"Molly and Ellie" (oil on linen; 11" x 14") sold

sold

"Molly and Ellie" is for Lauren, for whom I have already done three commissions.  Thank you, Lauren, for your trust!  These darling girls are the children of her friend.  I am sure she will be happy to receive such a thoughtful gift.

"Madison at the Beach" (oil on linen; 10" x 8") sold

sold

"Madison at the Beach" is another painting for Mike.  It is the same dog as yesterday's subject, but she has grown up and is enjoying herself at the beach, romping, splashing.  Oh, what joy it is to be a dog!

"Madison in the Snow" (oil on linen; 10" x 8") sold

sold

I am back!  I was gone for a couple of weeks on a family vacation.  Since I came back, I have been experiencing excruciating back pains until now.  It didn't stop me from painting, but I spent as little time as possible on laptop to rest my back.  So now I have three commission paintings to share, back to back!

"Madison in the Snow" is for Mike.  I did a cat portrait for him last winter, which was intended as his friend's Christmas present.  Madison is his girlfriend's dog as a puppy.  I just love her thoughtful expression.  Perhaps it was the golden retriever's first snow and she was puzzled by the fluffy stuff all around.

"Monarchs on Coneflower" (watercolor on paper; 4.5" x 6.5")

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"Hanging Out" (watercolor on paper; 6" x 6")
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Collage of My Animal World in Watercolor

This is it.  The collage shows my summer watercolor series of animal paintings.  I have been away from watercolors several years, because I was bored and felt I hit the wall.  I thought I couldn't achieve the rich, luxurious, textural, and painterly feel with the medium.  And I was quite right.  Switching to oils freed me.  I no longer worry about careful underdrawing and am wild with laying down thick paints.  

I also realized that I could be spontaneous with watercolors, perhaps a side benefit of having worked in oils that are more forgiving and "carefree".  My watercolor paintings are not tight. They are fresh, watercolory, and effortless-looking.  I like puddles, blooms, and paints beyond pencil lines.  I adore granulating paints that leave granular residues, such as cobalts and other mineral colors.  I don't use making fluid, because it leaves obvious, tell-tale marks.  In other words, I use watercolors to do things that can be done only with this transparent, fickle medium.  I let watercolor paints and water work their own magic!

"Kiss Me, I Am Your Prince" (watercolor and marker on paper; 6.5" x 4.5") sold

sold

"Quack Quack Ducklings" (watercolor and marker on paper; 4.5" x 6.5")
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"Ba Ba Sheep" (watercolor and marker on paper; 4.5" x 6.5")
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"Ba Ba Sheep" was my first "illustrated" painting, with lettering.  I got such a kick out of the experience that I wanted to make more.  "Kiss Me, I Am Your Prince" is the latest one.  Will you kiss the red-eyed frog?  Will he truly turn into a prince?  A question to consider carefully.  By the way, despite its flamboyant coloring, it is not poisonous.  So, will you kiss him?

"Piggy Back Koalas" (pen and wash on paper; 6.5" x 4.5") sold

sold

"I Love My Mommy Elephant" (watercolor, 4.5" x 6.5"; sold)

"Emperor Penguin Love" (watercolor, 6.5" x 4.5"; sold)

These three paintings are about mother and baby, the perennial favorite subject among artists. Which painting is your favorite?

"Cardinal with Red Berries" (watercolor on paper; 6.5" x 4.5") sold

sold

"Owl in Flight" (watercolor on paper; 4.5" x 6.5")
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"Proud Puffin" (watercolor on paper; 6.5" x 4.5")
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The beauty of these small watercolor paintings is that I can finish two or three a day.  As a matter of fact, I have to develop two or three at the same time, working on a painting while waiting for a wash to dry on another, etc.  So last two weeks, I created 16 such greeting-card-sized watercolors with the animal theme.  What fun it was!  The above three are bird paintings. Which one is your favorite?

"Emperor Penguin Love" (watercolor on paper; 6.5" x 4.5") sold

sold

"Baby Emperor Penguin" (watercolor on paper; 6.5" x 4.5")
sold

Who doesn't love the story of emperor penguins, the largest and tallest of all penguins?  How they breed and protect their young in the extreme climatic conditions of the Antarctica.  Did you see the movie, narrated by Morgan Freeman?  They also look majestic as adults and adorable as babies, made for artistic renditions.  Here are my attempts to capture their images. I hope you enjoy them.

Collage of My June Paintings

Collage of my June 2014 paintings

I was very productive last month.  I had to drop several paintings for this collage of my June 2014 paintings. What do you think?  Which painting is your favorite?