Two Blades of Grass

Soft Pastel on Paper
12x16
I have a cow pasture behind my house.  I see cows grazing everyday. I enjoy watching these large creatures doing their thing. This one was eating but when she paused to watch me for a moment, I could see she still had two blades of grass hanging from her lip.  I would like to do a series of "cow portraits".

Pink Petals

Pink Petals

watercolor

14x20

 

I moved a few months ago and discovered I have these lovely tea roses growing in my front yard.  I see dew on them in the mornings and warm sunlight hitting them in the afternoons.  I find myself studying them as new blooms unfold each day.  I am now working on a second one in this series.  I wonder if these will bloom year round, here in Louisiana.

Purple Iris

Purple Iris
watercolor
12x16
Irises are my favorite flower.  Purple is my favorite color so that may have something to do with it.  I was lucky enough to snap photos of a bunch of bearded irises, on their last day, before they wilted and died off for the summer.  I would love to do a whole series of these.

Summer Swans

12x16 watercolor
2012

I am not sure how I feel about this painting.  Sometimes I find the abstract shapes in the water to be interesting.  Other times it seems too busy. However, it is what it is.  I painted this while in transit from my move from Guam to Baton Rouge, this summer.  While staying with my mother in law in Michigan, we saw these beautiful swans on the lake in Fruitport, Michigan.  There were several babies on the lake, during the previous week.  But when I went down to snap a few photos, I found only one little cygnet left, making up this family trio.

The Perfect Tree

Pastel 12x16
2012

I painted this from a series of photos I took 4 years ago.  My husband, my son and I went out looking for the perfect Christmas tree.  This was the largest tree I have ever had, reaching eight feet.  I think this image will make a nice family Christmas card this year.

A new painting

OK, so I have moved from Guam back to the mainland.  Boxes are unpacked, kids are in school, and I finally have time to get back to painting.  I first attempted a full sheet in watercolor and made a big mess. It has been a while but it felt good to get the brushes wet again anyway.  The weather has finally gotten a little cooler here in Baton Rouge, Louisiana (85degrees) so I went outside to use my pastels.  I love to draw and I love the tactile feeling of painting with pastels.  I like to get my fingers dirty, touch the paper and create as I go.  Pastels are very forgiving and I can change my mind along the way. (my watercolor painting wasn't so flexible)  I thought I would work on a painting to use as a family Christmas card.  I took this photo of my husband and son, 4 years ago.  I never got around to painting it, so here it goes.  I am off to a good start.

Beachside with the Brewers

Beachside with the Brewers
acrylic on canvas 18x24
2012
This was a commissioned piece.  It was a gift given to a family leaving Guam.  Hopefully it offers fond memories of their stay on the island.
There is always so much I learn with each painting that I do.  It was Renoir who said as he put down his brush on the last day he painted, "I believe I have learned something today."   I hope these discoveries, for me, will continue through all my painting years to come.

Waiting

Waiting
watercolor 12x16
2012

Thank you to my friend Michelle for allowing me to paint her little boy. I love this timeless image. I enjoy the challenge of painting people. It is quite a task for me when attempting to capture their likeness. I learn a lot in painting.

SOLD "Under the Palms at Asan Beach"

This painting was sold today. It was a fun one to do paint because it is such a lovely view of Two Lovers Point through the Palms Trees at Asan Beach. Thanks Brandi :-) I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed painting it.

Guam Reef Hotel Art Display

The Guam Reef Hotel is hosting an Art Exhibit in celebration of Chamorro History month.

The display contains work from 7 artists: Ron Castro (including some of his Master weaver collections and his canoe series) and paintings from Maria Fitzpatrick, Carol Simpson-Warner, Yeon Sook Park, Monica Baza, and myself.

The artwork will be on display from March 17-31 in the lobby in front of the Bon Voyage gift shop.

The 7th Annual Art Show, on Guam

We had a great turn out at the art show last night. I submitted two paintings, "Island Girl" and "Plumeria Trio".

The exhibit will continue all week from March 2-9, 2012.

It was fun to see the local artwork and have a chance to chat with other artists from around the island.

article link

I wanted to thank my friend Nahono for writing a nice article about my artwork in her blog. Nahono is a photographer and will also have some of her work in the show tonight.




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毎年3月8日はInternational Women's Day（国際女性デー...

Sunset from the Sheraton

watercolor 11x14
2012

This painting was a fun exercise in painting a sunset. I would like to thank my friend Nahono for letting me use her photo reference. She took a photo of this view from The Sheraton Hotel on Guam.
I haven't painted many sunsets so this was a good exercise for me.

7th Annual Women's Art Show

In March, I will be one of the artists participating in Seventh Annual Women's Art Show at the Infinity Art Gallery on Guam. This exhibit is in honor of Women's History month. I was in this exhibit last year as well. It was fun to meet some other local artists. I was thrilled to be chosen as one of the artists on the art poster to publicize the event. The "Island Girl" was one of the two paintings I placed in the show. In this painting, she proudly shows off her blue starfish.

Filtering for Food

Filtering for Food
(manta ray series no.3) 8x10
acrylic on canvas panel
2012

The Manta Ray is a mystery to most people. Perhaps because they look like a large bat. It is a myth that they will consume humans. In fact, people can get close to this gently giant without harm. They are however, a close relative to the shark and can reach 25 feet in length. While the Manta has many rows of sharp teeth, they do not use them for eating. They filter for plankton as water passes through their gills. They are most graceful when they swim. I feel so fortunate to have been able to swim next to these amazing creatures.