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 …
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 …
Tree Pockets
1999 - 8.375" x 10.75" - Watercolor, Arches Aquarelle watercolor paper
The rough texture of the tree reminded me of the big crinkles on the bib overalls. It seemed like I was drawing similar types of lines and shapes for the two areas. From there, came the idea to coax some pockets and seams into the tree bark for a little child’s play in this child’s …
Tree Jeans
2000 - 19.5" x 27.5" - Watercolor, Arches Aquarelle watercolor paper
A roughness of wrinkles and textures seemed to be shared between the rugged jean material and the tree bark. But what if the boy wore bark overalls and the tree, jean overalls? Wouldn’t a child’s silly bone like that idea? Shown at the Norris Gallery, Dellora A. Norris Cultural Arts Center, St. Charles, IL and …
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.
Mother and Daughter
2006 - 11" x 14" - Watercolor, Arches Aquarelle watercolor paper
A portrait of Josie Castro’s daughter-in-law and granddaughter. It’s a beautiful mother and daughter moment.
The First Bite
1999 - 9.875" x 7.875" - Watercolor, Arches Aquarelle watercolor paper
This picture really told a story. Nick kept wondering why Jon didn’t open his mouth. It seemed quite straightforward to him what needed to happen next. Jon, on the other hand, was wondering what to do with the spoon and the stuff on it. A baby’s not always sure what to do with The First …
Sisterly Love
2008 - 14" x 11" - Watercolor, Arches Aquarelle watercolor paper
Josie had a favorite photo of her granddaughters and wanted a watercolor capturing this moment of sisterly love. Earlier, I’d painted a portrait of her daughter-in-law and the older sister when she was a baby. I loved all the light in this picture. It was a pleasure to paint.
Watchers in the Woods
1999 - 22.375" x 9.75" - Watercolor, Arches Aquarelle watercolor paper
Some of the paintings I had been working on prior to this one included figures wearing various kinds of robes, which gave them an air of mystery. The figures themselves were totally out of my imagination, and had intentionally distorted features. In my next painting, I wanted a more realistic approach in the handling of …