Celeste 16x20 Acrylic

Beth Painting 11x14 Acrylic

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This painting is from an outing with students. I liked the way Beth was sitting on her foot, painting, oblivious to everything but her work.

Kelly 11x14 Acrylic

This was painted last night at acrylic class. It was a 3 hour pose, but I reached this point in 2 hours and a fellow artist said it was pure poetry, so I left the building for a while so I wouldn't go back into it and paint the poetry out of it.

Peaceful Afternoon 16x20 Acrylic

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Working outside all afternoon, the conditions changed constantly from sunny to cloudy and back to sunny again. It made for interesting light dancing on the water.

Arleen 16x20 Acrylic

From life drawing class last night in Davenport, Iowa.

Trish 16x20 Acrylic

Every once in a while, a painting comes along that, when upon completion, makes one stop and wonder how each step came in line to bring about the finished work. This is such a painting for me. It was painted in a 3 hour life drawing session. It approaches what I want to accomplish in my art.

Mary 16x20 Acrylic

Mary sat before a group of students during a painting demostration.

Nancy's Rose 36x48 Acrylic

This month, I have been working really big. This painting was a battle in the making, but it was still fun. Not for Sale

Hallie's Rose 36x48 Acrylic

This painting is a far cry from my usual paintings in both subject and size. But it was a lot of fun to paint. I loved working so big after working relatively small for a long time. Not for sale.

Natalie 16x20 Acrylic

This is from life drawing last night at Bucktown.

Brown Dress 16x20 Acrylic

I love working before the live model. You have to stay focused. Color and brushes moving rapidly to cover the canvas because time is running, and soon the moment will be ending.

The Poet 8x10 Acrylic

The model for this painting is a literature professor at a local college. She is also a poet. It suits her. The poetry is evident in her expressions.

View From My Studio 6x8 Acrylic

Black Dress 6x8 Acrylic

What I love most about painting the figure are the beautiful lines and subtle detail. There are minor changes in the contour of the figure that add nobility to the form. When missed, the figure really has an incomplete quality.

Thoughtful Moment 16x20 Acrylic

This young lady posed during the Tuesday evening class at Bucktown Galleries.

Country Lane 8x10 Acrylic

In The Studio 16x20 Acrylic

I have had a hankering to work on a larger scale. So I am feeding my hankering.

Max 18x24 Acrylic

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This is the finished version of the preliminary study posted earlier.

Out Of The Darkness 11x14 Acrylic

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When I was seventeen 22x28 Oil

As I was going through my mother's belongings, I found this painting tucked away. I painted it when I was seventeen, in the infancy stages of my painting. I think all artists evolve pretty much the same. We begin as cameras, reproducing every leaf, every rock, every tiny detail. As we progress, we realize we are not cameras, but poets. Then the artistic journey really begins.

Funny, I remember exactly where I painted this and the silly high school tramas that were going on at the time. I was painting with oils here. The allergies didn't hit me until years later.

Peace 8x10 Acrylic

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I was driving through the small town of Port Byron, when, there they were, in public, on top of a fountain a few steps from the Mississippi River, kissing each other right on the lips. Shocking! Seriously, it was a gray day, so I added some notes of pure color here and there.

Afternoon Nap 11x14 Acrylic

This is a quick study from life.

Sand Bar 8x10 Acrylic

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I traveled upriver yesterday and stood on the banks of the Mississippi River. There was this strange looking sand bar just off the pier. I don't know what caused this design, but I was taken by the abstract quality. Nature is a great teacher.

Fields Of Gold 9x12 Acrylic

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I want to continue to explore landscape painting. Many, many paintings are required in any particular genre to discover your likes and dislikes. All painting is an exploration, a search to find what is meaningful on the painting surface.

Andy 11x14 Acrylic

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This is the final painting. After blocking in the color, I work throughout the painting refining drawing, values, color and edges. There is a lot going on in the background here, so the challenge was to make sure the figure was not overpowered. I think it works because of a few strong horizontals and the kind of an X composition.

Sunset Marina 8x10 Acrylic

I was drawn to this scene because of the overall abstract design. When painting plein-aire, there is so much to take in. It can be dizzying. But that is the challenge of painting. To make comprehensible all that we see before us. Actually, this is the purpose of painting for me.

Approaching Storm 11x14 Acrylic

 As I was painting this view, the Mississippi River was just a few feet behind me. I was so intent on working, I was startled three times by people looking over my shoulder. Maybe people should wear bells so they can't sneak up on you.

Dusk 8x10 Acrylic

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I really enjoyed working quickly in the challenge of the changing light as the sun was going down. The necessity of simplicity and sponaneity. The energy is embedded into the canvas.

Michelle 2 (Sketch) Acrylic 16 x 20

Another quick study of Michelle.

Charity

Charity has been my beloved companion for the last 15 years. Last night, she passed away in my arms after a short illness. My brother always said she acts more like a dog than a cat. Always running to greet me when I came in the door. Never far when working in the studio. I don't believe we know one half of one per cent about anything, but I know God is love and He loves His creation. In the end, I think that is really all we need to know.