My First Zine

A Zine is a tiny little book made from one sheet of paper. This is my first one,4 1/4 inches high.

For some reason this video continues into the latest one I have posted on YouTube, an award event for a friend. ?

 

Audrey Hepburn, Collage on Canvas

 

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This was a commission that I did a while back. I used pictures and articles from Audrey Hepburn's movies and it was a pleasant walk down Memory Lane. I still remember when "Sabrina" came out and we all went out and bought slacks like Audrey was wearing:

And from Roman Holiday, the way she tied her scarf became the way everyone tied their scarf:

When Audrey grew old, she didn't bother with a facelift, just faced the world with wrinkles and all 

and she was still beautiful. Here are some of her quotes:

For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; 

and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.

I can testify to what UNICEF means to children because I was among those who received food

and medical relief right after World War II.

Paris is always a good idea. 

Camp Holly, 11x14 Original Florida Oil Painting

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I took this photo from an airboat as we were returning from an excursion on the St. Johns River. It is an attraction for people hoping to see alligators, but this is not the season. We saw only one. Camp Holly is a popular spot, and has been since 1923! Can you imagine how wild it was around here back then? 

Painting this was like putting a puzzle together, and by the time I was done I felt I had been back there for a long stay.

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Portrait of Leigh

What with being out of town and then dealing with results of the hurricane, I haven't had time to finish my recent painting, so I am pulling this from the archives. It's a graphite portrait I did years ago, and one of my favorites. 

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The Other Florida, 12x12 Original Landscape Oil Painting

 

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I had plenty of time to study the landscape as we  recently traversed Florida on Hwy 70. This is the Florida of my childhood; pastures like this and orange groves. Sadly, there aren't very many orange groves these days.

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Halie at the Pool

This is a memory of my granddaughter years ago. Now she is in her twenties, and I miss the hours playing with her and her sister in our pool. 

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Myakka State Park, Florida Landscape 14x11

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Our family visited beautiful Myakka State Park and went on this hiking trail. We also did a boat tour across the big lake, and it is infested with alligators. An environmentalist might say it is a refuge for alligators, but my word for it is infested. We learned on the tour that Florida's alligator population got down to 500, then they became protected and now there are five million. I used to wonder why we could safely jump in any lake we came upon in Florida and now we can't. They were afraid of humans then and no one was idiotic enough to feed them. 

My uncle was a gator trapper for the state until he was over 70 years old. His job was to remove threatening gators, and they can't be shot like in the TV shows you may have seen. He brought them back alive. He said they have a tiny brain, but are wily creatures. He came by one day with his boat on a trailer and it had a big chomp out of it. The gator fought back.

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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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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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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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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

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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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Green Anole Florida Oil Painting

 

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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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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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Florida Road, Original Oil on Canvas Panel Tropical Landscape Painting

 

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This is one of my favorite places in the world, North Captiva Island. It represents Peace, Relaxation, Beauty, Seclusion, Exquisite Beaches, and Expensive Food (nothing's perfect). 

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Beach Sunrise, Oil Painting on Canvas Panel, 10x8 Seascape

 

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We may be trapped inside for months, but there is always the beach, as long as it isn't crowded. Early morning people tend to be true beach lovers, with a true appreciation for being in a beautiful place.

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Turkey Creek, 8x10 Oil on Canvas Panel Landscape

Turkey Creek, $125

In spite of being fairly quarantined, a lot has happened in the past few weeks that kept me away from the easel. I decided to do a Florida scene as a departure from all the faces I've been drawing. 

Did you think I could do a post without mentioning our book Country Music's Greatest Lines? Of course not! That would be a dereliction of my promotional duty.

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Calm Sea, 5x7 Oil on Panel

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This is what I saw this morning when I walked the beach. The other day when I was walking there, big waves were crashing ashore; today the sea was flat and calm. It was very peaceful.

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5-Day Challenge, 20-Minute Painting, Day 2: Old Florida, 5x7 Oil on Panel

This reminds me of my younger days in Central Florida. It was always an adventure to look for wildlife, and snakes or gators gave us bragging rights. We used to pick Rosary Peas, bright red beans with a black spot, and use them for peashooters. I now know they are poisonous and we could have killed ourselves with those things!

I primed my board with red, which I brushed on and wiped off. I like it for landscapes because it gives all that green some spark.

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Mural for Children's Church

You won't see any paintings from me for a while. I am painting 80 feet of mural in the River Run Christian Children's Church. The theme is a river with Florida critters.

 This was the first day. Hap and Audra painted the big areas, saving me hours of time!

I did some landscaping.

Added some critters.

Kathy Garvey came yesterday and added some cute little snails, birds, fish and lizards.

This is a really fun labor of love!

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