. Selling in this way means there's no gallery representing the artist, and the artist doesn't need to represent themselves, like at an outdoor art festival. The customer makes a decision on what they like, and in the case of Ebay sales, even what price to pay. Most of these artists blog to bring attention to their work.

The most famous Internet artist, sometimes called the father of this movement is Duane Keister. Duane paints common, everyday objects, and sells them on Ebay. He's very good, and did so well with this method that a number of artists have adopted his methods. Check Daily Painters and Daily Painters Guild and see some wonderful artwork! I paint daily, and am listed Daily Painters Guild worldwide list of everyday painters. Now if I can figure out how, you may see a Paypal button on my blog soon! In the meantime you can contact me by email if you see something you'd like to own

Blue Water
7" x 5" (17.8cm x 12.7cm)
acrylic on canvas
$150 plus $10 shipping and handling in the US
E-mail me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

Hurricane Cut

The humidity is up today reminding us that summer isn't far away, with that, many people will soon give their palms a "hurricane cut" for the summer. Some people believe that having less fronds on the palm will reduce wind resistance and help the palms to withstand strong winds, but exactly the opposite is true. Palms need every green frond to stay healthy and withstand both winds and disease. The only fronds that should be cut off are the brown, dead ones. So clean up those palms now and then, but don't give them a buzz cut!

Lately, the elongated palms hold an interest for me. I'm not sure why, but maybe I long for verticals in this horizontal landscape! Here are some with a nice painterly quality. If you are getting this in your mail box each day you might like to visit the website here. There's more color, and it's easy to enlarge the painting. You can visit some of my special sites, too.

Hurricane Cut
5" x 7" (12.7cm x 17.8cm)
Acrylic on Canvas
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Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan

It's encouraging to see our lawmakers finally coming into agreement and beinging to fund the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. More information about the plan can be found in these stories from USA Today. As you know, I feel storngly that the Eveglades hold a special place in earth's ecosystems and are important to us all. There's been a lot of controversy about the plan, but finding ways to work together and acting now will begin to bring this part of the earth back to good health.

Growing up in Gloucester, MA, the harbor was filled with trash, debris and polution. Thanks to the Clean Water Act and a lot of hard work, the harbor is almost pristine again. Let's wish the same for a speedy Everglades recovery!

Groupies
6" x 8" (15.3cm x 20.4cm)
acrylic on canvas
$175 plus $15 shipping and handling in the US
E-mail me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

Spring Morning

After being lazy about it for a while, I'm renewing my efforts to paint a small painting most days. The paintings will always be a day behind, because the blog is a morning thing for me and I want to have something ready to show you. A small painting a day will build inventory for the shows to come, and allow experimentation with color and techniques. It's a great way to warm up, and since I can do some of them in an hour or two, there'll still be time to work on larger paintings. It's fun to do because there isn't the emotional involvement of a large painting. Most of them will be from photographs or memory. Today's was painted on a bright pink background that still peeks through.

Then, when I get really committed, I'll paint the sunrise each morning. Sunrise is so beautiful here on Marco Island. Each morning has it's own distinct personality of colors and pattern. But getting up and out that early is a whole other issue!

Spring Morning
7" x 5" (17.8cm x 12.7cm)
acrylic on canvas
$150 plus $12 shipping and handling in the US
E-mail me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

Annual Meeting for the Marco Island Foundation for the Arts

Five years ago a group of Marco business and civic leaders met to create a new Foundation with the mission of promoting art in public places. The goal was to provide additional arts and culture opportunities as the City of Marco Island grew. The organization has held two international exhibitions of sculpture, and a number of other arts events. Today is the third annual meeting of this growing membership organization. Congratulations, MIFA! You can learn more about this organization or subscribe to receiving messages about art events here.

How different each morning sky is when I go around dawn to get the morning paper. Yesterday there were pinks tones and puffy clouds, today the early sky was gray and quiet. I've taken yesterday's sky and put it in an imaginary location. A couple of busy days mean that I don't get to paint outside as much as I like, but there's still time for a mini painting!

Morning Sky
7" x 5" (17.8cm x 12.7cm)
acrylic on canvas
$150 plus $12 shipping and handling in the US
E-mail me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

Visit the Everglades

Looking at this small painting of the Everglades, you see the warmth of the sun, some puffy clouds, and the graceful palms. There's nothing in the painting to show you all the sharp, prickly, and bitey elements hidden in the greenery! Much of the lush growth and rich green leaves have spikes of some sort lying below view just waiting to prick the unaware. And each leaf and stem contain a hidden place for an insect or worse, a snake. While it's teeming with life, it's one of those places so important to the health of our earth that it's difficult for people to live there. Despite those little inconveniences, there's a beauty and a magic found nowhere else on our planet. If you live or visit South Florida, be sure to check out the Everglades ecosystem. There's information about how to do that here. The Everglades have been my muse for almost 15 years, and they still show me something wonderful to paint each time I visit.

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Rich Beauty
7" x 5" (17.8cm x 12.7cm)
acrylic on canvas

I finished and delivered "Meandering Downs" much to the delight of the person who commissioned the painting. Since I'm nearly hysterical with worry when working commission, I'm always relieved when the painting is delivered and the patron pleased!

Miniature Abstracts

It was a good composition refresher to paint abstract miniatures with artist Joan Dunkle last week. The largest of them is only 3"x3" and there's not much room for error on something so small. Some are more successful than others, but I'll do some more since they are such fun. I prefer the heavy body type of acrylics rather than using them as a

water medium, but they can be used either way as long as you add some matte medium for adhesion. These will be beautiful after a few days in a heavy book! I've been spending part of each day with the Cotswold downs commission, "Meandering Downs" and hope to finish that today. Then I'll get started on a promised painting for the office of Dr. Marciano, my last for him, and start to plan for the six week class I'll be giving at the Art League of Marco. You can see more about that here. If you are planning to study with me this summer, please sign up early since the class will be cancelled if there are not enough participants!

Quiet Moment

Congratulations to the Gradys, new collectors who purchased Quiet Moment. They asked me about the pinks and purples in the painting, and I explained that there are a lot of warmer colors to be seen in the Everglades in the Spring because the grasses and leave lose moisture and begin to dry out. Spring is our dry season. Pinks and purples, and even corals might show up, depending a particular mix of sunlight and moisture in the air. Some of the effects are fleeting and you just have to be lucky and looking! Sometime in May or June the rains will come and make the back country roads wetter and often flooded, so now is a great time to get out there and take a look. You can pick up a map at the Visitor center at the junction of State Road 29 & 41, and go exploring!

Yesterday I worked on both Meandering Downs and the class demo, but neither one changed enough to show to you, so I'm showing you something from the early years. In a recent conversation with a student asking about my painting history, and I commented that my old paintings look so "seventies." Today's painting is one of the few surviving examples from that time. I'm don't know if the photo was taken level, if the painting was ever finished, or where the painting is today, but you can clearly see the "seventies" influence. What is it? I'm not sure, but it seems to have something to do with the composition and the heavy outlining. Despite the lack of cohesion in the flowers, I don't think an art historian would have a problem identifying the time period of this painting. Seventies!

Salon De Garage

Salon de Garage was a lot of fun on Saturday. Clients who wanted a special piece or a bargain came early. Thanks to you all, with special thanks to the Tribilcocks who picked up four pieces for home-building children. Lucky kids! Each artist got about 10" of space floor to ceiling, and you can see Joan Dunkle's gorgeous work off to the right in the first picture. At the end of the day I traded paintings with Joann Lizio O'Brien for an early piece of hers that will fit nicely into the plans I have for our bedroom, and picked up a great little beaded, mosaic "Joy" from emerging artist Angela Brown. Angela's work centers on nature and the fairy realm, and she's also a healer. You can see more of her work and learn more about her art here. Many of the paintings you see in today's pictures have found homes, but I still have a few pieces available for adoption. I'll keep the sale opened until Wednesday.

Meandering Downs

This Cotswold landscape is a commissioned piece for a client who wants to feel the warmth of the meandering downs in his painting. I'm just beyond the block-out stage, and it will take a little more time to get all the values and colors in harmony. It's a peaceful piece, and as I'm working on it I'm remembering how my sister and I enjoyed traveling together through the English countryside almost fifteen years ago. Have to plan another trip, sis!

A nice newlywed couple from New Hampshire stopped by yesterday to visit the studio. Jen's mother had given them money to buy art on their honeymoon. They had visited the Studio Gallery, loved my work but the pieces there were too large for them, so the owner sent them to me for a studio visit. Jen immediately knew which painting she wanted, but Dean wasn't so sure. They went off quite pleased with two paintings, one pick for each, and within their budget, too! It's so pleasing to deal with young collectors and to see their pleasure in owning original art.

Today I'll be packing up and hanging the show for Salon de Garage at the Sweet Art Gallery on Trade Center Way. Hours are Saturday from 8-4. A number of Naples artists are participating and artwork will be hung floor to ceiling, salon style. Many of the paintings will be unframed, and some will be as much as half price. This is my first ever sale! You can learn more here. Hope to see you there!

When teaching, I don't worry about a finishing a painting myself, but use demonstration to illustrate a concept or technique. Today's painting was started as a class demonstration, and has changed dramatically several times as I worked. The painting was blocked out in class as I talked about dividing a canvas into pleasing divisions. Then, responding to the colors I saw the morning the class spent in the Everglades, the sawgrasses became warm salmons and pinks. Helping students, and not having time to adjust the sky, it looked like two paintings in one for a while. Later, I demonstrated the use of some iridescent and interference colors, changing the color of the grasses and giving the painting a nice underglow. Working on it again yesterday I realized that I needed to step back and get a clear vision of where it was going before I could complete it successfully. I'll think about that today, and also start a commission that's due before the end of the month.

What a busy week it was with teaching and family here, too. Today's photos are from the Florida Landscape class. We'd spend half a day inside and half out. Some of the students had never painted outside before so they had to learn what they needed to make it easy. The first day we brought only a red, blue, yellow and white along with some water, our outdoor easels, and the usual hats, bug spray and snacks. Those three color paintings were some of the most colorful of the week. We visited the Esplanade, the beach and the Everglades, so there was something everyone liked to paint. It was a wonderful class with a great attitude and some fine artists.

As much as I enjoyed it, I loved getting home to my two grandsons each day. They'd have done something special, too, and have lots to tell. The last two days of their visit we spent boating and beaching in near perfect weather. I'll miss them, and some of my students, too! I'll be teaching again this summer, a six week class from the end of June through July. Call the Marco Center for the Arts if you're interested in joining me.

I'll be having my first ever sale this weekend at Salon de Garage. For more information, click here.

Ancient Artist Blog

Good Morning. Sue Smith has published an interview with me on her Ancient Artist Blog. Sue be lives that the voices of older artists need to be heard, so often talks with and publishes interviews with older artists. You'll enjoy her artwork and her interviews with other artists, too! I'm delighted to be included. Thanks, Sue!

If you are getting this by email and haven't visited the blog lately, you might enjoy the change of colors and some new links! Pay a visit! Thanks to collector Bloom who purchased "Rounding the Mark" It will go to Connecticut, and into a very nice collection. Thanks!

Two Palms

Best Friends? Lovers? I moved the background way back and subdued it to let these two palms take the lead and highlighted them with strong color. It's a small painting, but powerful and pleasing.
We'll be at the last Art in the Park all day tomorrow. Art in the Park is put on by the Naples Art Association on the first of each month from November to April for their juried in members. Its a quality show, but smaller and more laid back than some, without the frantic "sell" mentality of the larger shows. It's nice to visit with the other artists and see what's going on with their lives and work and to greet customores new and returning.
I won't get much painting done today, because I'm still getting ready for the Florida Landscape in Acrylics workshop I'll be teaching next week. In addition, the outside door of my studio will be replaced today with hurricane resistant glass. We've already replaced the glass in the rest of the house as part of a plan to make our home safer in the inevitable Florida storms! Then tomorrow, two of my dear grandkids will come for a spring break visit. So, it may be a while before I post again! SOLD!

Last night my husband and I traveled into Naples for an art opening at the IAG Galleries, where Jack Howard Potter's Sway and his new Goliath sit gloriously on an outdoor patio. The galleries focus is international art, and we enjoyed the beautiful drawings of an equine artist from Bahrain. We were delighted to meet owner Don Binns, a warm, generous man who offered to be a sponsor of the Marco Foundation for the Arts ArtQuest in the future. we'll take him up on that!
It's been a busy time. I'm also preparing to teach next week, which for me means a lot of preparation. I redo handouts, prepare new ones, and make sure the plans for each day make sense. Lots of stuff gets dragged to class, mediums and additives for students to try, books, paints, show & tell stuff, and canvases and my outdoor easel, too. We'll have family here starting Saturday, too, so I'll have to be ready early. I wish it wasn't the same week, but I'd much rather see my darlings part of the time than not at all! In spite of that I've still been painting, at least a little every day. I've almost finished this small, breezy painting, inspired by all the visits from Mother West Wind lately. I'll try to give it another pass today!