My career requires that I spend a lot of time in intellectual endeavors, so at the risk of sound cheeky,  it is liberating to just let go and let flow.  When I am in a creative space, I give myself permission to fail. I paint (oil, watercolor, gouache, watercolor pencil), tinker with stained glass, draw, or craft just for the joy of creating.   This is my mindful practice, a place of peace and I’m proud of the pieces I’ve completed.  

The oil to the left is my parent’s rescue dog, Teddy.  He’s a Havanese-mix and although he is a little dog, he has a big, bubbly personality. So I added some texture to the background and onto the frame to support this  fella’s charm.

The oil painting below is of my guitar instructor, Bill Marsh’s baby, Penny. She is a Chihuahua mix rescue.  Bill is an amazing guitarist, a relief musician for Pink Martini, a regular guitarist for Edna Vazquez, and an instructor at Willamette University. Then, regardless of all of that, he is just a cool guy and artist. Penny is his studio dog, I bribe her with treats at every lesson. Yes, I am that person

The oil painting to the left is of Addie (Cocker Spaniel) and Gracie (Golden Retriever), painted for my husband for his birthday.  They are our most precious girls.  The photos places them on the deck of our floating home along the Columbia River.

The  oil painting to the right is of Scout, a Boston Terrier and the pal of Penny below.  He is a sweet boy, and if he were to ever take a personality inventory, he would score high on Neuroticism and Agreeableness, but low on Conscientiousness and Openness-to-Experience.

The photo to the left is an oil painting of Penny, a friend’s sweet Vizsla. She is a serene lady and our friend, Brock’s absolute joy.

The Border-Collie mix below, Miles is also an oil painting, of a beach baby – enjoying a piece of driftwood.

The photo below is an oil is of Hemingway, my mother’s dog and of my mom on her 70th birthday.  The rose is symbolic of my mother’s classic grace, beauty, and calm.

The Wheaten Terrier is of a Stewart.  Stewart lived to be 14 years old and at the time of the photo,  he was diabetic, deaf, and almost completely blind, but at the Oregon coast, he became the joyful, energetic dog of his youth.

The photo to the left is a painting of Bella, Selah and Andrew Painter’s dog that came to them as a puppy on highway 84.  She was abandoned and on the side of the road, when Andrew stopped the car, called to her and true to their gentle, loving natures, she saw they were to be her future, loving home, and immediately came t

 

The pair of dogs to the right are of friends’ life companions, two rescue pooches, Piper and Charlie. 

The two boys are of Jamie Beckland (left) and Michael Pope (right) to honor their 40th birthdays in 2018.  They are dear friends and I got a kick out of painting their inner and outer child from photos circa mid-1980s.

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The man to the left is  of Bruce, a lovely man who lived in North Portland and graciously allowed me to render his portrait in oils before he passed away from cancer.

This unfinished painting below and to the right is Stephanie.  I didn’t work fast enough to finish her figure during her posed session.  But her relaxed poise comes through even in this initial painting of her. I love her contemplative pose in the old chippendale chair.

While the paintings above are oil on canvas, the paintings below are all watercolor on Strathmore paper.

The cat to the right is of my Aunt Liz’s cat, Leo.  He is such a dazzler.

This sweet German Shepherd mix is Kona, our friend Bev and Delaney’s little girl.

The dog to the right is of Picolina (little one), my parent’s Italian rescue dog.

The blue heron below is of Fredrick, our resident fishmonger.

The two dogs to the right are Banjo and Bailey, our friends, Chad and Cody’s fur babies.

When I feel like breaking a little glass, I also craft stained glass panels.

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