Forest Morning

        36 X 28                       Pastel                    $275                            SOLD
This is a large piece for me - especially working in pastel. I wanted to record all the textures and shapes I saw in the scene. The only way to do that was to go big. I've painted a few dark, brooding forest scenes, so this one was a refreshing change of pace.

Colorful Sunset Surrounds the Barn

                        16 X 20           Pastel                    $175

I encounter this scene on my daily walk. The small camera I bought to capture scenes such as this finally paid off. Within seconds the sun moved behind a cloud, and the drama was lost. But my trusty camera had captured what I was looking for, and I was able to supplement my memory with the photograph as I painted. I guess I should be saying "as I drew," since pastel is considered drawing, not painting.

I succeeded in keeping this painting loose, in part perhaps, because I was hurrying to get it ready for a show.

Kindred Lives - my first novel

My first novel is hot off the press! It's a 300 page mystery, with a very strong cast of characters. The setting is Oregon and British Columbia, with forays into England and France. Two sisters embark on a quest to solve the mystery of their grandmother's suspicious death. Motives point in several directions. The story is told in the voices of the characters involved.

I've had good reviews, and already requests for a sequel. Check it out at these sites: Booklocker.com; Amazon.com; Barnes & Noble.com. It's available in trade paperback or eBook, for Kindle, Nook or Ipad. Read the first three chapters for free on the Booklocker site.

Now back to painting....

Columbia River Gorge from Crown Point

                                            16x20                     Pastel                         $175

It's been a long time between posts, and I'll explain why later. This is a recent painting of one of my favorite spots: the Columbia River Gorge, as viewed from Crown Point in Oregon. It's a great place to view the Gorge, in all its splendor. The small rock (middle at top) is Beacon Rock, so named, and climbed, by members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The rock is on the Washington side of the river. It's still possible to climb to the top, a short but strenuous hike. The fact that we have access to all this beautiful scenery is due to one woman: Nancy Russell. She worked tirelessly to get the Gorge protected. Sadly, her life was cut short, but what a legacy!

Paintings of Oregon scenery consist of green, green and more green. Living here it's easy to see why. It's been raining so long this spring, that when the sun does finally come out it will scare people. Suffice to say, I use many shades of green in my paintings, this one is no exception.

Now, as to the long silence, I've been wearing a different hat lately. I put aside my painting for awhile to finish up a book I was writing. I have written for newspapers and magazines for a few years, but this is my first novel. It will be published shortly. More in my next post....

Cape Lookout - Netarts Bay, Oregon

             18x24                  Pastel                    $250

A cold day on the Oregon coast with the sea mist still rising. I came upon this view of the cape and bay while hiking in the area - too far away to see the colony of sea lions hanging out at the mouth of the bay.  Working on Wallis paper, I used a muted soft pastel palette to match the day. This painting recently won a 2nd place award in a Portland area show.

Cape Sebastian, Oregon Coast

                                    8x10                   Pastel                   $150

Good news! I just won a first place award with this painting. This was morning on the coast. The sun was managing to penetrate a heavy coastal mist with shafts of light. It was so dramatic it took your breath away. My sister, visiting from England, joined with me in declaring Cape Sebastian the jewel of the Oregon Coast.

This was a difficult image to paint. I wanted to be sure I kept the drama in the sky, while not making the image too dark (it's actually a little lighter than it photographed). I kept it loose, and resisted the temptation to include figures. This pastel is on paper, and is framed in a black mat and frame - which makes the image just pop out.

 

Capitol Reef, Utah

   30x16                              Oil                                 $250

Southern Utah is a favorite vacation spot. I'm a girl who never met a rock she didn't like, so I'm in heaven hiking in the area. The size of outcroppings at Capitol Reef is overwhelming, and the skies so clear you feel you can see forever. I completed this oil on canvas shortly after returning from a trip.