Autumn on the Towpath

20 Monday Oct 2025

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One of my favorite spots…to walk, to get art inspiration, to exhale…is the Towpath along the C&O Canal National Historic Park near Great Falls, Maryland. But even as I start a new painting with this subject, I know it will test my limits. It’s complicated.

It’s never easy.  But I like a challenge. And to visit a new, unfamiliar color palette is definitely that.

Never quite sure which way it will go. I work in layers. So often what I end up with depends on how I start. It’s only after several layers of sheer color that it begins too make sense.

I had a graphic design firm for over 25 years in Georgetown, Washington DC, and I remember we often talked about art and painting around the studio. One of my employees had been an apprentice/assistant with the renowned Washington DC artist Gene Davis. He said the artist had told him that one of the most important things to remember was don’t stop too early when working on a difficult piece.  Sometimes that last push (or pushes) is what it needs. You wake up and go look at a piece and think, just not there yet. Now what do I do?

So when I question whether there is something else I can do to make a painting feel complete, I think of that conversation. And I keep going until…finally, all of a sudden, I just know.

Wetlands: Autumn’s Towpath, 30 x 40″, oil

 

Float

16 Monday Jun 2025

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Whenever we drive up to the Adirondacks in New York State to see my sister, we stay at a hotel directly across the street from Lake Placid.

The scene changes with the weather and the time of day. People come and go. Passing clouds change it dramatically. I love watching it. And it always seemed to have that pink undertone, whatever the weather.  At least when we were there. Summer!

This was a tough one.  I wasn’t sure how I wanted to crop the scene.  Whether or not to put someone on the float. Or jumping in to the water from the float. Could the float be the star, but not compete with the patterns of the water? I knew I wanted a variety of swimmers to be at the back of the “stage”.

But finally I made the major decisions. I wanted the ripples in the water to draw you in. The figures on the “beach” were the chorus. And now came the really difficult part.  How to make it work as a whole, but save that special, unique viewpoint.

I worked at it a couple of hours each day.  Then slept on it so I could look at it with a fresh eye.  How much detail?  How to make the patterns in the lake move and have their own rhythm.

Finally. The curtain is ready to open.

Float, 30 x 24″, oil

 

de Printemps

14 Monday Apr 2025

Posted by in Art, Art Museums & Exhibitions, Gardens, paintings, sketching, Uncategorized

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A burst of spring from a visit to the gardens at Versailles on a trip to Paris a decade ago in the first week of April.

When I check my photos for inspiration, this detail always catches my attention.  I thought after a long stressed winter, this was the perfect explosion of joy and renewal that I needed to focus on. A return to France in the Spring, at least in my mind.

And so it begins.  This one took a very long time with frequent breaks to think about where I wanted to go…how much detail, the shades to focus on, the competition of the stunning blue background and the delicate shades of yellow, pink and green in the buds. And just how many shades of taupe could there be in the branches?

Each day, each week, decisions are made.  The detail seemed tedious on some days.  Contemplative and a soothing mental escape on others.

And slowly its started taking shape.

I love trying a new subject.  I had done branches before, but not in this color palette or quite this detail.  It was frustrating in the beginning, but once I reached the center of the project, it all started to come clear.

And just as spring begins here outside my window, I finish.  I love this painting.  I love having it in my studio for awhile as it dries and settles .

de Printemps, 30 x 24″, Oil

 

A Change of Season

11 Monday Nov 2024

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I’ve been immersed in summer landscapes this year and decided I wanted to try a change of season and a new color palette.

Back to my favorite park in the very beginning of winter, I used an image I had of Mason Neck Virginia State Park just south of Mt. Vernon.

The color is layered on a cool deep blue palette, and built up to golden and blush reeds gathered around the gray-violet trees. Soft, soothing color. I think the old tree trunk on the left hand side was one of my favorite areas to work on.

Water is always a challenge and this scene was as complicated as it gets. I went back and forth, layering translucent color until it fit the mood.

But finally after struggling with it for two months I got the feeling of calm hibernation I wanted. The final details on trees and reflections…

Wetlands;Winter Nap, 30 x 40″, oil

Sky Meadows

29 Monday Jul 2024

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Sky Meadows Virginia State Park is one of my favorite destinations, any season, any weather. It features rolling pastures and woodlands on the eastern side of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

It is in the foothills, horse and wine country with a few cows, not far from Paris, Virginia and down the road from Middleburg. I can get there in under a half hour.

It has a selection of paths to choose (for humans, dogs and horses), and no matter the season, there are always sweet surprises. This little oil captures the rich tapestry of its landscape, historic farm and endless sky.

“Sky Meadows Walk”, 11 x 14″,oil

Green on green

20 Saturday Jul 2024

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As the world goes mad, it just seemed like the right time to work on a totally soothing image.  This idyllic scene from a visit to my sister’s home area near Saranac Lake in the Adirondacks was the perfect choice. She knows the best spots!

It had all the right elements…rich color, gorgeous mesmerizing reflections and a global rock that seemed otherworldly.

I decided to start with the blue undertones.  The tree on the right had an almost ghost like quality and pointed towards the magical rock, reminiscent of the sorcerer’s apprentice in the old Disney film.

Layer by layer, like fine pieces of lace, I added the branches and patterns of needles to the trees.

And then, for the final element I concentrated on the stone and the reflections. Nature can be so elegant.

Wetlands; Rock, Water, Green,  30 x 24″

Breakfast with a view

17 Monday Jun 2024

Posted by in Art, England, paintings, sketching, The New Forest

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I have often said that the great thing about all those rainy days in the UK is the over the top, gorgeous gardens. This one, in the courtyard of our country hotel in Beaulieu,  is no exception.

The Montagu Arms Country House is located in the New Forest area, one of the largest tracts of unenclosed pastureland, heathland and forest in southern England. It’s home to a national park, and several classic villages, including Beaulieu.

The area is not far from London, about a two hour drive. But it is a world apart in Hampshire. Ponies and donkeys roam the area freely, and we often saw a few horses walking down the center of the village from our hotel window. The deer and other wildlife were more shy during the day, but occasionally we caught a glimpse in the evenings if we were out for a drive.

There are grand country walks everywhere. And the village is also home to the National Motor Museum.  So something for everyone.

My little home studio is a haven to re-visit my favorite scenes. A painting often takes me a couple of months, even working most days. So this spring I got to relive those bucolic pastoral days spent in England.

The last week of a painting is spent considering if it is as successful as it can be and what I can do to bring that final spark to it.  And, at the same time, I’m thinking about  my next canvas. It’s a joy to have this to look forward to most days. There is a real sense of satisfaction at one completed, and anticipation as to what is next. There are always mixed feelings when I have finally finished a painting and move on.

“Morning Tea” The Montagu Arms Country Hotel in New Forest, Beaulieu, England, 30″x24″, oil

 

Dreaming at MOMA

22 Friday Mar 2024

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I’ve had very mixed feelings about AI (artificial intelligence) and how it will affect an individual’s creative process.  I personally am a big fan of letting ideas swirl around in my own head. I am always somewhat amazed with what eventually comes out on paper or canvas.

Frankly, I rather like the surprise and the process of art the way it is. The piece  changes and evolves as I work.  But this is rather the point with the new installation at MOMA which uses AI in a similar way.

This past summer, I took a trip to NYC to revisit some of my favorite museums to see if anything stimulated my own creative process.

I went to The Morgan Library, The Met and MOMA.  And at MOMA there was a mesmerizing installation, Unsupervised by Refik Anadol, which dominated the lobby exhibition area right inside the museum from the sculpture garden.

The piece was fluid and moving, constantly changing in color and shape. It was not a loop, but an evolving creative process. The observers were mesmerized. I came back to visit it several times.  It was new each time I returned–different colors and forms and movements.

The piece is a complex interpretation of the collection of MOMA’s 200 years of art. I read several articles and interviews with the artist once I got home trying to better understand. Working with MOMA, the artist put information in to an AI program he created that would use the visual input to create its own flow of images.  Part of the point is that this is how artists have worked for centuries…viewing other artists work and growing their own line of output from a personal interpretation along with other environmental and spiritual input. I know from personal experience that is true.

I’ll have to think more about this one, but it was intriguing. I’m still not sure I understand it completely.  Is this where we are going from where we have been? I remember thinking when computers were first introduced that this won’t be a big deal. I was a graphic designer and could not imagine a machine taking over part of the process.

I was wrong.

Curated Dreams, (MOMA, Refik Anadol, Unsupervised) 30 x 24″, oil

Room with a View

11 Monday Dec 2023

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The first time I went to Burnham on Crouch in England, my husband introduced me to The White Harte. This was his sailing town by the River Crouch.  And The White Harte was his pub, favorite restaurant and, once we were traveling as a pair, his go to place for accommodation.

We had a favorite room on the back of the Inn.  It faced the parking area, but was also very quiet.  The front rooms faced the seawall, the hotbed of all the activity in this sleepy town that came alive when everyone came to compete in the sailing races on the river. The pubs and clubs flowed out along the river.

The historic hotel became home.  My Beloved Brit knew all the staff and the owner.  I even could borrow an ironing board they would set up in the kitchen for me to prep our clothes for the fairly formal dinners at the various yacht clubs during the regatta week. I truly loved it there.

One year, we made our usual reservation for the “back room”, but when we arrived they told us they had put us on the top floor, up very steep steps and facing the river.  They had given our preferred room to an elderly couple.

I was not sure at all about this new accommodation as we climbed the stairs that were more like a ladder…with our luggage.  But when we entered the room, I saw this view and gorgeous light.  I forgave them immediately.

This painting was a labor of love.  Challenging in the light and various shades of grays and white and blue.  The soft reflections in the glass gave it real depth and character.  And I played with the colors of pillows and our luggage on the bench in front of the window to find balance.

i will really miss this painting sitting on my easel.  What a joy to come in to the studio each morning and see this.

But then again,  I’m already thinking of what my next subject will be.  An artist’s joy.

 

“The Window, River Breeze”, 30 x 24″, Oil

 

The Regatta

06 Friday Oct 2023

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Some of my favorite memories of England revolve around following my still very British husband to Burnham-on-Crouch in Essex on the East Coast to watch the sailing regattas. He has sailed on large yachts and small boats, and always loved the camaraderie and the competition.

And for my part, the fun was being a spectator on dry land on a glorious cool August day.  For many years you had to walk down the long path from town between the fields and the river to watch the start of the different classes of boats.

Everyone lined the riverbank, binoculars came out and cheers or groans went up from the supporters.

This is pretty much how it looked for years.  I referenced some of my older photos, changed some of the colors on the clothing so it drew the eye down the line, and tried to capture the sense of the weather…always on the cusp of changing. It’s England after all. Summer is almost over before it arrives.

Glorious memories, and I get to relive them in the studio.  I am a very lucky woman.

The Regatta, 30″ x 24″, Oil