Still Life: "Still Life with Pineapple, Lemons & Peaches"

8"x10" Oil on Gessobord  

I love the reflections of the fruit on the counter top

Next month's Charleston Artist Collective's Theme is "Still Life"

Donation

"Still Life of Sunflowers" SOLD

8"x10" Oil on Linen   SOLD

August's Charleston Artist Collective's Theme will be "Still Life"

Check it out:
www.charlestonartistcollective.org

"Eva"

8"x10" Oil on Linen panel

It's Shrimping Season! This boat, Eva, came in early this particular morning to unload her catch while I set up to paint. Luckily, Eva remained docked long enough for me to paint her; because as I was breaking down, Eva fired up her engines and chugged back out to sea for more shrimp.

"Beach Dunes at Sullivan's" SOLD

12"x16" Oil on Linen   SOLD

It was painted en plein air on site at Station 21 and then I clarified some values back in my studio after it dried down a bit.

Check out the Charleston Artist Collective in the month of September when the theme will be "Water"

"Grace's Portrait - the next step"

16"x12" Oil on Linen Panel

I took it a little bit further here with thanks to my friend, Leslie, who gave me a critique. From here, I'll use the photographs I took of this sitting along with this portrait from life to start and formalize a portrait of precious Grace!

"Grace's Portrait - A Beginning"

16"x12" Oil on Linen Mounted Birch Board

Grace is the cutest little 6-year old and sat beautifully for this portrait! We plan to finish it up on Thursday.

"Kayaking The Creek" SOLD

6"x8" Oil on Linen Panel   SOLD

My eye was drawn to the cool, misty blues of the far back tree line, so I had to paint it. All the while kayakers were gliding by.

Painted en plein air at Shem Creek, Mount Pleasant SC.

"A Fine Lady Left Behind" SOLD

11"x14" Oil on Linen Panel SOLD

This past Wednesday was the first day of Shrimping Season in the Lowcountry. Our favorite Shrimping docks were empty this morning. "Fine Lady" was the only boat around.

"Elliott Street" SOLD

SOLD

8"x10" Oil on Linen Panel

My friend Leslie's favorite street downtown. This is where we decided to paint today while braving near record temperatures! It was still hot in the shade! But ah, despite the heat, what a lovely city we have offering us such beautiful vignettes! The colorful buildings and flowers, the dappled light through the large oaks and palms, it's all so captivating!

"Oak Tree Pathway" SOLD

8"x10" Oil on linen panel

SOLD

"City Skies"

8"x10" Oil on Linen Panel





I stood in the parking lot behind George Street and looked toward the buildings on King Street. The clouds were moving fast.

"George Street - near the College of Charleston" SOLD

8"x10" Oil on Linen Panel   sold

I was standing in front of the College of Charleston's Cistern at the southeast corner. The colors and dappled light always get my attention. Interesting are the conversations I hear standing in one spot surrounded by the various people passing by.

"Creek Marina Waterway" SOLD

SOLD

6"x10" Oil on Linen Panel

Funny story: this was painted a few weeks ago on a very windy day. My vantage spot was a dock on a boat house. I laid this little painting down to dry and started another one. Just like a little kite taking off in flight, it got caught up by a strong gust of wind! It landed right in the very water it represents! My friends with whom I was painting, Anne, Leslie and Susie ran to its rescue and scooped it up with a large paddle out of the drink. Thank God it is an OIL painting! It's as good as new and can boast taking a little dip in the intercoastal waterway!

"Atop The Mound - Ben Sawyer Bridge"

9"x12" Oil on Canvas Panel

A newer, "touched-up" version of the original. This was a wonderful find in the middle of Sullivan's Island behind the Fire Department. At the top, one can see all around the island!

"Cypress Line" SOLD

9"x12" Oil on Linen  SOLD

The first of three paintings today. I may go back into this one and "push" those Cypress trees a bit more.

In this vingette, I was drawn to the shapes of the tree line, the long picket fence at the edge of this yard and all the shadows created by these.

It was a perfect day to be out. And this neighborhood is one of the finest places to paint!

"Old Oaks" SOLD

8"x10" Oil on Linen SOLD

I painted a similar one to this one a year or so ago but I was on another corner of this intersection. It was entitled "Center and Middle Streets" of the Old Village in Mount Pleasant. These oak trees are so massive! I love how they twist and tangle. The light was coming through their intertwining branches and leaves creating interesting shadows that laced clear across the street.

"Picket of Blooms" SOLD

8"x10" Oil on Linen SOLD

The final painting of the day. Three, not a bad number. I wanted to express the cascading flowering bush being contained within this picket fence. I tried pushing into the background the property across from this one (you can see its own fence with cascading rose bushes) by keeping the value high.

"Sullivan's Station 21" SOLD

SOLD 8"x10" Oil on Linen I loved this day of painting! While executing this very painting, a dear friend I haven't seen in about 12 years came through this pathway to walk the beach. We shared laughs and a little bit of tears with promises of getting together again soon. It was a great reunion!

"Wild Dunes" SOLD

SOLD

8"x10" Oil on Linen

I painted this one last week. Found a new spot for a beach painting. The undulating dunes makes for interesting shapes of color.

"Field of Palms" SOLD

Just touched up this already posted painting.

8"x10" oil on Linen   SOLD

"Garden's Splendor" SOLD

10"x8" Oil on Linen   SOLD

April's Theme for the Charleston Artist Collective is "Bloom."

"Garden's Splendor" is my fourth submission.

Check it out:

www.charlestonartistcollective.org

"Secret Garden Steps" NFS

9"x12" Oil on Linen   Gifted

I painted this "En Plein Air" standing in the midst of a gorgeous garden designed by renowned Landscape Architect Mary Palmer Dargan. The following is but a snippet of her credentials.

Hugh Dargan, ASLA and Mary Palmer Dargan, ASLA are the principals of Dargan Landscape Architects located in the Buckhead area of Atlanta, Georgia.
Great Garden SpeakerMary Palmer Dargan, ASLA, APLD
Design a lifelong landscape in four easy steps to produce food, healthy activity, social interaction and stress reduction. Enhance the quality of life at home with practical advice from this inspirational landscape architect with over 30 years experience.
Lifelong Landscape Design: Gardens for Health and Longevity is landscape architect, Mary Palmer Dargan’s current work. “Every homeowner can enhance the quality of their garden life on properties great or small. Fresh food, outdoor activity, events with friends and family and a refuge for recharging one’s batteries are my goal for every landscape. “
Thirty years of designing landscapes for private clients in exclusive places from the coast of California to the low country of the Carolinas has equipped Mary Palmer with a sharp eye for detail and a humorous, no nonsense approach to getting things done. “Form follows function, then beautify” is her mantra.
With an ear tuned to clients’ needs and her eye on the horizon, Mary Palmer extracts the best future use of a home landscape. Her best-selling design book, Timeless Landscape Design: The Four Part Master Plan was co-written with her design partner and husband, landscape architect Hugh Graham Dargan, and is considered to be essential kit for any homeowner or landscape designer.
Mary Palmer is a well-known expert in field of landscape design. For three decades, the Dargan’s gardens have appeared in hundreds of style magazines and in over 40 books. Dargan gardens appear regularly on television, such as Ground Breakers on HGTV. Numerous awards include those from The Garden Club of American and American Society of Landscape Architects.
Professional training with a Master of Landscape Architecture degree from Louisiana State University, enabled Ms. Dargan to launch her design career in 1982, and she soon combined forces with Hugh Dargan in Charleston SC. In thirty years, Dargan contributed to hundreds of projects in over 20 states and is approved by the Council of Landscape Architectural Review Board. She holds licenses in eight states.

"Colorful Spring on Glebe Street - Charleston, SC" SOLD

SOLD

10"x8" Oil on Linen mounted on Board

The Charleston Artist Collective's theme for April is "Bloom" this is my second submission of four paintings.

http://www.charlestonartistcollective.org/

"Blooming Camellia" SOLD

SOLD 8"x10" Oil on Linen mounted on Gatorboard The Charleston Artist Collective's Theme for April: "Bloom" Here is submission #1

Artist Palate at the Woodlands Inn, Summerville, SC

The Woodlands Inn, a AAA Five Diamond; Forbes Five Star Resort in the heart of Historic Summerville near Charleston South Carolina, the Woodlands Inn has re-invented the Lowcountry Sunday Brunch. This sumptuous event features Lowcountry favorites, utilizing local produce and products, and a dazzling dessert display. Each dish is created by Woodlands’ Five Star culinary team, led by Executive Chef Andrew Chadwick, while live musical entertainment adds to the ambience.

Guests can also enjoy the “Artist’s Palate” feature, where a local artist takes up residence in the Dining Room during brunch and paints a Lowcountry landscape or feature.

I was invited to showcase my painting prowess and portraiture on March 20th.

"A View For Two" SOLD

SOLD 9"x12" Oil on Linen mounted on Birch board I've wanted to paint these chairs for years and yet couldn't find a good vantage point (since they are on private property) until today! That is Fort Sumter in the distance flying the American Flag.

"Field of Palms"

8"x10" Oil on Linen mounted on Birch Board

It was all about shapes today. The shapes of the horizon line drew my eye here. . . The clouds were moving in swiftly from over the ocean which made for interesting shapes as well. (A "no-see-um" got caught in my wet paint in the center of the sky. Ooops!!)

"Beach House Hideaway" SOLD

10"x8" Oil on Linen mounted on Birch Board   sold

While at Fort Moultrie I noticed this little sandy path leading out of the museum property toward a house tucked cozily in a mass of trees. The backyard property of this home overlooks the water. I loved how the large tree's shadow in the pathway made for interesting shapes of color.

"Still Life with Box of Apples and Pitcher" SOLD

4"x6" Oil on Linen mounted on Board

SOLD

"Sailing Spectacular" SOLD

4"x6" Oil on Linen mounted on Board I was vacationing in Aruba when I snapped this photograph. Each and every sunset proved spectacular! The sail boat which got caught in the shot adds a bit of intrigue and whimsy. SOLD!

"Blooming Glebe Street, Charleston, SC" SOLD

10"x8" Oil on Linen mounted board SOLD

this is the same painting I did earlier, just added a few "touch ups"

"Cafe Corner"

8"x10" Oil on GessoBoard

Near my home is a quaint little town with cafe's and trendy shops. I loved how the red umbrellas brightened up this cafe front. As the sun was setting and the shadows lengthened, I had to work quickly to capture the sparkle that I originally saw.

"Blooming Camellia" SOLD

SOLD

8"x10" Oil on Linen mounted on board

Ah! The colorful Camellias are all in bloom right now and it is glorious!

"Colorful Glebe Street - Charleston" SOLD

SOLD 10"x8" Oil on Linen mounted on gatorfoam

What a glorious day to be outside painting! It is difficult to believe that we are still in February. It looks and feels more like springtime in March! I was standing in front of the College of Charleston's President's house when I painted this.

P.S. As I ended my time painting and was placing my equipment and painting bag in the back of my SUV, I neglected to close the back door adequately. As I pulled away and headed home, I noticed two blocks later that my back door was swinging open. I pulled over to close it tightly but while I was about to close it, I noticed that my painting bag was missing! My Painting Life was GONE and had fallen out of my car! Looking around in hopes of spotting it, I began to panic! A bicycle Policeman was near so I engaged his help but he returned with negative news. I literally cried out to God for help and in the midst of my prayer my cell phone rang. Someone had picked it up, found one of my business cards inside and placed it in the helpful hands of the Security Department of the College of Charleston! Dapper Joseph, who works at the Security Department and called to notify me that it was found, brought it out to me. I couldn't thank him enough! Joseph was too humble to take any credit and gave kudos to the one who found the bag and sent it to him. All of this was resolved in under 30 minutes!!! Thank You, Jesus, that You hear prayers!

So whoever you are (my sweet angel of mercy), if you are reading this right now, know that I have prayed for you and asked God to emphatically BLESS you beyond belief! I specifically asked Him to make your blessing be so obvious that you couldn't credit "good karma" for your good deed, but that you would receive such incredible blessings and joy and good fortune that you would KNOW beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Lord is GOOD and He's good to YOU because I asked Him to thank you out of HIS abundant Goodness for being such a merciful angel to me! This is what I prayed for you, check it out: Luke 6:38

"Give, and [gifts] will be given to you; good measure, pressed down shaken together, and running over, will they pour into [the pouch formed by] the bosom [of your robe and used as a bag]. For with the measure you deal out [with the measure you use when you confer benefits on others], it will be measured back to you."

thank you so much!!!!

"Glebe & Wentworth Streets"

8"x10" Oil on Gessoboard

"Glebe & Wentworth Streets" in the afternoon light. My friends, Leslie and Anne, caught this on canvas in the morning light and they inspired me to try it too. My focus was to paint the color of the negative shapes and forget the "objects."

"Waiting" SOLD

10"x8" Oil on Linen mounted on Gatorfoam board SOLD

This was the third painting of the day, today. Funny, as I began to paint this one - laying down the darks and plotting the composition- the owner of the bike approached it, unlocked it and rode off with it! Luckily, another biker liked this spot too. The second bike was even more colorful than the first with both orange and blue colors adorning it! I'm lucking out with complimentary colors in my plein air objects these days. :0)

"Grey Docks"

8"x10" Oil on Linen mounted on Board

This painting was also painted last week (February 9) as the second painting of the day. The clouds began to hide the sun and so the "mood" of this painting turned grey.

Besides affecting the painting, the windy, sunless sky created uncomfortable, chilly conditons. So after this one, I called it a day!

"Resting Shrimpers" SOLD

8"x10" Oil on Linen mounted board

SOLD

This painting was actually painted last week (February 9). The day started out beautiful and sunny despite the chilly wind. It was quiet and all the boats were in.

"Coral & Holly"

10"x8" Oil on Linen mounted on board

While we painted near the College of Charleston, I noticed this large tree at the park's edge and how the green leaves contrasted beatifully against the adjacent coral brick building.

The negative shapes made by the clusters of green leaves juxtaposed with the hot, coral brick wall amazed me and so I had to paint them.

"Between Classes"

8"x10" Oil on Linen mounted on board

Today our painting group met in downtown Charleston. We found a small park near the college tucked out of the way of the busy, touristy streets. The light was great and the models were plentiful as the students paused here in between classes. This young woman couldn't have made a better subject; did she know that her blue jeans and hot orange jacket were in fact complimentary colors??

"Shem Creek Vista with Shrimp Boat" SOLD

12"x9" Oil on Linen mounted on Board SOLD

Another view from one of my favorite spots.

The Red Vase SOLD

"The Red Vase" 8"x10" Oil on Linen

Submitted into the "Let There Be Art!" Invitational Art Show & Sale Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus Georgia
April 15 - 23 2011 SOLD

Thanks to my lovely friend, Anne, for opening up her gorgeous home once again and allowing us to paint from one of her many beautiful vignettes.

"Still Life of Apples" SOLD

6"X8" Oil on Linen SOLD

A sweet little still life within a sweet little format. A great addition to any kitchen or dining area.

"Gunni's Portrait"

16"x11" Oil on Linen mounted on Board

This was a commissioned painting of a Boykin Spaniel as a Christmas gift.

Boykins are one breed which has the sweetest of faces.

"Live Jazz" SOLD

SOLD

12"x12" Oil on Gallery-Wrapped Canvas

This was part of the "Soundscapes" series which was The Charleston Artist Collective's Premier Show.

I love jazz.

"The Children's Ball Collection"

9"x12" Oil on Linen mounted on Board

Ever since my daughter was about 2 or 3 years old, she's collected balls of various types: super balls which she refers to as "bouncy balls," tennis balls, footballs, the kind of balls that you squeeze to enhance your grip or reduce your stress, etc.

Now my almost 2-year old son is also a fond collector of anything that bounces. I found a few of their collection and put them in front of a window and I loved how the sunlight illuminated the almost translucent "Super balls." They look like oversized marbles in the light! So with this painting, I played with the variety of opaque and semi-translucent colorful balls. This also will be a submission for December's themed paintings at The Charleston Artist Collective: "Circles" where it is available for sale: www.charlestonartistcollective.org

"Gerbera Daisies in a Glass Bowl" SOLD

9"x12" Oil on Linen mounted on Board SOLD

The image is "leaning". . . perhaps I will retake this picture.

Again, another entry for The Charleston Artist Collective's December theme "Circles." I love the circles of the flower heads and the circles of the bowl and the water. This is available at http://www.charlestonartistcollective.org/

"Avocados!"

9"x12" Oil on Linen mounted on Board

The December Theme for The Charleston Artist Collective

is "CIRCLES."

This one is available through the Collective.

http://www.charlestonartistcollective.org/

"Ballet Practice"

12"x9" Oil on Linen

"Evening's Song"

40"x30" Oil on Gallery-Wrapped Canvas

The quiet stillness of the coming evening; the day settles into a silent peacefulness.

"One Measure - Sleeping Sandpipers" SOLD

8"x10" Oil on Canvas SOLD

These Sandpipers are arranged like notes on a single Musical Measure.