Feeling Springy...

Some early flowers are up in the garden here and I had to paint one of my favorite spring flowers.  These iris don't actually grow down here in Florida but are from one of our trips to St. John Newfoundland where they were growing at the MUN botannical gardens.  I have painted them before in watercolor but ran across the photos recently and decided to do them again in oil.  I take a lot of reference photos, then put together a composition from my favorite bits so you may recognize some blooms from the previous work slotted into this new painting. 

• Iris
24 x 12 oil on canvas 

Dawn (Mill XII)

●Dawn (Mill XII)
24 x 14 oil on canvas on birch panel 

Sunflowers

Sunflowers 1
24 x 12 Oil on Gallery Wrap Canvas

●Sunflowers 2
20 x 16 Oil on Gallery Wrap Canvas 

More from the Garden

The palm trees here put on a wonderful display of color when they flower and fruit.  I have taken photos and studied them throughout the seasons and this is one of my favorite palms.  The fruit is also a favorite with the squirrels and other local wildlife here in the neighborhood.

 • Pindo
24 x 16 Oil on canvas on birch panel 

Rio Grande on the road from Taos

●Rio Grande River in Winter
8 x 8 oil on canvas 

White Sands

White Sands New Mexico
11 x 14 Oil on Canvas Panel 

Mill XI

The time change (and perhaps all the pumpkin spice food items being touted) seems to have affected my color choices...

Mill XI:   Daylight Savings Time
41 x 30 Oil on Canvas on Birch Panel 

Autumn is Here

We have had a very LONG summer here in NE Florida and the Canna Lilies have been hanging on in the garden.  These plants have bloomed for months but are now showing signs of fall that tinges their beautiful purple and green leaves with hints of orange.

Fall Cannas
24 x 16 Oil on canvas on birch panel 

New Mexico Memories

I am currently working on illustrations for a book of poetry by my friend DeeDee that is all about New Mexico and the west.   Here is the first painting, Ghost Ranch, that will likely be used for the cover.  I had forgotten just how colorful those canyons were until I started looking through photos from past trips.  That also got me craving green chile.....

Ghost Ranch
14 x 24 Oil on canvas on birch panel 

Jacksonville Library Show

I have a show up through January 16th at the Laura Street, downtown branch, of the Jacksonville library.  If you are down there please stop in.  Also, MOCA Jax has an absolutely amazing show of Stella prints up right now through January 13th.  Check it out!

Small wonders

Every year around this time I paint a series of 8 x 8 canvases.  This started with an annual holiday gift exchange between a group of artists I paint with each week, but kind of morphed into multiple canvases in addition to the exchange gift.  The small works give me an opportunity to paint images I have been thinking about but can't seem to commit to paint on the larger sizes I usually work with.  Below are this year's small holiday paintings.

● Daylilies
8 x 8 Oil on Canvas

●Fresh Catch
8 x 8 Oil on Canvas

●Golden Light on Egan's Creek
8 x 8 Oil on Canvas

●Kathy's Garden
8 x 8 Oil on Canvas

●Summer Heat on Egan's Creek
8 x 8 Oil on Canvas 

●Talbot Storm
8 x 8 Oil on Canvas 

Playing with Collographs

I was messing around in the studio experimenting with collograph prints.  The "plate" is on the left and two tests printed from it are center and right.   I will continue experimenting with texture and
possibilities that can be hand printed in this medium without a press just to see where it leads me.  These are roughly 5 x 7.