Eliana Camille

I have been painting portraits of Eliana Camille every now and then since the day she was born.  This is the third in the series and depicts her at the age of four.  She was cuddling her teddy bear while waiting for her aunt's wedding to commence.  It was a very special day for all of us and I caught Eliana in this tender moment of reverie before the festivities began.  

The name "Eliana" derives from the Hebrew, literally translated means "God has answered me." It is composed of three Hebrew elements: "El" meaning GOD; "Ana" meaning ANSWERED; and the "Yud" located in her name after "El" meaning first person possession.

Oils on canvas. 8" x 10". 2014.

Isaac underpainting

Isaac

I love all the little children in my neighborhood and Isaac is one of my favorites. I decided to paint his portrait as a gift this year for his parents.  

I thought it might be interesting to describe a bit of my technique, so I have included a photo of the under painting along with the final product. 

I began with a thin wash of color over the surface of the canvas using a light warm tone - in this case cadmium red.  Then I roughed in the shape of the head using more cadmium red, mixing in titanium white and burnt umber to establish shapes and the composition as well as lights and darks.  The paint was very fluid at this time and I easily moved shapes around until I was satisfied.  I added some yellow ochre to rough in his hair. I don't usually a do a drawing first.  I prefer to just work mass and color with the paint brush on the canvas rather than lines.

I then let the painting rest for a day or so before moving on to the actual painting of the subject.  When I came back to the painting I saw it with new eyes and made a few changes to the composition and colors.  I prefer to work the whole canvas at first rather than just one segment at a time.  Every artist has their way of doing things and this is a little bit of what I do when painting with oils.

Oils on canvas. 10" x 12". 2014.

Crossing Over

I was devastated when my husband suddenly passed away of a massive heart attack in 2005.  I felt a profound emptiness in my soul that immobilized me making it difficult to do even the simplest of tasks. . .including painting.  One day, months later, I felt the urge to pick up my brushes again and painted this painting.  The figure in the front of the boat is my beloved husband, Bill.  Behind him, the golden figure is an angel rowing him away from the big sea surf through quieter waters to a new shore.  "Grief can destroy you -- or focus you." Early on in my grief I strongly felt that my Bill wanted me to make it . . .to live on treasuring the time we had together, but also to recognize and embrace the sanctity and preciousness of each present moment. Life is a gift!  And I believe living life to it's fullest is what he would want me to do.

Acrylic. 16"x20". Quote by Dean Koontz. 2005.

"If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced."
 -Vincent Van Gogh

"We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we cannot do for ourselves."

The opposite is also true ~ "God will not do for us what we can do for ourselves. . ." although He will give us the power and strength to carry out His will

September Mourning

This is one of my favorite places to go - especially when I need to sort things out, unwind, find peace if peace is to be found in this crazy world.  I've been going here for years to just sit and look at the boats.

So, it is no surprise that I came here during the days following the attacks on 9-11, 2001. Our country was on high alert, no planes were flying, thousands had died, nobody knew what to expect. We were all in shock.  So, I came here and found that even though the world was spinning out of control, skies were ominous and it was unclear what would happen next. . .that my peaceful place was intact, unchanged except for a lone American flag flying at half mast on one of the sailboats.

Watercolor. 16"x20". 2001.

Winter Reflections

Solitude is not something you must hope for in the future. Rather, it is a deepening of the present, and unless you look for it in the present you will never find it.
~Thomas Merton

Oil on Canvas. 10"x20". 2007.

Reclining Cat

Languidly reclining, but still alert. Cats are amazing creatures.  At times their bodies are so limp when you pick them up it feels as if they have no bones at all...and other times they instantly spring into action leaping to the top of a fence effortlessly.  It is as if they practice Zen breathing in and out, following their breath, they really get into it and begin to purr with abandon.  As I sit listening to my cat purring, it transports me away from my fears and worries to a place of deep peace and contentment.  Purring cats have been used as 'therapy animals' for a variety of purposes. . .to lower blood pressure and to reduce depression and anxiety and have a calming effect on children with autism or other physical or emotional problems. Purring cats who position themselves over a painful area on a human can reduce a person’s discomfort through the vibrations of their purring.  And, of course, the purring makes the cat feel better too.

Watercolor. 11"x14". 2004.