Dusty Fingers

Looking back, or dreaming forward?

2026-01-09T17:05:00.000-08:00

"Concrete Corridor" 30x30x1.5". Oil on gallery-wrapped canvas

Looking back, or dreaming forward? Wisdom requires both perspectives. While we celebrate another new year, there is always a fair sense of recollection from our earlier lives. As time passes, we are often reminded that today, each day, is special. What we do each day makes life memorable...or not. As I move into each new year, I am reminded that each day seems to move along like water. It could resemble the movement of a swift-flowing river, a steamy summer drip, a quick hint of rain, or an ever-frozen moment of winter. Each season of life is unique...as well, each season has a color palette that starts from a rainbow. Just mix in a little black, gray, or white, and there you will have a color palette much like mine.

Last month, as I stood in front of my easel, I realized that my oil painting palette had been stuck in the "Fall season" for nearly five years. I'm not sure why it has, but my visual senses tell me it's time for a change. Naples Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Indian Yellow, Cad Red Light, Alizarin Crimson, Ultramarine Blue, and White. That's three times the warmth of yellow over one chilly, fresh blue. I do not patronize any one brand of oil paint, and perhaps I could replace a hue along with each season. However, it is best to have at least one of each primary color (red, blue, and yellow) along with white. Imagine the subtle shift one color hue could produce when mixed with a varied amount of another hue? Surely it took a newsletter for me to figure this out...thanks to my readers!

So, what might you change up this new year? Might you take longer naps? Perhaps we all could listen a little more and talk less. Perhaps we practice a deeper sense of understanding? What if we could physically turn our perspective upside down once in a while? Eat dessert first....or not! Take a nap. Slow down. Ask friends how they are doing. Listen to their words first before we conjure up a reply. Oh, how our dreams and perspectives could flourish!

Is Creativity Realated to Intelligence?

2025-12-18T15:17:00.000-08:00

"The Jay-walker" 20x20x1.5". Oil on g/w canvas

Have you ever thought what this world would be like if we 'humans' did not have the means or intelligence to create? Quite a thought, right? Ever since our prehistoric ancestors, we have created drawings of bison on the walls of Lascaux that have provided solid evidence that we were born with the will to make things that communicated ideas. History is reported through visual art, but also through food, music, and dance.

Every one of us can imagine and make new things that bring depth to our society. But what if your creative idea flops? Is it really a failure that it didn't turn out as imagined? The thought of adding pineapple served upon a pizza comes to mind.

Creativity is built into our being, and supports our belonging that unties our world. What is even more amazing is that we have an abundance of creativity at our fingertips! So what would your world look like if you had no creative outlet to move you forward? Do share!

Gratitude Attitude

2025-11-18T23:46:00.000-08:00

"Rocky Mountain View" 8x10', Oil on linen panel

Welcoming the season of gratitude, we recall the many experiences we have individually experienced through our lives and those whom we care for and love. We take count of what is most important. Looking deeper at the love and depth of our families, the hope of our friendships, and the places we visited can reflect a lot about our hearts. We may dig up memories that bring joy and gratitude...or perhaps wisdom that came from a tragedy or loss.

Inspiration comes from many viewpoints

Each experience, including the most mundane moments, brings wisdom to us all. I recall a time in my childhood when my mother and I sat for 2 hours in my doctor's office waiting room for what felt like three hours. Patients were sitting on worn, padded chairs lined up against the three walls, occupying themselves with blank stares. For me, it was sketching time on a wadded-up piece of paper from my Mothers purse. Pen and paper in my lap, I'd sketch the faces of the bored people all without notice. My fountain flowed over with the opportunity to be hidden in my own creative world.
Oh, what treasures those wasted moments are when we look deeply at what hidden wonders around us. And for that, I am so grateful for the time used creatively and for whatever I have yet to experience.

Moving along....

A WIP is like a moving target

2025-09-04T14:52:00.000-07:00

A WIP is like a moving target

"Pretty Littl' Sumthins". 16x16x1.5" Oil on gallery-wrapped canvas

Change is ever-present. Over the past few months, it seems like life has been a rollercoaster ride. And if art reflects like that, that saying certainly applies to me at the easel. Recent artwork has been painted, then reworked and adjusted. As they all sit along the wall to dry, they begin to beg for more attention. Adjustments are magically morphing into a completely redesigned work that bears little resemblance to its initial inspiration.

What is happening here?

Change is ever-present. And change is translated into my painting process. As I work on a work of art, I often redirect myself to another path or a better idea. The "problem-solving" aspects of painting are very therapeutic. As the work progresses, it could be compared to raising a child or planting flower seeds. Life will always have its weeds, wrong turns, challenges, adjustments, indecisions, and surprises. Yet, there is also the wonder of it all. So when the painting tells me it's done, then it's proudly signed. So... you might ask, "What is a WIP?" I dare to answer that question with my next finished painting.

Moving along...

The BIG re-set . . .

2024-03-03T16:29:00.000-08:00

The BIG re-set . . .

Chillaxin' 9x12" oil on linen panel

We're rollin' into March and I'm wondering what is on your mind! We are over the Covid-19 epidemic and signs of Spring are starting to pop. Soon we will be warming up to Summer... and then... Fall. Honestly I'm doing my best to accept whatever happens this Fall. Now, I want to be a duck and let the stress roll off my back. No matter how much we all might complain or disagree about "this or that", we still live on the same planet and need to eat, breathe, and sleep. Perhaps add a bit of "exercise" and the world is just right. Or, perhaps a little bit of dark chocolate might help too...but I digress.

How do you wash away your stress? For me, I go to my studio to create art and experiment with ideas. I have discovered that either a flow or flop day at the easel is still a good day. Most of the time at the easel is spent standing on my tired feet alongside my palette, applying mixed piles of pigment onto a vertical surface. Somedays might result in a destroyed idea, while other days birds deliver golden eggs. Even if a piece is nearly finished, it can still take an abrupt direction resulting in a fried mess. Regardless, every day's a good day when I paint! Sounds familiar? Y e a h.

Rest brings another day, the sun will continue to rise and set, and we are all on this earth together. Skip polar opinions and apply the practice of asking and listening to the "why". Understand one another by listening carefully. We may never agree with everyone... or anyone for that matter, but we are all orbiting around the same sun together. Perhaps we all could use an interstellar trip ...and we're not too far from that happening either! What's on your mind? How do you "re-set"?

Moving Forward...

2024-01-01T20:25:00.000-08:00

"A Different Direction" 60x48x1.5" (in process)

Happy New Year!

If you were to walk across an unsteady bridge, head towards an undiscovered direction, or stay in our world of the familiar, your comfort level matches that of the path. If you are one to make new resolutions or personal goals, then you know how daunting a small commitment can be...or not. One thing is certain; change is always present. It is not the future or the past, it is NOW. We are always revising and redirecting from moment to moment, just like the flow of a small stream...into the future.

What if you were to magically repeat the year 2023 with the added wisdom and knowledge you gained from 2023? Would your life be any different? The wisdom you gained from the past twelve months might seem small, but to some, a new direction could mean everything.

As I paint, I feel as if I am in a meditative state of mind. It is a wonder... as I create I am challenging myself to make something out of nothing. Sometimes my direction changes after hours of struggle with one passage. Have you ever made a wrong turn? Yeah, it's like that, but all without frustration because creating is "a Journey". What do you do when you take a new and unexpected direction? Do you stop to take a closer look? It might uncover an unfamiliar answer.

The Gift of being Present

2023-05-09T12:37:00.005-07:00

"Five Fifteen" 24x24" Pastel on sanded paper

The gift of being present...what a concept! I dare to suggest that most of us live in an interruption-based society and are simply busy working to live and survive. And when all our needs have been met we naturally move towards new goals. Planning, dreaming, and navigating the world around us can give us a sense of purpose. We can also get hung up on worrying about the past and lost opportunities. Why not? How come? Not me? Or how about the voices in your head that keep reminding you of all those "Honey do's"?

What if you let off the gas and just coasted for a while? When was the last time you did that? A long overdue vacation? That in itself could be exhausting! Do you need more time for yourself? Living in the moment is possible with a bit of thoughtful effort. Become more aware of your surroundings. Quietly sit down and look outdoors at the colorful Spring season. What do you really see? When have you just sat and listened to the quiet sounds around you? Can you identify them? Being present in the here and now is such a gift to your well-being. Take a deep breath, pray, meditate, fill your lungs, and clear your mind. Just be here, and gift yourself the present.

Clearing the way towards a fresh perspective

2023-04-01T20:30:00.003-07:00

"Summer Field" oil on linen panel, 8x10" $1,050
Available through Art Elements Gallery

What does it take to make a small change in your life? Pretty easy, right? Perhaps for some of us, but it truly depends on each personal situation. We each are born and develop through experience, a unique perspective on life and how things work around us...politics, science, religion, the natural world...the "usual" circumstances beyond our individual control. So when a change is necessary, do you freeze or jump?

What if you took a magnifying glass and looked with your naked eye, at a colorful image in a magazine? There you would see thousands of red, blue, yellow, and black dots meaninglessly arranged apart from each other. But when you look at the dots from a distance, you see the individual dots are arranged to make more sense and become clear with a united idea. Continue looking at this image from 30 yards away, it becomes blurry, and inevitably...a blob!

We all know that we experience, over time, a huge dictionary of trials and tribulations that form our outward perception of life. This is what makes us so beautifully unique! The same goes for stepping back as an artist. I often step back and physically remove myself from my paintings. Viewing my work from a different perspective opens up unforeseen solutions. I will often turn the work upside down, face it towards the wall to get a break from it, look at it in a mirror, or take a photo and look at it in reverse on my smartphone. What and how do you gain a new perspective? Change it up!

Moving along...

A thirst for first

2023-03-09T13:41:00.004-08:00

"Reflections of the Past" 36x60"x1.5" Available

Finally...winter is showing signs of exhaustion! While most of us have endured several chilly months inside our cocoons, a wariness begins to emerge, causing us to get up, shake off the cobwebs, and get out of our winter cave. Spring spurs a little urgency to evaluate where we will go next. Some of us will be packing travel bags, and experiencing many "firsts", while some may stay settled into a comfortable, solid routine. Oh, Spring! What lies ahead?

Do you ever look at nature and wonder just how you are here in the present? Does the outdoors bring forth new ideas? It surely does for me!

One Spring I took a painting trip to California's Palm Desert that produced some of my favorite pieces (the inspiration for the piece above). The subtle colors of the old palm tree skirts were an unexpected sight. What amazed me while creating their likeness, was how I was present in an incredible moment of our earth's existence. The palm trees have been there for hundreds, if not thousands of years. drinking from the pools of percolating water that bubbles up from the infamous San Andreas Fault. The thought came up that my paintings took an ensie-weensie second of their existence.

Time is precious. And while the palm trees continue to drink from the well, we continue to spin around so that we don't notice what is actually around us. So here are a couple of ideas we can practice to slow down our busy lives and enrich our presence today...

Take a minute out for your "self" and just b r e a t h e deeply.
Listen to the sounds around you. What do you really hear?
Go to the market and buy a fragrant bouquet to enjoy.
Get up early to view a sunrise. How long has it been since you have done that?
Or touch the velvet of a rose flower...although they are out of season, you get the idea?
Use all of your senses to fill yourself up. What will you do with your Spring?

Moving along...

Luck of the draw....or playing with aces and jokers?

2023-02-07T21:36:00.016-08:00

"Vague Mist" oil on boxed panel, 12x12x1.5" Sold

What if you won a ten-million-dollar jackpot? How would your life change? Or would you try to preserve the "who, what, and where" you have become at this point? It's quite possible your name would be reported on the evening news and the IRS would be banging on your front door. Or perhaps you'd move to Tahiti and wear coconuts for the rest of your life.

Some say that artists are "lucky to be born with talent". Perhaps there is an eensie-weensie bit of truth to that statement, but there is one large aspect of talent that cannot be overlooked. It's called TIME. Having a talent is not luck of the draw. Making a career as an artist takes an entire lifetime of decisions, practice, failures, and experimentation...and there will always be more as time provides.

We each have some special gift (aka jackpot) that makes us who we are. We all are dealt with opportunities (aces), and circumstances (jokers), that mold our destiny, and millions of decisions that can have a million outcomes. Could it be luck or lack of "the draw"? Could it be fortuitous or happenstance? Perhaps "our time" is the only lucky thing we have. So play your cards well!

Wrapping things up with intention

2023-01-03T13:29:00.000-08:00

Wrapping things up with intention

"Relevance" 6x8" oil on canvas panel,

Over the past few years, have you noticed how precious your time has become? The subject of time eventually revolves around more personal questions about "why we do with what we have". Personally, the subject of time has been a hot topic between me and my three-legged easel.

As a very young artist, I simply wanted to draw horses, yet I was completely unaware of how drawing the same subject repeatedly taught me a lifetime of skills. My "why" was to improve my ability to see better what I saw, and also get some sort of praise or recognition for my work. But life takes its turns...and time reminded me I had to eat.

Now..what time has taught me is to value an intimate relationship with what I paint. The "what" can be an emotional intention, a purpose, or a lesson at the end of each mark. My creative intentions revolve around my personal story more than any quantity, blue ribbon, or banknote. After all, is said and done, there is no better time than to discover and understand your personal "why"... now! What is your "Why"? Do share!

Crossing over to the other side...an introspection on life

2022-11-03T17:13:00.000-07:00

Crossing over...

"Bridge to Somewhere" oil on gallery-wrapped canvas, 6x6" $550.

... to the other side

Throughout the Fall months in the Northern Hemisphere, a noticeable change in the weather, color, and pace of life is evident. It takes me back to when I was in college. I recall my music history instructor had us study the late 60's album "Bookends" by Simon and Garfunkle. It is a compilation of songs written about the seasons of life.

Right now I am feeling as if Fall offers more than seasonal changes. Lately, I have been practicing introspection as I move and look forward...and back at my life. Spring: do you see it in children? They are blossoming beings, growing and learning day by day. Summer: a more relaxed, confident, and productive pace of life. As we enter into Fall, a keen observation of the colors, temps, and a realization that winter is just around the corner...and over the bridge! Whoa, the chill of Winter!

Where did the time go? Fall truly gives us a keen introspective on time. Time is here. It is now, and it should be spent with intention. How about you? Do you contemplate the seasons? Do you know where you are in life? Do tell!

2022-08-01T22:13:00.005-07:00

Pulling weeds...

24(33.3%)

"Queen's Patch" 12x12" oil on linen panel

and other unsung pleasures.

The heat of summer is upon us and thoughts of cooler days only tease us as we linger in the throes of August. In good time the weather will continue its path toward cooler days, and I ponder the scorching summer heat as one of life's weeds. Not all of life's weeds are bad...and in some way, I question how earthly weeds have developed a fascinating ability to thrive. Oh, how wonderfully smart nature really is!

Consider the dandelion...
A dandelion creates tasty broad leaves that you can add to your fresh garden salad. Its bright yellow flowers magically transform into perfectly sphere-shaped, fluffy wish-makers that have been designed to catch the wind and land on a willing patch of ground to blossom once again. Perhaps a sparrow chic may find its first tiny seed to eat from that fluffy wish-maker! Ahhh, nature... how I love thee.

What about the prickly weeds of life?
I want to point out that these weeds can be viewed as "situations". We need to view them as they really are. The heat of the summer has its purpose. And so does every action and reaction in life. The circle of life serves us all in terribly difficult times as well as miraculous moments. What a world we live in! My point is that every lousy thing that happens has an upside. Missed your flight? As you wait it out at the airport bar, you engage with another passenger who shares brilliant ideas that provide answers to past challenges. At times, we have to really look hard to find it and most of the time it's right in front of us.

The beauty:
A sunrise ends with the sun setting.
The ocean has crashing waves that never cease, and beautiful sea life underneath.
A slow sigh of relief begins with a screaming breath of life.
Painting on-site on a blistering July day brings a sunburn and a wonderful work of art. The view before me was blocked by overgrown bushes, so I painted the weeds in front of me. Why not?!

How people view our artwork

2022-06-04T23:09:00.003-07:00

How people view an artist's work is as unique as the individual.

Every one of us has life experiences that inform how we look at the world around us. People view our work as unique as to how each individual person thinks, dreams, senses, and perceives the world around them. It is so fun to learn about all the angles art will bring to mind while looking, absorbing, dissecting, analyzing, and swallowing the whole piece.

Some will take an analytical approach “Perhaps there is some sort of reference to…?"

Some will take a dream approach…”It takes me far away…"

and some will take on a memory approach…”It reminds me of…"

But what do people see when they look at a pastel? Well, there is one common reaction I get each time, and that is…”Oh, that’s CHALK, isn’t it? Well, it is the most common art material since the dawn of time and is often mistaken for chalk, but no, it is not chalk. It’s pure pigment rolled up with a touch of binder.

....Silence....

The earliest renditions of art are displayed in the caves of Lascaux and were made with mankind's first pastels. The earliest masters used it to summon up quick ideas and from that time on, artists have relied on its versatility to create beautiful works of fine art. People will always view our work as individually as the artist creates.

2022-06-01T10:29:00.000-07:00

A different point of view...

creates new ideas.

When I was a young child I would spend hours burning energy riding my bouncy horse. After a couple of hundred races, I wondered if there were other ways to ride the horse. Why not? So I tried riding on it facing backward. And then I tried riding side-saddle and eventually, I discovered hanging upside down was the best...until the blood rushed to my head.

I suppose the horse taught me that changing my perspective might open up new possibilities...and that curiosity could offer up some life lessons. Flexing my point of view has helped me manage a few challenging circumstances. In these uncertain times, I believe that flexibility is more important than ever before.

Sometimes we can just get in our own way....and sometimes we can get in others' way too.
A stifled point of view could deem us self-absorbed, judgemental, and even shall I say...narcissistic. But when we get out of our own way and begin to understand another's viewpoint or life experiences, our compassion and forgiveness grow. Listen carefully and ask questions to better understand their "why" or "view" to see what makes them "tick". We don't have to agree, yet understanding another's point of view or experience connects us and certainly opens up doors to better relationships in our community. We humans have the unique ability to have and share compassion for others.

What if?
Why not?
How fun!

Moving along...

Keeping it simple

2022-04-24T18:31:00.001-07:00

Keeping it simple...in a complicated world

No doubt we are living in very challenging times. Global warming, cultural division, instant communication, space flights, war, and Covid...and that's just the tip of the iceberg! Iceberg? Ack!

Coming from the 60's generation, it would seem we had it tough. It was rare to have a private phone line, a color television, and fast-food meals. It was not convenient, yes, but it was simple. While I was raised in poverty for a short time with my unstable Mother, I saw and experienced a LOT of things that have informed my perceptions of the world around me. We got along with very little and struggled. Yet the distractions were few. Looking back, it really wasn't bad, but that's hindsight. Having had success and failure in many forms changes our perceptions of life. The struggle is good, but not fun. We learn from it all and hope for better each time around.

Recently, I recorded a few instructional videos and an online appearance on repurposing pastels The experiences were very challenging and tested my will. My personal expectations were high and I felt confident. I am still wondering what the final result will be from it all. Will it have been worth my time? Will it inform and inspire others? Most likely. But who knows. I allow my hopes to not be crushed if all fails, and I understand that I have no control over much if anything in this world. What works best is living simply and being responsible with choices. It's like that even more so in the year 2022.

If you could change one thing in our world today, what would that be?

2022-01-03T09:20:00.003-08:00

Spinning Into a World . . .

. . . Like OZ

(recap from April 2021)

The past few months have been a whirlwind of new adventures for me...but not anything like a fun outdoorsy adventure. I"m talking about Online Video adventures. All because of shitdowns and social distancing, most if not all of us have had to recreate our lives online...and we're either getting pretty good at it or pretty messed up. Well, I'm feeling a little bit of both.

A while back, I started teaching pastel painting online, and then I soon found out that online instruction requires a huge mental shift filled with excitement and fear. Imagine along with me, talking with a group of peers with your eyes closed, sharing how you do what you love to do, say...flying a kite, for example, and then suddenly you are looking into a computer screen trying to explain how to do it. And then the wind picks up, and then your kite....well. You get my drift. Needless to say, my mind has been getting quite the workout, unlike my now flabby body, as it shifts from my vault of information and then transfers that into verbs, computer commands, and clicks, all while laughing at how It all makes sense. It feels as if I am both running from tornados and running towards them at the same time. And I'm not out of breath! Are you?

Mostly, what I'm yearning for is the comfort of familiar days. Who loves a great conversation face to face? Or a good firm handshake or hug. Remember those? Gosh yes! But you know what? The return to whatever normal was will be sweeter when we land back on solid ground... hopefully soon. And oh, how a normal routine will feel ever so sweet. And the clean-up, no matter how devastating, will be a cathartic rainbow.

Moving along...

Life's Not An Act!

2021-09-11T17:04:00.002-07:00

A Show-Stopping . . .

. . . Year

(recap from Jan 2021)

Well, my friends, If you were to find one WORD that would define 2020, what would it be?

At the beginning of each new year, I take some time out to write down a list of goals I'd like to attain. Sadly, I had never looked at my 2020 goal list again. As I am writing this, I just pulled out my list of goals for the first time since I wrote it and I'm surprised at how lofty they were. I almost want to say they were unattainable but were more like a misguided thought. At this point I realized, I just need to be grateful I have one life to live. If you could rerun what went right, what might that be? I would imagine it must have been pretty much an individual activity? Like throwing a temper tantrum or running in circles? HA! How about learning how to ZOOM or facetime? For the most part, accumulated show cancellations were what slowed me down. Waaa a a a y down.

On a brighter note, last year provided me a lot of time to think, learn, and reassess just what is important. I am so grateful for my husband and all my children...including a new kitten. I had time to really focus on my personal health, yet exercise evaded me. Motivation slipped a bit, but so did the days of my life. So, what day is it anyway? We all endured 2020 together, and I am happy to turn over in bed and wake up. So what one word would you call 2020? For me, it was "Suspend" Life is not a soap opera, nor does it offer a "re-run" or a "fast-forward" button. So let's take it easy on ourselves. One. Day. At. A. Time.

Finding my GrOOOOOOve. . .

2021-08-13T14:42:00.000-07:00

. . . with one little mark

This post is from my monthly Studio Updates, dating November 2020. Take note that the timing of this post my not be relevant.

At this very moment of writing, America has resolved the election and potentially developed a strong Covid cure. It sure has been a tough road. Together we all have been on them at different times of our lives, with steep hills to conquer and bruising bumps to get over. Our 2020 stories will take the route into the history books and cement them into our current generation. I wonder how stories we all have in common from 2020? Sad, yet somehow I am feeling a little glimmer of hope.

On a brighter note, so much is bubbling up in my studio! There are several half-finished paintings that I'm re-addressing, online courses are starting to take shape, a BIG, long-term project is being imagined, and just some good vibes all over. I"m happy to say that my slump is nearly over and I'm starting to find my groove! It all came to a head while I was working on a painting last week, when one little, and very joyful brushstroke "giggled" at me! Yes, I wrote giggled. You see, the act of painting is a dialogue...and sometimes it speaks to the artist in most mysterious ways, but this time it giggled! And the best part? I was ready to receive it! What a joyful and intimate moment. I sure hope that joyful mark comes back to greet me again and again. As for the photo above? Yup, that's me...high up on the top of the beautiful St. John's Bridge in Portland, OR., during a graffiti abatement closure. A while back when life was "easy", a few of us artists, Don Bishop, Quin Sweetman, and Za Vue had the idea to paint a nocturne of the Willamette River upon the closed bridge. And what should one do when in a most opportunistic place? Well... Cartwheels! ... and take a rest in the middle of the high road!

So how do you find your grOOOOve? Do Share!

Moooving along...

A Holding Pattern and the Struggle to Land

2021-05-18T22:15:00.007-07:00

A Holding Pattern and the Struggle to Land

Now more than ever do you find yourself asking "How am I doing?" How many times have you said, "It's been a really weird year"? It seems trivial to say the big challenges are about readjusting our daily lives. Over the past eight months, we've had to reconfigure how to shop and keep 6' apart, attend school, see the doctor, enjoy a dinner out....and just breathe! So, just last week as I was painting on a most difficult piece and pondering my personal challenges, I decided that the phrase "Life imitates art" is relevant more than ever. Are my struggles at the easel in effect, in sync with the world around us? Why yes they are.

Let me explain. On my easel sits a piece that is whooping my butt! I would work for 4 hours on a particular area of the piece, resolving all the problems of the world upon my easel. Then.... the following day I'd return to my studio and scrape it all off! After four embattled weeks of daily repeated efforts, I finally realized, and am embarrassed to share, that I was in a hovering pattern. I could compare it to the delicate Forrest Gump feather that indecisively floats along with the breeze. Perhaps the smoke-filled skies from the devastating fires, protests, hurricanes, and Covid are affecting my work in various ways? Hmmm...

I will let you in on my little secret. It is not unusual for me to experience environmental battles in my work, but never one so extended. Heartbreaking. So, I was wondering if you sense holding patterns in your life too? How do you process a difficult struggle? Well, for me my art acts as a grounding, therapeutic source. Perhaps the phrase "Life imitates art" could be switched around for one instance to read "Art imitates life"?

Moving along...

Chosen Faculty for Plein Air LIVE!

2021-02-22T10:57:00.003-08:00

Sharing a bit of shameless self promotion.

https://www.pleinairlive.com/2021?affiliate_id=2997289

I've been asked to be on staff for the Beginner's Day, April 14th at the 2021 Plein Air Live event.

Join me and others as I share tips, tricks, and advised experience on painting outdoors.  Pastels have their own qualities that make plein air a very rewarding experience...but there are some pitfalls and challenges too. My focus will be on plein air with pastels along with other Professional artists teaching Oil, Watercolor, and Acrylic for the Plein Air Live "Beginners Day". 

Boot up your computer, laptop, or smartphone, grab a note pad, and your sense of humor to learn and laugh along with me and other professional artists as I demonstrate my method with pastels en plein air.  This "Beginners Day" is available through registering for the Plein Air Live event.

Learn more at Plein Air Live April 14-17th HERE!

An Artist's Voice Is Not Heard

2021-02-03T19:34:00.000-08:00

An Artist's Voice Is Not Heard

Grandpa's Barn, Creswell, OR. Demolished c..2010

I'm hoping all is well with you and are getting through your summer unaffected by all the bad news out there. It's been so difficult to find positive in our world, and as an artist, I feel a deep responsibility to bring some beauty into your life. You see, it's more of a calling and I must do what I am destined to do. So hand over the reins for a minute and hear me out, OK?

So over the past ten months, give or take, I have been feeling something brewing in my artwork that was not apparent to me until last week. As the paintbrush was burning up the easel, my work began to steer towards barns and rural life. Simple subjects. Things that I could relate to on a deeper level. And through discussion and feedback from my collectors and artist peers, there seems to be a common thread that is felt in my most recent work:

Nostalgia
Fond melancholy
Calm
Hope
Resolve

and all those feelings have been sensed in paint?

WOAH! It is more apparent to me just how my deep feelings translate over to the canvas. So it isn't COVID or riots? Well, I know those feelings of injustice and tragedy are pouring out in oil just the same. But now more than ever I realize the apparent visual communication I have been whipping up is coming out in ways I had never imagined. It's a SENSE of calm I get when I paint.  My main catalyst? The sale of my family's 100-year-old farm and a deep regret that I could not take the farm onto my own to cherish, nurture, and allow to blossom. The change of hands had to happen at some time I suppose, and so I express my feelings through creating with pigments.

So please take a minute to visit both my "Landscapes" and "Plein Air" pages on my website. Please let me know what you feel when you look at my barns. Is it nostalgia? Or perhaps you might sense a resolve in my work? For me, I believe that the artists' voice is not heard, but felt... and I feel hope.

Keeping It Light . . .

2020-12-28T21:27:00.005-08:00

Keeping It Light . . .

. . . in Uncertain Times

I sure hope all is well with you during these uncertain times. I'm doing my best to stay vertical under all the circumstances thrown at me. Sometimes I could compare each day to a dartboard game, and then when I go out painting, the world becomes a beautiful place to just be. So when life's situations get a little out of bounds, ever more than now, I just gotta make a little fun! We've all heard that laughter is the best medicine, and honestly, I am sort of a fan of this humorous drug. I love how my heart and body feel after a great laugh, giggle, or simply a smile. If I could find ways to make someone smile, game on! I have often been caught finding humor during inappropriate times, smuggling my laugh into my bent elbow to keep from exploding at some personally embarrassing situation.

So welcome to my world! While out painting on site, I can be found wearing a hat to protect my face from the glaring sunshine. One of my favorite head coverings is my painting visor, above. It packs up nicely into a roll, it is lightweight, and it's designed to allow some extra shade simply by pulling my hair over the brim. I have often been told that I look like the "FRAGILE' leg lampshade" from the movie A Christmas Story, or perhaps I remind others of the character "Cousin IT" from the 60's era Adams Family Tv show. Regardless of the similarities, it serves me and my humor well. and I kinda like my "do" being out of my way and off of my neck on hot days...
So go ahead and laugh! You'll feel better ... and in these uncertain times, it's free!

Moving along...

Life's A Trip...

2020-08-16T17:00:00.005-07:00

Life's a Trip . . .

. . . when you get back up

How are you doing during this unrest and an unworldly pandemic? It seems so long since I have seen a familiar face within 3 feet of me, sharing a good laugh, feeling the summer heat together while outside in the July air. Personally, I have noticed that my way has been negotiating with my will, and I'm trying to find balance with what is more important: whether I stick to my old routine (which has been cut short), or just relax a little more ... and take another nap. It seems that my motivation is slipping, so I figured I would Google "getting motivation" and this is the first thing that popped up:

Set goals
Choose goals that interest you
Find things that interest you within goals that don't
Make your goal public
Plot your progress
Break up your goal
Use rewards
Don't do it alone.

Everything looks attainable, but there is one item on this list that is really challenging, and that is #8. Don't do it alone? REALLY? It's the one ingredient we all need the most in these unprecedented times...and that is togetherness! So, reach out to one another, volunteer, write a love letter, send a long lost friend a text or email, or better yet...an overdue phone call. I love to hear from friends from time to time to rekindle that togetherness we need right now. And if you are motivated enough, reach out to me with a photo of you and a beloved, or perhaps with you and your favorite piece of art. Let me cheer you on so that you and I will know we are not alone!

#8 Don't do it alone.

By the way... in the course of having painted with either pastel or with oil paints, I have figured there is a one in 30 chance my easel will fall over. I'm still smiling, still grateful to those who help me out, and laugh when the numbers are in my favor.

Seeing through your hopes and dreams

2020-06-04T23:24:00.000-07:00

"Delight of the Dreamer" 12x12" Pastel on sanded paper, $1,650
Available through The Mission Gallery

Enter into any room that is flooded with filtered light, and you might sense your mood shifting, and perhaps your eyes might even begin to moisten. For me, I am always in touch with my senses, especially my sight, and perception of how people relate to one another. It's almost funny to say this, but to me, I am on the observation deck of life. A few years back, I came upon this scene inside the Swan House at the Atlanta Historical Museum after a thunderous Spring downpour. Upon entering into this one particular room at that very moment, I felt a compelling sense of elevation by the light that was wrapping around this young girl. It evoked feelings of hope fueled by anticipation, curiosity, and dreams. And now, now more than ever, this piece seems more poignant. One might question if she is isolated in an empty room along with an empty chair to sit, be still and think, or she is waiting for good news that will bring brighter days ahead?. Whether we look at life through either a kaleidoscope lens or a magnifying glass, we still take light in. So what do you see in this piece? I'd love to know!

Moving along...