Black Swan, 6x6 Oil on Canvas

I was so lucky to catch this swan in this light. It turned and made a nice swirl in the water, and gave me such a nice composition. Sometimes all you have to do is paint what you see.

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Drying Off, 6x6 Oil on Canvas Panel

I was going to paint this Anhinga in the Everglades with its wings spread, which is its typical pose. These birds don't have oily feathers, so they must air-dry after being in the water. When I looked at its head, I found it so distinct and comical, I decided to paint just the head instead.    PURCHASE

The Usual Pose

So many birds are funny. The other day we watched people across the street trying to shoot a video commercial, and there were five people whose efforts were completely thwarted by a mockingbird. The bird sits on a very high pole every day and sings as loud as its little lungs can muster, which is pretty darn loud. The people were banging the pole, jumping up and down, waving their arms, but the mockingbird just sang his happy little song. They had to move inside to shoot the commercial.

Harry T. and Harriette Moore, 13 x 17 Charcoal Drawing

Harry T. and Harriette Moore were two courageous pioneers of civil rights in the 1950s, championing equal pay for Black teachers, organizing the Black vote, and publicly condemning racist attitudes and actions of local, state and national officials. The Moores were killed when their home was bombed on Christmas Day in 1951 by lowlife culprits who were never brought to justice. 

Hard to believe that I was a child then, lived not all that far away, and was completely unaware of what monsters were loose in Florida. I constantly get those emails full of nostalgia about how great the 50s were, but they were not great for everyone. This is my little homage to two of the first Civil Rights martyrs.

Sunrise in the Heartland, 8 x 8 Oil on Canvas

This was painted from a windshield photo of the stark fields along Highway 30 in Illinois. There are many Hopper-esque farmhouses in the middle of huge bare fields, and there was still a bit of snow on the edges of the road. Even barren, lonely cornfields have a melancholic sort of beauty.

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Clinton, Iowa

We traveled to Clinton, Iowa for yet another sad occasion, the loss of a beloved aunt. My husband got to reconnect with the huge family he used to play with as a child in Grandma's house (above left). Some of the cousins revisited Eagle Point Park, which sits on the widest part of the Mississippi.

We flew into Midway Airport in Chicago then drove to Iowa on Hwy 88, which is abusively toll-heavy. We couldn't believe the number of tolls, and no places to stop for food for a hundred miles. We saw a little town, DeKalb, and made for it. We found Busters, a little cafe where I had my first Chicago Hot Dog. It was delicious.

I was struck by the stark landscape, Spring not showing anywhere, just flat fields and isolated farms. Very Edward Hopperish. I am going to paint one of my windshield photos, which you will see in this blog if it's a successful painting.

Bucket of Sunflowers, 7x5 Oil on Canvas

This happy bucket of sunflowers greeted us at the entrance to the Robert Is Here Fruit Stand. Robert is here every day, greeting a multitude of customers and dispensing exotic milkshakes, honey, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and flowers. He's come a long way from starting at age six selling cucumbers on this corner. If you go to the south part of the Everglades, you can't miss the place.

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Zenya, 5x7 Pen and Ink

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My Zen Pen just goes off on its own sometimes and I never know what will come out. This was a lot of fun. This pen and ink drawing is matted in an oval double mat. I just finished a large oil painting commission, so this is a nice way to wind down and still be creative.

Seamist, 48x24 Oil on Canvas

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This is our very own Satellite Beach, on one of those days when sea mists are rising. This was a commission, 48 inches wide by 24 high. Our beach never looks the same way twice; it changes color, shape, and after a particularly rough surf, sizeable rocks appear that were never there before. I love it all, except when hurricanes take a great deal of the beach away with them. 

Marilyn, 20x20 Oil on Canvas

Only Marilyn Monroe could wear a hat like that and look so good. This is one of my favorite pictures of the photogenic Miss Monroe. I really enjoyed painting it.

Referring back to my post before last on the 26th of March, I now believe my "Mystery Bird" is a Tricolored Heron. Bird lover Kelly Ricetti's "Red and the Peanut" blog was very helpful.

I'm so happy to announce that my painting of the San Marcos Piazza in Venice won First Place in the Contemporary Fine Art International challenge, "Places I Have Been." Here's my painting: