Marie Antoinette's Hamlet, 5x7 Pen and Ink Drawing

Marie Antoinette had an entire little hamlet built for her own entertainment, and there she played at being a shepherdess. The buildings are well-preserved and the landscaping is fit for a queen, you might say. All of this is on the grounds of Versailles.

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Spring Island, 10x8 Original Oil Painting

 I have fond memories of the Pieces of Eight artists' trip to Spring Island, North Carolina. We painted en plein aire on two islands, and one morning we were so inspired by the light that we painted the scene from our porch while still in our pajamas. I hope that, post-pandemic (will there ever be a post-pandemic?) we will be able to go on an artists' retreat again.

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Selby Gardens, Pen and Ink Drawing

 My sister and I visited Selby Gardens in Sarasota and were amazed by the Orchid display (see below). It had a circus theme, if you can imagine that. I also love the huge trees with their gnarled roots. I have a thing for roots, but drawing them is like doing a puzzle. 

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Sleeping Boats, 5.5 x 3.5 Pen and Ink Drawing

My sister and I were visiting Maine when I saw all these boats at rest. It was a wonderful trip in a beautiful state. 

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Baby Laundry, 8x10 Original Oil Painting on Canvas Panel

 $125 on Etsy

Our Pieces of Eight painting group was challenged by Donna Vines to paint laundry. This is my effort. The bunny reminds me of my granddaughter's stuffed bunny that she carried all through her young childhood. 

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Palmetto, Pen and Ink Drawing, 5.5 by 5.5

I am on a drawing streak and I'm enjoying it very much. What says "Florida" more than palmettos?

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Menerbes, Pen and Ink Drawing, 4x6

This is a drawing of a happy memory. My sister and I were in Provence and we went to the village near the farmhouse where Peter Mayle lived and wrote his book, A Year in Provence. We went up the mountain on a one-way road and had no idea how we would get out, so we parked and walked to the top to find the lovely little square, and of course, the way back down. 

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Georgia Cabin, 8x6 Pen and Ink Drawing

 

I have been viewing a class on Sktchy.com on crosshatching and this is my first effort. In retrospect, it was a little crazy to start with a such a complicated subject. The class is taught by David Morales and his beautiful drawings inspired me. I'll find a simpler subject next time. Can't wait to do this again.

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Satellite Beach Sunrise, 12x9 Original Oil Skyscape

 

$155

For this one I tried to go for a softer look. The sunrise over the beach is always amazing, and never the same twice.

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The Old Barn, Landscape Oil Painting, 12x9

 $155

I saw this old barn during an artist's retreat with our painting group, Pieces of Eight. My title is not very original but I can't think of a single clever thing to call it. I long to go on retreat with the Pieces of Eight again, if we ever get out of this pandemic.

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Sunset Palms, 8x10 Original Oil Painting

Purchase

This was a fun thing to paint, looser than I usually am. 

 

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Palms and Pastel Houses, 12x9 Original Landscape Painting

 

$135

I used to live in a pink house in Bermuda, and the address was Diamond Cottage on Suffering Lane. No house number, the houses just had names and the street name. The house was nice, but the pink was Pepto-Bismol pink. I like this pink house much better.

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Glorious Sunrise, Original Oil Painting Skyscape, 12x9

$180

My husband called me outside early one morning to see this beautiful sky. One good reason to live in Florida.

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Palm Tree Practice

I have been practicing painting palm trees this week. This is what I have so far. It's amazing how many different palms you can see just by walking around the neighborhood.

 

Florida Sunrise, Original Oil Painting on Canvas Panel 12x9

$155

This beautiful sunrise was seen a block from the ocean. There's nothing like a Florida sunrise (except maybe a Florida sunset). Even when there is a spectacular sunset over the river, the colors are reflected onto the clouds over the ocean, which is also beautiful, just more pastel.

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Beach Memory, Original Oil Painting Tropical Island Scene

 $145

This photo reminds me of time spent on Elbow Cay in the Abacos Islands. No cars are allowed, and my daughter and I explored every square inch of the island. We even found an abandoned hotel. There were so many flowers blooming brilliantly in the little main street in town that my daughter called it Electric Avenue.

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Field of Flowers, Landscape Oil Painting, 8x10

 Purchase on Etsy

Thanks to Mina-Marie Michell for the photo that inspired this little pastoral oil painting.

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Dressing Up, Original Oil Painting of Girl with Baby Goat

 

Buy on Etsy

I was at a fair in Virginia and I saw this sweet little picture--a girl dressing up her baby goat for competition. 

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Florida Scene

This is a commission that took me quite a while to do. Looks tiny, doesn't it? It's actually four feet wide. Here are a few details.

In the Everglades I got a photo of an alligator swimming beside white pelicans, and they all seemed to be ignoring each other.

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Florida River, Oil Painting Scene

 Purchase

I love Florida's swampy places, with moss hanging from oaks. This painting got quite complicated, with so many things going on, but I think it still manages to look peaceful. 

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The Golden Flute, Oil on Canvas

Here's one from the archives. The colors are not true, a bit cooler than the actual painting. Computers have come a long way since I saved this one. This lovely woman taught at Juilliard, and when she attended our Pen Women meetings she would treat us to a concert. Pen Women is a National organization of writers, artists, and musicians, chock full of talented women.

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Green Anole Florida Oil Painting

 

SOLD

Been unable to post lately, so I pulled this one from the archives. I've been yelled at for having the subject in the middle of the painting, yet there he is. Everything is pointing to him, and that's just how it was. So there. This was at Turkey Creek.

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Chipmunk Chase

 

My journal entry from our last day with the Sheets family. They have a beautiful AirBnB on Lake Junaluska in North Carolina. Our stay was topped off by chasing a chipmunk out of the house.

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Journal, Strawberry Picking in Virginia

 Picking strawberries was a highlight of our visit. An 88-year-old farmer named Jimmy has a big strawberry farm and he gave us a bucket and said to pile 'em high, so we did. Yum! In seven months I've gone from not being able to walk to the corner to being able to pick strawberries. Progress!

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More from My Journal

 This is my next page from my daughter Suzanne's garden. She grows vegetables too!

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A Vacation at Last - A Page From My Journal

 

We visited my daughter Suzanne and her husband Kirk in Virginia and it was better for me than medicine. Suzanne is an avid gardener, so I had some good subjects to paint in my journal. An added bonus: she's a great cook.

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20-minute challenge, Day 2, Cape Canaveral Seashore

 I had to drop out of the challenge after this one, because I got bronchitis. I limited my time to exactly 20 minutes, and guess what I had to leave out? His fishing rod. Thirty minutes before this picture was taken, we were on a jungle path. That's the beauty of the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge. 

I might finish this one or do a bigger version, complete with pole.

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Scrub Jay, 8x6 Watercolor

 

The Florida Scrub Jay is the only bird species that lives exclusively in Florida, inhabiting scrub oak in sandy soils. It is threatened by loss of habitat. This painting is a departure for me, a small watercolor. 

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Day 1 of Five-day Challenge, 23 Minutes

The Art+Work+Living Challenge is to paint a picture in 20 minutes. This was actually 23 minutes. It's an 8x10, and next time I'll go smaller. Click here to see all the art in the challenge.

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Wildlife Refuge, Oil Painting Florida Landscape

 

This is a scene from the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge, a very diverse spot to visit.

It has trails, marshes, and the Cape Canaveral Seashore. This marsh is on the

Blackpoint Wildlife Drive, a popular spot for birders.

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Shirley Temple Goes to the Royal Wedding, Papier Mache Doll

 

I saw a paper mâché doll on a children's craft site and I was inspired to make one of my own. A toilet paper roll and a styrofoam ball are the basis for this. I found the hair and the fascinator in a craft supply store. When I was done, the name popped into my head. 

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56th Anniversary of the Selma Bridge Crossing

 

I was honored to be asked to use my drawing of John Lewis for the 56th Anniversary of the Selma Bridge crossing. This is taken from the video.

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Venice Parking, Oil on Canvas

SOLD

Since I'm still recovering and have yet to open the oil paints, I am reaching way back to the past for this one. This was one of the best trips of my life, with my sister to Venice. I was surprised at how beautifully upholstered the gondolas were.

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What the World Needs Now

  With these perilous and chaotic times, I decided to do a "message" painting.

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