"Fairy Globe" - 5 x 7 inches Oil on Hardboard

I have always loved fairies.  I have a collection of fairies and this globe is one of them.   I have a couple of large outdoor globes that have lights shining on the bubbles.  This gave me the idea for the Fairy Globe painting.  I painted the blues using the glazing technique which gives it such a deep rich color.  I was trying for a mystical night feel. One must see this in person to see the true richness of the color.  The blue color is one of my favorites. This painting (one of 2)  has been chosen to be published in Richeson 75 Small Works.

"Pomegranate, Lemon and Blueberries" - 12 x 24 inch Pastel on Suede

I had so much fun composing and painting this composition.  The props were tasty too. Couldn't let the fruits go to waste.  The texture of the suede I used made it easy to bring out the texture of the pomegranate.  The black suede also gave a great contrast to the colors bringing out the brilliant color of the lemon and pomegranate seeds.

"Sunflower in Primary Colors - Study 1" 8 x 10 inch Watercolor on paper

Painting studies are nice for many reasons.  They are quick paintings done for the reason only the artist has determine.  It could be to determine the best compositions, the best color, or even to learn a new style.  A study can be only one object of a larger painting you want to create.  In this study, I was looking at trying a new style as well as seeing what would become of the study if I used only the 3 primary colors.

"Sunflower in Primary Colors - Study" 8 x 10 inch Watercolor on paper

This is the second of the two Sunflower studies I finished.   A rewrite from my first Sunflower study -  Painting studies are nice for many reasons.  They are quick paintings done for the reason only the artist has determine.  It could be to determine the best compositions, the best color, or even to learn a new style.  A study can be only one object of a larger painting you want to create.  In this study, I was looking at trying a new style as well as seeing what would become of the study if I used only the 3 primary colors.

"Raspberry Tea" - 8 x 10 inches Oil on Canvas

I have always loved the color of raspberries and the color of rubies.  My wedding ring has a ruby stone.  I picked up this silver teapot in a thrift store.  The teacup is a gift from a student.  I felt this combination worked well for my painting "Raspberry Tea".   I picked up the raspberries at Michael's and realized that the leaves may not have been the correct leaves for raspberries, so I researched raspberries and found the correct leaves.  A lesson learned - don't always trust the correctness of imitation flowers.

"America - Land of Opportunity" - 4 x 6 inch Oil on Hardboard

The idea for this painting came about when Obama was elected President.  The election headline is shown within the newspaper.  This homeless man just won the lotto which you can also see on the local section of the newspaper.  The graffiti on the wall tells more about American.  Can you find "Land of Opportunity" within the writings on the Wall?  Welfare, hope, freedom, civil rights, and much more of what people see of America.