In my first watercolor painting class after retiring, our teacher challenged us to paint a series of related pictures that would elicit a response from the viewer, and that would have certain elements in common. After much thought, I chose to make paintings inspired by some of the photos I had taken during my trip to Kenya in the summer of 2012. During that trip we visited a village in the Samburu region. There we were greeted by singing and dancing women; we were surrounded by happy children who wanted to show us their puppies and chickens; we were invited to come into the huts; and we were warmly and generously welcomed into their community. Through my paintings, I wanted to capture the warmth of both the landscape and the people of the Samburu.
This is one of the few pastel paintings I have done and I really enjoyed learning how to make the foam and crashing waves!
The Carpinteria Bluffs - I am so proud to be a part of a group of citizens that collectively worked together to save this beautiful area from development.
This was the first painting I ever sold. I have giclée prints of it for sale.
Painting en plein air in my home town of Carpinteria, CA beneath a beautiful jacaranda tree. Alegria means joy in Spanish.
A common site in the summer in our town is “junior guards” from the summer life guard program riding their bikes around town. They’re always wearing red shorts and light blue shirts.
Capturing moments in the life of my grandson. He wasn’t walking yet, but still exploring the beach. This was the first time he had worn a wet suit, too!
There is this old tree that takes on different shapes and forms at different times of year along the path at the bluffs in Carpinteria. I wonder what history it has lived through.
While driving through Massachusetts in the fall, I saw a scene similar to this one. I painted this using only two hues, sienna and blue.
In the style of Turner.
I came across this couple while on the Robert Frost Trail in New Hampshire during leaf peeping season.
I painted this as a gift for my dear friend Traci with whom I spent many mornings on Catalina Island over the years with our sixth graders.
This is one of my favorite places to stop while riding my bike around Carpinteria - on the bridge in the State Park overlooking Carpinteria Creek. I like the white lifeguard stand catching the morning sun in the distance.
I hiked up to this hill in Connemara National Park in Ireland in 2016.
Meet Dottie, Rocky, Charlie and Jack.
March, 2019
We finally did it! We got a new puppy! And she is this adorable.
My dear friend Alison adopted this rescue pooch.
This is my friend Susan’s dog. She asked me to paint her for her husband as a gift.
It's been fun trying to capture moments in time. Here you can see my sweet grandsons at ages 3 and 1, my friend Nikki's kids splashing in their pool last summer, my friend Lori rediscovering her favorite watering jug, my brother with a good catch, and me admiring the mountains in Glacier National Park, and more.
My grandson explores the low tide in his first wet suit.
I painted this as a gift for my friend and great encourager, Christine. It's her grandson.
My nephews, Bradley and Andrew are playing in the annual fall leaf pile at their home in Park City.
This is my son fishing on our favorite river in Oregon.
My daughter-in-law plays with her dog on Rincon Beach, just days before the birth of her son, our first grandson.
This is a style that is pretty new to me. I used salt for the background, and then painted the negative spaces in a series of layers to get these effects.
Blending some of my favorite colors.
Inspired by Old Spanish Days in Santa Barbara.
With thanks to my friend, Louise, who took the original photo that inspired this painting.
Painted during the lockdown of the pandemic when I needed to go to my happy place…..
I saw this Black Necked Stilt at the Bird Refuge the other day and was captivated by the reflection of the reeds and the bird itself in the water.
Still having fun with the pudgy bird. This one was for my daughter.
My friends Brad and Wendy Zacuto commissioned me to do this painting for their friend Karen who spent time last year at an orphanage in Haiti. Through vivid colors and movement, I tried to capture a joyful moment on a special day when everyone received new backpacks.
My dearest friend, Mary. This painting was commissioned by her daughter-in-law-to-be for a Christmas gift to Mary’s son and daughter, just one month before Mary passed away.
I did a second painting of Mary for her children as well.
This was commissioned by my friend Traci for her parents who have been married for over 50 years.
For my dear friend in Camp Sherman, Oregon.
Commissioned by my high school friend, Pat.
Commissioned by my high school friend, Pat.
Commissioned by Susan
In September of 2016, I was fortunate enough to join a group of wonderful women and my instructor, Cathy Quiel, at Lake Garda in Northern Italy, for a plein air watercolor painting workshop for a week. We stayed in Gargnano, a small town on the shore of Lake Garda, in a beautiful convent called San Tomasso. The center area, il chiostro, or the cloister, was a serene and garden-like setting where we could paint and sketch during our free time. Most days, we were in the village painting the local buildings, boats, people or the lake.
I enjoyed painting this pair using only the color blue.
