"Sagacious Chroma"

I painted this for my son for Christmas.

Why "Sagacious"? Trees (all plants) seem to have an inherent wisdom as each one reaches into the earth for nourishment and into the sky for light, absorbing what is needed and giving back what we breathe. They do this with character in their structure, texture, color and movement in space. They go about their lives with such joy in expression, not being a bit apologetic about their individuality. They are ever evolving and expanding......just like us.

I really have so much pleasure in the "written word" and from time to time try to write something myself. As time goes on maybe I'll be able to expand my vocabulary and write what I feel in my soul with the same joy as that of my painting. So, my feeble attempt at haiku:

"Seeing light above
Color and pattern abound
Arched arms reach to touch."

Oil on Canvas
60" X 36"
GIFTED

"Deodara Dance"

The tentacle-like branches of this wonderful tree caught my eye while walking near my home.
I've always loved the structure of Deodara Cedars. This one seemed to invite me to dance in and out of the shadows created by the beautiful Fall light and palette.
Oil on Canvas
16" X 20"

"Fancy Gap Woods"

Here's a scene I discover while walking in the woods near Fancy Gap along the Blue Ridge Parkway. The light is warmly shining through the Fall foliage. The atmosphere is clear on this cool day as the leaves are showing their seasonal palette.
Oil on Canvas
16" X 20"

"Campanula for Miriam"

A simple study of a beautiful flower from my friend Miriam.
Acrylic on Canvas Panel
5" X 7"

"Thornton House"

Completed and delivered this most recent commissioned house portrait. Such a fun painting to do of this very colorful home and garden. My client, a professional, warm and interesting lady, is an avid gardener who's enjoyed restoring her charming home. She likes my painting and says that her neighbor will want me to do one of his house the minute he sees this!
Acrylic on Canvas
16" X 12"
SOLD

"Glowing Embrace"

Take a walk down this lane of trees and be embraced with the color and light of the surrounding atmosphere. I enjoyed this palette of colors as I pushed the contrasts of lights and darks.
Oil on Canvas Panel
26" X 20"

"Southern Glow"

One of my favorite things about living in the "South" is the flora. I look forward each year to the time when the Crape-Myrtles bloom. They reward us with several weeks of beautiful blossoms ranging in colors from white to pale pinks to vivid reds to lavenders.
Oil on Composite Panel
24" X 16"

Gifted

"Ancestral"

Ancient apple trees still survive along the Blue Ridge Parkway here in North Carolina. Their structures are sometimes contorted creating beautiful patterns against the sky.

Acrylic on Canvas
20" X 16"
SOLD

"Blue Ridge Pastures"

The mountain temperatures remained in the low 70's during the morning as I painted.  I had walked a short distance from where I parked my car along the Blue Ridge Parkway and discovered this lovely vista.  I let this "paint itself" as I enjoyed creating in the open air.
Acrylic on Canvas
20" X 16"
SOLD

"Girl with Doves"

I couldn't resist doing a painting of this astounding bronze sculpture, "Girl with Doves", by the late Richard Hallier (http://www.hallierart.com/index.html) The birds appear to be in flight and attracted to this joyous figure of a young lady. It was donated by a generous patron to "live" in this textural garden setting.
Acrylic on Canvas Panel
5" X 7"

SOLD

"Stockton Waterfall"

"How pleasant the sound of moving water
On a day you just can’t imagine hotter
Than this one.

Yes, it’s steamy and bright in this outdoor room
Where the crepe myrtles thrive and please with their blooms
Of lavender shades.

The scene holds me long enough to get a photo made.
Then quickly I search for a respite in the shade
Of nearby trees.

Back at home, anxious to begin painting
The cool of my studio keeps me from fainting
From this oppressive heat.

So here’s the fourth of my paintings small.
This winter when walking this way I’ll recall
The beauty of this day!"

Acrylic on Canvas Panel
5" X 7"
SOLD

"Clock in St. Francis Garden"

The third small painting in my series of scenes from my community. I really like the green painted clock in this lovely little garden. There's also a small reflecting pond with the gentle sound of a slight water trickle.
Acrylic on Canvas Panel
5" X 7"

"Hastings Park Gazebo"

“Why don’t ya’ll come sit with me
In the gazebo near the big oak tree?
It’s hot and humid with summer season’s peak.
Bet we could sit here till the middle of next week!”

The second small painting in my series of neighborhood scenes.
Under a huge Oak tree in the edge of a beautiful verdant field is this little white gazebo. So "southern" and charming, it's a great place to sit and comtemplate the verities.
Acrylic on Canvas Panel
7" X 5"

"Froelich Garden"

“Moving from stone to stone exploring the path’s design
I imagine trails yet to explore and worlds of another kind.
Abandon is mine as I skip and advance beyond this present time,
Knowing the life that's set me free deep within my mind.”

Every day I am enamored by the beauty that I find so close to home as I walk through my community. I'm starting a series of paintings recording subjects that are charming to me for one reason or another. All of these paintings will be small (5" X 7") and I'll challenge myself by including in this small space the detail that I feel is important to convey what I find beautiful about each scene.
Here's the first one:

I've painted this intimate little courtyard garden as the sun has risen over the rooftops, almost mid-day, bathing it in clear bright light. My grandsons enjoy stepping from stone to stone as they wind their way through the serpentine path.
Acrylic on Canvas Panel
7" X 5"

"Bridging the Brook"

"Scarlet, crimson, carmen, red-
Let’s mosey over the bridge instead
Of napping under this glowing tree.
For on the far side of the stream we’ll see
And smell the beauty of earth’s sweet song
Not remembering why we came or how long
We’ve wandered from our own dear aerie."


It's easy to see that this painting is all about red (and the little white bridge). I used a palette knife for a good bit of this-something I haven't done in years-fun! The atmospheric spaces became important to me as I began to work with the positive and negative shapes in this composition. I enjoy the abstract quality of the almost puzzle-like forms.
Oil on Canvas Panel
26" X 20"

"Yellow"

"Sunny sight beyond the trees
Sound of happy swarming bees!"
Oil on Canvas
16" X 12"

"Violet"

"Violet foliage sings of growth's fresh glow
As earth springs forth it's re-born show."
Oil on Canvas
16" X 12"

"Approaching the Glade"

"Walking through the forest
In shadow and in shade
The light from the bright beyond
Beckons us to the glade."
Oil on Composite Panel
11 3/4" X 18 1/4"
SOLD

"The Clearing in Spring"

The beauty of this season unfolding continues to give me lots of subject matter for painting. The air is fresh and cool and the color is delicate to bold. There's a brisk wind blowing today after rains during the night. The sun is brightly shining as I am inspired to paint.

Oil on Composite Panel

24" X 16"

Gifted

"Midafternoon San Miguel de Allende"

A beautiful time of day as the sun is beginning to lower in the western sky creating cool, long shadows and highlighting colorful painted walls.

Oil on Canvas

9" X 12"

SOLD

"Runnymede Road Flowering Crabapple"

Second entry in the "Small Art Big Heart" show at Hampton House Gallery.

Oil on Cradled Wood Panel

8" X 8"

SOLD

"Runnymede Road Dogwood"

Every year Hampton House Gallery has a benefit show for Aids Care Service here in Winston-Salem: "Small Art Big Heart". A portion of the proceeds from every painting or craft sold goes to this charity.

Here is the first entry that I painted just for this event. Runymede Road is a very popular Spring drive where one can see many massed plantings of azaleas, dogwood trees, cherry trees, flowering crabapples, jonquils-an abundance of color and fragrance! Many people say that this is the most beautiful street in our city.

Oil on Cradled Wood Panel

8" X 8"

SOLD

"View from the Instituto (San Miguel de Allende)"

With all the "Joy of Creating" ,here is my completed painting! The more I painted the more I walked the streets of the San Miguel of my mind and felt the pull to return. The warmth of the people, the color of the architecture and decorations, the soulful music, the delicious food and the pleasant climate all make this a very magical and inviting place to be.

Oil on Cradled Wood Panel

36" X 12"

"View from the Instituto (San Miguel de Allende)"

In this stage the entire painting surface has been covered with the dark and light areas being established along with local color. In the next phase of painting, I will sharpen and add detail to the cathedral and surrounding area and define the vegetation a bit more and probably add more light/dark contrast in some areas.

Oil on Cradled Wood Panel

36" X 12"

"View from the Instituto (San Miguel de Allende)"

After sketching the composition, I was very anxious about establishing the complicated architectural elements in the area of my main subject, the town. So I began by laying in the "Parroquia", the cathedral on the left side of the compositon, and surrounding buildings. Then from there I ventured into other areas of the painting. This is when I knew that the other buildings on the right side of this view would be painted with less detail so that the central part of town where the church is would remain the main focus of interest and painted with more contrast and definition. Wanting to make sure that the glowing sky wouldn't get lost along the way, I painted the pink along the horizon line.

Oil on Cradled Wood Panel

36" X 12"

"View from the Instituto (San Miguel de Allende)"

This photo is San Miquel as seen from the patio at the Instituto. The beautiful cathedral on the left is the "Parroquia San Miguel Arcangel"-a structure of interesting varieties of architecture.

Pictured also is my drawing that I have done on a gessoed cradled wood panel . This is a work in progress, so there will be other posts as the painting process unfolds.

Charcoal on Cradled Wood Panel

36" X 12"

"Downtown Color"

Once again I painted something about a brighter warmer time of year! Could be that I'm anxious for spring and the colors of the visibly active growing season. Just as in my last posted painting , I'm still enjoying impasto alla prima. Reference for this is a photograph that I made this past summer while exploring downtown Winston-Salem. Our city does a beautiful job of maintaining these colorful hanging pots that they have placed on lamp posts throughout our downtown streets.

Oil on Canvas

9" X 12"

SOLD

"Bright Day in Reynolda Gardens"

This exuberant painting of mine is done with very thick (impasto) paint, and I pushed the color to the limits!

Oil on Canvas

18" X 18"

SOLD

"Into the Light"

An imaginary landscape from my mind.
Oil on Canvas
44" X 44"
SOLD

"San Miguel Doorway"

San Miguel de Allende(Mexico) has many architecturally and colorfully interesting doorways. On the other side of these entrances one might find a lovely shaded, landscaped garden with verdent lush plantings and a water feature, usually a fountain in the center of the garden, inviting you to relax, visit and have a drink to toast the beauty of life. I gave this to one of my beautiful sisters who loves San Miguel (as I do) so very much. Acrylic on Canvas 5" X 5"