paintings

Wishful Thinking

36x48x1
$9,113

I wanted to paint something colorful but with a melancholy aire to it, and as I flicked through images searching for inspiration, a photo of a young girl immediately struck me. I sketched out the image and began at once to fill it in with dazzling colors.  Decadently clad in a brightly checkered jacket, she stares out her window longingly at the yard outside, counting the seconds until her release. The girl's expression is my absolute favorite part. She looks disappointed, as though she were grounded  from playing outside. This painting reminds me of simple dreams and happy days. 

Pink Ballerina

36x36x2
$13,519

Nestled in a cloud of tool fabric, a little girl laces up the ribbons on her pointe shoes. There is such a magic about putting on ones shoes; it signals to the mind that it's getting ready to do something, to accomplish something. The little girl portrayed in this painting is anxious to begin her performance in a form of art that she loves. The loose brushstrokes are meant to give the piece a dream-like feeling, as though the "Pink Ballerina" were caught between reality and her twinkling thoughts. In a world of chaos and deadlines, this work reminds me to enjoy the simplistic things that I love and remember that true excitement comes when I tie up my laces and dance.

Questions

22x45x2
$8,715

One brisk morning I sauntered to local park where I enjoy jogging. I paused for a moment to breathe and watched a little girl gallop through the woodchips and clamber up a tube slide. She tumbled back down the slide seconds later and saw me looking at her. Her expression changed immediately from gaiety to mistrust and she withdrew into the safety of the slide, with just her head poking out and her eyes boring into mine. The open expression in her face was arresting. I knew at once I needed to paint it, or its likeness. It took me ages to find a photo that somewhat mirrored the piercing glance of that little girl. "Questions" is a piece that captures me. The powerful gaze in the woman's eyes is mesmerizing, almost haunted. Her arms are crooked in an odd manner, giving the shape of her body a question-mark like figure. She fills my mind with curiosity every time I look at her. 

Seen

24x34x1
$3,768

The idea came to me as I was washing dishes. As I lifted a plate from a heap of bubbles, I was mesmerized watching tricklets of water slide down the surface of the plate and splash holes into the white foam of the bubbles below. The image of the girl in the painting flashed into my mind and I knew I needed to paint it. I felt consumed by the idea until at last she appeared on the canvas, staring into nothing with haunted eyes. "Seen" scares me. I'm not sure what the woman in the painting is looking at, or what she's thinking. The piece is designed to look wet, heavy, to soak into ones thoughts. The top left corner of her head is open, as though the idea of her were not quite finished. Nearly all the lines of the work drip down, all but one: a stream of color pools at the corner of her mouth and curves down the line of her jaw until it splashes across her blouse. I love the idea that this piece has endless potential. 

Strong Man

28x40x2
$9,820

I feel that men are not as celebrated as they ought to be. It seems that in a world of blame and finger pointing, that the patriarchs of families are shunned to a corner. This piece was inspired by my husband, whom I adore. My favorite feeling is when he hugs me; I feel so secure and protected in his arms. The painting is meant to denote a sense of strength and confidence. The bold brush strokes and vivid coloring is a nod towards the resolute nature of men and their brazen determination to succeed. This piece is a herald to my husband and for all he does for our family.

Gray Man

40x56x2
$19,340

This piece was inspired by newspaper. A stack of freshly printed newspapers were piled neatly in the corner of my office, and across the front page of each paper was a different cataclysmic headline. An immense feeling of dread soured my stomach and sparked an idea for a painting. I wanted to paint something that expressed the cumbersome sense of weight that accompanies bad news. "Gray Man" depicts a man who's just finished a long day of work and returns home to yet another dose of chaos from the media. The strokes are scattered, cracked and undefined, meant to give an impression of insecurity. The man in the painting is hunched over, exhausted.  I hope to remember never to let myself drown under the crushing stream of bitter headlines.

Spice

20x43x2
$9,072

I created this piece to portray the rambunctious nature of young boys. ”Spice” depicts the characters of six little rascals as they lean against a graying fence. Each child is meant to express a different boyish trait: rough and tumble, exasperated boredom, the adventure of the outdoors, peevish mischief and the delightful
reflection of self. The vibrant colors are designed to bring the piece to life and give it a bright atmosphere. The boys clash against each other and yet function as one unified bunch of trouble makers. Every child has his own story, his own thoughts, his own playful nature adding depth and value to the piece. These boys in
particular seem to leap off the canvas and announce their jovial personalities in a very childlike way. It makes me laugh every time I look at it and I can’t help but wonder what each boy is thinking. I am completely enamored by children and love the raw expression
they exhibit.

Sugar

20x43x2
$9,072

In contrast to it's brother painting "Spice," this piece is designed to express the gentle nature of little girls. Rather than lite up the canvas with sparky mischief, "Sugar" shows a line of colorfully decorated little gems smiling pleasantly. They're neat and tidy, beaming through the canvas with twinkling charm. I'm often struck by the innate differences between little girls and boys, and I felt absolutely captivated by the notion of trying to paint it. 

Pioneer Girls

34x34x2
$12,091

One of the most alluring tales in history are the treks early pioneers made across the United States. Along their journey these brave souls had little food, ragged clothing, and minimal supplies. Dangers were abundant, making an already arduous expedition nearly impossible. Despite this, however, these incredible people survived and played a great role in raising our nation. This painting is meant to show the jovial nature experienced during the trek. Bright colors and the girls' expressions bring a light hearted perspective to an otherwise bleak situation. These young ladies are my heroes. 

Blue Eyed Girl

28x28x2
$8,297

"Blue Eyed Girl" depicts a simple scene of a young child in a blue nightgown sitting with her knees clutched in her arms. Thick brown locks tumble behind her back, and piercing blue eyes gaze out of the canvas. This piece was distilled into my mind one afternoon when I was looking out a second story window at a pure blue sky. The sky looked so soft and peaceful, beckoning me to dash away from my daily obligations and run beneath it's blanked color. I refrained abandoning my duties, but rather envisioned the painting you see before you, The girl is lovely, waiting for a friend to come play, but peaceful and patient. She reminds me of the potential delight that can be enjoyed when we step outside and play. 

Bridled

16x20x1
$1,932

I toiled with the notion of this piece for several months. I wanted to capture the feeling one gets when they are  not able to say what they would like to; to be restrained by some phantom of reasons that keep the tongue rooted to the floor, but the ideas spinning. To be honest I didn't have a clue how something that vigorous could be expressed. At last, an idea came to mind when I watched a young boy struggle to loosen his necktie. Ideas clashed between my ears until all at once an image struck me. Garbed in 17th Century attire, a young girl sits quietly with a stentorian expression. Her clothing is starched and perfect, her hair combed so that barely a strand it out of place. Composed as she is, her blaring eyes shout from the canvas with a depth that is inexpressible with mere words. I seem to have a fascination with human expression through the eyes, and this piece is one that haunts me every time I look at it.

Anna

34x45x2
$15,906

Depth of human character is far too elusive to plaster onto any number of canvas. I attempted, however, to capture a glimpse of one of the most caring individuals I know. "Anna" is my little sister. She is indescribably genial and good in every sense of the word. This painting is meant to show her loving nature. The piece depicts Anna leaning against a rough hewn wooden pillar as she tenderly holds a farm chicken. The chicken is meant to show that Anna shows compassion to even the most base creature. The black satin background was designed to provide contrast to Anna's benevolent nature in an otherwise bleak scene. Her clothing is simple yet becoming, a statement that garments do not create the beauty that she is, but rather she herself is the focus. A golden silk cloth is draped on her lap to symbolize her pure golden-hearted  nature. She is priceless, and the glimmering cloth is nothing by comparison to her radiant smile. The brushstrokes are fine toothed and meant to give the painting a gentle, soft appearance to match the feeling Anna omits. She is, a beauty in every sense of the word. 

Shrouded Girl

20x26x2
$5,904

This piece depicts a youthful girl wrapped in a blue shawl. Her expression is open, curious and somewhat amused. The composition swirls around to bring the focus to her profound gaze. I created this piece in an attempt to portray the power a single look can hold. Communication is a fickle thing and is hardly owned by the expression of verbal words. Simple things such as a shrug, the cock of an eyebrow, or a single glance can tell as much of a story as a page of writing. What I haven't figured out though, is what story the girl is trying to tell.  

Black Woman

16x20x1
$1,932

Color is one of the most stunning aspects of life. Color brings depth, character, emotion and joy to everything it touches. A world without color would be bleak and lifeless. I created this piece with the intention of celebrating color in all it's wonder. The human face is bedecked with an array of starling hues; blue, crimson, green, violet, orange, white, black and so much more. "Black Woman" is a simple portrait of a stunning chocolate skinned woman gazing pleasantly from her post. Her skin glimmers with a collection of becoming colors pooling together to create the fabrication of her benign expression. I adore colors and simply cannot celebrate them enough. 

Dreams

30x30x2                                                                                      
$7,950

An otherwise black canvas is struck to life with a dazzling array of color to reveal the tranquil features of a man's face. "Dreams" is a piece designed to distill the notion of thoughts. Thoughts are uncontainable, limitless and powerful. They can either create a persons life or destroy it, depending on their hue. I wanted to create a piece that denotes the potential of dreaming, and the endless bright display of possibilities that can be achieved with mere thinking.

Red Belly Fish

12x12x2                                                                                      
$1,524

"Red Belly Fish" is an abstract piece that displays a slim fish with an impressive array of colorful fins. My good friend inspired me to paint this piece as we spent a peaceful afternoon enjoying each others company on a camping trip. 

Butterfly Woman

16x20x1                                                                                     SOLD
$1,632

Peace can be elusive, and trying to capture the feeling of peace was more difficult than I would have supposed. The woman in this piece is relaxed, head tilted upwards in a pose of welcome. Her eyes are closed, her expression tranquil. Tangled in her hair are a plethora of colorful butterflies. Butterflies are a powerful beacon of growth and new beginnings, they symbolize the potential transformation that can be achieved through trust and hard work. "Butterfly Woman" represents a young lady who has endured tremendous difficulty, but has arisen from her chaos through diligent effort and trust to discover a place of peace. 

Hot & Cold

16x20x1                                                                                     SOLD
$1,632

Inspired  by a photograph taken by Ian Dooley, "Hot & Cold" represents balance through opposites. The piece shows a pair of hands clutched together. One hand is chilled with visually freezing hues of blue and white, while the other hand burns with colors of striking reds and yellows. Opposites though they are, the hands are united to create a sense of reassuring balance. 

Mountain Scene

20x36x1                                                                                      SOLD
$3,972

"Mountain Scene" depicts a lake surrounded by trees and mountains. This piece was inspired by the local mountains where I grew up. Although startlingly impressive in their size and strength, mountains have an astonishingly calming effect. I attempted to capture a portion of that tranquility in this piece. 

Peonies

16x20                                                                                       SOLD
$1,932

I absolutely love flowers. There is something truly magical about a living thing that blossoms to display vivid petals while omitting a delicious fragrance. I found a beautiful bush of peonies at my Grandmother's house and simply had to paint them. What a wonderful world we live in because we have flowers. 

Creation

48x72x2                                                                                         SOLD
$29,676

This piece was quite hard for me. I wanted to express the concept of creation. The piece depicts a glass rope suspended between a vibrant galaxy and a textured earth-like element. The two twines of glass present balance and work towards creating something new. The galaxy is to show the abundant resources available, and the earth represents the product.  

Twin Trees

12x36x1, 12x36x1                                                                           SOLD
$3,972

"Twin Trees" is a celebration of trees, I absolutely love them and cannot adore them enough. Trees are such an impressive dynamic structure. I cannot imagine a world without them. This piece is more abstract in composition with the intention of expressing the notion that a tree cannot be fully appreciated for all the good it provides. "Twin Trees" is a shadow of the impactful presence of this essential vegetation.