Outward Bound

Often, I am asked  if my paintings are done plein air. While I have  painted at various times in the past in plein air, (Arizona, Savannah, Europe, and locally) I now have little interest in working in the environment. Most of my paintings are done from photos that I take. After moving to a urban area, I have a passion to record what I experience, with the scene often lasting a few seconds. My process? Record the image, download to my computer and then start adjusting the composition-I am constantly trying to move beyond my photo-Outward bound is an example-I started with the red car-decided yellow would be better, and adjusted the color of Union Station. After developing the painting, I decided to add the two figures between the cars-I think this improves the composition. I am satisfied? I am never completely satisfied. I don’t think painting is easy and am constantly working to improve. If it were easy, I would be bored.

Plaza Traffic

I keep being drawn back to the Plaza in the rain. I love the colors of the evening.

The Red Umbrella

I had a photo that I took on the Plaza-started this painting out in Scottsdale-Ned Mueller suggested I change the figure from a black umbrella and brown raincoat to a red umbrella and use more ochre in the raincoat;when I returned home I used his suggestion  to paint a larger painting. I think it works much better-always am learning!

Plaza Evening

A new painting of the Plaza-this was the one time during the Chritmas holidays that it rained. I love the colors on the pavement. Planned to do a painting with snow on the Plaza, but there was no snow this year.

Theater, Crown Center Evening

In the summer, I took photos of children playing in the fountains at Crown Center. I was interested in the colors that the lighting gave to the figures. It made for great theater and the children obviously agreed.

Fall, St. Joseph's River

Recently I have finished a small painting from a visit in October to Niles, Michigan. The river was beautiful in late day and on returning to Kansas City, decided to do a small painting from a photo; It is really an oil sketch, done very quickly. Ned Mueller told me to paint faster than I would like and set a deadline-that way I would not be caught in detail. Thanks Ned!

Blind Jim, Halloween

Jim, the blind man who frequents You Say Tomatoes, loves to dress in costumes. I saw him on Halloween in his costume and he agreed to my painting a picture of him. I wish he could see the results.
Randy, at You Say Tomatoes, tells me that when Jim comes in,often, he takes people over to see the painting. Someone had him stand under the painting and she took his picture with the painting. It has created a sensation!