"Frond Flourish"

 Using foliage of tropical plants to create this sunny composition.

                                                              9" x 15"

                                                              watercolor and colored pencil

"Red Bloom for a Day"

 Hemerocallis (day lilies) come in many colors and bloom times throughout the growing season.  A single bloom lasts for just a day. This one has a lovely gradation from the green center to the red outer areas of the petals.

      7" x 7"

      watercolor

      SOLD

"Three Roses"

This Spring the weather has been just right for producing an abundance of perfectly beautiful roses.  These were given to me by a neighbor.  The variegated red and white one is a heavily scented variety that filled my studio with that unmistakable "scent of a rose".  From life:

                                                    10" x 8"
                                                    watercolor

"Spring Blossoms"

What a glorious sight each Spring when the fruit trees bloom, bees start to dart about and the world takes on new colors and scents announcing another season.  A small study:

                                          7" x 7"
                                          watercolor

"Azalea Study"

One of my college professors said "to study and draw an object is to know it".  Intense looking gives you a lot of information.  Many botanical artist know that and produce beautiful paintings in extremely great detail.  From time to time I enjoy that intense study of something and recording what I see in detail.  Knowing that a camera can do this in a split second does not deter me from seeking the joy that I get when I do studies like this.

                                          9" x 12"
                                          watercolor

"Creekside Herbage"

It's always a treat to see the new plants that have emerged along the creek banks.  Areas that were bare of any growth during the winter months are now green and lush with many types of foliage. (Painted with a palette knife.)

                                                  16' x 20"
                                                  oil on canvas panel

"Mill Creek Violets"

Wild violets grow in many areas along the creek banks and in the adjacent woods.  They are such a welcomed sight in the early spring. (Painted with a palette knife.)

                                                    16" x 20"
                                                    oil on canvas panel
                                                    SOLD

"Florid Fungus"

I'm constantly surprised by the beauty that can be found in the woods, especially in the middle of winter.  Highlighted by the sun I can see the subtle colors and patterns on each "fan" of this fungus,  growing on the bark of a tree.  I started this with the intentions of doing a very detailed graphite study.  However, I decided that I simply must render this in color.  So here it is in watercolor a medium that I haven't used recently.

                                                   8" x 10 1/'2"
                                                  watercolor on acid free paper
                                                  SOLD

"Hello Helleborus!"

The middle of winter is not a time when we expect to see bright warm hued flowers here in North Carolina.  There is however one plant variety that rewards the eyes with such beauty this time of year.  The helleborus.  Here's my interpretation rendered in oils using the palette knife.

                                               22 1/8" x25 1/4"
                                               oil on panel

"Picote"

Every winter it's such a joy to watch amaryllis grow and then be rewarded with beautiful blooms.  This year I ordered bulbs of my very favorite one, "Picote".  The pure white blossoms are edged with a delicate red line around each petal.   I really wanted to capture the interesting colors of the reflected light on the shadowed side of the blooms contrasting to the strong bright light from the left. Here's my painting:

                                          18" x 12"
                                          oil on canvas
                                          SOLD

                                          My graphite study (14"x11"):
                                       

                                        

"Trillium for Ellen"

                                          scent of earth's rich soil
                                          folklore stories come to mind
                                          lilies of the woods

                                          acrylic on canvas
                                          14" X 11"

                                          GIFTED