my paintings

The heavens tell of the glory of God.  The skies display his marvelous craftsmanship.  (Psalm 19:1)


Here are my first pastel portraits . . . our "blended family."  Abby is mine.  Gretta, Romie  and Sargent are Rick's.  (Gretta, Abby and Romie are now in doggie heaven.)

"Abby"

"Gretta"

"Sargent"

"Romie"

I love to paint depictions of local landscape.  Though I would probably not be brave enough to go deep into the swamps and the Atchafalaya Basin, I love poring through photos and getting ideas from them.  Here are a few attempts at conveying the mystery of Bayou Country.

"Morning Call in the Basin" (sold)

"In the Marsh" (sold)

 "Swamp in the Mist"

"After Midnight" (original sold, prints available)

"Sunset at Cypremort Point"

"Atchafalaya Dawn" (original sold - prints available)

I can get lost in landscapes, regardless of location.  I hope you enjoy viewing these as much as I enjoyed  painting them.

"Out on a Limb"



"Forest Hill" (sold)



"Sunrise on Panama City Beach" (sold)

"Evening Stroll"

"Autumn Riot"

"Silver and Gold"

"Change is Coming" (sold)

"Lakeside Afternoon" (donation to a local charity auction)

"Snow Sentinels" (sold)

"Heading Home" (sold)

"Way Out West" (sold)

"Narrow is the Way"

I also enjoy florals and still life. I find myself taking more artistic liberties with them.

"Autumn Surprise"

"God's Bounty"

"Bud and Vase" (sold)

"Iris on the Old Garden Wall (donated to charity silent auction)

"Rick's Amaryllis"

"Freesia"

"Vase at the Window" (sold)

"Lemons"

"Onions"

"Summertime Sweet" (sold)

"Eggplants"

"Glass Vase II" (sold)

"Glass Vase I" (sold)

"Coffee's On!" (sold)

"Tea Time"

"Hydragneas" (donated to local fundraiser)

I love animals, too.  Here are a few more pet portraits.

"Here Kitty!"

"Dusty"

"Dodie"

"Phantom" (sold)

"Zeno"

"Good Morning!"

I've decided it's time to dive into a new medium--acrylics.  With a few basic supplies, I dabbled a bit, and decided to frame one--I love it!  I hope you enjoy it too.

"Bloom"

We've adopted a new stray dog--a precious, energetic beagle we've named Angel.  I couldn't wait to add her portrait to our wall!

"Angel"

I know it's not right to play favorites among "children," but Angel steals the show in our household.  Here's a watercolor of her peeking under the fence to see what she's missing!

"Angel Eyes"

Some friends commissioned me to do a painting of their canine companion Wendy, who recently passed away.  I know they will miss her very much, and I hope this portrait keeps her memory close to them.

"Wendy" (sold)

I'm still trying to get the hang of acrylics.  I'm told it's easy . . . I'm learning to not always believe what I'm told!  It is fun, though, and I can see the possibilities . . .

"Canadian Rockies"

"Savoy Road Coulee"

A dear friend who lives in Idaho sent me pictures from the Pacific Northwest.  This is one of Middle North Falls, Oregon.  Looks like God's country to me!  It's become my imaginary retreat when I need some peace and quiet.

"My Hiding Place" (sold)

A beautiful horse has taken up residence in the field next door to us.  Her name is Spirit, and I'd love to adopt her for my own!  But until that fantasy comes true, I decided to do a pastel portrait of her. 

"Spirit"

Still struggling with acrylics . . .

"Peace Like a River"

I had a couple of 3x5 frames to fill and decided to do some pastel pencil sketches to put in my kitchen.  I gave them French names for a real "artsy" touch :)

"Café et Pâtisserie"

"Vin et Fromage"

Mom just had some remodeling done in her bathroom . . . pretty blues.  So I put together a vase of flowers to set it off nicely . . .

"Flowers for Mom" (sold)

An acrylic lesson from a Jerry Yarnell book . . . I love waterscapes, landscapes, and great majestic birds.  Here is my version of Jerry's "Patient Fisherman." (used with permission)

"Patiently Waiting"

"Leaves in Tupelo"

"The Grove at Dawn" (sold)

I had a great spurt of energy this past week, and after finishing the great blue heron, I decided to try a smaller bird.  This was fun...

"From Where I Sit"

Practicing for a friend's commission piece - a hummingbird in flight.  I'm about halfway through with the actual piece, but here are a few practice runs . . .

"Hummer 1" (sold)

"Hummer 2" (sold)

"Hummer 3" (sold)

"Hummer 4" (sold)

The buyer ended up purchasing the first "practice run" I painted--at least I got lots of practice painting hummingbirds!!

Another commission piece . . . (I  ♥ dogs!)

"Adelaide"

Here's another sheltie . . .

"Sable"

"Cajun Hideaway II"

"Still Waters"

"Miss Abby"

"Miss Abby" is an adaptation of an acrylic lesson in Jerry Yarnell's series, "Paint Along With Jerry Yarnell."  I named it in honor of my sweet little Abby (1995-2011).


With most exhibit locations requesting Louisiana themes, I've done a quartet of seafood acrylics on Aquabord.  My handy hubby, Rick, made the "frames" for me...I think I'll hire him to make more frames in the future!

"Crab"

"Crawfish"

"Oyster"

"Shrimp"

My hubby had a great idea after we browsed some local art - he has lots of cedar fence-board pieces, and local art is in demand here.  So here's my first attempt at acrylic on rough wood . . .

"In the Cool of the Evening"

I'm trying to get the hang of flowers (and not just the impressionistic dots in the background of a landscape!), and this past week's vacation has been good for me.  So good, in fact, that I dream of a permanent vacation!

"Summer Whimsy"

"Magnolia"

Another acrylic waterfall--this one was challenging but satisfying as well...

"Autumn in Michigan"

I am in awe of the magnificent oak trees at one of the entrances to River Ranch, and decided to try it in watercolors.

"Bearded Lady"

I love the grace and beauty of egrets in this part of the world . . .

"Night Moves"

It's been a busy week in the studio . . . I like it that way!

"Bluebird"

"Robin's Nest"

"Tuscan Still Life"

Another pet portrait for a dear friend . . .

"Zoey" (sold)