2007 – Mid Summer Zin finished

Along side the cottage wall on Kauai – all finished.

2007 – Grapes! Painting on Kauai

Joe and I stayed several times at the sweetest beach cottage in Poipu, called Brenneke’s Cottages. I loved staying there – walking distance to the beach, private backyard, just nice enough and just funky-beachy enough to suit us. I discovered I love painting grapes – each one is a painting in itself.

2007 – Pomegranates finally done

I took a week and holed up at my friend Marie’s condo while it was on the market. I wanted to do nothing but paint. She’d already moved out so there was nothing there, just the staging furniture (no sheets on the bed even). No TV, no books – just me and my paints. I learned that I do need a blended life – that painting this way is a good way to turn it into punishment! And this painting was part of it – it just would not be finished. On the back steps of her place, finally done. On to Mid-Summer Zin.

2007 – Reach – finished

Up against the garage door for its “I’m done” photo.

2007 – Reach – before attacking the sky

Out on the patio table, 4″ house painting brush in hand. I hated the sky – just before I threw paint on it.

2007 – Reach – just getting started

2007 – Twin Dahlias finished

Home from Kauai, resting up against the garage door – all done. It became Carol Hannon’s painting within two weeks. Some go fast.

2007 – May – Twin Dalias background

On the bed in the little room downstairs at Tommy and Steff’s on Kauai. I went over for a week on my own to paint and hang with my Kauai sister. I had just finished Fauchon Eclairs and got started on the dahlias.

2007 – Apple Blossom Spring

Normally I paint from the least interesting, least detailed to the most, which means that I paint the background first, and the focal point last. But I was really afraid of not being able to paint the delicate white petals. I didn’t want to paint it all and then ruin it by flubbing them. So I painted them first, then went back to working my way around the background. I painted the yellow centers of the blossoms last.

2006 – Moonstone almost finished

I was painting this just as I had agreed to show at Marin Open Studios for the first time. I was terrified of the leaves – all that detail! But I did them! I was working on the final layers of the bud at this point. This is the last piece I painted on 140 lb paper. Love my 300 lb!