“Bigmouth Zippy and Flash”, 20″ x 16″, oil on panel. March 2014

This painting features our beloved pet koi and goldfish.  The koi were all different; they all had names and unique personalities (the silvery one in the center of the painting is named Flash).  The goldfish, on the other hand, were hard to tell apart… so we just called them all “Zippies”.

“Forward!” Pastel and gouache on prepared watercolor paper; 18″ x 22″; January 2014.

I’ve been working on this painting for a long time; first tried it in oils and could never get the face right, so I finally gave up and started over in pastel. It’s from a photo I took at the Climate Rally on the National Mall last year.

I really loved the photo… for months, it brought a lump to my throat whenever I looked at it, because the child’s face was even more radiant than I have drawn it… just luminous with the happiness of being there, in that moment. But it was just a cellphone photo… not really good enough to send out into the world. So I had to try to make a painting of it.

I didn’t even notice the man’s expression, till later. And I thought of what an unforgettable memory they will both have, of that day. They both were so beautiful… they gave me hope!

“Lola”, 4 1/2″ x 4 3/4″, pastel. November 2013.

I finished this sketch of Lola last week.  I needed a really small painting of a very special subject… and Lola is perfect– one of those good things that come in small packages!  I’ve been wanting to paint her for some time now; definitely, there are more to come… 🙂

“The Gawker (At the Jefferson)”, 12″ x 16″, oil on panel. October 2013.

This painting was inspired by a photo I took at the Jefferson Memorial.  The space is quite awe-inspiring, and dwarfs the visitors, who tend to walk around quietly, with an air of reverence.  When I saw this man, his pose, appearance  and expression caused me to snap his picture immediately… and fortunately, I caught him!

What I learned:  columns are harder than they look. 😉

“Two Fish” (sold). Oil on canvas, 7″ x 5″. September 2013.

I finished this small oil painting last month. It’s very small (for me)… in fact, at 7″ x 5″, it’s one of the smallest paintings I’ve ever done!   But I wanted to try making some smaller pieces, to see if I could make them faster, and I’ve been wanting to do more koi; also I needed some work to display in the Bin Gallery at the Art League! 🙂

“Singh and the Dolphin”
Pastel on prepared watercolor paper, 14″x12″, August 2013

This is Singh, our pocket-lion.  Also known as Hoover, for his habit of sucking up any stray crumbs left lying around.  I caught him in the act of preparing to knock the dolphin off the shelf; a moment later, it was on the floor.  I could almost hear him saying, “Ah, little one… we are alone at last!  Now you will learn to FLY…!”

“Capitola Sunset II”
Pastel on Canson paper, 24″ x 18″, 1986. Giclee available.

This painting  of sunset over the pier in Capitola, California, was actually painted back in 1986, and has been following me around ever since.  It had gotten a little banged up in the course of its travels, but has always been a favorite… so when I finally got around to framing it, the other day, I did a bit of touching up.  In fact, I ended up going over practically everything!  So this painting is, quite literally, re-NEWed. 😉

“Owl, Light Within” (sold)
Papercrete, glass and foil, approx. 9″x12″. 2010.

The Owl came second, after “Winged Cat I”… though perhaps I should have done it first; it would almost certainly have been easier!  Still, this piece went more smoothly because I had already survived the first one, and knew how to avoid some difficulties.  I’m very happy with the glowing eyes! 🙂