Tent Rocks

       Memorial Week 2018 was great!  I spent the whole week visiting my sisters in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  We ate a lot, went to Meow Wolf in Santa Fe, my youngest sister got engaged, and we hiked in Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument near Santa Fe, NM.  Being inspired by this beautiful monument, I painted a view from our morning hike.  

"Tent Rocks"

Oil paint on 8" x 10" canvas board

Here is the link to this painting:

"Tent Rocks"

Four Oranges

The heat of the summer in Tucson, Arizona keeps me from painting outdoors.  So what do I do? I paint indoors.  The back of our house brings in abundance of western light.  I decided to start a citrus series using oranges, keylimes, limes, lemons, and grapefruit.  I placed each of the fruit on a white acrylic sheet to show the reflection of the of the objects in the bright light.  This was the result of my efforts of "Four Oranges" painted in oil.

This piece was done in once sitting.  I used bold strokes using a limited palette of red, blue, yellow, orange, and white.  I enjoyed placing each orange in this impressionistic still life.  I intended for the viewer to see this still life as if he or she could literally taste the sweetness of the oranges.  Whether my intention worked or not, I'll leave that to the mind of the viewer.

Shown are some work in progress pictures of "Four Oranges".  Enjoy!

Phalaenopsis Orchid

Phalaenopsis orchid blooms were the inspiration for this painting. Anything nature has to offer in its beauty, I love to emulate in my own version through paints. Before I painted this piece, I photographed the orchid in a bright room to find an image to show the beautiful petals in the daylight. I really enjoyed creating this piece using realism for the orchids and an impressionistic background.

Flying Saucer

"Flying Saucer" is an oil painting of a blooming echinopsis cactus.  It is a magnificent flower that usually stays bloomed for a day or two.  I painted this in an impressionistic style.  I love how big and beautiful these pink flowers get, about 7 to 8 inches across!