This is a portrait of Michael’s and Frances’ son, daughter and horse. They wanted a country lane, so I made one up and set the kids and their horse on their way. They also wanted a certain type of cart, rather than the one in their photo, so I did a bit of imagining there, …
The Spirit of the Tree
2003 - 18" x 12" - Watercolor, Arches Aquarelle watercolor paper
While enjoying an afternoon at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, IL, I noticed a wonderful tree whose branches created a little environment, a small room, all its own. I could imagine faeries frolicking there when humans aren’t looking. Surprisingly, my developed photograph produced a face in the tree’s bark. Some might say it was just …
Oscar
2003 - 17.5" x 12.625" - Watercolor, Arches Aquarelle watercolor paper
Light, shadow, subtle color variations, and pattern play significant roles in this particular painting. In case you’d like to know, this fellow’s name was Oscar, and he was a very cool cat. This watercolor painting was exhibited in the Watercolor ’04 show at the Norris Gallery, Dellora A. Norris Cultural Arts Center in St. Charles, …
Irish Dance
2010 - 12" x 16.25" - Watercolor, Arches Aquarelle watercolor paper
Tie-dye tee shirts with competition logos are commonplace among Irish dancers. This tie-dye shirt was particularly lively. His wavy hair continues the explosion of wavy lines on the shirt. There’s a theme of green and red throughout. The painting thrives on undulating lines, color, and texture. This is not the traditional, smile-at-the-camera portrait, but it …
From Pike’s Peak
2003 - 19.5" x 13.5" - Watercolor, Arches Aquarelle watercolor paper
It was a great day for touring Pike’s Peak in Colorado. The cloud formations were magnificent. We witnessed long streaks of lightening off in the distance, which were spectacular. We also encountered rain, snow, and hail. Even so, the peak was not encased in clouds, so we could see out into the distance. Some of …
Beside the Path
2003 - 13.5" x 19.5" - Watercolor, Arches Aquarelle watercolor paper
Beside one of the paths at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, IL, is a rather uniquely-shaped tree that forces visitors to notice the negative spaces between and around its two large limbs.
Magnolia grandiflora Fruit
2011 - 12" x 9" - Mixed Media (Acrylic Colored Ink, Watercolor), Arches Aquarelle watercolor paper
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 …
exempli gratia
2003 - 10.75" x 14.5" - Watercolor, Arches Aquarelle watercolor paper
Exempli gratia (for example) is a study of interesting objects, including two metal stencils that once belonged to my Russian grandfather, Emil Egoroff. They are examples of objects that were once very familiar to people who are now gone.
Foliage 2
2002 - 18" x 12" - Watercolor, Arches Aquarelle watercolor paper
This painting plays with soft and sharp focus, much like that achieved in photography. I liked the combination of spiky and soft, round shapes that appear in this grouping of plants. The spray of pinks in the background adds to the energy of the piece. Shown at the Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; with the Northwest …
Foliage 1
2002 - 18" x 12" - Watercolor, Arches Aquarelle watercolor paper
In photography, you can set the camera at a fast shutter speed to keep the point of focus (usually but not always the foreground) in crisp focus, while blurring out the background. I wanted to create that effect with watercolor. I used masking fluid to preserve the parts of the plant that would be in …