Hairy seed pods like this grow on the southern Magnolia tree. The Georgia Tech campus in Atlanta has many of these trees, and that’s where this Magnolia grandiflora fruit was seen. It has a visitor, which the Atlanta Audubon Society tells me is a leaf-footed bug known as Leptoglossus spp. This is a sucking bug …
Magnolia grandiflora Fruit
2011 - 12" x 9" - Mixed Media (Acrylic Colored Ink, Watercolor), Arches Aquarelle watercolor paper
Tree Sprites
2000 - 17.25" x 21.375" - Mixed Media (Gesso, Gouache, Watercolor), Arches Aquarelle watercolor paper
A child might notice some things that an adult might miss… Look closely, now. Shown at the Norris Gallery, Dellora A. Norris Cultural Arts Center, St. Charles, IL and in the Celebration of the Arts show at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Naperville, IL.
The Slate
2009 - 16.25" x 12" - Mixed Media (Colored Pencil, Watercolor), Arches Aquarelle watercolor paper
I hesitate to write much about this painting because sometimes it’s just too fun to allow the viewer to interpret with his/her own imagination. Imagine, for example, what strange happenings old slates in classrooms must have witnessed over the years. Perhaps a person from the past is caught on the other side of this slate. …
The Phoenix in Egypt
1996 - 27.625" x 20.125" - Mixed Media (Colored Pencil, Watercolor), Arches Aquarelle watercolor paper
When we named our reddish golden retriever pup Phoenix, I decided that I wanted to know more about the myth of the phoenix bird, after which she was named. The fantastic bird was described as having feathers of gold, red and purple. It was sometimes described as a heron-like bird. Herons live along the Nile …
Magnolia grandiflora Seed Pod
2011 - 12" x 9" - Mixed Media (Acrylic Colored Ink, Watercolor), Arches Aquarelle watercolor paper
All across the Georgia Tech campus in Atlanta are southern Magnolia trees. The trees grow large, hairy seed pods which open to reveal bright, red seeds inside. I used pearlescent inks, mixed with white ink for opacity, to create the sparkling hairs and parts of the leaves. I have to thank my son Jon for …
King of the Ice
2012 - 16.75" x 11.25" - Mixed Media (Acrylic Colored Ink, Watercolor), Arches Aquarelle watercolor paper
He slows for a millisecond, eyes locking on the goal: the hockey player, King of the Ice. King of the Ice is a portrait of my athletic and talented nephew Adam Vance, who plays and coached hockey. The game is fast-paced and intense. The painting is mostly watercolor, but pearlescent acrylic ink washes add sparkle …
Argiope with Egg Sack
2003 - 16" x 12" - Mixed Media (Acrylic Colored Ink, Acrylic paint, Gouache, Watercolor), Arches Aquarelle watercolor paper
This seven-legged Black-and-yellow Argiope spider lived in some bushes near our house. It was fascinating to watch the spider catch insects, and later grow fat with her eggs. The egg sack she built seemed to glow in the early morning light. This spider is quite stunning, with her furry head and dramatic black and yellow …
King of Konken Mountain
2013 - 18" x 24" - Mixed Media (Gouache, Watercolor), Arches Aquarelle watercolor paper
The ancient king of Konken Mountain hunkers down in his mountain cave. He’s been there for a very long time; moss grows in his beard and on his kingly jacket. He seems to sink into the very rock that forms the mountain. As we peer up the misty ancient stone stairs, there seems to be …