More Dog Walk Paintings

Irises have truely been my favorite floral subject inspired by my morning walks with Noel. For the past two years they have come up abundantly along my next door neighbor's fence and have been a blessing to pass by each day. Noel and I look forward to Spring when the irises will grace our morning travels again. The scene will have a new look as our neighbor painted his fence a light yellow this summer. It will be interesting. These two paintings were the result of 2007's growing season.

Purple Bearded Irises #1
12 x 24 inches
acyrlic on canvas

Purple Bearded Irises #2
12 x 24 inches
acyrlic on canvas

The Dog Walk Paintings

No matter the weather outside, Noel insists on going on a walk every morning. Noel is a three year old dog, part border collie part, great Pyrenees, weights about 75 pounds and is mostly white except for her face which has the typical border collie coloring.

On our walks, Noel goes about marking spots, checking out mailboxes and doing her business. I, on the other hand, take this time to communicate with God. It is my time to reflect on the blessings he has given me, to confess my shortcomings, and to ask for guidance for the day.

Sometimes during our walks God blesses me with a beautiful vision of his glory in the form of nature. During the spring, I am blessed with the sprouting of tulips and irises, in the summer roses and zinnias, in the fall the trees give magnificent leaves, and in the winter the architecture of the trees. I am often inspired to put these visions on canvas.

Special Delivery, A Gift for the Postman is one of these blessings. One day Noel and I traveled down a street which we don't usually take during our morning walks. There I saw a mailbox arrayed with a beautiful clematis vine in full bloom. One special bloom was bursting out of the mailbox reaching for the sky. We walked on this street each day for about two weeks, just to see the glorious site. And then it was gone, the flowers faded away, but I have it on canvas to remember those days.

"Special Delivery: A Gift for the Postman"
24 x 36 inches
acrylic on canvas

Available

The Tulip Garden #2

The painting is a study of the effects of light and shadow on the tulips and the creeping flox. The sunlight, white and clear, bleaches the center tulips of most of their color, and the trees in the background are throwing dark shadows on the foreground and background flowers.

The Tulip Garden #2
24 x 36 inches
acyrlic on canvas
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Palette Knife Paintings

While most of my work is strictly brushwork, occasionally I get the hankering to apply the paint with a palette knife. I absolutely love the texture created with the knife. I love to feel the paintings after they are completed. They are so touchable. My most recent palette knife paintings are of sunflowers.

"Sunflower #4"
12 x 24 inches
acrylic on canvas

Close up photos of details.

Happy New Year! 2008

It's time to take a moment to reflect on the past year's work and make an inventory. I thougth I might share my favorite paintings from the past year.

This painting was actually completed in 2006, but it is one of my favorites. These purple blossoms were growing along my next door neighbor's fence. One Spring morning as I walked my dog, Noel, I admired the beauty of the deep-purple draping petals and the delicacy of the lighter purple upward reaching petals.

"Irises Along the Fence"
30" x 40"
acrylic on canvas


I thank God for the vision of these beautiful flowers growing along the fence, the privilege of walking my dog each morning, and the inspiration to put these blossoms on canvas.

December Commissioned Paintings

During December I completed two commissioned paintings. I alway love to paint sunflowers, so when I was asked to create a smaller version of another sunflower painting, I couldn't wait to get started.

Sunflower #6
8” x 16”
acrylic on canvas

Although you can't see it here, the painting is very textured. Palette knife and scrumbling techniques are used to enhance the texture of the petals and leaves.

Autumn in Pennsylvania
16" x 20"
acrylic on canvas

This painting is from a photo taken by the client at Lackawanna State Park in Waverly, Pennsylvania. It reminded me of the views of landscapes from my own childhood growing up in Tennessee.

O Come, Let Us Adore Him

This painting is a combination of two scenes from the nativity: the shepherds and wise men coming to adore and worship the baby Jesus.

11 x 14 acrylic on canvas