Paintings With Soul

I've been rather obsessively painting these girls, my Sirens, for 4 months now. Collectively, they line my studio walls, keeping me company, chatting away to each other. We have serious conversations about what color compassion is, how deeply would one's feet sink into clouds, and if it is wrong to consume an entire bag of Hostess chocolate donuts in one sitting. I would jump back and forth from painting to painting (there's over 40 of them now), making adjustments and revisions as I discovered, or rather, understood, what needed to be changed. And now it's time to share the first generation of Sirens with you. There's 17 in this round, each distinctively carrying their own message. More remain in my studio, inspiring new girls and continuing our daily chats. They are each pillars of strength, courage, compassion and dignity. Unapologetically feminine and fierce, they live inside us, some more loudly than others, enveloping our own insecurities with th...

"Alice," 24" x 48", acrylics on panel, $1499 plus s&h to the first asking nicely. Detail below. Inquiries may come   to me . (yes, I would be delighted to put together a payment plan for you - please ask!) I actually signed a painting today! Not that I haven't been painting, mind you, but only a small handful of my girls are truly finished. Even though I've been working on them since September..... Alice is an homage to Alice in Wonderland (one of my favorites!). I imagine this is what exiting the rabbit hole first looked like. And then the mist cleared......  

(2) in process Siren paintings, each 24" x 48", acrylics on panel Inquiries may come   to me . I'm figuring things out through all sorts of trial and error. My figures must be rooted in the atmosphere of their painting(s). Their movement and gesture are key. Color harmony is all the more elemental given the simplified compositions. Drawn line vs modeled form fascinates me (via the computer you cannot see the delicate drawings woven into the layers of paint). The vertical format highlights the power and strength of these figures. I absolutely love my job.

Tiny Dancer I, 24" x 48", acrylics on panel, $1499 plus s&h. Inquiries may come   to me . I have no idea what I'm doing in the studio anymore. I mean, I know I am painting, and obviously I'm painting figures, but other than that, it's a crap shot. I start with a certain idea in my head, like a little girl in a white tutu, and the rest of the composition reveals itself as I go along. This is entirely different than painting portraits and working directly with clients who expect a certain thing. When I'm painting a commission, the end result is predetermined and my progress (including knowing when the piece is done) is measurable. With my girls, it's not so obvious. I take them so far, and then wait to see what they have to say about it. Often it takes weeks before I realize, aha!, there isn't enough contrast/my color is too saturated/the ground and figure need to be more fully integrated/something else altogether. I'm learning to be ok ...

Davinci Study, 9" x 12", acrylics on panel, $399 plus s&h. Inquiries may come   to me . This is Vinnie taking advantage of the sunshine today. And who can blame him? It's natural for an artist's work to evolve, and I am no exception. The discoveries I have made the past few months have my head spinning. I credit much of what I've recently learned to several mentors/teachers I've had the pleasure of working with -   Lynn Whipple ,   Stanka Kordic and   Ardith Goodwin . They've introduced joy, passion, mystery, intuition and a deeper understanding of why I create. Other than holiday commissions, for the past 4 months I've been focused on figurative imagery, specifically using the feminine form as a platform for painting an emotional response to our crazy world. It's not always an easy space to sit inside as our world seems full of divisiveness and cruelty as of late. Yet it is something I feel deeply inside myself that I must do in ...

Finnigan, singing Auld Lang Syne. He was a bit off key. At 14, his hearing's not what it used to be. This is the first time EVER that I've taken a break between the holidays and mostly unplugged. I cannot tell you what a surprising gift that was - my head is clear and my energy levels are replenished, at least for the moment. And best of all are the memories of time spent with family and friends the past weeks. My wish for each of you is lots of the same - special times spent with special hearts. Each day is a gift - let's make the most of those we have left! In that vein, I invite you to take a peek at my   class and workshop schedule   - the next 6 months have been published on my website. Space is limited - my studio will hold a handful of students in an intimately delightful setting - so please   reach out   if you are interested. There's monthly art journaling groups, basic painting instruction, and a year long mentoring program. If nothing on the calendar m...