New Possibilities

After being able to take classes with Mark Andres over the winter and spring, I have been able to return to my work with fresh eyes and honed skills. One of the things that I was encouraged to do in my classes was to create preparatory sketches for my paintings by making collages. By doing this I was able to simplify the shapes and work out color and compositional questions. Here are a few examples of the collages I made followed by the finished painting.

Collage Sketch for Qualms 10"x7"

"Qualms" Acrylic on panel. 16"x11.25"

Collage Sketch for Those Were Pearls That Were Her Eyes 8"x7.75"

"Those Were Pearls That Were Her Eyes" Acrylic on canvas. 66"x60"

Collage Sketch for Commission 9"x9"

Commission. Acrylic on panel. 12"x12"

Collage Sketch for Commission 6"x8"

Commission. Acrylic on panel. 27"x36"

When I showed some of my collage work at my last exhibit at In Bocca al Lupo Fine Art in September, the response was so positive that I have decided to put more work into the collages and produce some as finished, salable pieces of art. Here is an example of my latest work in progress: 

Collage Study. Painted paper on board. 20"x10"

A Portland Exhibition at East Bank Commerce Center

It is has been a year of transitions for me. Now that my life has calmed to a more pleasurable pace, transitions are now manifesting in my painting! I have been taking time to luxuriate in my open ended schedule, to take classes and practice my craft. So although I am painting more than ever, I have not been creating very much finished work ready to show. However, some of my paintings will be making a rare Portland appearance during the month of May at The East Bank Commerce Center at 1001 SE Water St, Portland.

This is the building that happens to house the popular Clark Lewis restaurant. So why not stop there and indulge in a great dinner or a stunning happy hour this May. While you are there, be sure to use the bathroom, because if you do you cannot miss seeing my paintings in the lobby of the building! Many of the paintings have never been shown in Portland before, and there will even be a few new ones.

Keep your eyes open, for I will be having a show of completely new work next September at In Bocca al Lupo Gallery in Milwaukie, Oregon.
have one small show coming up next month. As many of you know, I frequently exhibit in regions outside the Portland area, such as Astoria, Roseburg, and The Dalles. But during the month of May my paintings can be seen at

Learning Again

Since my last post "Back to Basics" I have continued to practice and improve my craft as well as experiment with new subject matter. In the course of it I have started to take a painting class. My husband says "Why do you want to take a painting class? You're already a good painter." And I say, "Because I want to be a better painter!"
The class I am taking is taught by Mark Andres, an artist, filmmaker and teacher I greatly admire. The class goes from 9am to 4pm every Friday, and has a live model. Here are some of the paintings I have done in this class so far.

If you are interested in Mark Andres' work, here are the addresses to his two websites:
Paintings: www.paintingintime.com
Films: www.kinographicnovels.com