Woman in a Garden - sold

Oil on canvas, 16"x12"

This painting features a woman in long white gown in a rose garden. Inspired by the Pre-Raphaelites, I love evocative figures within beautiful landscapes that celebrate the feminine and suggest a story. This is an impressionistic, richly textured painting with thick impasto strokes in the flowing gown and the flowers. Romantic and mysterious, she's in a world of her own.

I've always loved gardens and flower gardening, especially old-fashioned roses with their soft, abundant petals. I think their nostalgic appearance amplifies the timeless feeling I seek and I enjoyed combining my interests in this painting.

Buy on Etsy

Portrait of a Pensive Flapper - sold

Oil on canvas, 10"x8"

This a portrait of a young woman sporting a version of the Eton Crop, an androgynous hairstyle that gained popularity in the 1920s. Cropped or bobbed hair was a startling departure from the uniformly long hair and elaborate hairdos that women had worn throughout history and a major statement for a rebellious generation. While no doubt many of these women were just following a trend, I like to think of those who were genuinely hoping to break free of gender restrictions and have the same opportunities for self determination and expression as men. I painted this girl in vivid colors to match her bold dreams.

Portrait Study of a Young Woman - sold

Oil on Canvas, 12"x9"

In this study I wanted to work on a classic portrait while exploring cool skin tones and loose brushwork. I found some lovely violets and blues in this portrait of a beautiful dark haired girl with almost translucent skin. The result is a portrait in a contemporary realist style with a lively surface quality and casual elegance.

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.

Portrait of a French Girl - sold

Oil on hardboard panel, 8"x6"

This is another of my portraits of imaginary people from the past. Don't ask me why she's French, that just seemed to come to mind as I was painting her. She was a difficult girl to paint, elusive, challenging, different. The paint didn't want to stay where I put it on the board but it created some interesting effects. She was painted in one very long session and the slippery quality of the paint made the brushwork rather distinct. It's an unusual look but I decided to go with it. The colors didn't blend quite like I'm used to but it retained a fresh, wet appearance even after drying.

As she emerged from the chaos of the painting she brought to mind smokey Parisian cafes, red wine and existentialist conversations. Mysterious, with a hint of deep passions, I could imagine a girl like this holding the attention of the Lost Generation.