"My Angel" (oil on linen; 8" x 10") sold

sold

While going through my old print photo albums, I found a darling picture of my old friend with her daughter.  When my daughter was a preschooler, I used to host many play dates and play groups--I was indeed a queen of play dates!  I miss my old friends and their kids.  Some moved away; I lost contact with others, all busy with life and work.

On one of my play groups, four moms and six children had a glorious time, dining on homemade dishes, playing outside, then playing dress ups and games inside.  Megan, in my daughter's pink angel costume, got worn out with too much fun and crawled to her mommy's arms.  I was fortunate to catch such a tender moment with my camera.  When I was painting "My Angel", I felt like Mary Cassatt, a famous 19th-century American artist who painted many intimate paintings of mother and child.

By the way, I've decided to offer custom portraits of children.  I am excited!  If you are interested in getting your children's or grandchildren's portraits, or your own mother-and-child double portrait, please check out my Etsy shop.  Thanks!

"Festival of Lights" (oil on canvas; 12" x 16") nfs

nfs

If you live in the Washington metropolitan area, you are probably familiar with this structure.  It is the Mormon Temple in Kensington, MD.  I was there last Saturday to attend the Greater Washington Suzuki Flute Ensemble's Christmas concert.  Every year during the Festival of Lights, the trees in the church grounds are decorated with millions of lights.  The work that goes into it must take thousands of hours.  Lights of all the colors in the rainbow wrap around the branches of tall trees, short bushes, and every tree in between.  You have to see the Festival of Lights!

I took several pictures before going into the Visitor Center for the concert, because that's what I do--taking pictures.  While looking at them on my laptop on the following day, it occurred to me that a painting of the subject would make a terrific Christmas present for my daughter's flute teacher who happens to be a Mormon.  For someone as special as she, a store-bought gift just doesn't cut it.

I have never painted Christmas lights before, but there is always the first time for every thing.  I am pleased with the way "Festival of Lights" turned out.  I told her that she would have to wait for her present until early January.  I hope she likes the painting!

"Hush, Baby" (acrylic on paper; 4" x 6")

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This is an old piece, but seemed appropriate for the season of angels.  It's an acrylic painting (on paper) of an angel statue in Burgundy, France.  The spots in the background that look like lights sparkling in the sky were created by dropping rubbing alcohol to the still damp surface.  The painting was juried in the Art League Small Works Show in Alexandria, VA in 2002.