Cup of Peonies

Oil on canvas (12 x 24 inches)

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Another peony painting from an abundant floral season several years ago.  I wanted to capture the low lights on the teacup and the way the petals were affected by the indirect lighting, which is a little different from bright highlights and dark shadows to which I am usually drawn.  

Peony in the Sun

Oil on 1 1/2 inch gallery canvas (18 x 24 inches)

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This was a big beautiful peony blooming large in the sun.  I loved working with the light and shadow contrasts and trying to capture the intensity of the colours in the shadows.

Tick Tock Alarm Clock

Oil on gesso board (5 x 7 inches)

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Old clocks are such interesting subjects.  For me what made this fun to paint was  the challenge of painting the numbers, as well as the metal and glass reflections. 

Good Morning Eggs

Oil on Gesso Board (6 x 6 inches)

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Each morning I start the day with a couple of scrambled eggs.  One morning I noticed how they seemed to be looking up at me smiling and wishing me a good morning.  So I thought they deserved a painting …

Soup Bowl

Oil on Gesso Board (5 x 7 inches)

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I have always loved the combination of blue and white.  When I saw this little soup bowl at an antiques fair I wanted to paint it.  It was quite challenging to get the pattern right while keeping the round shape represented as well.  A very enjoyable challenge.

Rose Bowl

Oil on 1 1/2 in thick gallery canvas (12 x 24 inches)

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I put a single rose bloom in a glass bowl to get a different point of view.  I went a bit abstract with the use of dots of colour to add more interest and variety (and just for fun). 

White Swan

Oil on Gesso Board (8 x 8 inches)

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I thought a nice sunny swan painting would brighten the wintry days we’re now in.  This is that same swan from the other two paintings I had done last year.  He was a bit more cooperative with this picture, probably because he was quite a distance away.

Chocolates

Oil on 1 1/2 inch thick gallery canvas (8 x 8 inches)

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By now I think we all know I do love my chocolates.  These were from a beautiful box given to me at Christmas which I enjoyed eating almost as much as I enjoyed painting. 

Abstract Blue Peony

Oil on Canvas (10 x 10 inches)

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This is a complete abstraction of a peony flower.  I decided to let myself off the chain altogether and change up the colour from its original pink to this shades of blue version.  I played with the lines and contrasts to make it quite a bit different from the original flower.

Curious Cow

Oil on Gesso board (8 x 8 inches)

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As I was taking pictures of another cow in the same field, this cow came right up to me and seemed to be very curious about what I was doing. 

Poolside Peonies

Oil on gallery canvas (30 x 15 inches)

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This is a larger piece that I completed a while ago.  I loved the way the peonies glowed in the sunlight and the contrast against the blue of the water and the greenery surrounding them.  It makes me think of summer as we draw nearer to the shortest day of the year.

Christmas Kitty

Oil on Gesso Board (10 x 8 inches)

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One of the sweet sights at Christmas time is the cat frolicking ‘round the Christmas tree.  She’s matured past the stage of pulling the whole thing down, and usually just chills underneath.  But this time she seemed to be enjoying the sunshine while playing with something dangling from the tree.  So cute!

Mysterious Fruit

Oil on gessoed panel (8 x 10 inches)

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This is my version of chiaroscuro with fruit.  I liked the extremes of light and dark and the theatrical effect it had – very “mysterious” looking.

Silver Teapot

Oil on gesso board (8 x 10 in)

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This is another of my vintage paintings and I really enjoyed the challenge of painting the reflections.  I decided to abstract the reflections completely since they were pretty much there anyway, with way too many unrecognizable items being captured by the silver.

Butterfly

Oil on cavas (5 x 7 inches)

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This is based on a picture taken a couple of years ago on a visit to the butterfly conservatory in Cambridge, Ontario.  Although the photograph always seemed to catch my eye, I’m only just getting around to painting it now – so here it is, just a pretty little butterfly for your viewing pleasure.

Let's Play

Oil on Gesso Board (8 x 10 in)

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Another one in my series of Coco portraits.  This is her come hither look which I’m sure is all too familiar to most cat owners – the look that says “don’t just stand there, come here and play with me!” which I usually succumb to since I am after all, there to serve.

Kitty in a Blanket

Oil on Gesso board (8 x 10 in)

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This is my cat Coco when she was a “teenager” kitten.  As I painted her I noticed how her ears seemed just a big bigger than they are now – that stage where she hadn't quite grown into everything yet.  She’s still as beautiful as she was then, though maybe not quite as lively.  She just turned 15 this past August.

Tulips from Above

Oil on Gallery Canvas (12 x 12 in)

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When I bought these tulips they were not yet opened, but time got away from me and by the time I had a chance to photograph them they seemed to be past their “best before” date.  But viewed from above, I gained a totally different vantage point and idea for how to present them.  I was happy with the end result.

Chocolate Surprise

Oil on Gesso Board (8 x 10 in)

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Well the chocolates themselves weren’t a surprise.  I willfully and purposefully went out to the store and bought them, with the idea that I wanted to make another painting of chocolates since I so enjoyed painting this subject a few months back.  Plus they make for good eatin’.  The surprise is what’s inside the box.  I was hoping for pretty chocolates and that’s what I got.  To my credit the chocolates themselves are still here in that pretty little box, safely hidden away from the chocolate-devouring pack of wolves I live with.  Okay, so in reality I’m the chief chocolate-eating pack wolf, but I’m showing a great deal of restraint.  They’ll be gone tonight though …

Vintage CGE Fan

Oil on Gessoboard (14 x 11 in)

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I spotted this great vintage Canadian General Electric fan at a huge and wonderful antiques and collectibles mall up in Barrie, Ontario.  I loved the combination of the brass coloured blades and cage against the black of the body.  Really enjoyed painting it.

Snow Dog

Oil on Gesso Board (8x8 in)

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These sled dogs just love to run and I thought the expression on this guy’s face reflected that joy.

Dancin' Shoes

Oil on Canvas (12 x 16 in)

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These are my daughter’s shoes which I always found to be rather pretty.  Often spotted strewn across the floor anywhere in the house, they presented themselves as a potential painting subject one too many times, so here they are in all their glory.  Not sure I’d wear them for “dancin’”, but then I’m more of a sneakers gal anyway.

Set a Spell

Oil on Gesso Board (8x8 in)

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Remember those days when people sat out on their front porches in the evening and watched the world go by in peaceful respite?  … No, me either, but I’m pretty sure if you go back far enough in time, before the days of parking ourselves in front of the TV after dinner, there were those memories of sitting out, talking with your neighbours, watching the kids playing, and generally just chillin’.  I came across this scene in a pretty little village in PEI called Victoria By the Sea, in front of an Inn, and it just seemed to invite us up to take a seat and relax for a while.  We didn’t, because we were on vacation and had far too much to do (!) but I did take the time to snap a shot and here is the resulting painting.

Artist Spotlight Interview

Beachcomber (8x8 in) on Gallery canvas

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Click here to read the interview on DailyPaintworks 

Vatican Guard

Oil on Gesso Board (10x8 in)

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This is based on a picture taken by my daughter’s boyfriend during their vacation in Italy.  I loved the contrast of the lively colours of the guard’s uniform against the somber dark of the building in front of which he stands.