Subject To Interpretation #1

Wandering Ways,6"x8", oil on canvas panel

My first installment of the Subject To Interpretation Portland Plein Air & Studio Painters winter project. I painted over an old painting that had no future so I've ended up with unexpected textures in some areas.

Audubon Society of Portland Wild Arts Festival

American Robin, 6"x6", india ink and watercolor on papyrus mounted to canvas

Art Media donates canvases to local artists who want to contribute a painting to be sold at the Audubon Society of Portland's Wild Arts Festival, November 21 and 22, 2009. Come out and celebrate our local wildlife!

"Cast Shadows: Pacific Northwest Plein Air Landscapes" at Aurora Gallery

left: "Light and Shadow II", 12"x6", pastel
right: "Light and Shadow III" 12"x6", pastel



I've two pieces in the invitational juried show at Aurora Gallery, 1004 Main Street, Vancouver, Washington, during the month of November, 2009. Local artists painting at their best. Go see the show.

Celebration Oregon! Oregon Plein Air Painters exhibit

"Deadine Falls",9"x12", pastel
High Desert Galleries in Bend (October)and Redmond (November) are the hosts of this fabulous juried show celebrating the beauty of Oregon. All of the work was painted en plein air, meaning in the open air. By all means, stop into the gallery if you're in Redmond this month and check it out. Here is my contribution to the show. It's of Deadline Falls on the Umpqua River in southern Oregon. As I painted the piece, I saw several salmon jumping up the fall. Pretty nifty!

Frankly Scarlet II

This 24"x18" pastel painting was accepted into the 17th Juried Art Show of the Arts Council of Snohomish County in Everett, Washington.

Rolling Pastels - yes, you can!

I recently spent a non-painting day with my pastel painting buddy, Brenda Boylan, where we rolled new pastels out of broken pastels, small chips and pastel dust. Check out her blog to see how it's done.

Red, White & Blue

The crimson clover was fabulous this year and just begged to be painted. You'll find these two paintings at Aurora Gallery in Vancouver, Washington.


Crimson Morning I, 12"x9", pastel


Crimson Morning II, pastel, 12"x9"

California Poppies at the Vineyards

Poppies & Vines, pastel, 9"x12"






I'm 'way overdue to post something so here it is. My painting buddy, Brenda Boylan, and I've been out painting several times in the past two weeks and here's a pastel painting I did at the base of the road up to Tualatin Estate Vineyards. We found a cool spot in the shade to work at the side of the road...a perfect location for a warm spring day of painting.

New Skies Over Beaverton

Beaverton Evening Sky I, pastel, 6"x9"


Beaverton Evening Sky II, pastel, 6"x9"

After being down and out with a mean winter cold for about a week, I finally put pastel to paper last night and did a couple of fun sky pieces. I don't usually work from photos because I love plein air painting so well but just had to try my hand at these. Again I used only my handmade pastels so my color options are limited but I think the colors hold their own. I'll add these to my stash of unframed work in the bin at next month's Beaverton Visual Arts Showcase.

Artists' Party & Painting Exchange

South Sister From Hosmer Lake, pastel, 6"x8"





This is the painting I made for our Paint-Out Group's winter party and small painting exchange. Although this was not a plein air piece, it was painted from a photo my husband took at one of our favorite places to canoe camp. And just for fun, I used only the handmade pastels in my kit. (Several of those gorgeous colors were made by my painting buddy Brenda Boylan.)

This was the group's first real party and it was a lot of fun to see all the paintings as they were opened and shown to the partygoers. Everyone did a stellar job and brought a beautiful piece to give away. I am proud to be associated with such a fine group of artists.