and their intelligence transform a yellow spot into the sun.”
Pablo Picasso Spanish Cubist Painter, 1881 – 1973
A Great Day at the Race
16 x 20
Oil on Canvas
Brandywine Park in Wilmington, DE has a narrow canal or race that runs parallel to the Brandywine River as it travels through the park.
The spirit of the Fauves inspired me to pick out the hot and cold colors lavished on the race and footbridge during one sunny week in June. There were so many tones to paint which formed so many patterns on both the water and ground.
Each day accompanied by fellow painters, I would lose myself to this exotic landscape and to my painting.
Around the Bend, Venice
16 x 20
Oil on Canvas
This painting captures a common and yet classic scene from that ancient jewel on the Adriatic.
Every visitor to Venice knows the allure of traveling on the canal and coming upon scenes of unexpected beauty and mystery.
I have worked to capture the lushness of life on those canals and especially the now and again sight of some distant jewel glowing in the midday sun.
In this painting light bathes exotic architecture in a spectrum of color and reflects on the water, combining to form an esthetic and enticing visual.
Come into the Tea House
11 x 14
Oil on Canvas, Palette Knife
The Tea House at Gibraltar Gardens is an inviting structure built on Italian ocher-marble columns with a Moorish quality reminiscent of the Alhambra. A small fountain in the back peeks from under the archways and the dark interior welcomes with its wicker chairs and potted palms. This was not only a place to paint but also a refuge from the sun and rain.
Archways serve as an invitation to explore the layers within. I have tried to capture that invitation with vivid colors and the play of dark and light inside and out.
Queen of the Garden
18 x 24
Oil on Canvas, Palette Knife
Gibraltar Gardens, created by landscape architect Marian Coffin in the early 1900’s is a true urban marvel. I became “my magic garden” one summer for I felt the spirits and fairies, which inhabit such places, aided me.
My view of the Queen, reigning down on her aquatic subjects included not only the fountain but also the enchanting pavilion in the background.
The play of sunlight across grass, the varied shapes and colors of flowers and the fountain made for a complex and vibrant painting.
Reflections on Venetian Village
Naples, FL
18 x 24
Oil on Canvas, Palette Knife
Although named for another sea-edged Italian city, Naples, FL is home to a charming village built in the Venetian style on the bay.
I loved the variety in form and color each building gives to the whole and the way the water mirrored all this during a windy spell in the Gulf of Mexico.
My mission was capturing both the vibrant color-shapes and the rippling reflections of the village in my painting. I used the moorings and jetties to help divide and anchor my canvas.
Rue Mont Carmel, Quebec
20 x 24
Oil on Canvas
Quebec City is a captivating antique fairyland with wonder and beauty around every corner. This painting is a memory of the city and my portrayal of its wonders.
The Château Frontenac, a turreted fortress a la the Magic Kingdom dominates the local streets and waterfront. I chose a side view of the hotel, down a street with many other delights. I was enchanted with the colors and motifs of each building. My goal was to create an aesthetic design not a literal account of every window box or rain-stained turret.
All art distorts. In this case, I have edited much from view…a tower of the hotel and many, many windows. The effect I think creates harmony and focus.
Through the Arch, Venice
18 x 24
Oil on Linen, Palette knife
Arches intrigue me, as the form lends itself so naturally to the visual artist. I love using their vertical lines and curved head to move the eye around a canvas and frame the painting.
I paint with lots of color – as much as I can see – but this view offered the whole spectrum. Can you imagine a fuchsia building inside that archway against an azure skyscraper with bright golden hanging gardens?
Note the alizarin shapes formed into swirling patterns on the back wall. This wall sunk into a shifting sea surrounding the boats, morphing from cobalt to ultramarine to patina green to deep violet.
Umbrellas of Rue Ste. Anne, Quebec
18 x 24
Oil on Canvas, Palette Knife
Quebec is a city, which exudes charm down every cobbled street.
On this particular street, I happily captured the light-hearted atmosphere of daytime café life accented by the colorful buildings and umbrellas.
Sunlight streaked across the impossible red roof and dappled the sidewalk and curbs; people peeked from under the ubiquitous umbrellas and I tried to capture not only the color shapes but also to balance the light and darks spaces.
Van Buren Street Bridge
20 x 24
Oil on Canvas
Venetian Red
20 x 24
Oil on Canvas, Palette Knife
One particular building along the Grand Canal caught my eye while waiting for the Vaporetto. It so personified that color one sees in Venice on palace walls, in Titian’s masterpieces or in hand blow glass from Murano.
Of course, the color plays with the eye as the light changes. Then too, there was the gently undulating water which gives a rhythm to life on the canal.
I tried to capture the vitality of the colors with the off-balance movement of the canal in my painting.
View from Balcony, Venice
18 x 24
Oil on Canvas, Palette Knife
The play of light on the structures and water, creating so many geometric shapes and patterns of color was an irresistible view from our balcony at the Palaccio Bonvechhiata.
The winter sunlight in Venice can be quite strong. It draped the buildings with intense highlights and lush shadows composed of so many colors. In addition, the water and its reflections were a challenge to plum with my palette knife.
This painting marked a return to palette knife for me, which provided the added joy of creating depth and texture with the oils.
