Green Forest, 5X7 Oil on Board

Greens can be so difficult to get right. This was a cool forest with bright meadows, and is the preliminary to a larger painting of the same area.

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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.

 SOLD

Ibis Wading, 6x6 Oil on Canvas

I am definitely losing it. As I was finishing this up, I had a feeling of familiarity. I then realized I have painted this very picture before. Then I meant to post it before leaving for the Everglades, but I didn't. I definitely needed the getaway.

Mating Dance of the Alligator

 My Pieces of 8 friends Cindy, Kathy and I (referred to by Cindy as Thelma, Louise 1 and Louise 2) went camping in a tent in the Everglades. No electricity. And yes, it is cold at night down there, believe it or not. Perfect in the daytime, though, and it is a non-mosquito season. I never saw so many alligators, and it is mating season so the booming and posturing were very impressive, rather like a reptilian singles bar.

Home Sweet Home

Cindy Photographing Kathy Photographing Tree Snail

It's a jungle out there. I will now be doing an Everglades series.

Natchez Trace, 6x6

My husband and I drove down the Natchez Trace from Nashville to Tupelo. What a wonderful journey that was. This is a road with very little traffic, beautiful scenery, and it is part of the National Park System. It has 10,000 years of history and extends 444 miles from Nashville to Natchez.


We visited the burial place of Meriweather Lewis (of Lewis and Clark fame), who died mysteriously on the Trace. Murder? Suicide? Don't know.

When you are tired of interstate traffic, try this peaceful journey.                       PURCHASE

Stepping Stones, 5x7

I enjoy the play of light and shadow on the stepping stones in this brook. What a pleasant place this was.

But my new happy memory is that the group above participated in the Qiang-Huang workshop this weekend. A brilliant artist, Qiang presents a massive amount of valuable information in the most fascinating way, then he dazzles us with a demo, after which we stagger to our easels feeling inspired, yet inadequate! It's fantastic! On top of all this, Qiang is a fabulous person who is kind and generous about sharing his knowledge. This has been the best learning experience in art that I've ever had, and I am sure we will be seeing Qiang again. 

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Dappled Road, 6x8

This is from the mountains of North Carolina, a winding, bumpy road with great shadows and light. I had to stop in the middle of the road and take pictures. I love dappled, unpaved roads. It was just another beautiful day in the mountains for the Pieces of 8.

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Smoky Mountain Memory, 5x7

Even though I am a native Floridian, the Smoky Mountains have been a big part of my life. Every year my painting group, Pieces of 8, has an artists' retreat, usually in the Smokies. I used to live in Knoxville in the summertime when I was a teenager, and I spent a lot of time in the Smokies, and more recently my husband and I spent three months in Knoxville and enjoyed weekend trips to the mountains. It's a magical place.

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Middleburg Hayfield, 5x7

I just love Middleburg, Virginia. It's so picturesque and historic. I always picture Civil War soldiers hiding behind these walls. After all, this was the territory of the Grey Ghost, the famed John Mosby, who was a thorn in the side of the Union Army.

As to my question about what a group of manatees is called, my Maven friend Marjean wrote to say that they are just called a group of manatees, basically. They are fairly solitary, so just gather in informal groups. That's Florida for you--everything is informal here. Now where are my flip flops...?

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