Nature

Not New York, 16x12, Oil, 2025.

Last fall as I was walking through the streets of Adams Morgan in DC, I looked down at the ground and saw that someone had placed a sticker on a grate that said "This is not New York." This absurd message made me laugh out loud, so I took a picture looking down, and immortalized the moment. I don't think I'll ever be able to find this exact spot again.

Tree Top, 8x10, Oil, 2024.

My house is surrounded by tall trees. This is a quick alla prima painting of one of the tree tops. I like the way it feels: loose and gestural.

Reaching for the Sky, 16 x 16, Oil, 2023. Gift.

I was trying to paint an unusual view of grapevines in the spring for the Spring Reflections show at the Williamsburg Winery. I remembered how Georgia O'Keeffe would sometimes paint Jimson Weed with a sky background, so I gave it a shot. I like the vibrant colors.

Leaves, 12 x 12, Oil, 2022. Sold.

Fall Leaves have interesting texture and beautiful colors. These were a little wet with morning dew.

Raindrops, 12x12, Oil, 2021. Gift.

This painting was made for Williamsburg Contemporary Art Center's Photo to Brush show. It is an interpretation of a photo by Dave Coleman titled Flower 2.

Water Lilies, Maine, Oil, 9 x 12, 2010. Sold.

These beautiful red water lilies were in bloom in central Maine. This is an homage to Monet, and my first foray into using oil paints.

Douglas Fir, 10x8, Watermedia, 2024.

There were many forests of Douglas Fir in the Pacific Northwest. The textures, patterns, and colors of the needles and cones were interesting. I experimented with water media: a combination of watercolor and acrylic. I think this might be fun to make large.

Oranges, Pear, & Strawberries, 7x5 each, Watercolor, 2024. Gift.

Pan, 10x10, Oil, 2024. Gift.

My husband's great aunt Marion was a mid-century artist in San Diego and Carmel. In addition to her paintings, she created a number of sculptures. This one currently lives in a church garden in Dennis on Cape Cod. I painted this from a photo, and thought of pan in stone trying to pipe himself back to the world of the living.

Wessex Mallard, 24x12, Oil, 2023.

I enjoyed painting this mallard on the pond of Wessex Hundred. The reflections were challenging and fun to create.

Greensprings Barred Owl, 16x12, Oil, 2024. Gift.

Blue Heron, Oil, 12 x 6, 2015. Sold.

Shellbank Creek is full of wetlands creatures including many blue herons. The light was just right for an intense reflection surrounded by blue.

Post & Vine, 10x8, Oil, 2023. Gift.

I liked the juxtaposition the living tendrils of grape vines with the old weathered post. Painted for the Williamsburg Winery.

Winter Bluebird, 7 x 5, Oil, 2020. Gift.

Winter Cardinal, 7 x 5, Oil, 2020. Gift.

Hanging Grapes, 10 x 10, Oil, 2023.

I liked the simplicity of this image, the way the light played with the grapes and the complimentary colors. It would look nice hanging with "Flowering Grapevine."

Winter Blue Jay, 7 x 5, Oil, 2020. Gift.

Flowering Grapevine, 10 x 10, Oil, 2023.

This painting is a bit of a departure for me--an experiment. I researched how grapevines flowered, and discovered they have tiny little buds that turn into individual grapes. This is a close up of what will become a bunch of grapes with the main stalk to the left. It almost looks like a molecule or an atom. It was fun to paint.

Falling Leaf, Oil, 16 x 12, 2015. Gift.

Fallen, Oil, 12 x 12, 2015. Gift.

When discarding old books from our library collection I came across several illustrations of falling leaves. These inspired me to paint an image of motion and stillness. Working on these paintings made me realize that the reason I often over-paint is that I do not perceive landscapes as still shots
—they are constantly changing over time.

Tony, Oil, 14 x 11, 2012. Sold.

I’ve always had a soft spot for tigers. They are fierce and beautiful and their stripes are entrancing. This image is based on a public domain photo I found on Wikimedia Commons.

Bluebirds, Oil, 5 x 7, 2012, Donated

Bluebirds are some of my favorite birds because of their striking blue feathers and soft pink underbellies. I painted this small piece for a This Century Art Gallery fundraiser.

Orange Butterfly, Oil, 5 x 7, 2011. Gift.

I loved the warm colors of the orange butterfly on the yellow flower. This was based on a photo I took in West Virginia. I have been trying to identify the species—unsuccessfully

Mindy, Watercolor, 10 x 8, 2010, Gift

My sister lives in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. For many years her family lived in a rustic log cabin. Mindy was her Belgian workhorse. She was huge, strong, and gentle—a quiet presence.

Camouflage, Oil, 12 x 9, 2015. Sold.

Camouflage was created for the From Camera to Brush show at the Williamsburg Contemporary Art Center. The painting was an interpretation of a photograph by Sally Lewis titled Heliconias.

Swallowtail, Oil, 7 x 5, 2011. Gift.

I painted these small works for an exhibit of small works at This Century Art Gallery. I was just starting to use oil paint and was experimenting with the medium and with visual perspective.

Thieves, Raven Box Diptych, Mixed media with 3D printing, 7x10, 2017. Sold.

I’ve been experimenting with 3D scanning, printing, and CAD design at my job as a librarian, and wanted to incorporate 3D printing into an art project. I found several raven and crow stl files on Creative Commons and modified them using Tinkercad. I started the 3D prints seven times using wood filament before I was able to create 3D prints that were structurally sound. I then used acrylic paint for the prints, oil for the desert background, shiny paper and metal for details.

Ouray Yaks, Watercolor, 10 x 8, 2009

Ouray, Colorado, is in a valley in the southwestern Colorado mountains. It is peaceful and secluded, perhaps because it is a long journey to get there. There we found hot springs and yaks—and a misty double rainbow at sunset. It was magical.

Golden Field, Watercolor, 5 x 7, 2009

The mountains of West Virginia are remote and beautiful. Silent, except for the sounds of nature and the wind.

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