motorcycle beginnings

I'm starting on a new motorcycle painting. I do a very detailed drawing before I begin painting. You can see that it takes quite a while to get the drawing done accurately! I work from photos that I take in the summertime, and I draw, erase, and draw again to ensure that I get an accurate representation- reflections included. It does take quite a while to do this, but I enjoy fine detail work. Motorcycle people will notice, most definitely, if I get something wrong!
I plan to document this painting in stages, and will post photos on my blog as my work progresses. These paintings do take a while, but they are definitely worth all the effort involved!

I wanted to include a photo of my studio. Every artist should have a place to call their own! I have a comfy chair from an office supply store, and my adjustable light uses a full sprectrum light bulb- a must for those dark winter days!
Bookshelves are a must, too, for when you need some technical guidance on those difficult painting days! I also have a wall mounted TV and satellite radio to keep me company. The photo of Johnny Depp is just a bonus! Make your studio reflect you- it should be a place you can't wait to get to and a place you hate to leave.

new work

I've been busy these past few months, post holidays and all, and I've been able to get some smaller paintings done. I like having a number of smaller sized works for the outdoor shows. Easier for people to make impulse purchases, or to buy something as a gift for someone. These paintings are all now on my website- check them out!
"Ocean Waves" is a new one-taken from a photo I took at Polihali beach on Kauai. The surf there is beautiful...and scary! Not a place to swim!
"Bali Hai View" is taken from the vantage point of the balcony at the Princeville Hotel. Not that we stayed there! We just went to sightsee from there. What a beautiful place.
"Formal Flowers" is from the Hamilton Botanical Gardens in Ontario, Canada. I've had this photo for a while and I finally got to paint this beautiful garden. This is a larger sized painting than the others- no way I could do that garden justice in a smaller size!
"Single Purple Iris" is also from the Botanical Gardens. I love painting irises, and doing these single ones is so much fun! These seem to sell quite well at the outdoor shows. I always miss them when they go to new homes!

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog! I'm thrilled to be able to have an artist's blog, and I will update it as often as I can. I'm looking to write about my artwork and incorporating photos of paintings in progress. As the year goes on, I can write about the outdoor show season- how the shows went, saleswise and attendence-wise, and such. Feel free to write me with your thoughts and opinions on the blog and my web-site. Love to hear from you!

Some recent news- I just gave a demo for the Niagara Arts Guild. It was a small but very interesting group, and we had a wonderful time. I demonstrated painting reflections on a silver teapot, and then showed my motorcycle paintings and discussed how each painting was done- reflections and all. I wasn't as nervous this time as I was when I gave a demo for the Niagara Frontier Watercolor Society in November! That was my first demo, and I was so nervous that it went by in a blur!