Detailed patterns in glass and silver come alive through the puzzle of imagery mirrored, reflecting a world just outside the painting's edge. The paintings draw the viewer in, closer still to soak in the details of reflected droplets on a peach. Then the eye travels beyond, skyward, reflected blue in the sea of rose tints.
An antique typewriter, a silver ink well, a pair of opera glasses atop the writer’s published novel among other personal effects combined to create a work of art to capture the soul of the writer for whom this still life piece was painted.
Watercolor, 2021
In the collection of MaryBeth Miller
28x20
24x18
Peonies and silver - two favorite subjects. I painted this one during the initial stages of the COVID lockdown last March while listening to Stephen King’s The Stand. I love a good long book to listen to while I paint. That one was 40 hours long!
16x24
Watercolor
Silver is a primary focus in many of my still life paintings. Detailed patterns in silver come alive through the puzzle of imagery mirrored, reflecting a world just outside the painting's edge. The paintings draw the viewer in, closer still to soak in the details of reflected droplets on a peach. Then the eye travels beyond, skyward, reflected blue in the sea of rose tints.
16x20
Watercolor
16x23
Watercolor
A banner year for hydrangeas, producing intense colors. More vintage fabric to offset the brilliant hues and reflective silver.
12x18
Plums are especially fun to paint - getting the right amount of shiny deep purple mixed with the dusky blues on the skin are a challenge worth pushing the transparent pigment to master.
15x24
Watercolor
Both flowers grown in my garden - the tulip bulbs came directly from Amsterdam during my husband's business trip there years ago. Combined with my grandmother Gladys's berry spoon.
17x24
Watercolor
Watercolor
16x20
Silver teapot with a splendid array of spring florals. You can almost smell the heady scent of hyacinth in bloom.
Watercolor
18x27
Bold floral hues reflected in silver.
Watercolor
16x20
My gifted neighbor with the prolific green thumb provides me with a number of gorgeous spring bouquets. French lilacs are my favorite of the lilac lineage - the deep mauve florettes are strikingly beautiful.
18x22
Watercolor
China found at an estate sale make a perfect setting for French Lilacs and blackberries.
14x18 Watercolor
12x16
Watercolor
Available in print
Tulips from Holland, care of my husband, Dave. The brilliant hues couldn't pass without honoring them in watercolor.
16x20
Watercolor
More vintage fabrics set off the hydrangeas and pears.
Watercolor
14x18
A bit decadent!
16x20
Watercolor
Small bouquet of Hydrangea just fits in the glass goblet.
12x16
Watercolor
8x8
A toppled hungarian glass surrounded by hyacinth blossoms give a vibe of a party just past.
Watercolor
13x13
My favorite flower shop put this wonderful little bouquet together. I had to paint it.
9x12 watercolor
22x16
Watercolor
(SOLD)
Shining silver reflects the sky and surroundings as the creamy peony petals soak in the sunlight.
11x14
Watercolor
SOLD
12x16
Watercolor
(Sold)
Available in print
18x26
Watercolor
(sold)
Available in print
20x16
Watercolor
Feeling a call to nature by combining the aspects of my indoor settings to the great outdoors. This set up occurred naturally as well - a bit of wind lifted the ribbon onto a branch frozen in ice. The sky, a brilliant blue, is reflected in the ice.
8x8
Watercolor
(Sold)
12x16
Watercolor
(Sold)
Available in print
12x16
Watercolor
(Sold)
Available in Print
12x14
Watercolor
8x11
Lush hues of bartlett pears paired with flow blue pottery
(sold)
Prints available
15x22
Crabapple blossoms add to the party atmosphere
(sold)
Prints available
19x19
Watercolor
(sold)
Freshly cut glossy pink tulips and hyacinth tumbled together in a glass vase.
Watercolor
12x16
Brilliant tulips bring to mind fall colors. A confetti of parrot tulips.
16x22
Watercolor
(Sold)
Available in print
The pom pom flowers of a cherry tree in my hometown are always spectacular. The branch stems that are so much a part of the lovely bounty each spring are showcased in the glass vas.e
16x22
Watercolor
(Sold)
Available in print
Watercolor
9x14
Deep reds and purple. Ruffled edges. Tulips are some of the most interesting flowers to paint. Their satiny petals and intricate veining are a painter's delight.
16x20
Watercolor
(Sold)
Available in print
Peonies and cut crystal arranged on a gold embossed fabric.
18x22
Watercolor
(Sold)
Hungarian glass and crabapple blossoms join color pencils for a still life that evokes an "after the party" feel.
14x18
Watercolor
(sold)
8x8
The flowers remind me of wedding bouquets. My peach-hued Hungarian goblet rests in the tumult of blossoms.
Anniversary roses, my grandmother’s berry spoon and my favorite flow blue cup.
Watercolor
13x13
Sold
Plein air watercolor painted by the window of 51 Ceres Street Gallery in Portsmouth this past summer.
Pink blossoms reflected in the silver feels like a party is underway.
24x16
Rich tones enhance these juicy peaches. I love working with challenges like water droplets on a dusty soft surface and the shine of satin.
10x5
Watercolor
(Sold)
18x25
Watercolor
(Sold)
A hedonist setting. The french lilacs were cut from a neighbor's tremendous lilac bushes (with permission, of course!) Butterfly embroidered satin drape is not from my vintage fabrics collection.
22x29
Watercolor
(Sold)
Available in print
Animals speak to us with their eyes. So much can be read about our pets through their expressions. Steady, attentive gaze, lowered lids, and softened ears tell us that our pet is content in our presence. A turn of the head, relaxed muzzle, perked whiskers - these, and more, are 'tells' of personality.
But it is in the eyes where I find the guidance for the painting to reveal that one individual, unique being.
Starting at $150 for a small 6x6 portrait. Please contact me for additional pricing and specifications.
With each portrait, I donate 15% of my commission to an animal charity of your choosing.
The soft, expressive eyes and Jessie’s expectant, eager love for Darcy, her person, shines through.
Sporting a rich buff coat, this cocker spaniel named Spunky was the pup of a dear friend. He passed over the bridge a year ago, and so my friend and I worked together to create a portrait showcasing his sweet soul as a gift to her son.
An abused boy who found unconditional and unlimited love in his foster home family. Sadly, due to poor health, Cupid did not live long enough to share his sweetness with a forever family - but his time with his foster mom helped restore his faith in humanity and the kindness humans can bring. He passed over the rainbow bridge knowing he was greatly loved, and that makes all the difference in the world.
How can anyone resist a big old dog that can drape herself over the sofa like this girl? She lost one of her great long limbs to bone cancer, and her prognosis at the time of the painting was not good. This portrait was a gift to immortalize the gentle soul that embodied this beautiful creature. She passed away shortly after this painting was presented to her family.
That look when she's caught red-handed on the couch (or bed)
Hope and Karma. Two great buddies.
Caught this boy grazing in his field one day when I happened by....
Small paintings are jewels.
A study of my girl.
Montana is Taylor's home and it suits him. He's cow dog with brilliant markings, gorgeous eyes.
Taylor is a blue heeler with ears and eyes that speak to his keen attention. Simply a beautiful dog. His owner's husband took one look at Taylor and suggested he's a cookie stealer. He does look like he has a bit of mischief in his personality.
Molly’s best boyfriend, Sparky McFly. Many a romp through the woods with this golden doodle. Clownishly playful and whip-smart, this dog is a delight.
A gentle, sweet-tempered horse used for helping horse lovers with physical disabilities.
Great Pyrenees sisters, Brie and Bella. Nothing like a challenge of white dogs for my watercolors! These two girls' reference photo was taken as a longshot with most of the details fuzzed out. Being detail-oriented, I needed to take a number of shots to get more details of the girls faces - eye color, expressions, etc are so key in creating my portraits. And then the white fur!
A lot of wiry fur going on here, but tucked inside are the jewel brown eyes.
This sweet thing was fostered from a sad hoarding situation and is currently settling into her forever home. She's shy and has a hard time trusting humans, but she knows she's finally loved and safe.
This is Abby, a very old and very sweet chihuahua whose devoted family commissioned this portrait as a birthday present for her favorite human. I enjoyed poring over the photos that were given to me to create this portrait - Abby as a puppy, as an old girl, and one where she is dwarfed in the lap of her owner, the son of the woman who commissioned this painting.
The family of these two beauties were the winners of the STARS volunteer group and Animal Control Shelter auction this past fall. The challenge was getting the painting created in a week to make it in time for Christmas (long story on the delay!), but the end result captured the sweetness of this duo.
One of five beautiful dogs belonging to my friend, Dave. Echo is a very sweet, extremely alert, an incurable counter surfer.
One of five dogs belonging to my friend, Dave, Ruby is the youngest, an energizer bunny, she pesters other pets constantly when not in someone’s lap>
Henry's family won the S.T.A.R.S. raffle for a portrait, with proceeds going to the benefit the Stratford Animal Shelter volunteer program for animal rescues and adoptions.
A study in horses. The handsome black friesian gets nuzzled by the chestnut.
Found this timid boy at a horse rescue organization. His gorgeous blues eyes shared a wariness for humans that breaks your heart. Fortunately, he was rescued and living a warm, sheltered life with plenty of human kindness.
Look closely and you'll see a wing around his brother. The look over the shoulder suggests a 'mind your business' stance.
Here is Blue again. He is a gorgeous western paint, but the eyes were too fetching to ignore.
Ozzie is an Australian sheepdog belonging to my friend, Dave. There's an incredible amount of information in this pup's face that I wanted to capture, from his gorgeous markings and eye color, to the quiet, contemplative aura his expression suggests. Dave has several dogs and at the time I photographed them for reference shots, Ozzie was the one that sat still and allowed me to take a number of absolutely beautiful studies of his wonderful face. He seems to be studying me....
How hard is it to lose a best friend? Anyone who has shared their life with a pet knows the intense pain of losing these companions. Their lives are way too short in comparison to our own.
Molly was 14 when she left the world. She was an American Staffordshire - an impressive and noble breed. She was a sweet and devoted companion to her family, and very dear to their hearts. A look into those expressive brown eyes reveals a soft-heart and unconditional love for her people. Molly's cocked ear revealed to me a pup who was fully aware of what was going on around her, even as she set her devoted gaze on her human. I love ears like this on a dog; the kind that fold back like velvety folded wings on the dog's head. It's a sign of repose.... and yet, that perked ear indicates nothing's getting by her.
Beautiful, beautiful girl. In loving memory of Molly.
This is an example of my watercolor portrait sketches. They are studies of the subject rather than a detailed portrait.
A local horse farm brings the sheltered horses to the field in the morning to stretch their legs. There's such beauty in the musculature of their limbs and the fluid flow of their manes and tails.
Who doesn’t love a ginger?
10x10 watercolor
Rag doll beauty.
8x8 watercolor
12x16
8x8 watercolor sketch
