Blog

My newest painting, titled “Decadence” by popular vote, is now complete. It’s a different subject for me, and variety always makes the painting process interesting. My intention before starting was to do a painting to enter into an upcoming exhibition, and this necessitates something bold. When a juror stands in the center of a room with over a hundred paintings surrounding him/her, a painting needs to really stand out to make it through the initial cut. Of course, from there … Read More

I’ve just completed a new dog portrait, of “Sally Mae”. It’s a surprise Christmas gift for her dad from her mom, so don’t tell if you know them! Take a look at the reference photos I took of Sally, using some of the tips I shared previously on photographing your pet. You can see which photo became my main reference, and how I simplified the background. Sally Mae is part of the same family as “Tom” who I painted two … Read More

Just finished my newest painting, the first since last spring (gardening, making a living, and other stuff make for interruptions!) It is called “When She Was 3” and I was inspired by photos I took last June of a friend’s little girl playing at the edge of a river. It’s a bit reminiscent of two other little girl paintings I’ve done which you can see in my internet gallery, “Molly By The Sea,” which I painted in watercolor a few … Read More

I recently designed a new specialty license plate for the State of Tennessee, and it will go into production soon. It commemorates the Cherohala Skyway, a scenic byway through the mountains connecting Tennessee and North Carolina (traversing the Cherokee National Forest and the Nantahala National Forest, thus the name). Proceeds from the license plate sales will benefit local causes. My design is shown here without the numbers (which will go to the right of the deer) and corner stickers, which … Read More