Mexican Pride

11 X 8 Pastel and Watercolor on Uart paper (framed)

"Mexican Pride"

This beautiful Mexican Folkloric dancer was admiring her fellow dancers while they performed in the San Sebastian Church festival in Guadalajara a couple of summers ago.  The music and dancers filled me with pride and a warm feeling in  my chest as I took in the night in this church square surrounded by food vendors making all of the Mexican treats I love, fireworks, and a live Mariachi band playing the music I have listened to since I was a child.

The Spectator

24 X 12 Pastel and watercolor on Uart paper (framed)

"The spectator"

It was a breezy hot day in Rome and this woman had all of her attention on a "statue person" street performer standing at a stone column.  While she watched the "statue" I took several pictures of her knowing they would go into a painting once I made it back home.  

Am I in trouble?

11 X 14 Oil on Canvass (framed) Part of a private collection

Matthew is my nephew and this photo of him when he was 2 years old is my family’s favorite photograph.  I don’t remember what he did, but this innocent cute face got him out of trouble.  This was the first face that inspired me to try portrait painting.  

Scarf in the Wind Dancer

7 x 12 watercolor and pastel on Wallace paper (framed)
This was inspired by a belly dancer performance.
SOLD

The Long Walk

11 X 14 Oil on textured gesso masonite board

Sunset in Florence

12 X 16 Oil on textured gesso board

This is a scene from Florence during a sunset I enjoyed along with hundreds of other people at one of the highest points in the city.  It was an unbelievable scene and what a better way to capture the moment than to loose myself in this exercise that I did during a painting project.

Indian Bride

7 3/4” x 11 3/4 m” oil on gessoed hardboard (framed)

The Bullfighter

11 x 14 oil on gessoed masonite board
(framed)  SOLD

Flamenco Pose

10 x 8 Oil on gessoed canvas (framed)

Tying up her hair

24 x12 oil on gessoed masonite board (framed)

Preparing for the bath

20x24 oil on gessoed masonite board

Time to rest

12x16 oil on gessoed masonite board (framed)
This began as an exercise in a Zhaoming Wu workshop and I just got lost painting this figure and adding layers of paint in a VERY labored attempt to mimic his style.   I learned so much from him and his paintings are an inspiration for me to continue to work at this!

Unrobing

20 x 24 oil on gessoed canvas

Seduction in White

20x10 Oil on gesso board (framed)

Misterious Belly Dancer

12x16 Oil on gesso board (framed)

Tired Ballerina

16 X 20 Oil on Gesso canvas board (framed)

Confidence

6 X 12 Oil on Gesso Masonite Board (framed)

Belly Dancer 2

"Belly Dancer"
8 X 10 oil on masonite board (framed)

Resting

"Resting"
20 X 24 Oil on masonite gesso board (framed)
This is one of my favorite paintings! After taking a couple of workshops with Kevin Beilfuss and practicing with many figures, I feel like I have finally begun to figure out how to take what I learned and add my own style to it.

Gitana en Verde

Oil on gesso masonite board (12 X 16)

I have been exploring new, interesting, and more playful backgrounds on these gesso boards.  

Gitana en Negro

20 X10 Oil on gesso masonite board (12X 24)  Framed

I love working on these gesso masonite boards.  I'm not handy at all, but I have had fun spreading gesso all over these boards!  The paint glides on so nicely and the texture is amazing!

Seduction in Black Gown

6 X 12 Oil on gesso masonite board (framed) SOLD

Lost in Thought

12 X 16 Oil on canvas (framed)

Pears Vying for the Sunlight

10X 16  Pastel on Newsprint Paper

This was an exercise in a workshop with Dawn Emerson using analogous colors on the color wheel.  This is not my typical subject, but I enjoyed playing with various colors and learning from Dawn.  She is such a dyanmic and creative artist and instructor!

Playing with Water

8 X 8 pastel on Wallace Paper (framed)

Part of a private collection

This little boy was playing at a fountain at the botanical gardens and his parents were trying to get him to leave, but he would not have it.  

Budding Artist

8 X 10 Oil on canvas (framed)
This began as many of my paintings do... as an exercise in a workshop with one of my favorite artists and mentor, Frankie Johnson.  She pushed me to work in this very loose and textured background.  I felt so free approaching my painting in this way that I have continued to work in te this textured impressionistic fashion since (or at least some elemenent of my pieces incorporate this style).

Importance

10 X 20 Oil on Canvas (framed)

This model has inspired many of my paintings.  This painting was very challenging since I had to make up the background.

Looking Back

11 X 14 Oil on Canvas (framed)

Need Coffee?

8 X 8 Mixed Media (framed) SOLD
Printing and preparing my own paper for this project took some time, but it was worth my time.  I learned a few tricks and techniques from Karen Sako in a mixed media workshop.  Although this is not a typical subject for me, I enjoyed this very much and added my style to the project.

Apples and Knowledge

8 X 10 Mixed Media
I was nervous and excited to try something other than oil and pastel painting.  During a mixed media workshop with Karen Sako, I played with printing my own paper, using acrylic paints, overlapping various papers, and then adding some finishing 3-D touches for the stems on the apples.  My nerves subsided and I started playing and having a lot of fun creating this piece.

Latin Dancer in Blue

12 X 16 Pastel
I used this photograph, because I feel this pose is powerful and full of grace!  Yes, I keep returning to the dancers.  

Elegance

14 X 18  Oil (Framed)
This was an exercise in figure drawing and creativity.  I started the drawing from a live model in  a workshop with Kevin Beilfuss and then decided to turn in into a painting, but I had to invent the background and that was quite a feat!

Train Ride in the Autumn

16 X 20 Pastel on Wallace Paper (framed)  Part of a private collection
Autumn is my mom's favorite season and she loved the photograph of this scene, so I decided to get creative with my pastels and gave this one to my parents.  They loved it!  (Of course, they are my parents)

Outdoor Cafe with a Garden

12 X 16 Pastel on Wallace paper (framed)

This is a favorite spot in the summer for my husband and I to take a walk, talk about our day, and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea. 

Palette Knife Fall Scene

9 x 12 Oil on canvas board

This is the product of a fun impressionist workshop with Ann Feldman. I mostly used my palette knife for this one. 

Birthday Balloons

8 X 16 pastel on Wallace Paper (framed)

Portrait Study: Squinting in the Sun

8 x 10 pastel on Wallace paper

This was a portrait study I did as a follow up to one of Ann Feldman's portrait workshops.

Flamenco Pose

12 x 16 pastel on Wallace paper (framed)

My friend Zulmara always inspires me with her dancing and her poses are very powerful.  She was not dancing flamenco in this performance, but I gave this piece my own twist.

(part of a private collection)

Waterfall at the Chicago Botanic Gardens

8 x 10 pastel on pastel board

Every summer, my husband and I have the tradition of visiting the Chicago Botanical Gardens.  Our first time was on our wedding day in July of 2006.  I know, how romantic! :)

One of My Best Moves!

12 x 16 Oil on Canvas

Here she is again!  Zulmara is one of the best dancers I have seen.  I love to watch her dance- she is so flexible, fast, and powerful with every pose.  She choreographs all of her performances and competitions and she does a wonderful job!  I can't stop watching and most certainly cannot stop capturing those snapshot moments for my paintings!

(part of a private collection)

Polynesian Paradise

   11x 14  Pastel on Pastel Board (framed)

Hawaii’s Polynesian Cultural Center was amazing!  Truly a cultural experience.   We loved it so much that we returned for a second day.  The days were sunny and hot and nature surrounded the entire center with streams, palm trees, tropical plants and flowers, and waterfalls that relaxed and refreshed us as we stood nearby taking it all in.  

A Rose is a Rose..

      20  x  20    Oil on Canvas (unframed)

My proudest moment while painting this rose was getting those water drops to glisten and look like water drops!

Dancing with Herself

8 X 10 Pastel and mineral spirits on Wallace Paper (matted and framed)

I decided that I wanted to play with mixed media and complementary colors.  I used mineral spirits and pastels to create the effect of movement in the background.  My reference drew me in instantly! Of course, it’s a dancer and everybody who knows me, knows that my favorite subjects are dancers! 

Study of a Renoir Portrait

16 X 20 Oil on Canvas Board

Painting this study of a Renoir portrait really opened my eyes to how fun and loose I could get with portraits.  Well, everywhere except the face that is.  I used heavy layers of paint using a palette knife and had the best time.  I felt such a connection to this piece and the process.  

Night Lights in Sevilla

12 x 24    Oil on canvas (framed)

The sun was setting in Sevilla,  Spain.   My husband and I were having dinner at an outdoor cafe across from this perfect scene of warm vibrant sunsetting colors transitioning into the city night lights.  This truly is a romantic city!  

Study of portrait of a Ballerina

16 X 20 Oil on Canvas sheet 

This was one of my favorite studies of a portrait painting in my portrait class.  The subject looked like a graceful ballerina to me and I loved her expression.  I also enjoyed the very loose style of painting.  This was the first study that didn’t frustrate me.  This was also the first time I felt that I was discovering my portrait painting style.  

Portrait of Marianna

16 X 20 Oil on Canvas

For the past year, I have been taking Portrait Classes with Ann Feldman and this is a portrait I started in her class using a live model, Marianna.  It was just  supposed to be a study, but I didn’t want to forget all of the things Ann taught us, so I continued to work on it until I felt happy.   I knew I was finished when Marianna (my model) told me she loved the painting and had her friends come look at it.  

Warm Autumn

22 X 24  Oil on Canvas (framed)  Part of private collection

My mother loves the fall and she had been asking me to paint a fall scene for a while now.  I like the fall as well, but I never like that it signals that Winter is near!  I enjoyed working on the reflection of the trees in the water and my mother loved it!