Nude with Calla Lilies - sold

Oil on panel, 7"x5"

This is a classical study of a red haired seated nude holding calla lilies. The figure is viewed from behind with a side profile. There is a lovely twist to the figure, and the soft light catches her face and flowers, dropping down her body to a classical sculpture next to her. 

Painted alla prima on a colored ground, there is a golden glow beneath the cool blues of the background. This painting is serenely elegant, unusually expressive and detailed for a small figure.

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Blue Moon - sold

Oil on Canvas, 10"x8"

This painting was inspired by loss and memories, grief and ultimately joy. It's a portrait of fragility and strength. In studying faces I have found that there is an odd power in openness and vulnerability. It can connect us to the essence of our humanity. 

Lost Generation - sold

Oil on canvas, 10"x8"

Portrait of a moody flapper in a cafe. I experimented with using cooler, bluer colors than usual for the flesh tones in this painting. I wanted to imply her ghostly pallor and the smoky haze of a bar back in the day. 

Perhaps she's waiting for a date who's late or thinking about the boy who never came back from the war. Or maybe she's just wondering what she lost in herself and how she ended up here. I've always been fascinated by the Lost Generation, the seemingly dissolute and world-weary survivors of the Great War who partied their way through Europe in the 1920s. This girl could be Lady Brett Ashley or Nicole Diver, those enigmatic and compelling characters created by Hemingway and Fitzgerald, the feminine personifications of that confused, hedonistic era. These memorable women weren't the most admirable in literature but the flawless seldom haunt.

Reclining Nude in Bed - sold

Oil on canvasboard, 5"x7"

This figure study captures the direction and movement of morning light on a reclining nude. I don't normally crop figures this way but I like how it emphasizes the angles and shapes. I also enjoyed observing the light and shadows both on the figure and in the light and dark areas of the bed and background. I like how it turned out. I think the closer focus on the figure allows for more detail at the same time it creates bolder shapes which gives this small painting great presence.

Flapper in a Cloche Hat - sold

Oil on gessoboard panel, 8"x6"

There is a certain intensity to this girl. She's a bit fierce. This may be a result of the slickness of the board surface that results in the paint strokes keeping a certain edge. This makes for a bold look that's a bit different from my work on canvas. I'm not sure I have complete control of the paint on this surface yet but I like some of the accidental results.

Portrait of a Blonde Flapper - sold

Oil on canvas, 10"x8"

Although she's decidedly a girl of the 1920s, while painting this one she started to remind me a bit of Botticelli's Madonnas. The Cestello Annunciation in particular...maybe something about her golden hair and sweet but uncertain expression. So I went with a hint of Renaissance colors in the coral red of her outfit and the faded blue of the background. 

Viewing Mary Cassatt - sold

Oil on hardboard panel, 7"x5"

I was taken by the sight of this art lover at the National Gallery of Art in DC viewing Mary Cassatt's "Little Girl in a Blue Armchair". Her yellow jacket was a bright note with the blue of the painting. I also like how this woman, the little girl, and the dog look like they're just hanging out. 

I always think of Degas' "Mary Cassatt at the Louvre" when I visit art museums, so doing a painting of someone looking at a Cassatt works for me on many levels. I feel fortunate to live right across the river from Washington DC where there is an abundance of world class art museums, most of which are free. I can think of few things that have been of greater benefit to me as an artist than being able to pop into the National Gallery whenever I want to study the Impressionist's paint strokes or simply gaze in awe at the Vermeers. Yes, our metro system is old and currently sucks, and DC isn't exactly Paris...but it is packed with treasures. 

Portrait of a Girl in Pink - sold

Oil on harboard panel, 7"x5"

Experimenting with mood, expression and color combinations. Trying to create a completely new painting frequently is quite a challenge but I love when I find it taking me in different directions.

Man in a Hot Tub - sold

Oil on hardboard panel, 10"x8"

This painting is a combination of figure study and portrait with a water element...several things I really enjoy. The movement of the water was a great challenge to paint, as was the wet skin and hair. There's something calming yet lively about this painting.

Man at the Beach - sold

Oil on hardboard panel, 7"x5"

Another beach study, this time a man walking in brilliant turquoise water. I love this one because the water looks so warm and inviting. I really got into the wet skin reflections and I was pleased that my brushstrokes stayed distinct and spontaneous.

Woman in the Waves - sold

Oil on gessoboard panel, 7"x5"

I like the hesitant quality of this woman's stance as she looks out at the water. The water might be a bit cold or the waves look a little rough and she's just not ready to dive in. I also enjoyed that first day at the beach sunburn on her shoulders which pops against the cool tones of the foam and contrasts with her still-pale lower half. I'd be quite happy to be sunburned on a warm beach right now.