"Baby Emperor Penguins" (watercolor on paper; 6" x 6")

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Whenever I work on an animal series in watercolor, emperor penguins are always one of the first animals I paint.  How can you resist their quirky beauty and resilient life story in the Antarctica?  Have you ever seen "March of the Penguins," the 2005 French feature-length nature documentary, narrated by Morgan Freeman?  If not, you must!

Here a couple of baby emperor penguins huddle together for warmth. Instead of fussing over the fuzzy texture of the fur, I used granulating paints, such as Holbein mineral violet.  For the black head and feet, I used ivory black, which may sound natural to you, but it is a major breakthrough for me.  There are many "stupid" rules in the world of watercolors; one of them is NEVER use black.  Why not?  I think it looks rather punchy, don't you agree?

"Group Hug" (watercolor on paper; 7" x 10")

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The mother, aunt, and baby African elephant are having a group hug!  By the way, how do you like the not-realistic colors on the elephants?  African elephants are known for their intelligence, loyalty, strength, etc., but not for their beautiful colors.  So I used the artistic license to suggest the intense heat of the African savanna.

"Baby Giraffe" (watercolor on paper; 7" x 5")

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I have been working on watercolors lately although I haven't shared them on my blog because many are what I consider sketches.  Here is a painting of a little wobbly but adorable baby giraffe.  More watercolor paintings to come, I promise!

"Jefferson Memorial Glow" (oil on linen; 8" x 10")

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The Jefferson Memorial at the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC, during the National Cherry Blossom Festival becomes a lavender jewel as the sun sets and bathes the beautiful structure in golden light.

"US Capitol Nocturne" (oil on linen; 12" x 9") sold

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The US Capitol's dome turns golden against the dark night sky. The seat of the US Congress and the equestrian statue of Ulysses S. Grant and their blurry reflections in the Capitol Reflecting Pond make the image hauntingly beautiful.

"Foxgloves" (watercolor; 6" x 4")

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"Foxgloves" is another "sketch" that turned out well.  I started out by drawing the florets with aquarelle pencils, then applied watercolor paints.  If there are any errant lines, I just brush over them with clear water, which blurs and softens them.  I am in love with the method which allows me to draw and paint small watercolors loosely without pressure to produce.

"Scarlet Heaven" (oil on stretched canvas; 24" x 18")

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I started "Scarlet Heaven" before my medical crises in late October and have been working on it on and off.  Happily, it is finally finished!  Can you believe I saw this incredible field of scarlet poppies, stretching for miles, in an island off southeast Sweden?  It was one of the happiest days of my life.  I hope there will be in 2016 many happy days like the day on which I walked with my daughter in the poppy fields in the Swedish sun.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

"Paired for Life" (watercolor; 5" x 7")

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Lately I have been doing a lot of sketches, partly because I've had a low energy level for a while.  I still don't feel well, but I continue making sketches, usually in the evenings, for fun and as compositional studies for future paintings.  I use different paper and material, depending on what the subject calls for.  "Paired for Life" was done in watercolor, started out with a quick line drawing of an aquarelle pencil, which "melts away" in the wash.  The sketch turned out well enough to list on Etsy--loose and fresh!

"Lavender Harmony" (oil on linen; 12" x 12") sold

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On a hot summer day, stand in the middle of shimmering purple lavender fields. You will feel heady in a perfumed air.  Speaking of summer, the entire East Coast is experiencing an unseasonably warm weather--in the 60's and 70's.  With the mild temperature and humidity, it feels like Kauai!  A white Christmas is out of the question; there is instead a flash flood warning.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

"Sunrise Quietude" (oil on linen; 9" x 12") sold

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A couple of loons glide on a mirror-like lake on a sunrise. Peace and quietude reign.  After the last-minute grocery shopping on Christmas Eve, working on the piece was like meditation!

"Glorious Tulips" (watercolor on Yupo; 8" x 8") sold

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Squat down in front of tulips in your garden on a sunny spring day and admire their brilliant colors.  Some have fragrance, so sniff them too.  How many months do I have to wait for my tulips to bloom?

"Winston" (oil on linen; 10" x 8") sold

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"Winston" is for Bob who commissioned the portrait for his wife Lindsey.  Winston is a 7-year-old Havanese.  He loves treats and stands on his back paws for them.  He likes chewing on a bone or playing with a toy, but he does not chase the ball when we play fetch with his uncles (the dogs from the double portrait I did for Lindsey last year).  He is very playful but also affectionate; he goes berserk (happily) anytime we come home and acts like we've been gone for months.  His mom is by far his favorite. 

"Sweetie" (oil on linen; 7" x 7") sold

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"Sweetie" is for Anne who commissioned the portrait of this gorgeous cat for her hair dresser.  She had also given him the kitten.  The gift of the cat and her portrait!  Wow, he must be a special friend.

"Bella and Kenzie" (oil; 8" x 10") sold

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"Bella and Kenzie" is for Teresa, one of my repeat clients, who commissioned the portrait for her old friends.  She has moved from Northern Virginia and now lives in North Carolina.  Her old friends let her stay with them whenever she comes and their dogs are Teresa's dog's best friends. Bella on the right is the the older sister; Kenzie on the left is aka Cra-Cra since she is a little bit crazy!  These sweet, cattle dog rescues are two peas in a pod and, even though they are years apart, they are like twins.

"Azalea Sass" (watercolor; 8" x 8")

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Wednesday evening of the last week, I fainted at home and fell forward.  I lost consciousness for a few seconds.  When I came to, I was in excruciating pain in a big puddle of blood. I have several fractures in the nose and right cheek bone, which require surgery.  After hospitalization, several tests and more to come to find out what caused the fainting episode, I am taking it easy.

Even after a full recovery, things won't be the business as usual.  Life is precious.  Everyday is a blessing.

"White Lilacs in Rose Vase" (watercolor; 6" x 6") sold

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I got excited by the watercolor floral still life on a white background that "Daffodil Sunshine" was all about.  So I looked for old pictures of similar setups that I had taken this spring and in the past years and found a whole bunch.  I am in business for a while!  How do you like this simple, yet, lovely bouquet of white lilacs in a dainty rose vase casting deep purple shadows in the spring sun?

"Daffodil Sunshine" (watercolor; 8" x 8")

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A dainty bouquet of yellow and white daffodils in a green vase casts a lovely shadow.  Do you feel the spring sunshine?

"Rose Shadows" (watercolor; 6" x 6")

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Cast shadows on the rose petals, dark shadows on leaves, and deep violet shadows beneath! Don't you love all these beautiful shadows?

""Pale Pink Rose" (watercolor; 6" x 6") sold

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With the success of the white peony painting, I decided to try another pale flower.  The painting reads as a glowing pale pink rose, doesn't it?  I guess I shouldn't avoid white or pale-hued flowers after all!

"White Peony Rhapsody" (watercolor; 7" x 10")

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For the 26th painting of my autumn watercolor fest, I decided to challenge myself by painting multiple white peonies with little variations of values or hues in petals.  It took careful drawing, many a delicate glaze, and a Winsor & Newton paint called "rose dore" to arrive at "White Peony Rhapsody".  I am mighty proud of the result; it may be the best watercolor painting I have ever painted!