The Coast of Maine

The Coast of Maine, 16x20 Commissioned Pastel

I love the challenge of drawing the ocean, and especially the ocean spray as the waves crash upon the dark rocks. This piece is similar to my earlier pastels of the Scottish coast, with the wonderful contrast of darks and lights. I love using the many blues, greens, and whites intermixed with the unexpected hints of burgundy and ochre hidden in the water. The rocky coast in this particular piece was very interesting, with its striated texture glistening in the sun.

Escape Day Spa

Artists are always looking for new ways to share their art, and to merge the message of their art with the right location. Recently, I have taken some of my art to Escape Day Spa, a peaceful new spa located in a quiet house-turned-buisiness just off the main street in Crestline Village, Mountain Brook, Alabama. I like to convey a sense of peace and stillness in many of my pieces, so such a relaxing location seems a perfect fit. Below are a few of the paintings currently displayed (and for sale!) at the spa.

Waterlilies, 4x4 and 5x7 Soft Pastels

Joy, 8x10 Soft Pastel

Ocean Cliffs, 14x18 Soft Pastel

The Empty Tub, 18x24 Soft Pastel

Ocean Cliffs

Ocean Cliffs, 14x18 Soft Pastel on Card

The works of Monet and my love for the beauty of the British Isles inspired this piece; what made it's creation even better was drawing outside on such a fabulous and warm Spring day. I love Impressionism, and this particular image seemed a perfect choice for another attempt at using bolder color and strokes. In my art room above my desk, I have a handwritten quote taped to the wall by Georges Riviere from 1877: "To treat a subject for the colors and not for the subject itself, that is what distinguishes the Impressionist from other painters." I am far from an Impressionist and am constantly pulled toward capturing minute details, but this sentence echoes through my thoughts when I am drawing, pushing me to look for color over subject, for feel over accuracy. It never fails to surprise me that when I let go of rigidity and move with the colors, I step back and see that the picture has come together...and each time I delightfully wonder how it happened.