People

Molly & G, Oil, 16 x 12, 2016, Gift

My niece Geneva and her daughter Molly visited the East Coast one Fourth of July. I really liked the primary colors in the dappled light under the trees. Molly stares straight at the camera—she has always been eager to explore the world.

Voyager (Zach), Oil, 16 x 12, 2017, NFS

This portrait was created from a number of photos taken during a whale-watching trip off Provincetown. Zach just graduated from high school, and we were enjoying a final summer with him before he started on his own journey.

Lily, Oil, 8 x 10, 2014. Gift

This is a portrait of Lily wearing her favorite purple Cape Cod sweatshirt. She has the most amazing hair—I probably spent longer painting her hair that any part of this painting. I liked the way Lily was transfixed by the gentle waves, becoming part if the seascape’s patterns. This is the third O’Connor portrait—joining paintings of siblings Matthew and Hannah.

City Lights, Oil, 16 x 20, 2013, NFS

City Lights is a famous bookstore in San Francisco. Richard and I visited the city before we decided to move there in the 90s. We were setting on a new life adventure, full of excitement, love and promise. Brilliant colors and symbolism emphasize the excitement I felt in this memory portrait of the past.

Z Sunglasses, Oil, 8 x 10, 2013, NFS

The clouds and the beach were pristine and glorious during a visit to the Florida panhandle. I loved the colors and the reflections in Zach’s sunglasses.

Matthew’s World, Oil, 12 x 9, 2012, Gift

Matthew at play on the beach. He gets totally caught up in his imagination and creates fantastical worlds. I was using a limited palette of complimentary colors in this oil painting.

Annie’s Beach, Oil, 12 x 12, 2012, Gift

We try to visit Annie’s house on the bay side of Cape Cod as often as possible in the summer. It is peaceful and relaxing and always inspires me to paint.

Anna, Undecided, Photograph, 10 x 8, 2011, Sold

We were taking a walk behind my nephew’s house in Maine and came upon this sunken dock in a pond. The sky was brilliantly reflected in the water. Anna, his wife, perched on the end of the dock—contemplating, as it turned out, leaving. It was a surreal and symbolic image.

Dinner at Dixie’s, Oil, 16 x 12, 2014

Dinner at Dixie’s house in the California redwoods was always peaceful. The dusky light on her table was mesmerizing as Dixie brought the food. I liked her slow and steady movement and the colors of her dress. The redwoods and the mountains in the distance were beautiful, bringing the magic of the environs inside.

Fred, Oil, 14 x 11, 2013, Gift

Fred, my brother-in-law, died of melanoma in 2012. He loved everything about the outdoors. Fred worked with the EPA to make the waters clean for future generations. This painting was painting shortly after he died—I painted while thinking about Fred.

Hannah’s Run, Oil, 6 x 12, 2012, Gift

Nothing holds Hannah back. I loved her red dress as she ran through the surf at high tide. In this painting I was experimenting with a looser brush stroke. I like this direction—it leaves more to the viewer’s imagination.

Alpine Journey, Oil, 10 x 8, 2012, NFS

Zach has been flying with us since he was an infant. I thought his expression caught the feeling of being in that space between places as we flew over the Alps.

Puzzled, Oil, 2012, 10 x 8, NFS

Zach was fascinated with puzzles when he was a child. He would sit for hours figuring them out. I especially like the light in this painting. It shows the passage of time as Z quietly contemplates.

Baby Blue, Oil, 10 x 8, 2011, NFS

Richard with the infant Zach. This image reminded me of a Madonna with child.

Sitting Woman, Watercolor & gouache, 9 x 12, 2010

During the late eighties, I traveled to Guatemala and visited several Mayan regions. The textiles and colors were amazing, and I took a number of photos. Later I painted several watercolors of this imagery.

Chichicastenango, Watercolor, 10 x 8, 2010

This watercolor is based on a series of photos I took in Chichicastenango in the eighties. I used a thick soft watercolor paper that let the paint bleed. Nice for backgrounds.

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