Thursday, December 17, 2009

Holiday Wishes

"Pomegranate in White"
9X12
Oil on Board
Private Collection

What a fast and furious year this has been! This painting is the image I used for my greeting cards this year. As I am winding up the year, having finished the last commissions for Christmas, and trying to finish the Christmas baking, shopping, wrapping, decorating, etc. I am thinking about all of the blessings of the year, especially the new friends who have come my way through my blogs and paintings. And of course I am thinking about all of the paintings hovering in my mind that are eager to emerge in the coming year.

Thank you to all who have purchased paintings from me this past year. And also thank you to those who took the time to comment and email me. I wish you all Merry Christmas and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Blond Lab Named Lucy - Finished

"Lucy, Blond Lab"
12X16
Acrylic on Canvas
Commissioned

Click on the picture to enlarge the view!

One more Christmas commission finished and ready to go! Makes me feel like one of Santa's elves....
It's pouring rain here and it is nearly 11:00 p.m., so the photo is under incandescent light. Best I could do this tonight, but I may take another photo tomorrow. This was difficult, but fun...if that makes any sense. I hope the owner will be happy with this portrait of their family pet, Lucy. She must be very sweet...I can tell by her eyes.

On to the next painting...stay tuned!!

Sunday, December 06, 2009

Blond Lab Named Lucy - WIP

"Lucy the Blond Lab"
12X16
Acrylic
Commissioned

Lest ye think I am sitting on my thumbs, here is the current project. Though it is a Work in Progress, I stuck it into one of my frames just to assess direction and cues on how it is going...and took a photo of that for you.

This is a jump from my usual in that it is acrylic. You see, it's a commission for a Christmas present and this one came in too late to do it in oils. That's fine..but I have not been working with acrylics for the past three or four years, so I am struggling a bit with technique and getting the fur to blend how I would wish. And the client wants geraniums in the painting that are not in the photo, so I am having to fictionalize flowers that are not there. The other challenge here is that the working photo was taken with a flash......aaaarrrrgh. My tip to any and all out there who wish to have paintings done from photos...please do not ever use the flash. It just takes out all of the natural shadows, inuendos, subtle softness of reality and natural color. So that is the thing that is driving me most crazy here. As always, I am delighted to take commissions. This one came through a third party, so I could not give instructions on the photography before the project landed. Hope I can achieve the desired painting for the client...

Will post the finished painting when I get it done.
Stay tuned!! :-)

Friday, November 20, 2009

Brutus - Finished


"Brutus"
9X12
Oil on Linen Panel

Commissioned
Click on picture to enlarge the view.

I used to have cats. Over the years I gave homes to Spooky, Muffin, Ruffles, Levi, Alfalfa, and Oliver. That was the first half of my adult life. Then I went to the dogs...pun intended!! (the dogs: Harrison, Bailey, and now Bosley.) LOL Anyway, I love our furry little friends and love to celebrate the joy they give to us!!! On Thanksgiving that is one of the things for which I am grateful!

So here is Brutus, a fun-loving cutie pie whose family loves him! I had a great time with this painting. The challenge was to make Brutus "pop" on the fabric designs of the chair and ottoman. But that was also what makes the painting interesting to me...that and the adorable pose with his left paw reaching toward the viewer and the light falling across his adorable nose. I want to feel as if I could just reach over and pet him or pick him up. At least that is what I wanted to convey. I hope he is as happy as he made me feel while painting him!!!

On to the next thing...stayed tuned!!

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Brutus - Work in Progress - Stage 3

"Brutus - Work in Progress - Stage 3"
9X12
Oil on Linen

Commissioned

Still working on Brutus' fur, but I have finished the chair and ottoman upholstery and background for the most part. Now the fun begins to give his fur all the characteristics I can muster and make him "pop!"

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Brutus - Work in Progress - Stage 2

"Brutus" - Work in Progress
9X12
Oil on Linen Panel

Commissioned

I spent several hours this afternoon, most of it on that adorable face. He's coming along. Cutest eyes and nose any cat ever had!! :-)
More tomorrow...
Thanks for visiting!

Friday, November 13, 2009

Brutus - Work in Progress

"Brutus - Work in Progress"
9X12
Oil on Linen Panel

Commissioned

Some projects are just too fun ...and this is definitely one of them. The owner of this adorable fellow sent me several pictures from which to choose. All of the pictures were great, fun, cute, and showed the personality of this guy so well that I just fell in love with him. Suffice it to say that Brutus goes wherever he wants to go...into the potted plants, sitting on all of the pillows, perched on the owner's shoulder, etc. But this was the pose I like the most for his portrait. I also chose it for the color combination against his soft grey and white fur. He has the cutest smile and owns his realm, that is for sure. So anyway, here is the beginning of his painting. There is a long way to go, but I thought you might like to see a preliminary stage.

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

Rose, the Border Collie

"Rose"
14X11
Oil on Linen
Commissioned

Would tell you more, but then I'd have to kill you. This is a present for someone. Not saying who.

The photo has some glare from the wet paint...sorry about that. I will try to take a better photo when this dries.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Chipmunk


"Chipmunk"
8X8
Oil on board
Available

Contact to Purchase
Click on image to enlarge the view.

The lowly little rodent denizen of our back yard: the Chipmunk. The few we have are fun to watch, scampering about and diving for cover when our dog, Bosley, goes out for the chase. We have predators, too. A large hawk comes through on the hunt every few days. And this past weekend we killed a copperhead that was thinking it was going to make a home in our garage for the winter. Fortunately we saw him just in time and that was the end of him.

I managed to capture this little guy with my camera in hopes to put him down in paint. I don't know if I did him justice here....he is cuter than this.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Hayrolls at Sunset

"Hayrolls at Sunset"
8 1/2X12 3/4
Oil on Board
Available

I did a small watercolor of this scene some time ago, but had saved the photo for just this purpose. As evening falls and sun streaks across the fields, there was this reddish-golden light smack on the rolled edge of the hayroll. The background tells you of the light falling into the darkened woods behind. It seems a metaphor for a good day coming to an end, as if the sun is smiling on a golden treasure which came from hard work. Sometimes the reward is more than just the thing in front of you...it is the light shining on it!

That's what I see....and what I liked about it.
Thanks for visiting!

Friday, October 02, 2009

August Afternoon Barn

"August Afternoon Barn"
16X20
Oil on Canvas
Available

Contact to Purchase

From a photo I grabbed last summer of a North Carolina barn. I love rural spaces in our state and when I am out and about I am always looking for scenes to paint. This is only the second barn scene I have ever painted. This one looks to be more storage than daily use, but it looked pretty sitting in that landscape with the gorgeous trees as its backdrop.
(My camera picked up a glare on the right of this photo.) If interested, I'll do another photo for you.
Hope you like it!
Thanks for visiting!

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Feely Toady

"Mr. Toad"
8X6
Oil on Canvas

I apologize for delaying a post for so long, but my back has decided to give me some real problems for the last month. Turns out I have a couple of tricky discs that are playing some gravity game and compressing on nerves. OUCH. I am in the process of figuring which way to go...pains shot and chiropractor? Or just a pain shot and take my chances. I could hang myself upside down, but I doubt my brain could handle the pressure...so...anyway, I will be back to painting as soon as I am up to it again. Hopefully soon.

This little fellow came to our backyard last year and I could not resist attempting a painting of his funny adorable self.

Thanks for visiting!

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Little Red Hen

"Little Red Hen"
5X7
Oil on Board
SOLD

Click on picture to enlarge the view.

Contact to Purchase

I drew this out a long time ago as a study for a painting I did at a larger size. But this morning I came across it underneath a pile of papers...don't ask...in my studio and was inspired to take it on. Since it was a little 5X7, I felt I had just enough time today to tackle it. (the other version I did was 9X12, but I like this one better.) This would look great on an easel in the dining room or kitchen! Anyway...if you like chickens, here is a little cutie for you.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Horse Pasture

"Two Horses"
16X12
Oil on Linen Panel
Available

Click on picture to enlarge the view.
By the way..comments are welcome!!

There is a horse pasture just down the street from my house. It's a place I like to walk past as I walk my dogs. So when thinking of what to paint next, it was this horse pasture that inspired me. The interesting thing about this composition is the way the positions of the horses, the tree trunks, and the fence posts all mirror each other....as if two is the theme for the day.

I've been once again stuck with a thousand interruptions, but today I just stayed in my pajamas and locked myself in the studio to get this one done. Not a pretty sight..but now I'll go wash my brushes and regroup! :-)
On to the next thing..

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Cat Oil Portrait

Barnhardt's Cat
16X12
Oil on Linen Panel
Commissioned

Click on image to enlarge the view.

I've been having a busy month with relatives visiting, major projects here at home, and then fighting off some dastardly cold virus that hit both my husband and myself this past two weeks. Still not over it...but finally have been able to get back to painting this week.

This little adorable cat is no longer among us, so this commission is to celebrate her life. Her owners adored her and I can see why....she seems to be so sweet in this pose. I had to do some fictional background because the photographs had window glare and black shadows which made it really tough to see the details. But I think this has turned out well and I hope her owner will be pleased. This painting will allow them to look at her and remember how much she meant to them!

Friday, July 03, 2009

Nature's Fireworks



"Highway Flowers"
8X8
Oil on Canvas Panel
Available

Happy 4th of July, America!! At the risk of sounding like a socialist, which you all know I am no where close to that label, I have to say I do like the flower program that Lady Bird Johnson began in the 1960's. Quite possibly, other than military defense and interstate highways, this is the only Federal program I do like. It's definitely not necessary. It's totally socialistic. Taking tax dollars to plant flowers on the highways is so frivolous, especially during bad economic times. But it is innocuous, too. It doesn't take away your choice of doctor or take away your choice of energy consumption. It isn't draining your bank account in order to give more power to the politicians who take your freedoms away. If we can afford it, it is nothing more than a little icing on the cake. Being an artist, I always admire the sweeping areas of bright flowers along the highways....and I am always looking for nature's beauty to remind me that there are still some of God's gifts I can enjoy under a totalitarian American government. Nature is my only refuge from man-made oppression.

So call me a hypocrite just this once. But don't try it on any other day.

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Watermelon

"Baby Watermelon"
8X10
Oil on Board
Private Collection

I recently read another blogger's description of the Green movement. He compared the movement to the watermelon...green on the outside and Communist Red on the inside. I agree.

I hope my fellow artists will love freedom more than they wish to attach themselves to this insidious "green" movement, which has nothing to do with saving the planet. It has everything to do with taking away the freedoms and independence that I so cherish and that benefit the creative spirit of any artist in America. It has everything to do with enriching some very evil people who, honestly, don't give a rip about the environment. Check out Al Gore, Goldman Sachs, General Electric, T. Boone Pickens, Nancy Pelosi, and others. All this Cap and Trade bill will do is ruin our economy, do nothing to enhance the environment, and tax the American public to death. Please email your senators and tell them not just NO, but HELL NO on Cap and Trade. Please do this today!!!! And while you are at it....tell them HELL NO on Nationalized Health Care which is another death sentence to America.

On the domestic front...It has taken me the last two months to get my Dad settled into assisted living, which I have discovered is both a huge relief, but also not complete absolution from my duties. It is better, however. Then, on top of that has been the organization and disposition of his household belongings. This has meant multiple trips to donation centers and reorganizing my home to accommodate some of the furnishings that, hopefully, my children will want someday. I've cleaned out three closets and made trips to the attic. The good thing about this, albeit very time consuming, has been the purge of things we needed to get rid of in our house anyway. And next up on our agenda, our daughter-in-law and three grandchildren are coming for a visit next week. This also means getting the crib ready, the high chair out of the attic, prepping the house to be child friendly as much as possible, and food planning! I am very excited to see them! It has been a year....except for skype. They are visiting from South Korea where my son is stationed..protecting the U.S. from the insanity of the North Korean nuclear threat.

So between my Dad, my kids, the house disruptions, and most of all, my dedication to attempt to save us from this Fascist/Socialist government headed up by the fraudulent usurper in the White House....I've written letters to the editor, letters to Congress, and kept up with writing on my other blog regarding government....a lot has been going on here. But not as much painting as I wish. I have finished three commissions in this month and another one is waiting on my art table. It's difficult to paint beautiful paintings while our country is being wrecked and stolen from us. My heart aches for these darling grandchildren and my children who are going to suffer mightily from the selfish and corrupt government in place today. Please speak out, write letters, and do your part to stop the insanity.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Bluebird On a Pine Branch

"Bluebird On a Pine Branch"
12X9
Oil on Canvas Panel
Commission
Click on picture to enlarge the view.

This is the second Bluebird painting...since I have a client who loves them and another client who wanted one...I ended up doing two. They are similar, but different..heads turned different ways and the pine branches are configured differently. We are so lucky here in North Carolina to have many of these adorable birds. They are the color of sky in flight...and quick as anything. I think there is a poet who said they wear the sky on their backs. We love them...and it has been fun to paint them!


Perched in a frame for example....

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Dog Portrait, Poncho, the Miniature Doberman

"Poncho"
10X8
Oil on Canvas Panel
Commissioned

This guy has a story...so the owner tells me. He was brought here on a plane in a shoe, being a small fellow of under one pound, all the way from South America. The painting is commissioned for a birthday present for the lady of the house. Poncho is a well loved and apparently happy guy with quite a personality!! A challenge to paint and fun to get to know his cute face!!

After weeks and weeks of work, moving furniture, selling stuff, donating stuff, more Dr.s appts., filling out forms, working on financial arrangements, etc. etc., we finally have gotten my Dad settled into a very nice assisted living facility not too far at all from us. This isn't the end of my obligations for him, but it is going to save me from every day care, so hopefully I can get back to painting more frequently. I do still have a lot of his belongings to either dispose of or store for family, so I am still under it...so to speak. But we are getting there slowly.

On to the next one...stay tuned!

Monday, May 11, 2009

Bluebird Balancing Act

"Balancing Act"
12X9
Oil on Panel
Commissioned

ADDED NOTE On May 23rd...
This past week and all of next are dedicated to getting my Dad situated into an assisted living home. He is 91 and a half...barely walking, suffering from several maladies, and needs more help now than I can continue to give him. So..we found a place and are in process of moving him, in between the continual Dr.s appts. This is very time consuming, selling stuff, moving stuff, packing stuff, etc. etc. I am exhausted and can hope that once we get him moved in, I will have some of my energy back and can paint again. I am looking forward to getting back to the easel after next week...sometime after June first or second. Thanks for checking back!!

I have a collector who loves bluebirds, so this one is commissioned for her. She and her husband have courted the bluebirds and been rewarded with a flock of them in their yard. Eastern Bluebirds are indigenous to our area and we all love them. I hope I did justice to the idea here. This painting is on spec actually, so if this one doesn't fit the collector's desire, then it will be for sale....and I will be doing some more bluebirds for consideration.
Balancing Act seems like a theme for my life lately....probably yours, too. We are all trying to find our footing and hoping we land in a secure spot. Our country's foundations are being knocked out from under us by a bunch of really bad power-mad politicians and a lot of misguided misanthropes. It's very sad, so the sight of a bluebird is a momentary bliss at least.

Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Sun Kissed Rocks by the Water

"Sun Kissed Rocks by the Water"
12X16
Oil on Linen
Available

Contact to Purchase

What seems like a hundred years ago I had the opportunity to visit La Jolla. Somewhere along the coastal highway there was a restaurant called Charlie's Steakhouse. They had an open kitchen where you picked out your steak and could watch them throw it on the grill. And they had the menu written on some type of clay wine bottle sitting in the middle of each dining table. Very quaint, intimate, and fun. Outside, across the street was a view of the Pacific slapping up against the rocks and seals playing, basking, enjoying the day. It was this scene, looking down at the rocks, I had in mind while painting this one. It was a beautiful place and I will always remember it, wishing to relive the view....I keep it in my mind.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

The Acorn Thief


"Nutkin"
9X12
Oil on Canvas
Available
Click on Image to Enlarge the View.

Contact to Purchase

I must admit I'm feeling a little nuts lately, so I guess this is an appropriate subject reflecting my state of mind. This little guy represents all of those little rascals running around and having fun in my backyard. I am lucky enough to have some really big Oak trees....so the natural habitat is terrific for these guys. Some people find them to pains in the neck, but I just think they are acrobatic entertainment. Admittedly, an occasional raid of the birdseed in our garage is not helpful and they do dig up my pansies on occasions. But that's the price for entertainment...eh? Honestly, I do think they are cute and glad to have them happy here.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Pansies and Periwinkle

"Pansies and Periwinkle"
9X12
Oil on Linen Panel
NFS

My pansies are having their last hurrah before the Peonies show up next month. I plant pansies in October and they sort of hang on in a lazy kind of way until March when they explode with glorious bounties of blossoms. This painting is of some antique variety of pansy that our local nursery has every year. And to be honest with you, since my Dad is still taking up nearly every day of my life lately, this is a painting I did a while ago. It sits in my studio, framed and on an easel, and it is one I especially like having around to remind that I can paint.

I did take a day excursion last week to Reynolda House in Winston Salem, the home of the R.J. Reynolds family, that is now a gorgeous museum home for tourists to enjoy. Attached to the house is an exhibit center. The reason for my visit was a current exhibit of American Impressionists' paintings. What a feast for the eyes! John Singer Sargent, John LaFarge, Childe Hassam, William Merritt Chase, Glackens, and more...it was truly a collection to savor. You can stand right up to the paintings and study the brush strokes. And then you can stand back from them and take them in for as long as you like. I hated to leave that exhibit hall...just wanted to look and look and look at them over and over. Very stunning. So that was my brief indulgence. If you get a chance to go see this collection, do it. You won't be sorry.

Thursday, April 09, 2009

Tess, Finished

"Tess"
14X11
Oil on Board
Commission

Finally had time to finish painting Tess today. She is really a charming little lady and I enjoyed painting her very much. White on White or Black on Black are always challenging fur colors to paint. You have to just put more color in there than you think you see in order to get the textures and the shadows. I really loved the soft green background and the red pillow bed she rests on with the whites and blacks of the dog and the foreground. It made for a really nice painting and I have to thank the owners for such a good photo from which to work.

This painting was a donation I made to the Cancer Society Auction. Tess' owners were so kind to bid and win, so this painting has a lot of meaning for everyone involved! Fun for me to do...good for them, and hopefully, someone somewhere will benefit from Cancer research.

Now on to the next one...still pondering what it will be. Stay tuned...

Saturday, April 04, 2009

Tess, Work in Progress III

"Tess" Work in Progress
14X11
Oil on Gessoed Board
Commission

I worked on her head mostly today...focusing on the details of her face, eyes, nose, etc. The blessing of great eyesight is that you see every hair....the curse of having great eyesight is that you see every hair. LOL Being a detail person, I have to force myself to not over do it on the tiniest details. But it is in the smallest details sometimes that you see the uniqueness in each special creation of God. So I have these conversations with God sometimes while I paint.....to paint this hair or that hair. Which hair makes the crucial statement of shape? Now that you know I am stark raving mad...I'll leave you to ponder this phase and tomorrow I'll get onto the next hairs.....
Stay Tuned...

Thursday, April 02, 2009

Tess, Work in Progress II

"Tess" WIP
14X11
Oil on Gessoed Board
Commission

Slower than mud...molasses, or however you'd like to put it. My Dad is having radiation treatments every weekday for three weeks. This and his other care is throwing me off so much that just keeping up with life in general is really a time squeeze you would not believe. I'm exhausted. So Tess is coming slowly. I was able to work on her some last evening and today....the background seems too loud at the moment and I will be trying to tone that down. Her eyes are so pretty..I've been having fun studying them today. Long way to go...but I'll get there.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Tess, Work in Progress

"Tess"
14X11
Oil on Gessoed Board
Commissioned

This is just the beginning after my first session with Tess over the weekend. I think she is really cute! This gives you an idea of how a great photograph can be of immense help when doing this type of portrait. Back to it....
Stay tuned!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Spring is Almost Here

"All Ears"
10X8
Oil on Canvas Panel

At least it looks like it around here....with lots of trees beginning to bloom and temperatures slowly coming back to mild. This cute fellow was in my back yard last year. He has to be quick and clever because my dog, Bosley, likes to chase him off. Fortunately for me, I was able to get some pics before he took off again.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

In Honor of the Easter Bunny

"Surprise on the Greenway"
8X10
Oil on Canvas

I did this one a while ago....I am still really scrambling here with other obligations. But since it is the Easter Season...the renewal of our spirits, plants and animals after the cold winter, I thought it would be fun to look at this guy again. He is inspired by the rabbits I saw on the greenway in Colorado Springs the last time I was there. This turned out more stylized than I wish. When I have nothing but a distant memory to paint from, that seems to be the outcome. I have another rabbit I'll post soon that is the real deal...a cute backyard visitor that I was able to photograph before he hopped away.

Thursday, March 05, 2009

Daffodils

"Daffodils"
13.5X15
Oil on Board

Totally slammed. I've been working on our local guild show which opens this evening. I did get two pieces, of the two allowed entries, into the show, so that's fun. We have 59 pieces total and some of the work is quite exceptional.

Other than this we had a substantial snow on Monday resulting in a power outage at our house for over 24 hours. Scrambling for candles and batteries, stoking the fire in the fireplace, trying to keep ourselves warm and going under those circumstances is challenging. We finally got somewhat back on track on Wednesday. We need to be better prepared than this. I'll make that a goal.

Today back to the Dr. with my Dad and taking care of my daughter's dog.

Obviously, no painting taking place with all of this going on. So the painting above is from last year. My daffodils this year were gorgeous until the snow storm took them down, sadly. This painting hangs in my guest room and is much better in person than this photo.

Hopefully I can get back to it pretty soon. Hope you will stay tuned.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Longhair Dachsund


"Longhair Dachsund"
6X6
Oil on Gessoed Board
Available

Back to the dogs..our dear friends. I have committed to donate a painting for a fund-raising project to benefit the local Cancer Society. The event is an auction and will be happening the middle of March. Since that is soon, I thought I should start warming up to get myself back into the dogs...one of my very favorite subjects to paint. I'm looking forward to the commission and hope the auction works out great for all!

Stay tuned....and bless our dogs who comfort us in all circumstances.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Tribute to Rick Santelli

"Tribute to the Wall Street Bull"
8X8
Oil on Canvas Panel
Available
Contact to Purchase

I had another title for this guy, but as I was painting him yesterday a wonderful outburst was taking place in Chicago by Rick Santelli, a commentator on CNBC. Watch him here The Wall Street Bull may be temporarily out to pasture, but I am a free market capitalist and am praying the he comes running back at some point in our lives, sooner rather than later. It isn't as if I have had tons of money in the stock market...just one small IRA that has been decimated by the Socialists who ruined the banks. (Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, etc.) What that Wall Street Bull represents to me is that American businesses are flourishing and people are living well. That, in my mind, is a great thing. While it doesn't fit the stereotype of "artist," I am an artist with a business. Besides art for art's sake, art is a business. No different than manufacturing any other product. The current bogus administration of our government is doing everything in its power to ruin freedom and the financial health of our country. I am watching a travesty beyond anything that I could have ever imagined. God bless Rick Santelli for his eloquent outrage at that moment yesterday. He spoke for the majority of Americans who are now held hostage to a Marxist / Socialist / Fascist tyranny. As Rick said yesterday, "Are you listening, President Obama???"


My first title was, "Beware of 'Being' Over the Hill." I was thinking it would make a funny greeting card for a guy's birthday. In fact, if you know a guy who is having a birthday soon, this would be a very nice present....he can hang it in his office to remind him of his strength!! I had a lot of fun painting him and love the strength he conveys. Art cannot thrive under tyranny.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

A Flight of Fantasy

"Mockingbird"
Available Painting
$550.00 (framed size 12X15)
Contact me to purchase.

USA TODAY
1/5/2005 3:23 PM


Wind turbines taking toll on birds of prey
By John Ritter, USA TODAY
ALTAMONT PASS, Calif. — "The big turbines that stretch for miles along these rolling, grassy hills have churned out clean, renewable electricity for two decades in one of the nation's first big wind-power projects.

But for just as long, massive fiberglass blades on the more than 4,000 windmills have been chopping up tens of thousands of birds that fly into them, including golden eagles, red-tailed hawks, burrowing owls and other raptors.

The size of the annual body count — conservatively put at 4,700 birds — is unique to this sprawling, 50-square-mile site in the Diablo Mountains between San Francisco and the agricultural Central Valley because it spans an international migratory bird route regulated by the federal government. The low mountains are home to the world's highest density of nesting golden eagles."


Here we are four years later and who is listening? The information above is not new. And it is ongoing. Meanwhile a whole lot of birds are biting the dust thanks to this insane push for "wind power." Not to mention the visual blight the turbines create. The so called 'environmentalists' have a huge hypocrisy problem. While they jump up and down and yell about "green" energy solutions, they are creating nothing more than fat bank accounts for themselves and their chosen few suppliers of this 'so called' "green" energy. They try to make you believe that they are on the side of wildlife and how the planet will collapse in short order if you don't buy into their schemes. The sorry thing is that they are stealing your taxes to support their very flawed agenda. By creating a false crisis, a lot of fat cat politicians and schemers are getting rich producing nothing of value from your hard work.


This Informative Article from the National Center for Policy Analysis

An excerpt here: "How many dead birds equal a dead fish equals an oil spill?" Ten thousand cumulative bird deaths from 1,731 MegaWatts of installed U.S. capacity is the equivalent of 4.4 million bird deaths across the entire capacity of the United States electric market (approximately 770 gigawatts). A 20 percent share of U.S. capacity, a figure that the American Wind Energy Association put forward some years ago in congressional hearings (see above), would equate to 880,000 cumulative bird deaths. Calculated on an average operating basis, the number would rise severalfold."

And this:

Other Environmental Drawbacks

"A distinct air emission problem of wind capacity is created when a new project is built where there is surplus electric generating capacity. Since large wind farms require thousands of tons of materials, virtually all of the air emissions associated with the electricity used to make these materials (such as cement or steel) must be counted against the air emissions "saved" once the farm comes on line and displaces fossil fuel-generated output. For example, a recently announced Zond wind farm of 40 to 45 effective megawatts is composed of 150 wind turbines weighing 35 tons each or just over 10 million pounds. The entire electricity requirement for these materials (cement, steel, fiberglass, etc.) must be estimated before assigning an air emission factor. To calculate a net emission savings, that factor must be subtracted from the air emission reduction once the wind project comes online."

The sad thing for me is twofold. First, I love birds. If I could grow wings, I would. Second, I know people who think they are friends of birds, who belong to "Bird Watching" organizations, yet who voted for this President and his "Green Energy" nonsense. I guess they don't realize it when they are at odds with their own goals and mindlessly vote for the "feel good" agenda. I wonder how the brain can disconnect from logical consequences. I am having a very hard time suffering these fools.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Daffodil Reclining

"Daffodil Reclining"
5X7
Oil on Canvas Panel

I am surprised to see my daffodils blooming already....this being February 14th. Since it's Valentine's Day, I thought I would share one of them with you. I painted this one spring before last...but have enjoyed having it around. It sits in a very nice frame on a decorative easel in my studio. This way I get to enjoy a daffodil all year long...and that is one small bright spot in these dismal days.

Monday, February 09, 2009

SC Landscape Finished


"Equilibrium"
16X20
Oil on Linen Panel
Available / A Natural View, Gaston County Art Guild Show at the Schiele Museum of Natural History
Dates: March 5 -April 4, 2009
Location: 1500 E. Garrison Blvd., Gastonia, 28054

That is.....if this painting gets into the show. (if not, you can buy directly from me) This is a judged / juried show and the requirements are stiff. We have a very qualified prestigious judge this year, Dee Beard Dean who is known for her beautiful landscape paintings and for founding the Plein Air Painters of the Southeast. In my estimation, this show is the best show of the year for the Gaston County Art Guild. I say that because I love the theme...all things in nature in North America. No manmade stuff, just raw nature.

If I were to describe my feelings about this painting, I would say it means "coming home" to me. It is a depiction of the type of scene I see from the road as my husband I drive home from somewhere...the farmland ready for planting, the pine forests in the background, the lush greenery surrounding the tilled fields, the Carolina Blue skies with some clouds kicking up, the sun streaking across the earth....all keeping me grounded and feeling balanced. That is why the title is "Equilibrium." Home is where the heart is....and this painting describes it to me.

Saturday, February 07, 2009

WIP A Carolina Farmscape


"A Carolina Farmscape"
Detail
Work in Progress
Oil on Linen Panel

It's been a week since I have posted and I hope you didn't think I was slacking away over here. I actually have been working on this 16X20 piece in hopes of coming up with something bigger for an upcoming show. What you see here is about the middle third of the painting. Many challenges here. First I normally work much smaller...so the size alone is daunting for me. Secondly, this thing has a lot of sky, a middle area of lots of details, and then the foreground is a tilled field that looks to be waiting for planting. That means a lot of dirt. And the sky...well, it is a spectacular sky and I don't know if I could ever do it justice.

Anyway, I've been working on this for the last three and a half days (in between Dr.'s appts. for my Dad and trying to keep my daughter sane since she is one of the casualties of the Bank of America job cuts). I hope to finish it up tomorrow or the next day.

I also want to announce that Peter Fiore has begun a new blog to share his landscape studies. He is one of the contemporary artists I admire very much, so I am happy to have him join us in the blogging world! Take a look and sign up!!


Of course the other distraction is the disaster in Congress. Now that the left wing has shown its real agenda in bankrupting the country with the so called "stimulus bill," otherwise known as the biggest socialist travesty I personally have ever seen. I hope some of my artist friends are finally seeing what a mistake they made in electing this bunch of thieves. Ever the optimist, I try to think that even people with no brains can see the hypocrisy and out-right lies in this "New Messiah and his cohorts in crime." As an artist, personal freedom means something to me. Having George Orwell's 1984 come to life before my eyes is not fun. Having the United Nations tell Americans how they are supposed to conduct their lives is not my idea of American values. Having a pig like Al Gore, who is a scam artist and the biggest hypocrite in the world, tell the rest of us how we are ruining the earth is disgusting at best.

So as I try to paint and capture what is left of family owned farmland, I am totally sad that the political elite are taking land and resources out of the hands of private citizens and giving the same away to groups like the Land Conservancy....taking your tax dollars to confiscate farmland and other open space, taking it out of the hands of American citizens forever. When I say confiscate, I mean confiscate. The government has punished farmers and taxed businesses out of business...so when the farmers can't keep paying the price of government, the Lands Conservancy groups step in and offer tax credits to take the land out of the private sector. What that means is that we lose the tax base of the farm, we pay for the maintenance of the land, and the land is no longer available for anyone for any reason forever. And you and I are then taxed higher in order to cover the loss of the farm taxes, and the maintenance of the land. In short, you and I are paying government bureaucrats to take away the farm / agriculture base that sustained the food supply of our country. The abominations go on and on and on....and I just keep trying to paint. And while artists sit around lamenting the loss of our beautiful farms, they do stupid things like voting in people who are planning to place taxes on farmers for methane emissions of cows and other livestock. They vote in people who create food shortages by pushing ethanol on the transportation industry.

Go figure...

Friday, January 30, 2009

Lambkin and Mum


"Lambkin and Mum"
12X16
Oil on Linen Panel
Available

Contact to Purchase

I could have called this "Wool Gathering." As I paint, I am also thinking....about what I am painting and what it means to me.
Socialist government policies have been in the business of ruining family farming in America for years. It is a precious thing to capture one small scene of this dying industry and I am praying for a reversal of the mindset of our government which takes from people and produces nothing. Greenways do not, in any way, help the production of food or goods for our country. The Land Conservancy Group, and its friends, are in the business of taking privately owned land and giving it over to the government using your tax dollars to do it. Shame on you if you are participating in this unconstitutional travesty.

I know you will recognize the lamb from a previous post a week or so ago. I did the lamb as a 8X8 study before I began painting this one. I now think that was helpful...as it made me think through the composition and the contrast between the two subjects.

This piece is designated for "A Natural View," our show at the Schiele Museum of Natural History...unless it is purchased prior to that. I am picturing it above the mantel on a stone fireplace in a family room or on the wall in someone's guest room or bedroom. It has a rustic feel about it and reminds me of the houses in Blowing Rock, NC or in Cashiers, NC, those lovely places in the mountains we go for peace away from the cities. A country pastoral scene. That was the intent...I hope I got there.

(the colors in the painting are more true in the picture without the frame)

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Peel Me a Grape

"Peel Me a Grape"
5X7
Oil on Canvas Panel
Available

This is a reprise of a piece from some time ago...Still under time constraints..working on bigger pieces for the upcoming Guild show, "A Natural View" in collaboration with the Schiele Museum of Natural History. Entries are due the end of February, so the heat is on.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Lambkin

"Lambkin"
8X8
Acrylic on Canvas Panel
Available

Click on picture to enlarge the view.

Contact to Purchase

Dropping back ten yards to punt...I have been so rushed and overwhelmed lately, that I decided to grab the acrylics to push myself to do something quicker. This is a scene I have been wanting to do...mostly because of the tranquility of it...a mood I am really needing right now.....in a big big way....

Hope you like it..

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Stop The EPA From Taxes on Cows

"Holstein Grazing"
8X10
Oil on Panel
Available

Click on picture to enlarge the view.

Contact to Purchase


Yeah, I know the drill. I am an artist so I'm supposed to be a flaky liberal, an emotional wreck, and on my knees to the environmental zealots who supposedly are going after the "bad" guys to save the planet. But, nooooooo...not me. Not playing that game. Do I love the planet? For crying out loud, what kind of question is that? Am I outraged at pollution? Again, what kind of question is that? Next you'll be asking me, when did I stop beating my dog? Give it up already!

So I bring you this adorable, valuable, wonderful creature....the Holstein! According to Al Gore's army of hypocrites, this is one of the horrible causes of his fictional global warming. The humble cow. Your great new President just appointed one of these zealots to head up the EPA. The plan on the table is to start taxing farmers for each and every head of livestock, including cows, pigs, goats, etc., to offset the "bad" emissions of carbon dioxide from these creatures. As if farmers are not having a bad enough time of it already. As if this money grab is going to make one iota of difference, except to further enhance the big government coffers. If this is news to you, I'm sorry to ruin your day. If you know about it already, please call, email, and write to every politician you know and tell them to STOP THIS NONSENSE!

I recently wrote an article with the truth on this issue, facts and more, that was published locally in our hometown newspaper. If you would like to read the entire article, I am about to publish it later today on my other blog: My Tea Party Chronicle

Like most artists I admire, I am inspired by the wonders of nature. That doesn't mean I ascribe to the idea that we should punish farmers and, in effect, raise the prices on necessary food supplies and continue to erode what is left of our agrarian communities. Did you really vote for this??? Is this what you think is an appropriate response to a false premise and a false prophet?

Back to the easel.... stay tuned!! :-)

Monday, January 12, 2009

My Tea Party

"Queen's Cup"
Oil on Board
NFS


My Tea Party Chronicle
Click on Link Above!!

You're Invited! To a new blog I have established...which is just for the sake of getting it all off my chest and, hopefully, enlightening some people.
As if I have any time for another endeavor...but passion counts for something and I am just going to have to type faster if I am going to get it all out there.

I think I may be some kind of anomaly.....an artist who doesn't buy into the liberal, big government, global warming, peace mongering, guilt trips, whining and moaning about how bad Americans are, etc. Not only that, but I am becoming so so sick of hearing this nonsense and drivel that I can't stand it. I have no clue if there are other artists out there who, like me, are fed up with the liberals slant on the world. Nevertheless, I have decided to quit the silence and speak up.

Quite possibly I am taking on too much. As some of you know I have a very elderly father who is taking up a great deal of my time, a husband, a dog, an art guild, a house, a son (with family) who is in Korea, a daughter, and a lot of responsibilities. I have recently written and had published an editorial regarding the stupidity of global warming and the war on Carbon Dioxide. I care about our country, the environment, animals, and many other things...

Please click on the link above and you can come along with me as I periodically let it all out!! There are two posts and a link to a very important article by Al Fin on the reason we have an economic crisis.
Enjoy!!

Saturday, January 10, 2009

'Magnolia Grande Flora'


"The Crown Jewel"
5X7
Oil on Panel
Available

Contact to Purchase

I am lucky enough to have acquired two of the large Southern Magnolia trees with my property. They sit in a very wooded area of the yard, though one of them is on the perimeter of the woods so it gets plenty of sun and air. They are the original kind, not the newer decorative versions. Each summer we have some of the fragrance wafting across the front yard and a few blossoms that we can reach to cut and bring into the house. It's one of those gifts for a girl who grew up in the North but appreciates the Southern climate more than I can say.

If you are interested in purchasing this one...click on the link above and let me know! :-)

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

'Winter Berries'

"Winter Berries"
7X5
Oil on Panel
Available

Contact to Purchase

Gloomy grey days of winter here. Actually it feels like an English grey, misty, foggy, rainy, snuggly sort of, "Let's eat scones and drink a lot of tea!" kind of weather we are having lately. It makes you grateful for the good roof over your head, the fireplace, the gas range, the quilts, the dear dog who looks bored....and of course the warm studio and paints. I'm glad for it all. We watch the birds diving in and out of the bushes gathering berries. It's a wonderful life when I get to stay home in my studio on inclement days. Cozy and wonderful.

I found this one to be more abstract than usual. My favorite part is the odd leaf just above the berries to the left of the stem...it had a bittersweet color and part of it was eaten away.

Friday, January 02, 2009

Mourning Dove's Nest

"Mourning Dove's Nest"
5X7
Oil on Panel
NFS

There is a reason for this painting that looks like I am getting a jump on spring when, in fact, it is just the second day of January. Before Christmas I painted a Mourning Dove..."Turtle Dove"...for a nature theme of Christmas. Truth is I love painting nature themes a good bit of the time. There is a Guild show coming up requiring entries by the first of March. This Guild show is one of my favorites. It is held at the Schiele Museum of Natural History and the theme of the show is "A Natural View." None of the art is supposed to have anything man-made depicted. Au Naturel..so to speak. Back to the Mourning Dove...if you will scroll down a few posts you will see her. This painting of the nest is a companion to that. I am thinking I will have them framed in a double mat within one frame. I don't usually do that, but I wanted to celebrate the renewal of life with this idea. Hope I accomplished that. Can spring be far behind???