Weekend Watercolors

Harbor View - Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games

2010-02-28T18:43:00.000-08:00

This is the third and final painting in a series of watercolors I painted for my clients for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. This was the favorite painting in the series. I painted this before I arrived in Vancouver, and when I actually saw this spot in person, I realized I exaggerated the rings a bit. They are not quite this large in real life. But, it is art, so I am allowed to make some interpretations, right?

I enjoyed walking along the harbor on several nights, as my work days were long and a daytime walk was never possible. I love that the city had a safe, beautiful place to walk at night, since that was my best opportunity to take in some sites.

Olympic Closing Ceremonies Tonight

2010-02-28T18:29:00.000-08:00

This is the second piece I created for my clients for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games. The rings light up the harbor at night. It really gets you in the spirit of the Games seeing this at night. I ended up having a similar view our my window of my hotel.

The Olympics in Vancouver, BC - BC Place

2010-02-23T23:22:00.000-08:00

I wanted to paint some Olympic themed images of Vancouver for my clients prior to my trip to the Olympics to assist with the execution of a sponsor program. I struggled to find the iconic images that were so easy to compose in my Summer Olympic series surrounding the Beijing Olympics. Since I painted Beijing's "Birds Nest" stadium, I thought painting BC Place would be a complimentary image. Wrong! Its a dome. I feel bad saying it, but this is not an architectural marvel. I do not look at this and wonder in amazement how it was made. Rather, I wonder in amazement why it was made.

Stay tuned for some other Vancouver Olympic themed work I did. I was dissatisfied with the result of this painting, so I kept trying!

The Astor's Beechwood

2009-12-03T08:22:00.000-08:00

I love this property. I remember visiting the Astor's Beechwood (www.astorsbeechwood.com) as a little girl and taking the tour --led by actors in period costume-- with my family. I remember standing in the front of the group, eagerly following our guide through all the rooms of this lovely mansion. I truly believe my childhood trip to the Astor's Beechwood sparked my interest in museums, and in turn my studies in college.

I started this painting over the summer, and have carried it around in my paint kit for some time. I wrote previously that I struggle painting white buildings, and this neutral color was also a challenge for the same reason.

2009-11-01T08:17:00.000-08:00

It's Halloween. Can you guess what we decided to be?

iPhones!

Our costumes were a big hit, and I carefully painted each app! Unlike most of my other work, I painted the apps that made up our costumes using acrylic paints on reclaimed fabric. You may also notice the fabric "puff paint" I used in the Yelp app to add some dimension and shine. I wanted to make a homemade costume that was current, relevant, and inexpensive to produce, but once I started painting 40 apps, I realized I set myself up for a complicated project. It took more time then I anticipated, but everything was completed in time for the big weekend. In the photo above, we are posing in front of a Mondrian at SfMOMA's Curiosities Party. Thanks to Celestine for the photo.

2009-10-12T08:28:00.000-07:00

The Contemporary Jewish Museum www.thecjm.org in downtown San Francisco is located in a lovely courtyard area in the center of the block bounded by Market, Mission, 3rd, and 4th. I love walking down Yerba Buena alley and passing by this monument when I going through this part of town. I would love to paint this building again in different lighting or from a slightly different angle. We'll see... there is so much I want to paint!

2009-08-07T12:13:00.000-07:00

This building, 2008 Washington Street, is just up the street from me. I love walking by here and imagining I called this place home. It is next door to Danielle Steele's house, the old Sprekels Mansion, and across from Lafayette Park.

2009-08-07T11:56:00.000-07:00

I feel like my art is very safe, so I am trying to push the envelope a little. This is a place on Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco that I walk past every day. It is not the prettiest or most well composed landscape I have painted, but I wanted something that was an urban landscape in its most natural state.

2009-07-16T12:11:00.000-07:00

Many a calorie has been gained at this delectable little seafood shack. Red's Eats is a Wiscasset, Maine staple. This place is not far from my family's summer cabin, so it is a favorite place to stop to consume part of my annual allotment of "lobstah rolls" and whoopee pies.

I enjoyed painting this work because of the candycane striped awning, the challenge of the lettering, and the people. I often avoid painting people, but I can handle painting them from the back.

I named my art business "I Was Here" because I enjoy painting the places I visit. With this painting, I had a tickle of happiness each time I pulled the painting out to work on it. I love looking at this and remembering a funny moment last summer. On a dare, my mother pretended to toss my precious lobster roll (which we waited in line a while to get) into the water. My baby nephew slept beside me in his stroller and my sister and brother-in-law broke into laughter. It was a lovely moment as the sun went down and we ate until we were full. This painting brought me back there each time I worked on it. I was here.

2009-06-21T18:30:00.000-07:00

This is the Paul Barret Jr. Library at Rhodes College (http://www.rhodes.edu/) as seen from the Kappa Sigma house front lawn. I am a Rhodes alum, so this was a natural pick for my next watercolor subject. The library was constructed after I graduated, but I snapped the source photos for this when I was visiting for Homecoming.

2009-06-21T18:11:00.000-07:00

1969 Rolls Royce Cornishe. Probably my last car painting for a while, but it was a fun trying something different.

2009-06-13T18:20:00.000-07:00

People are always really surprised to hear that I often paint on planes. Whenever I fly, painting with my field watercolor kit is my favorite activity to keep me occupied. Above are two recent photos. The first is in a first class seat, and the second is in coach. It works in both!

Painting at home can be distracting. On the plane, there are never disrupting phone calls. The blackberry is off- so no emails to worry about. I don't even have to get up to get water as the flight attendants bring it to the seat. The tray table works just fine as a work space, and it cleans up easily. The cocktail napkins they pass out with the pretzels work better then a paper towel for blotting. The ipod and fancy headphones clear out the noise of the plane, and I am off in my own little world.

2009-06-13T17:08:00.000-07:00

This is the exterior of Hop Kiln Winery in Sonoma (www.hopkilnwinery.com). I tried a different technique here- the use of watercolor pencils. I have resolved to stick with my brushes, but it was a fun experiment.

2009-06-13T15:47:00.000-07:00

Now for something completely different...
In 2005, my husband and I took a trip to Italy. While in Venice, I snapped a picture of these street performers and I have had the photo in my "inspiration" file ever since. So, this one is for Venice Carnival lovers... for people who love the masks they sell along the winding streets in Venice.

2009-06-12T22:20:00.000-07:00

Philips Hill Estates (www.phillipshillestates.com) in Anderson Valley just moved into this charming historic building. Toby, the wine maker, is an artist, too. I love his work-- which is abstract, and the total opposite of mine. I will send a copy of this little painting along to Toby, though, to commemorate his new space!

2009-06-10T12:36:00.000-07:00

This painting is of Chateau St. Jean in Sonoma www.chateaustjean.com. I tried to keep the painting light, quirky and imperfect, and with just a few playful shadows. The winery has a lush lawn and I wanted to capture that as much as the building.

2009-06-02T10:17:00.000-07:00

This is the front door to my grandparent's home when I was growing up. It no longer is their home, and it is no longer red... this was more of a sentimental piece.

2009-05-27T07:17:00.000-07:00

I adore the swimming pool at the Montage in Laguna Beach http://www.montagelagunabeach.com/. This is one of my all-time favorite properties. I love the subtle colors of the lodge interiors, the landscaping, the views, and this amazing pool. I even love their branding- their logo is a little gilded framed painting. What's not to love?

2009-05-26T21:55:00.000-07:00

Franciscan Winery (www.franciscan.com) in Napa. I am pleased with how the glass came out. I tried to capture the late afternoon sun setting in the color on the glass and the shadows.

2009-05-26T21:39:00.000-07:00

Here is the second painting from the Jacuzzi Winery www.jacuzziwines.com in Sonoma. Between the time I started this painting and completed it, the winery added the blue awning and the plants grew (a lot). I noticed the awning when I did a google images search of the winery, just to check on a few details as I painted. Although I have not been to Jacuzzi since its new blue awning was added, I decided to paint it in anyway. I think it is funny when the buildings change as I am painting them. The painting of the Amelia Payson Bed and Breakfast, for example, is not longer accurate as the shutters have changed color. I also have a painting coming of my grandmother's old house, which was painted a different color after she moved. There are several others that have changed.

2009-05-18T19:30:00.000-07:00

Summer cabin at Westport Island, Maine.

2009-05-18T11:29:00.000-07:00

This is another painting I created as a client gift. This is a vintage Rolls Royce Silver Cloud. The car paintings are getting a positive response, so you may see more soon.

2009-05-06T10:35:00.000-07:00

The Jacuzzi Winery www.jacuzziwines.com in Sonoma has a lovely stone building that houses a tasting room on one side and an olive press on the other. I have another Jacuzzi painting in the works, so watch for another view of the building soon. This is precisely the style of painting that I feel would work well as a retail opportunity in the winery's tasting room. Imagine it imprinted on reusable cotton lunch bags or tea towels. Feel free to post your thoughts.

2009-05-03T20:38:00.000-07:00

This is the outside view of Chapel of the Holy Cross (www.chapeloftheholycross.com) in Sedona, Arizona. Painting red rocks is a challenge. If you look back at my Broadmoor Hotel paintings, you can see how I used a different style for the rocks this time. I am employing the "wash" technique in a patchwork to create the look of the red rocks.

2009-05-03T15:21:00.000-07:00

We visited Chapel of the Holy Cross (www.chapeloftheholycross.com) in Sedona, Arizona last year. I wanted to paint it as soon as I saw it. This is a view of the chapel interior, and my nextpost will feature the exterior.

2009-04-24T21:06:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite paintings I have done recently. I am really pleased with the way the red rose vine came out, and with the vivid colors over all.

This is the tasting room at Husch www.huschvineyards.com in Anderson Valley. At Husch, the property is wonderful, the wines are tasty, and the staff is so nice... so when I look back at this painting, I have that feel-good "I was here" experience I strive to give people who look at my art.

2009-04-24T14:48:00.000-07:00

This little shed is beside the Squire Tarbox Inn http://www.squiretarboxinn.com/, a lovely B&B in Westport Island, Maine.

2009-04-17T14:18:00.000-07:00

This is the front of the Pellegrini Family Winery http://www.pellegrinisonoma.com/ in Sonoma. The heavy shadow cast on the building by its own roof line reminded me of the painting I did of the facade of the Broadmoor Hotel (read down in the blog to the 2005 entries).

2009-04-17T14:10:00.000-07:00

This is the Squire Tarbox Inn www.squiretarboxinn.com/ in Westport Island, Maine. I love this property since my family has a home just down the road.

2009-04-17T09:57:00.000-07:00

This painting is a little different from some of my others as I have not painted a scene seen through a window before. There are two inspirations for this work.

I snapped a source photo for this piece in downtown San Francisco a few years ago. It was before we moved to California, so I was taken by all the designer shops around Union Square. I like the source photo, but it has some imperfections which I tried to paint away in this piece.

The second inspiration is Ward Schumaker www.warddraw.com. Ward illustrated the Spring/Summer 2008 Hermès catalog and there was an article about it in the San Francisco Chronicle. I devoured the article, and dreamed that Hermès or some other fabulous designer label would call me one day to illustrate their collection.

When I thought about Ward Schumaker's work, and used my Hermès storefront source photos, this painting came to life.

2009-04-12T22:58:00.000-07:00

A few years ago at my sister's Harvard graduation, this little child was running around outside the tent where commencement took place. I know I should have been intently listening to all the speeches and the pomp of the ceremony, but I could not get over the little girl's precious raw silk ensemble. I snapped a few pictures.

I was reviewing some of my old photos recently and I decided this one needed to be painted.

2009-03-30T23:05:00.000-07:00

Today I completed this painting of St. Francis Winery http://www.stfranciswine.com/. You can see a great shot of this building on their website home page, so take a look at the link.

While I was making this, I was unhappy with the color of the tower, but I glazed it with a china white paint at the end, and I am pleased with the final look. I am sure that is just awful and trained watercolor artists are cringing at reading this... but the white wash did the trick! I was also unsure about the shadows as I painted, but stepping back, I think they work.

Enjoy!

2009-03-19T21:10:00.000-07:00

I painted this to use as a client gift for customers of a vintage car service.

There are two versions of the painting. The first I did in about 15 minutes. I came back to the painting at night and added more color and more detail. The car is a 1953 Rolls Royce Silver Wraith.

It is my first attempt at painting a car. It was fun to paint, so watch for more cars.

2009-02-23T12:54:00.000-08:00

I just love the Hotel Del Coronado (http://www.hoteldel.com/). Ever since my family stayed there for Christmas in 1999, the property has always held a special place in my heart. Furthermore, since I love all things Victorian, the iconic red roof is something I am sure I will paint again.

2009-02-23T10:02:00.000-08:00

This is a side view of one of the many roof lines at the Hotel Del Coronado (www.hoteldel.com). The Hotel Del has so many interesting views to paint, I could see myself doing a residence there and never running out of vistas.

2009-02-22T23:49:00.000-08:00

I completed this painting on a plane. As I have mentioned it before, I often paint while I am flying. I wanted to try something different, so I did this Asian-inspired painting as fast as possible. It is not my normal style since I created this piece so quickly. I completed this in less than thirty minutes.

2009-02-02T20:40:00.000-08:00

These images are from an illustrative series I just began. I am trying to expand beyond landscapes. My goal is to make playful and light-hearted illustrations of everyday items.

The blender was easier to paint than the teapot.

Coffee anyone?

2009-01-16T00:05:00.000-08:00

For a long time, I wanted to paint Stortorget http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stortorget in Stockholm, Sweden. I sketched it from a photograph sometime in the spring of '08, then carried the sketch around in my watercolor travel kit for months. I finally revisted the sketch and added the colors over the Christmas holiday. I am trying to paint more scenes from Stockholm to add to my collection, so watch for more soon.

I love the colors in this painting. I cannot take credit, though! I owe the playful colors to the source. The Gamla Stan area of Stockholm is full of inspiration with bright colors on all the facades.

2009-01-12T23:25:00.000-08:00

I find buildings much easier to paint then people. Nonetheless, I continue to try my hand at having people as the primary subject in my watercolors.

I like how the goulashes came out with the polka dots! I think the pattern makes this painting playful and light-hearted.

2009-01-11T23:36:00.000-08:00

This is a flower shop in Stockholm called Melanders Blommor http://www.melandersblommor.se/. I painted it in part from memory as I did not have a good source photo to work with.

As I worked on this painting, I used the exact same technique in painting the flowers in the windows that I taught myself in middle school when I doodled in my notebooks. I find it amusing that my flowers look almost the same as they did when I drew bouquets up and down the margins of my Mead spiral rings.

I liked working on the rustication on the exterior of the building, so watch for more of that in future subjects.

2009-01-10T23:03:00.000-08:00

This is something very different from my normal style. I am trying out a more illustrative technique. Not as heavy and "worked" as my typical pieces. I hear a lot of positive reactions, though, when I show people this painting.

2009-01-09T00:08:00.000-08:00

These barrels sit outside the tasting room at Unti http://www.untivineyards.com/, a lovely little vineyard in the Dry Creek Valley. The subject and composition are admittedly simple and borderline bland. However, I look at this and my mind wanders to a relaxing Saturday outside the Unti tasting room. Sometimes simplicity is best.

2008-11-19T00:06:00.000-08:00

This is a painting from a street in China. I am trying to paint compositions that are a little different from the norm. I want to steer clear from making every painting a straight-on view of the subject.

2008-11-18T20:42:00.000-08:00

I organized the decor for our church's capital campaign wrap-up luncheon. The theme of the campaign, "forward in faith, together in mission," is written on the cross. These ornaments adorned the centerpieces and doubled as a favor to each guest.

If you are interested in a similar creation for your next event (wedding, holiday party, etc.) drop me a line. I can do any shape while keeping the same basic design.

2008-07-26T00:02:00.000-07:00

This piece is another addition to my collection of Stockholm, Sweden paintings. The source for this scene is a photograph I shot a few blocks from my sister's old apartment. Looking at this brings me right back to that spot- which is really one of the primary reasons why I started watercolor paintings in the first place.

This work took a long time to finish. I put a lot of time into many details, but most notably the cobblestone street.

2008-07-10T23:14:00.000-07:00

This is the Bird's Nest in Beijing, China http://en.beijing2008.cn/venues/nst/. I painted this in preparation for my trip to the 2008 Summer Olympics.

I made several high-grade copies of this and some of my other paintings from the Beijing series to give to my clients when I arrived in Beijing. They were a big hit!

2008-07-09T23:13:00.000-07:00

Wow... the Great Wall of China. I painted this before seeing it in person. This China series was done as a way to get me exciting for the impending trip.

2008-07-09T23:08:00.000-07:00

Servers are briefed prior to their shift at a Chinese restaurant.

2008-07-08T23:44:00.000-07:00

Volunteers for the Games. I painted this prior to my trip to China. I had fun with this one because of the detail. I liked painting the folds in the clothing, the stitching on the jeans, and the hair.

2008-07-08T23:42:00.000-07:00

Herzog & de Meuron's famous Bird's Nest Stadium http://en.beijing2008.cn/venues/nst/ in Beijing. I gave away several copies of this to my friends and clients when I arrived in China for the Olympics and people loved it! However, friends who have seen it outside of the Olympic Games context do not always know what to make of it. I have had a lot of people turn it on its side and say, "oh, is this a butterfly?"

Read more about the Bird's Nest at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beijing_National_Stadium.

2008-07-08T23:06:00.000-07:00

The Great Wall of China.

2008-07-08T23:04:00.000-07:00

This spot is just down the street from my sister's old apartment in Gamla Stan (Old Town), Stockholm, Sweden. The Swedish flag is right above the door to my favorite store in Stockholm. There I have made the most random purchases of vintage and eclectic goods: woven Swedish ribbons by the yard, old classroom posters (think botany, alphabet, Bible stories) from the 1950's, candles, tin stars, hand-made brooms, erasers, bobbins, paper dolls, rulers, stationary, piggy banks, Christmas lights, butter knives.... I could go on and on.

2008-07-06T14:01:00.000-07:00

Old Roma Station in Healdsburg, California is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Generally, I find I struggle to paint white buildings, but this one breaks that trend. I am happy with the way it turned out.

2008-06-29T19:05:00.000-07:00

These are just really fun to paint. It is different then my normal style- but a diversion is always good.

2008-06-14T22:17:00.000-07:00

This is the tasting room for Elizabeth Spencer Wines http://www.elizabethspencerwines.com/ in Rutherford, California. Once upon a time, this charming little building was Rutherford's post office.

2008-06-09T23:21:00.000-07:00

This sits right outside the door to the tasting room at Louis M. Martini http://www.louismartini.com/. It is just a tiny painting, but one of two I did of the winery.

2008-04-05T23:40:00.000-07:00

This is the entrance of the Robert Mondavi Winery www.robertmondaviwinery.com.

2008-01-27T23:21:00.000-08:00

As you walk in to Louis M. Martini Winery http://www.louismartini.com/, this custom gate greets you. It is my first attempt to paint a gate. It is not easy.

2008-01-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

When we visited Whitehall Lane http://www.whitehalllane.com/ the wisteria were in full bloom. It was amazing, and it is something you only experience for a few peak days. The flowers were incredibly fragrant. In this painting, I tried to capture the wisteria, and contrast the purple with the yellow of Whitehall's stucco facade.

2008-01-17T23:19:00.000-08:00

Robert Mondavi Winery www.robertmondaviwinery.com

2007-07-01T00:10:00.000-07:00

The Wortham Center http://www.houstontx.gov/worthamcenter/ in Houston, Texas.

2007-06-04T16:32:00.000-07:00

I used this painting as the decoration for the back of my 2007 Christmas card. I always try to make my own personalized cards. In 2008, I sold this little painting online- one of my first online sales!

My inspiration for this painting was a curtain I saw in a paint colors catalog. It seemed like a cross between a circus tent, a medieval tapestry, and a pennant flag. I thought to add the lettering to the triangles. I have so many of this kind of mini-painting in my mind, but I often forget them before I get brush to paper. If only I had all day to paint!

2007-04-28T23:56:00.000-07:00

This is the Fairmont Turnberry Isle http://www.fairmont.com/turnberryisle/ in Aventura, Florida.

I took the original source photograph on a site inspection of the property prior to a small B2B Summit I planned. Then, while flying to Miami to do the program execution, I created this painting on the plane. It painted up so fast. When I arrived in Miami, I made some color copies on high-quality paper, then framed these up and gave them to my clients as welcome gifts. They were a HUGE success and the account director had me chasing around town making more for other various VIPs attending the event. We framed each one, and had them room delivered, and the people who received them really appreciated the painting as a souvenir from the program.

2007-04-23T23:35:00.000-07:00

The House of Seven Gables http://www.7gables.org/.

2007-04-22T23:34:00.000-07:00

The House of Seven Gables http://www.7gables.org/.

2007-04-03T23:15:00.000-07:00

It was a joy to paint Winterthur http://www.winterthur.org/visiting/visiting.asp. I like buildings that are a complicated color. This one is ochre... sort of... with splashes of green and purple and brown.

2007-04-02T20:36:00.000-07:00

This painting is a close up of The House of Seven Gables in Salem, Massachusetts. This painting really challenged me in terms of color. What color is this building, and how do I capture that on paper?

2007-03-18T22:56:00.000-07:00

2007-03-02T16:15:00.000-08:00

I created this as part of the graphic treatment for everything related to our move to California (think "we have moved" refrigerator magnets, the farewell party invites, farewell party food labels, envelope labels, and of course, our welcome party invites). This one painted up quickly.

I also used it as the theme for a progressive dinner trolley party I organized.

2006-12-20T16:29:00.000-08:00

The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island. I call my line of cards and art-focused souvenirs "I Was Here," but this is a place I can only say "I Was ALMOST Here." First, I had a trip booked to Kiawah just after Christmas one year. The night before the flight, I stepped on a sewing needle and landed in surgery.

The second trip was for business, but because my skills were so needed for a pre-Kiawah meeting in Philadelphia, I ended up missing the flight and just staying in Philly.

2006-12-12T12:45:00.000-08:00

Looking up from one of the back rows of the Basilica of St. Mary's in Minneapolis, I watched the silhouette of David Cherwin as he directed the National Lutheran Choir in the loft. I caught sight of him from a unique angle over the rail of the choir loft, backlit by the rose window. This is one of a very few paintings I have done that features an individual, and also one of just a small grouping of church interiors.

2006-08-28T23:17:00.000-07:00

The House of Seven Gables http://www.7gables.org/ inspired this painting.

The way one is "supposed" to paint with watercolor is to create a wash in the background as the sky. A wash is a thin veil of paint, mostly water and just a touch of paint pushed around on the paper. I did something entirely different- and maybe to an art teacher it might be called wrong. What I did was to build layer upon layer of paint to make the sky. I mostly used blues, and then ended with white paint to do the clouds. I feel kind of guilty when I know what the accepted technique is and I just do not do it that way... but this is just the way I paint sometimes. Don't get me wrong. I make the sky using a wash sometimes. I guess I just do not want to be limited by certain techniques and rules.

2006-07-20T16:22:00.000-07:00

The Wortham Center http://www.houstontx.gov/worthamcenter/ in Houston, Texas. I have happy memories of seeing the ballet with Mom and Dad here. It is a lovely facility.

2006-06-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

This lovely orchid at Longwood Gardens (www.longwoodgardens.org) in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania captivated me. I do not normally paint flowers, but this one seemed almost architectural, so I gave it a try.

2006-06-01T21:21:00.000-07:00

Gamla Stan (Old Town), Stockholm, Sweden

2006-06-01T21:17:00.000-07:00

Gamla Stan (Old Town), Stockholm, Sweden

2006-04-18T23:46:00.000-07:00

This is the grand staircase at Winterthur http://www.winterthur.org/about/period_tours.asp?part=7. I broke the rules of watercolor technique to make these. I used the paint to build up, which is different from how most artists use watercolor. I mixed the paint with just a little water, keeping it thick like a gauche.

These took a long time to paint. I worked on the three paintings simultaneously. I took the source photos using my Canon EOS Digital Rebel SLR. The source photos are shown here. What do you think?

2006-03-18T22:42:00.000-08:00

In Torino, Italy, the bus I was riding in paused for a moment at a stoplight and I took a cursory photo of the Cantine Risso restaurant

http://www.esp.cityvox.com/bonnes-adresses_turin/cantine-risso_31844/ProfilLieu. When I returned home, I used my source photo for this painting.

I love the way the lace turned out.

2006-03-06T13:51:00.000-08:00

Not every painting is a "success" in my point of view. This watercolor was a quick sketch done en plein air on a beach in Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands (http://www.b-v-i.com/JostVanDyke/). I was there for a daytrip with cients, and I broke away for a few moments by myself. I am not sure if it is the cursory speed at which I painted, my unfamiliarity with the terrain, or the challenges of painting water, but I don't count this piece among my favorites. Nonetheless, it reminds me of a beautiful day spent on a pristine beach.

2006-03-02T07:22:00.000-08:00

I was in Torino, Italy for the 2006 Winter Olympic Games. On one of my first mornings in the city, still suffering from jet lag, I awoke very early in the morning. Just a few blocks from my apartment, I walked to the spot I painted here. Looking across the Rive Po, I gazed upon the Church of Santa Maria del Monte dei Cappuccini. I snapped a photo and painted the picture you see here from my photo. Although the two look really different, my painting is a closer reflection of what I remember... the photo came out rather underexposed, but it was a good way to remember the spot so I could paint it later.

When I first saw this church, I didn't realize that it would look so different at night. As part of the Luce d'artista project (http://www.comune.torino.it/artecultura/luciartista/) artist Rebecca Horn (http://www.rebecca-horn.de/) made a ethereal installation called Piccoli Spiriti Blu in the yard around the church. I loved coming to this spot at night and looking up the hill at the blue lights around the church.

2005-08-29T22:09:00.000-07:00

We stayed at the Amelia Payson House (http://www.ameliapaysonhouse.com/) in Salem, Massachussetts. This painting took me almost no time at all... in fact, I did it on the plane flight on the way home.

2005-07-08T22:50:00.000-07:00

I used a photo from our trip to Burano, Italy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burano as the source for this painting. Burano is a quaint village that is famous for fishing and lace making.

This took a really long time to paint. I felt relieved by the time I finished so I could move on to a new subject. My favorite element is the clothing on the line.

2005-06-18T23:10:00.000-07:00

Again, the Broadmoor http://www.broadmoor.com/ is the subject du jour. The property has so many vistas and details that I would love to paint. I could paint that property for weeks and still find variety and inspiration.

This is a close-up of a window. I took the original source photo for this photo using the telephoto lens on my camera to get a good close-up shot of this window detail on the main building. I like the original photo, and I like the painting even more.

2005-04-01T21:26:00.000-08:00

University of Minnesota Law School

2005-02-02T10:12:00.000-08:00

This is one of my all-time favorite paintings. After a stay at the Broadmoor http://www.broadmoor.com/, I was inspired. You can still see the quirks in the painting (sloping roof lines, shadowing isn't perfect) but it still looks somewhat photographic. This is one of the works that really makes me look at the painting and say "I was here"... which is the goal in most of my work.

2005-02-01T21:28:00.000-08:00

The Doral in Miami, Florida.

2004-08-10T23:38:00.000-07:00

Here is the Broadmoor http://www.broadmoor.com/ West Tower. I started this one en plein air and finished later from a photo. People at the hotel stopped and watched as I painted. I did more talking about the painting than actual painting. My popularity that day was definitely an inspiration to seek a job as an artist in residence!

2004-07-06T23:29:00.000-07:00

I painted this from a source photo snapped at our wedding. It was one of my favorite photos taken from the day, captured in black and white. When I painted this, I made up all the colors since the source photo was gray scale.

This was a moment shortly after our wedding ceremony. We were heading down to the beach to take some photographs and Matthew was helping me down the steps.

2004-07-02T22:13:00.000-07:00

The Betsy Ross House (http://www.betsyrosshouse.org/) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania begged for me to paint her. This is the type of building I really enjoy painting. It is small, quirky and charming. I enjoyed painting the bricks, each a different color. Sometimes I am pleased that this painting is not properly proportioned, and other times I am bothered by these imperfections.

2004-01-20T22:40:00.000-08:00

This was one of the first series of hotel paintings I created. This is a quiet little side patio I found while staying at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort. I did this almost entirely en plein air. I often finish my paintings after my trips on the plane on the way home. Seatmates are often amazed that I can paint on a plane, but I find it quite comfortable. The tray table and reading light are the perfect workspace, and I have a small watercolor field box set that fits easily in my laptop bag. The flight attendants are always happy to bring me a small glass of water and a few cocktail napkins for blotting.

2003-01-28T22:48:00.000-08:00

I painted this while staying at Disney's Grand Floridian.

2002-08-18T23:23:00.000-07:00

I went backpacking in Lappland for 10 days. These sketches done en plein air are the residue from my trip.

2002-08-11T23:33:00.000-07:00

From a bluff looking down on the city of Trondheim I painted the Nidaros Catherdral http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nidaros_Cathedral.

The illustrative style of this one reminds me of a children's book I once had.

2002-08-08T23:27:00.000-07:00

Inside the Nidaros Cathedral http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nidaros_Cathedral I sat on a chair in the side aisle and painted this window en situ.

I liked the way this came out, and it gave me confidence to keep trying to paint. You see, I took a painting class in college and it really lowered my confidence in my creative ability. I thought I had a creative side going into the class. The painting class was a real struggle for me and it seemed like nothing I did was good enough. Before the class, I liked painting spontaneously, and suddenly I lost that joy. It became work that I could not seem to do right no matter how hard I tried. It was my lowest grade in college, which was particularly crushing because it took a toll on my otherwise nice GPA.

I was nervous about painting again, but my little Windsor and Newton travel watercolor kit my dad bought for me was the only way to bring some artsy craftiness on my trip abroad.

2002-07-07T16:40:00.000-07:00

After college graduation I did not have a job, so I registered for language immersion classes in Sweden. I spend weekends traveling throughtout Scandinavia by rail. I had plenty of time, but not a lot of money, so I filled my days of tourism with a lot of people watching. I found a lovely little bluff near a church in Oslo, Norway, where I painted this archway. A wedding began and finished while I sat on my perch and painted, watching people come and go. This piece was done en plein air, so the proportions are not perfect. I like looking back at this and thinking about that moment.