Visual Expressions

Today's Flowers

2011-05-15T07:16:00.000-04:00

Spring has finally sprung here in upstate NY. Take a virtual trip to different places around the world and enjoy the beauty of flowers. Please click HERE.
or here ... http://flowersfromtoday.blogspot.com/

Today's Flowers #136

2011-03-20T07:40:00.003-04:00

My entry for TF... if you want to see more exotic flowers, please click Here. I don't know the name of this plant but isn't it beautiful? This was taken when I went to my homeland last June 2010.

Today's Flowers #133

2011-02-27T09:40:00.005-05:00

I am wishing for Spring ...

To view more flowers, please click Here. These are Daffodils...one of the many beautiful flowers that come up in early spring.

Today's Flowers #132

2011-02-13T06:00:00.001-05:00

Bougainvillea - I am re-posting same entry only because I had this entry "scheduled" but completely forgot to enter my name on TF's site last week, until it was late in the week.

for more of todays flowers, click here

...double bougainvillea

Today's Flowers #130

2011-02-06T06:33:00.000-05:00

Being winter here in my neck of the woods, I longed to see amazing flowers from all over the world to perk me up!...so I decided to join Today's Flowers again.
If you're like me or if you love to see amazing flowers, please click Here
I don't know the name of this beauty but the picture was taken when I went to my homeland last year, at one of the resorts that we visited. Enjoy!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2010-12-17T19:48:00.003-05:00

Wishing all my blogger friends a Merry CHRISTmas and may all of you be richly blesssed in 2011!

On vacation ...

2010-05-23T10:11:00.001-04:00

Hello my friends, I will be visiting my homeland for about a month. I really appreciate you dropping by and will return your visit when I get back. Hope you all have a good and pleasant summer!

Macro Saturday & Today's Flowers

2010-05-15T08:24:00.012-04:00

My entry for Macro Flowers Saturday and TF is:

Trillium These are a gift from nature; they just showed up among my wild ferns one day. From Wilkipedia, this is called, Trillium Grandiflorum, meaning flower among the leaves. Also, seeds of trillium are spreads by ants, the ants extract the seeds, eat the elaiosomes, and throw away the seeds where they germinate in rich soil.

I guess they live up to their name, they came in 3's ... 3 leaves, 3 petals & 3 showed up among my ferns. ;)

According to Mr. Wilkipedia, the white flowers will turn pink as they age like this one.

Today's Macro Flowers

2010-05-08T17:46:00.009-04:00

My entries for Today's Flowers and my first time participation in Macro Flowers Saturday... poppies.

Today's Flowers

2010-05-02T08:00:00.002-04:00

These plant's names may sound like a disease but they sure are lovely, don't you think?
These are some of my indoor plants and my entry for Today's Flowers.

STREPTOCARPUS

KOHLERIA

Today's Flowers

2010-04-25T06:00:00.003-04:00

I WISH I could stop my car and take pictures of all the breathtaking blooms this time of year. This one below was taken at the parking lot of a mall. There are hundreds of these beauties around our area. (click images to enlarge)

Here's a close-up.

This is my forsythia gone wild! They shine every spring!

... a close-up.

Talking about wild, here's a flowering quince competing for light with the forsythia.

... a close-up.

Our apple tree..

close-up

I think this is crab apple?

If you enjoy and love to see exotic flowers around the world, please click HERE Enjoy!

Today's Flowers

2010-04-18T07:25:00.004-04:00

AFTER months of cold temps and snow, there's nothing like seeing daffodils bloom in the spring. Daffodils, tulips, crocuses, forsythias and hyacinths are plants that yell, Spring! Pictured below are my daffodils collection, they are spectacular in the garden and delightful in bouquets. What I love about daffodils is that they require very little care, they multiply every year and deer won't bother them.

double daffodils ...

To view amazing flowers from different countries, please click HERE

Art Show

2010-02-27T10:15:00.018-05:00

THOUGHT of sharing my son's artworks with you. They had an art show at school one day and these are his entries. But first, excuse my photography, please ...
(you can also click image to enlarge)
Scratch Board

Stippling

Self-portrait

Water color

Modern art

Also, he was asked to design their school's yearbook and below is what he came up with. It incorporates the different school activities like soccer, swimming, theater, arts, & music. If you look closely, his initial "WAG" is in there too. I'm not really a fan of modern art but of course there is always an exception specially when it belongs to your son, right? lol Below is a black and white copy of what the school used to advertise.

... and this is the colored copy, not as vivid as the original. As far as I can remember, this is the first time that the school used a colored yearbook cover. Hope you enjoyed it!

Today's Flowers

2010-01-24T07:00:00.002-05:00

I visited the flower department of my favorite grocery store last weekend and I saw these ... Primroses of different shades but have one thing in common, they all have yellow centers. From my House Plants book, primroses are early spring bloomers and their Latin name says so. Primula derives from "prima" which means "the first" and indicates that the flowers lead the beautifu parade of spring blooms.
Aren't they a beauty?

For more of Today's Flowers, click Here

Today's Flowers

2009-12-27T09:08:00.011-05:00

THESE ARE A few of my "wild" plants that show up on my yard in the spring. I say wild because I let them grow outside my garden beds. By the time we mow grass for the first time, they start going to seeds ...can't wait to see them in the spring! For more of TF, please click Here.

Johnny-Jump-Up (viola) they are all over my yard in the spring with this color and a solid purple.

Primrose in bold yellow. Their stems will shoot up from the ground-hugging thick big leaves.

Hyacinth, one of the sweetest smelling flowers.

Today's Flowers - African Violet Collections

2009-12-20T09:12:00.013-05:00

LAST MONTH, I received a call from one of my good friends, Jean. She wants to know if I'd like to take some of her African Violets (AV) and a few orchids because they are going to finish the room where she kept her plants. You know me, I'm such a sucker for any plants especially an african violets and orchids!
Below is a picture of what Jean gave me; Cattleya, Miss Thailand Dendrobium and four African Violets! Yay! I can hardly wait to see these orchids and AV's bloom! I can't thank you enough, Jean!

This miniature AV also came from Jean ... she gave it to me last summer.

Close-up ... it's lovely and stunning, don't you agree? ;)

These are a few of my collections, some of my AV were still indoor when I took this photo and I should take a picture of my office, it's full of AV too! lol Noticed those top two pots? Jean told me how to propagate AV and this is my second year of propagating them.

These are how those two at the above photo looks like now after five months.

For more of Today's Flowers please click here. You're in for a TREAT! lol!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OF MY TF FRIENDS AND
MAY THE NEW YEAR BRINGS YOU JOY, PEACE AND GOOD HEALTH!!!

Today's Flowers - My Inspirations

2009-12-13T07:22:00.000-05:00

The following flowers are my entries for Today's Flowers and my inspiration to draw, utilizing colored pencils. Orchids love humidity so the only place I can think of is to put them by my kitchen sink. I love orchids because their blooms last for months.

Once in a while in the summer, I take them outside for much needed sunshine.

Painting is one of my hobbies, and I used to play with oil as medium until I stumbled/discovered colored pencils. They are so easy to set up, no messy brushes to clean up and it takes so little space that I can practically set up at one corner of the sofa using coffee table for my paraphernalia. ;) Pictured below is one of my very first attempts using colored pencil. As you can see, it is done by a novice, lacks dimensionality and definitely lacking the play of light... arrgghh, so inexperienced! lol

... picture of a real Iris from my garden.

... my drawing, please note, the photo above was not my model.

... my rootbeer Iris.

... another attempt to capture the beauty of an Iris.

I am quite new to colored pencils and can't wait until I am able to produce quality work to show you, one that is bursting with colors. Right now I am still on my journey in learning building realistic hues, light and textures, and various colored pencil techniques ... so be kind, will you? lol
For more of TF please click Here.

Today's Flowers

2009-12-06T08:03:00.006-05:00

Poinsettias ... a reminder that CHRISTmas is just around the corner. We're lucky that we can get them in a variety of shades nowadays but I still go for the traditional red. :)

For more of Today's Flowers, please click Here and enjoy stunning flowers from all over the world!

Today's Flowers #68

2009-11-29T07:12:00.005-05:00

These trees are so interesting year round, nice blooms in the spring, summer foliage, brilliant colors in fall, and berries for birds in the winter. Unfortunately, I don't know their names; I took pictures while driving. (but not recommended) lol Although it's hard to see, those are berries not leaves, very pretty, don't you think?
I've seen whites and brown berries too but it was always too late to snap a picture.

I did a detour one day and was greeted by rows of this yellow berry bearing trees. I would have love to stop and take a close-up photo but the street is narrow and not safe to stop. I took this photo while at a stop sign, luckily there was no car behind, honking at me.

Hey, you want to join or see stunning flowers from all over the world to cheer you up? Just click here.

Today's Flowers #67

2009-11-22T08:02:00.002-05:00

Last blooms from my garden ... I used it to brighten our church.

... close-up.

A couple of my indoor plants.

Thanks Luiz, Denise, Laerte, and Valkyrien for this meme of Today's Flowers.

Today's Flowers #66

2009-11-15T07:54:00.000-05:00

Red poppies .... (click photos to enlarged)

Orange poppies ...

... poppy seeds. There must be thousands of tiny seeds inside this pod.

Golden rod ...

... spent golden rod

Thistle ...

... spent thistle.

For more of Today's Flowers, please visit the TF team here. Enjoy your stroll!

Today's Flowers #65

2009-11-08T06:57:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone, I haven't updated this blog lately, so I am moving my TF meme here.

I have this plant for many years and I was surprised to see it bloomed for the first time. It was given to me by a friend who says it's from yucca family?

... another angle.

I went around my garden one day, taking pictures of droplets ... I want to learn how to draw them; it should be interesting.

To brighten your day, go visit the TF team and see a lot of lovely flowers from almost all over the world!

Self-Portrait

2009-09-01T19:30:00.007-04:00

About twenty years ago, I tried to paint a self-portrait. I can't quite get the face right, especially the mouth; I was frustrated ... disappointed, blah, blah, blah, so I stopped. Recently, I found my painting, still intact, believe it or not, even the mice stayed away from it. Hah! With a new look and a little more seasoned set of eyes, I can tell that it needs a lot of shading, big time! The mouth is all wrong also. Now, I am debating if it is better to start all over again or try to correct this one.
Below is the photo that I copied from... psssssttt, I wish I'm still this .... "petite" lol

... and this is the UNFINISHED self-portrait; argh, and more argh! the likeness is so far from the photo, don't you think? It's almost embarrassing to show you! lol But I think with more shading and re-shaping of the mouth, it should be a "ok" ;) This was only my second attempt to paint a portrait, so be nice, I cry easy. ha ha

Oil on canvas board, 12" x 16"

Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance

2009-07-23T22:03:00.019-04:00

Our son, along with four of his friends and one adult attended the Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance held in Trumansburg, NY last week. This was a four day (Thursday thru Sunday) event and they were lucky to get an on-site camping space because spaces sell out quickly. There was also an off-site camping about a mile away with shuttle buses running non-stop.
We heard that the festival is a music lover's paradise so hubby and I got curious; we went to join them on Friday ... here are some of the pictures that I took. The marquee ...

(all photos can be enlarged by clicking)

Just a few of the on-site tents; the fairgrounds was surrounded with tents! Some campers even brought potted plants to decorate their areas. And there were plenty of food and arts and crafts vendors! Problem was, it was raining almost all day; that sure dampened my excitement.

... more tents taken sitting at one of the four stages, Grandstand stage to be exact.

One of the over 60 bands, the Talktomes (talk-to-mes), played roots related music. It was still early in the morning; the place was not crowded yet.

The Believers, came all the way from Washington state. They played folk and ethnic music. Most of the bands that we heard were good and wonderful but unfortunately, it was not my type of music; if your taste is eclectic then you'll definitely enjoy going to this festival.

... I don't know the name of this band but they were excellent and funny.

Grassroots Festival is also known for its all-night dancing. This was the dance tent. Since we left quite early due to rain, I assumed that this dance floor was full to its capacity by nightfall.

Just to give you an idea, pictured below is the schedule of events; starting at 9am and ending at 1am, and different bands taking turns performing at four different stages.

The Grassroots festival is mainly run by volunteers; money raised helps benefit the fight against Aids and other causes.
Music, dance, art and food ... a good recipe for fun don't you agree?

Gardening 101

2009-04-20T19:14:00.002-04:00

Do you want to do gardening with me? Just click here ... so grab your garden gloves, a hand trowel, pruning shears and we'll go work out a sweat! ;)

Self-portrait

2009-03-07T08:33:00.004-05:00

I'm sure we all have these moments, asking ourselves what to post? To post or not to post ... oh, what the heck! lol

Anyways, I was uploading something in my computer at work yesterday, and it was taking soooo looooong ... it was agonizing! I got bored and looked around to see what I can do. I noticed my I.D. badge lying on my desk so I started sketching it. The results...? I don't think I captured the real "me" but I was entertained for a few minutes. My excuse? ...well, the pic where i copied from was small and blurry in the first place. (yeah, right!) lol

Golden Age Postcards

2009-02-07T12:27:00.024-05:00

Don't quote me on this but below are I think what they call, "Picture Postcards". Pictures found their way to postcards which were common in the 1840's. All images can be enlarged by clicking.

...back photo of the postcards above. One is dated 1909 and the other, 1915.

Postcard of the coronation of King Edward VII in June of 1902. I'm not sure if the other picture postcard next to it is Queen Alexandra(his wife). If you look closely, the head and body of each are embossed... also glittered.

... back of the 2 postcards above with "1/2d stamp" on the top right corner and the "For inland postage only ..." and "The address only to ..." which were typical in those days. Also, the "Ducal" series produced a magnificent card of Queen Alexandra in deep bas-relief.

These two are probably called Picture or Portrait Postcards. One lady is wearing a silk hat (stuck and raised) and fake hair and the other decorated with embroidery. Oh, you have to click on these to appreciate the workmanship, love, love it!

... back photo of the postcards above. Well, well... looks like I paid $15 for the lady with an olive green hat? (hardly visible, on the bottom left corner) I bought it 24 years ago. I can make money on these! ;)

Holiday card (swan) and birthday card, both raised... also called Miscellany cards?

...back of the two cards above. They are not dated.

My favorites! Silk embroidered cards! Produced exclusively during the years of the First World War. They were vehicles to express the strong feelings of courage, hope, and strength in the most terrible war so far in the history of man.

... more silk cards. These colorful little cards carried messages of hope, pride and confidence that summarized what everyone wanted to shout, like, "We Shall Win", "Onward to Victory", etc.

... they also expressed emotions so deeply felt during those fearful years. Some of them were made like an envelope where the flaps raised to show a small card bearing a personal message.

The story goes that women supplemented their meager income by embroidering; it was convenient and could be done after a normal day's work.

Novelty cards? ... embossed, gilded, tinselled, etc, not so sure what type these cards are.

... back picture, Canada is dated 1913 (noted in front-above), the Rose card is dated 1907.

This is how I want to display them someday... framed. The postcards are just laying on top of the frame right now; just to give you an idea.

... same thing with this.

Hope you enjoyed looking at my collections specially those deltiologists out there.

Talent Show - Closing Act

2009-01-22T15:46:00.001-05:00

Sorry guys, I just can't help myself...being so proud of the boys. This video clip is the Funk Uncle Band, members are Sawyer, on bass guitar, Alex, on drums, Bryan, the vocalist and Will (our son, wearing a red hat) as the lead guitarist. Their band did the closing act for their school's talent show as I've mentioned below.

Talent Show - Opening Act

2009-01-20T18:43:00.005-05:00

Last Monday, our son participated in their school's talent show to help raise funds for the winterguard. He belonged to two bands. The video above is one of them; they don't have a name for this band yet. Josh is playing the bass guitar, Andrew on drums, vocal is Joe and lead guitarist is Will, our son; wearing a red "golfing" hat. They did the opening act, and his Funk Uncle band did the closing. They brought down the house! Awwwww!!! I will be posting the Funk Uncle later, when it's uploaded. Hope you'll enjoy this video.

Older Post

2008-12-06T13:00:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry, I haven't been updating this blog. However, if you are a new reader, I encourage you to click my older post to enjoy some of my art works ... and to view some of my hubby's portrait oil paintings.

Art Giveaway

2008-08-19T16:16:00.016-04:00

Debbie is having a give away. What she wants from each participant is to post as many photos as you want on your blog, she will pick the winning photo, paint that photo and the completed painting will be the prize of the winner. You have until August 21st to participate. A more detailed rules are at the end of this post.

Last summer me and my friend Judy, who is an avid gardener were into lilies. We bought dozens of Asiatic, Oriental and Day lilies and split it among ourselves. I was looking forward to a display of radiant blooms this summer but because I didn't know that deer love lilies; my poor Asiatic and Oriental lilies did not even have a chance to show off their beauties nor their fragrance. A family of deer ate them as they were peeking through the ground. They did not bother though the day lilies, of which I am thankful. Pictured above is one of them. I clicked to enlarge and just noticed that a Japanese beetle was on the petal ... darn! I've been trying to get rid of them by drowning them in soapy water. Luckily, they're dwindling every year.

This one is a Rose of Sharon. The petals are pristine white, which I love. It was given to me by my family three years ago, on Mother's Day.

Poppies! I love poppies specially when they are planted in groups like this one.

Another sign of spring is the Forsythia bush. Their bright yellow brilliance just brighten up the day. Ohh, I love the sound of that! lol Mine needs a lot of trimming though. We used to have only three bushes but because of Forsythia's nature, (the branch will root if it touches the ground) it's been growing wider and wider every year. I'm pretty sure this is hard to draw (too busy) but I'm sharing it anyway. :)

My Hibiscus ... I posted this on my other blog before. How on earth did a solid peach color bloom turned out to be bi-color! Beats me. lol See the story here.
You have to click the older posts, scroll down to the end of the page to see it ... if you're interested, no pressure here. lol

I love this Day Lily! It's elegant looking with its flattering double peach color petals; wish I could use them as cut flowers but being a day lily as they are, the bloom is only good for one day. Anyway, wish me luck! lol I hope Debbie pick one of my photos.

For additional info go here.
It's outdated but rules still apply to this date.

Old Red Barn Giveaway

2008-07-21T19:53:00.004-04:00

Dana of Old Red Barn Co. is hosting a Quilt giveaway. Please go visit her right now to participate. Just click here and it will take you there.
P.S. Sorry folks, giveaway's over.

My Barbie Dolls Collection

2008-06-22T16:48:00.020-04:00

Judy of vintage dolls inspired me to post my Barbie dolls. I only had one doll that I can remember when I was growing up. This was hand made by my grandfather, believe it or not. I can't remember how he made it but I remember it was made out of rolled up handkerchief and I treasured it just the same. How I longed to have a real doll back then but having 6 siblings and the economy was real bad, that was a luxury at that time. It's no wonder I collected so many dolls now. I have other kinds beside Barbie dolls but not as many as Barbie. Posted here are just a few of my collections ... I hope it gives you great pleasure looking at them as they do to me. Sometimes, I am tempted to sell some on ebay but it is quite hard to part with them yet ... so let's just wait and see.
Below are Gone With The Wind Barbie dolls. They are a beauty if you click at images to enlarge.

Reproductions of 1960's Barbie dolls.

Barbie as Marilyn Monroe.

Barbie wearing Bob Mackie's designs. This is the Jewelry series, diamond, emerald and ruby. Aren't they gorgeous? Who wouldn't fall in love with them! :)

Barbie as a bride wearing bridal gown by Vera Wang, designer. Also, another Gone with the Wind Barbie.

A few of Happy Holidays series.

The Great Eras collections (The Grecian and French ladies), Sentimental Valentine Barbie by Hallmark and Winter Splendor Barbie by Avon.

Dolls of the World Barbie dolls.

More Dolls of the World ...

and my favorite ... porcelain Barbie. I just took it out from the outside box but left it in the styrofoam box to take picture, the white stuff on her waistline is foam to keep it secured ... I don't want her to break a hand or something. If I remember it correctly, I think this is the first porcelain Barbie doll made by Mattel, it is precious to me. So what do you think, will I part with a few of them or keep 'em? :)

Garden Tour

2008-06-16T20:32:00.016-04:00

To raise awareness about breast cancer, I am participating in a virtual garden tour hosted by deena
Deena was diagnosed with breast cancer last October of 2007. Please visit her blog to learn more of the garden tour participants. I am posting my garden in my Art blog, because deena is an artist like myself.

Seven sisters roses, (right) they are called that because there are usually 7 blooms in one stem.

Click here for an easy and free way to help fund mammograms for those in need at The Breast Cancer Site!

My canterbury bells getting ready to bloom. I started these from seeds.

Jacobs ladder ... they are done blooming for this year. :(

Pictures of last year's dahlias.

Please click this icon to give FREE mammogram to low income women. Mammograms will be paid by sponsors.

Girl of El Salvador

2008-06-07T21:10:00.009-04:00

The above painting will be posted on ebay. My husband, the artist is finally letting her go. I took this photo in the winter, on our porch but there was not enough light so my camera used its auto flash hence the glare. I have to take a better picture. If you're interested, send email to Gelart66@aol.com. Oil, 16"x20" on masonite.

Miss Linda

2008-04-13T08:20:00.007-04:00

The above portrait was commissioned. Don't you just love those eyes! They are beautiful ... very expressive! I wonder where this painting is now. This was ordered by her boyfriend at that time and last we heard, they parted ways. I still remember those times when she came in for a sitting a few hours every morning for about a week ... a very nice lady.

Princess Diana

2008-03-30T07:13:00.004-04:00

I was doing some sorting at home and look what I found! A photo of the completed painting of Princess Di. There are really two figures on the painting. If you click to enlarge the pic and look closely, you will see a portrait of Prince Charles on the background.

Women's History Month

2008-03-29T08:45:00.008-04:00

Last week our VAMC celebrated the Women's History Month. The theme was Women's Art, Women's Vision. It showcased women's employees' and women's veterans talents. I was asked by the program manager to display some of my artwork. Not so many employees knew that I paint so they were surprised to see my paintings. I also feel the same way about the other employees who contributed to the exhibit. I didn't know there are many talented employees who were into art. The above photo is a display from one of our physicians. She likes to do various craft items.

This next one displays her gourd-decorating. She painted various shapes of gourds and turned them into something. There were at least 13 participants who exhibited water color, woven rugs, quilts, color and black-and-white photography, handcrafted cards, ink drawings, hooked rugs, flower arrangements, poem writing, etc.

... and tadaaa! me and one of my paintings! This was taken by our Public Relations Officer. He is a really nice guy and a friend of mine. He let me use his expensive camera during our VA's 75th Anniversary Celebration last February (which I should be posting too) and I took pictures of the celebration ... I really had fun with his camera! I got to experience the life of a reporter, going around with a camera around their neck. When I get rich, I'll get one of those! he he he
Dan, thank you for the experience! ... say something if you read this. :)

Pencil Drawings

2008-03-07T17:55:00.007-05:00

The above was a commissioned job. Pencil on paper, 24"x30". My apologies for the glare but it is still winter where I live and really cold outside to take pictures. This is a photograph taken from my hubby's portfolio. Once in a while he will do a pencil or charcoal drawing.

Sample of a charcoal drawing, 11"x14". He drew this as a wedding present and the subject looked like the bride. It really looked nice and elegant once put in frame. Too bad I did not have a chance to take a picture before it was shipped. This is now on its way to Oregon and we're hoping the owner would like it.

Children's Portraits

2008-02-23T18:56:00.007-05:00

These are pictures I took from my husband's portfolio. I took the pictures outside to prevent glare but I still got them anyway and since it was so cold and windy, my camera lens was fogging! They did not come out the way I wanted them to... crooked and everything but ... brrrrrr!
These were commissioned by a family friend from Canada. They are brother and sister. Oil on canvas.

These two were also commissioned. Oil on canvas.

Vanna White ... back to studio tour

2008-02-03T10:03:00.000-05:00

Do you watch "Wheel of Fortune?" Then you must know or are familiar with Vanna White. She is the letter-turner in that popular game show. My hubby used to watch this tv program everyday and then one day, he decided to paint her. This was not a commissioned job at any rate. He wanted to have something to show to customers when they visit his studio ... so the above painting is now one of his collections. He is a fan of Vanna and also has two letters from her.

My Family Over the Years

2008-01-20T09:56:00.001-05:00

... it will take a moment to load

2008-01-20T09:01:00.000-05:00

This time I thought of taking a "detour". Since this month is our 25th wedding anniversary, (boy, has it been that long?!) I thought of giving my blogsphere friends a glimpse of my family. I put together a little remix ... now I realize that the above is very amateurish so please bear with me. Maybe someday I will learn to do a better job with this world's technology.

So grab a popcorn :) and enjoy!

The Bride ... 3rd stop of studio tour

2008-01-05T09:08:00.000-05:00

The Artist's Statement:

"The color photo of a bride can be striking indeed, however for someone who might like to make that "extra" impression, not to mention begetting a new family heirloom, a museum-quality oil portrait over the sofa or mantlepiece will transport the viewer not only to the wedding, but into an art gallery itself."

It is the precept of the artist that a bride should be a "masterpiece" ... enough so that someone not even knowing the bride would delight in owning the painting. After all, would you turn down an original portrait of Rembrandt's wife Saskia if you had a chance to own it?

Photos tend to be more readily put away but a magnificient oil portrait still gracing the wall itself, can be pointed to a hundred or more years later and be said of, "That was my great-grandmother when she was married!"

2nd stop ... figure/portrait painting

2007-12-28T12:12:00.000-05:00

Pride of the Gods - Human Figure

With the above painting, please realize that the artist (my husband) is a figure/portrait painter. He is applying his skills to canvas in pursuit of beauty. As an artist, there is no reason that a figure cannot be considered a portrait as well. Observe, please, Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel nudes, Rembrandt, Boucher, Ingres, Renoir, as well as the classical Greek sculptures, which adorn the halls of the world's great museums. Please enjoy these paintings for their beauty of form, as well.

Studio Tour ... 1st stop, Princess Diana

2007-12-15T15:22:00.000-05:00

Having a full time job limits my artistic development. I wish I had more time to polish my painting skills ... but ... maybe someday.

Having said that, since I don't have a lot of paintings to show yet, it is my pleasure to feature a few of my husband's artworks in my blog.
The above is a STUDY of Diana, Princess of Wales. The finished painting was 3' x 4' done in oil on canvas. It was sold to a gentleman. We recently heard from his daughter saying that the painting was stolen and is under investigation. It is unfortunate that the photos of the painting that my hubby took before it was sold did not come out clear. The above painting was when Princess Di was in her 20's, the gown she was wearing was her first outing with Prince Charles after their engagement was announced to the public.

Stay tuned ... more to come!

Stained Glass Dome

2007-11-25T18:08:00.000-05:00

I've heard of it before ... I've read and seen photos of it in magazines. That is why when I went to Las Vegas, Nevada, visiting the Tropicana Hotel and Casino was a must see for me. You see, aside from being a portrait artist, my other half is also a master stained glass designer. The above photo is only one end of the largest barrel-vault stained glass dome in the world! ... my hubby designed it in the '70's. The details would have been more visible had I taken the picture in daylight ... but this is the best I can do. Enjoy! (if you click the pic you can see more details)

Cantaloupe

2007-11-18T18:33:00.001-05:00

The above is one of my colored pencils drawing. This is now hanging in my office and it's funny because I had a visitor once, noticed the signature and then said, "you did this? Did you paint by numbers?" lol I politely and jokingly said, "no, i can color within the lines, you know" he he he

Head of Christ

2007-11-11T20:28:00.000-05:00

Growing up, my introduction into art consisted of drawing stick figures and what have you, using our walls as canvas. I have always been interested in drawing and I admit to wanting to emulate great painters. lol!
However, I was in my 30's when I actually began painting. You see, I am married to a figure/portrait painter. He came home from an art store one day with my own easel/oil artist set. I painted a few because I wondered how far I could go. My focus was on working really hard as a "painter" (ahem). Having said that, due to family responsibilities, I only painted intermittently. I haven't given up though. My ultimate goal is for my paintings to talk, to tell a story ... and, personally, for me to reach a point where my technique is second nature ... only then that maybe I'll stop being my own worst critic and enemy!

The Head of Christ painting is one of my early works ... my second painting to be exact. Oil 8"x10".

2007-11-08T20:24:00.000-05:00

My fave medium is oil, but sometimes i don't have time to clean brushes, so i am experimenting with colored pencils. This painting is 8"x11" on drawing paper.

The Lady

2007-11-03T12:29:00.000-04:00

i felt like drawing one night, saw a pic in a magazine ... scribbled here and there and this was the result. he he he