Medium

Medium   oil on canvas   30 x 24 z .5

was painted from life.  The subject:  my friend Mo.  We ran into each other last week for the first time in months...we are both busy, busy artists.  This is a prime example of commitment, I think...when your love for the subject reveals itself in your strokes.  I have always loved this work...the symmetry of the pose supports the theme, I think.  Only the hands break the concentration, with the right pinkie finger lifted revealing a sense of motion, of life. 

Quite frankly, I am surprised by this work, its patterns, its feel.  The muse must have been on my shoulder during this one.

Thank you, Mo.

Happy Mother's Day

LB and E   oil/canvas   24 x 18 x 1.5

LB is my daughter-in-law.  E is our new grandson.  As I see my own history being repeated, I am awed by the intensity of mother love.  I have learned so much from this beautiful young woman...she is confident, yet soft spoken.  Hard working yet always seems to have time.  States considerate opinions without bulldozing.  E is a lucky boy.  I am a lucky woman.

This painting was done from photos taken when E was just days old.  It practically painted itself.  My commitment to the work could only be outdone by my love.

Paint what you love.

Don't Give Up the Ship Painting

Rachel   oil/canvas   20 x 10 x .5

It is very difficult when to quit a painting. I really do believe in carrying a painting as far as it will take you. I consider that to be a commitment to the work. The result has swung both ways for me. "Rachel" started with promise but was a rocky road to travel. I started with a failed painting that had been covered over with lots of paint and texture. The speed bump that jarred me initially was the placement on the canvas....I worked and reworked the idea. Such a simple beautiful figure that I had done so many times before, and more successfully! I finally reached the point where the drawing was secure and I could be creative with the paint, which is what I live for. Small painting.....hours and hours of work. My New Year's resolution this year is to turn out fewer paintings, but to let none be released that I am not completely satisfied with, at least momentarily. I believe that my work on Rachel was rewarded.