keeping it real in Paia, Maui

i found relief from the wet west coast on a trip to maui in may.  the brilliant sunshine, coral flowers and aqua waters revitalized my creative process. sometimes that's all it takes - a change in venue for filling the inspiration tank!  

lucky me, i came upon this temple which is part of the Maui Dharma Center http://www.mauidharma.org/,  in the wonderful surf town of Paia.  

plus, if you want amazing fresh heirloom tomatoes, greens and goat cheeses,  stop in at Mana Foods www.manafoodsmaui.com/ to delight your senses and go back in time to the sixties!  well worth it!

luscious colors - Cobra Oils

today i was visited by a small chickadee inside my dining room!  luckily, it took flight right out the backdoor when it noticed me.  then, later while shooting the shot of the painting above, i heard the hum of a hummingbird's wings at my feeder directly over my shoulder!  the sun is shining  (a rarity lately here in Vancouver this summer....year!) and the birds are out to play! 


i played with Cobra water mixable oils this week as you can see in the above detail from a Birdsong series painting. I LOVE THEM! they pack a lot of color and blend amazingly well and best of all they clean up with water and have no odor!  happy happy happy!  


you can check out their colors at http://www.cobra.royal-talens.com/3/products.html.

everyday inspiration

DUSK SONG
24 X 24

walks along the Nicomekl river near my home in B.C. inspired the BIRDSONG series i completed.  i don't paint directly from any photos i shoot.  i use my camera as a way to explore and absorb - finding movement, texture, lines and only later as paintings emerge do i see how the act of shooting photos strongly influences my pieces.  by the way, the dots and repeated square pattern represent the sounds of the birds  i could hear - chickadees and red winged black birds.  

california revisited

there is something about the rolling hills and sculpted land of wine country that evokes a visceral response in me and i'm sure others, judging from the popularity of wine regions... or it's probably the wine itself! who am i fooling?!  i've painted popular series in the past of crops and vineyards.


last weekend i explored the Dry Creek area of Healdsburg in Sonoma County California with my sisters and am inspired once again by those majestic California hills i grew up near.  i can't wait to see what percolates up into my painting session today!


a great experience is to go to Bella Vineyard + Wine Caves for an afternoon of wine tasting and delicious snacks they provide. http://www.bellawinery.com/ 

the joy of completion

i can spend hours and days cultivating and creating paintings. they have stages of growth and then suddenly they're complete and it's time for me to title, varnish and sign. yet for me the true sign of completion is when they're sent off to a new home for other art lovers to enjoy.

these two pieces are heading to Tasmania this week and i'm thrilled to be reaching an audience on the other side of the globe from Vancouver!

     

BIRDSONG - WARM MELODY

12 x 12

UNDERCURRENTS OF SPRING
11 x 14