"Venice's Boots" Lawrence Art Center, Lawrence, KS

                                                 

                                                                              "Venice's Boots"

                                                                              Watercolor 18"x 24" $425.00 

I completed this painting just after I returned from Wyoming and was teaching at the Lawrence Art Center. These boots belong to my niece, Venice. She lives in Jelm, in rural southeastern Wyoming. Jelm is actually a town with a post office, gas station, small store, bar, cafe and eight log cabins that her parents rent out to tourists. The resort is called "Woods Landing". It is located on the Laramie River and is listed on the historic register. It is a beautiful place to live and grow up. I also lived in Jelm when I was in college at the University of Wyoming. I lived in one of the eight cabins that line the Laramie River long before Sue and Bill, my sister and brother in law purchased it. My heart always seems to be in Wyoming. The long harsh winters create a unique relationship between the land and the people who live there and I love the silence of the vast landscape. I was in Wyoming working on a mural project for Harmony School which is the school Venice attends. There are 26 students. The mural told the story of Wyoming from the time of the dinosaurs to modern times. I stayed at Woods Landing with Venice and at the end of the project, Sue, my sister in law asked me if I wanted to take Venice's boots. She had outgrown them. These are Venice's old boots that she wore while she barrel raced in Wyoming. I was deeply grateful. I carry them with me everywhere and students have painted them all across the United States where ever I teach and work. I am deeply grateful to Sue for giving them to me because I am able to carry a part of Wyoming with me where ever I go.

"Pots and Mexican Blanket"

                                                          "Mexican Pots and Blanket", Blacksburg, Va

                                                                           Watercolor 22x30" $525

My husband created these pots while we were living in Oaxaca, Mexico studying Spanish at the Instituto Culturale. We went to school in the morning for language then in the afternoons we had the opportunity to take ceramics, cooking, or weaving. We loved visiting all of the indigenous villages and archaeological sites in the region. We returned to the States and life found us in returning to graduate school in southwest Virginia. We were surrounded by the Appalachian Mountains and we loved going to school, however, during those cold winters we often thought of our trip to Oaxaca, the warm sun and the wonderful adventures we had. I began to miss Mexico and during one of those cold December days, I gathered up his pots and one of our Mexican blankets and began this painting remembering the warm sun, welcoming people and the sounds of Mexico.

$475.00

"Red Canna Lilly"

                                                               "Red Canna Lilly"

                                                               Watercolor 16" x 20" $175.00

 I saw this lily in a garden on the campus of the University of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg where we were living while I was getting my MFA. The lilly reminded me of a garden we visited in San Miguel de Allende in Mexico. San Miguel de Allende was full of Canna Lillies of all shades and colors and suddenly I felt as if I was standing in that same garden listening to the sounds of Mexico. This image was painted from life and all the rich colors of Mexico are represented in the bold elegance of the Lilly.

"Training Barn", Lexington, KY

                                                 "Training Barn" Lexington, KY

22" x 30"

Watercolor $425.00

"Training Barn" was completed at Colonel's farm in the horse country of Lexington, Ky. A wonderful place with lots of beautiful horses, chickens roosters, and a great dog. I used to go to Colonel's all the time to work because the farm had so many interesting things going on. I returned from a project teaching and working in Kansas City and sadly the farm had been sold. But I have wonderful memories of being there. I love the colors and light that is reflected in the hay bales.

"Shadow Mountain"

"Shadow Mountain", Shenandoah Valley, Virginia

Watercolor 18"x 24" $475

Shadow Mountain was a beautiful cabin my husband and I stayed located in the gorgeous Shenandoah Mountains in Virginia. The owners found out I was an artist and asked me to do a house portrait for them. This painting is the portrait of our cabin. The cabin had a lovely lookout tower where you could see the surrounding grounds. Magenta is one of my favorite colors and I see magenta in the shadows of many of my architectural paintings. We loved it here. 

"Shadow Mountain", Shenandoah Valley, Virginia

Watercolor

18x24

Commission

"4516 W.Seminary" Richmond, Va

"4516 W.Seminary"

Watercolor  22" x 30" (Sold)

As I sat in the front of my friend's yard working on the painting of "Husny's Bungalow" the neighbors stopped by and commissioned me to do a painting of their house. They were a little concerned because their house was all white and I assured them that I was a watercolorist and saw many beautiful colors in the dramatic shadows and details. When the painting was finished, they redecorated their living room according to the colors in the painting. Fun!