New Work... Secret Hiding Place

After Painting, my last mushroom painting, Finders Keeper, I decided to so a series.  I'm not sure what kind of mushrooms these are or even if they are edible.  I wanted to create a sense of mystery in the background and really liked the diagonal line of the moss where the mushrooms are growing. They look they are hanging on for dear life.

These small paintings I like to mount on an archival board and seal them with acrylic UV sealer, therefore they don't need to be framed with a mat behind glass.  They look lovely in  gold plain air frame.  I will post them framed in the future when I have better photos.

This painting will be in the April Exhibition at the 127 SoBo gallery, "Birds, Bees, Flowers & Trees."

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New Work... Finders Keeper

Finders Keeper

$35.00

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Limited Edition Archival Giclée Print Signed and Numbered, Edition of 300

Original painting is SOLD.

Image Size:  6” x 6,” (15 cm x 15 cm)

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All through my childhood every spring I would forage for mushrooms with my mother and grandfather.  Even though we were hunting for Morels, I have had a fascination with all kinds of mushrooms.  I always loved eating the morels, but ironically I absolutely detested button mushrooms!  Now, my taste has changed and I love to eat mushrooms of all kinds, except of course the poisonous ones and those  that make your mind...well you know what I mean!

This painting will be available at the March Exhibition, "Going Deeper," at the 127 SoBo Gallery in Winter Garden, Florida.

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More Good News!

Bourbon Street Encounter

$318.00

Price Includes Shipping

Limited Edition Archival Giclée Print Signed and Numbered, Edition of 300

Original painting is SOLD.

Image Size: 17" x 29," (43 cm x 73 cm)

Shipped flat with backing board

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I am thrilled to be accepted into the 45th Annual International Exhibition of the Louisiana Watercolor Society. While I attended last years exhibition, I wondered around the French Quarter and was really inspired by the architecture and metal work, which was the inspiration for this painting.  I'm so happy that is going to the place where it was inspired, New Orleans!  Thank you to juror Chris Krupinski for including my work in this prestigious show.  If you are in the area the show will be at the New Orleans Academy of Fine At, 5256 Magazine Street, April 18 - May 8.   Then the exhibition will move to Place St. Charles May 9 - 23.

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The Paint Around at the Splash 2015 Gala for the Winter Garden Art Association

The Paint Around at the Splash 2015 Gala for the Winter Garden Art Association was a huge success.  The experience was a lot of fun, but very intense and nerve-racking at the same time.  The three of us had about an hour and a half to finish all three of paintings that each of us had designed and drew ahead of time.  I started with the painting I designed for  20 minutes, then worked on Mike's painting for 15 minutes, then Rudy's painting for 15, and then got mine back and finished it in around 40 minutes.  We matted and each signed all the paintings.

We were so focused, we were oblivious to the crowds and on lookers watching us paint!  During the course of the evening volunteers took donations for  raffle tickets and three lucky winners were drawn and took home our paintings! One of my dear friends happened to win the one I designed!

It was a lot of pressure to finish a painting so quickly and work on someone else's work!   It was all for a good cause! Thanks to everyone who supported us and watched us paint!

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The Red Head for a Paint Around

Tomorrow night is the Winter Garden Art Association's First "Splash" 2015 Gala at the 127 SoBo Gallery!  I am participating in a Paint Around, with three other watercolor artists.  The way it works is everyone designs a painting or uses a painting they have painted before.  We have an hour to do all four paintings,  the kicker is we all paint on each others.  We start with our own, then after fifteen minutes the paintings are passed around counter-clockwise. I have 10 minutes, to work on the one to my left, then after 10 minutes, they get passed again and so on. The last 15 minutes of the hour, I get mine back to finish it.  While we are doing this, guests will be arriving, milling around and drinking martinis and wine.  Which maybe I should have before I start!

When they are finished we will all sign each one, back mat, and protect it.  Throughout the evening volunteers will be selling raffle tickets to win a chance to take home the four paintings.  All proceeds will go to the Winter Garden Art Association.

I have volunteered to help at an event like this at the Florida Watercolor Society Convention, but have never participated in one.  It should be very interesting and a hoot to do.  I'm looking forward to it!

I'm doing a rooster, because I love the bold color and Winter Garden in its hey day was a very rural area, with a produce and citrus industry.  So wish me luck, or break a leg!

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Good News!

It has been a great week for good news!  Lion Dance has been accepted into the Southern Watercolor Society's Annual Exhibition which will be at the Customs House Museum in Clarksville, TN. May 8-July 5. Thank you to juror Kathleen Conover for adding this piece to the show!

Mayan Gate

$1,500.00

Watercolor, Framed

14.5” x 21.5,” (37 cm x 54.5 cm)

Framed Size 21.5" x 28.5," price includes frame

Selected for the Louisiana Watercolor Society 44th International Juried Exhibition 2014

Selected for theFlorida Watercolor Society's On Line Exhibition, 2014

Selected for Pennsylvania Watercolor Society's 34th Annual Juried International Competition, 2013

Selected for the Annual Central Florida Watercolor Society Exhibition 2013 at the Terrace Gallery, City Hall, Orlando Florida

This painting was inspired by the wonderful Mayan Revival Architecture at the Maitland Art Center, Maitland Florida, designed by J. Andre Smith. 

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Also got word this week that Mayan Gate was accepted by juror Iain Stewart, for the 2015 Georgia Watercolor Society National Exhibition. This will be my third year (in a row) in a GWS National Exhibition, which means I will be a Signature Member. Woo Hoo! Show will be at the Ogelthorpe University Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA, March 14-April 26. I'm very honored to be in the show, and to be a Signature Member with GWS!

On an artists note, I just wanted to mention once again, if you enter competitions or have an interest to, keep trying!  Lion Dance was passed over a few times, to finally land a spot in a show.  It's never a good idea to try to second guess the taste or preference of the judge because you just never know.  It is a good idea to submit the best work that you have in your inventory at the time.  Make sure you read the prospectus carefully for size restrictions, and other criteria for EACH show.  They vary from show to show.  Keep those brushes wet and good luck!

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New Work... A Splash of Red

Splash of Red

$500.00

Watercolor 

Mounted on Archival Board with 2" Wood Edge

12" x 12" x 2," (30.5 cm x 30.5 cm x 5cm)

Accepted into the Women Painters of the Southeast 5th Annual Juried Exhibition 2016,  The Art Depot, Abingdon, VA

Inspired by the light and cast shadows on a bromeliad. 

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Sometime you are at the right place at the right time.  That's how I felt when I came across  some bromeliads while visiting a local garden show.  The light was hitting them creating some really interesting shadow patterns.  That,  plus their beautiful color and just the design of these beautiful plants is what drew me to paint them.  I have a collection of bromeliads in my home garden here in Florida.  This may be the start of a continuing series.  However the light has to be just right!

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Day 5 of the Three Paintings in Five Days Facebook Challenge

Paris Passy Gate

$2,500.00

Watercolor on Archival Handmade Paper, Framed

22" x 19," (56 cm x 48 cm)

Framed Size 30.35" x 27.5," price includes frame

Accepted into the 2015 Pennsylvania International Exhibition at The Carlisle Arts Learning Center

Inspired by the Passy area where I lived in Paris. For more information please visit my blog by clicking here.

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The final day of the 3 in 5 challenge, I cheated a bit and posted 4 paintings.  My art and design roots go back to environmental design and architecture. When working with Walt Disney Imagineering, we traveled if necessary to do research to make the environments we were designing as authentic as possible. When on our photo safaris I always tended to hone in on the details. Now I seem to be doing the same thing in my painting!

Mayan Gate

$1,500.00

Watercolor, Framed

14.5” x 21.5,” (37 cm x 54.5 cm)

Framed Size 21.5" x 28.5," price includes frame

Selected for the Louisiana Watercolor Society 44th International Juried Exhibition 2014

Selected for theFlorida Watercolor Society's On Line Exhibition, 2014

Selected for Pennsylvania Watercolor Society's 34th Annual Juried International Competition, 2013

Selected for the Annual Central Florida Watercolor Society Exhibition 2013 at the Terrace Gallery, City Hall, Orlando Florida

This painting was inspired by the wonderful Mayan Revival Architecture at the Maitland Art Center, Maitland Florida, designed by J. Andre Smith. 

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These four, paintings are part of my gate series.  Paris Passy Gate and  Gate of Reverence were inspired by gates in the area of Paris where I lived.  Mayan Gate is from the Mayan Revival Style, Maitland Art Center here in Florida, and  French Quarter Gate, inspired by a gate in New Orleans. 

French Quarter Gate

$35.00

Price Includes Shipping

Limited Edition Archival Giclée Print Signed and Numbered, Edition of 300

Original painting is SOLD.

Image Size:  6” x 6,” (15 cm x 15 cm)

Purchase

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Day 4 of the Facebook Three Paintings in Five Days Challenge

DAY 4 of the Three Paintings in Five Days Facebook Challenge…More Asian inspired works from my time traveling there. “Odd Man Out.” was recently judged by an artist I greatly admire, Thomas Schaller, for the Kansas Watercolor Society Exhibition. Thank you Thomas! It evolved from a plein air sketch I did on Peel Street in Hong Kong. I love this painting because it takes me right back to the memory of doing the sketch.  I did a blog post about it here.

Lotus Nocturne

$175.00

Price Includes Shipping

Limited Edition Archival Giclée Print Signed and Numbered, Edition of 300

Original painting is SOLD.

Image Size:  Half size from original, 19.5" x 9.25," (23.5 cm x 49.5 cm)

Shipped flat with backing board.

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I adore the Lotus plant which I saw all over Thailand, Japan, and China. “Lotus Nocturne” is a self-reflective painting for me. From a previous post here, you can read about the symbology of this beautiful plant.

I had to paint the “Kyoto Tanuki" seen all over Japan because he is so darn cute and mischievous. You can read about the symbology of the Tanuki on from a previous post here.

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Day 3 of the Three Paintings in Five Days Facebook Challenge

Pak Tai Guardian

$3,500.00

Watercolor, Framed

30” x 22.,5” (76 cm x 57 cm)

Framed Size 42.5" x 35," price includes frame

Selected for the 41st Annual Florida Watercolor Society Exhibition 2012 at the Mennello Museum of American Art .

Selected for the 2nd Annual Women Painters of the Southeast Exhibition, 2013, at the Imagine Gallery of Fine Art, Franklin Tennessee.

This painting was inspired by an intriguing statue I saw on my many visits to the Pak Tai Temple in Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island.

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Pak Tai Guardian Lion

$3,500.00

Watercolor, Framed

30” x 22.5,” (76 cm x 57 cm)

Framed Size 42.75" x 34.75"

This is the second painting in a series of temple pieces inspired by a Chinese Lion statue I saw on my many visits to the Pak Tai Temple in Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island.

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DAY 3 of three paintings in five days Facebook challenge... When I lived in Hong Kong one of my favorite things to do was visit and sketch at the myriad of temples. The two dragon paintings evolved from sketches I did at the Pak Tai Temple in the Wan Chai district. One was my first try, and acceptance into a major exhibition, The Florida Watercolor Society. Thanks to juror,  Nicholas Simmons for choosing it!

Since we moved to Hong Kong during Chinese New Year, I wanted to commemorate that time with "Lion Dance". It’s my largest painting 36” sq. and I wanted to capture the excitement of the acrobatic dance with a colorful, “in your face,” statement!

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