Did You Say Ball?

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil on panel

I've discovered a new use for my ipad. After I've worked on a painting for a while, if it still doesn't seem quite right, I take a picture of it with my ipad, and put it in an art app side by side with the reference (preferably the same size). My goal is not to make them identical, but often I can see quickly where I might have gone awry with proportion* or value. I might make some adjustments to the image of the painting first, undo and redo until I like it, and then commit to the changes in paint.

*If you use Infinite Painter, you can drag the reference image over the painting image, make it the same size, and hold it with 2 fingers. This makes the top image translucent, and then you can really see any proportion issues.

Oldie

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil on panel

I thought this was probably a bulldog, but I wasn't sure so I did an image search - on my painting. Boy is it gratifying to have the internet identify it immediately. That means I painted not only something that is recognizable as "dog" but also the specific breed. And all with a stick with some hairs stuck to the end, and some colored goop. : )

Newbie

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil on panel

This cutie is looking for a forever home. : )

Twisty Perch

Click Here to Bid - 6x8in. - oil on panel

A lot of the bird photos I find include pretty uninspiring perches. This bird (a Coal Tit) picked a lovely branch to sit on. Many thanks to the bird and the photographer!

Shocking

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil on panel

This tiger had a surprised look that I wanted to try and capture. It's surprising, I know.

You're My Bird

Click Here to Bid - 8x6in. - oil on panel

I found the adorable reference for this one on a new (to me) site called Envato. I always thought it would be prohibitively expensive to buy reference images, but this one has a reasonable subscription plan.

Credit for the title goes to MY bird, Mr. Marine.

Oh Yawn

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x8in. - oil on panel

I'm told this is an African wild dog. As opposed to a hyena. Caught in mid-yawn. So bored. But so great to paint.

I'm All Ears

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil on panel

Here's one with a similar theme as my last painting. You might think I like sad dogs, but really these last 2 images were just a perfect opportunity for me to dive into all those little bits of fun color, especially in these ears!

I'll Just Be Here

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x8in. - oil on panel

Whenever we leave the house, our dog sits and watches the door, waiting for our return. We know this because we have a camera and no matter when we check, there she is. Poor dogs. What goes through their minds? Are they traumatized by this? Thank goodness our dog seems to forget immediately upon our return, completely joyful and ready for a long nap.

Soulful

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil on panel

One of the things I've been doing lately that is really helping me, especially with these animal paintings: sneaking up on darks. Basically I am squinting at the dark areas so they kind of run together, and then roughing those areas in with a paint color that is not my darkest color, but also doesn't include any white. I usually do this with a mix of ultramarine blue, cadmium red, and cadmium yellow - which I can lean towards whatever color is there (for example, this guy had more red in the darks). I get the entire animal filled in with other colors before I add the darkest darks wherever they need to go.

Egg Order

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil on panel

Here's something a bit different for me. ; )

Peli

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil on panel

I've only painted a handful of pelicans, but I think they're really marvelous. We once came across an old one at the coast in Oregon. It was a little ornery (probably because it was old and hurting), but it was so cool to see it up close.

Better to Hear You With

Click Here to Bid - 8x6in. - oil on panel

This is a Flemish Giant rabbit. I thought it just meant the ears were long, but apparently it's also quite a large animal. I figure at least some of the photos online are real ... just do a search for "flemish giant" to see what I mean.

Edible Flower

 

Click Here to Bid - 8x6in. - oil on panel

I recently volunteered to help some family move halfway across the country. It was my job to drive the 26-ft truck, hauling a car behind it. Before I left, my friends all asked, "but ... why are you doing this?" I didn't have an answer except, "... it could be fun?"

And it was! Even though tons of things went wrong. including the truck breaking down and having to completely un- and re-load into a new truck, and it raining while everything was out on the pavement. And pulling into a hotel one night only to realize there was no way out and no way to turn around. Oh, I've got stories. But it was an ADVENTURE (with capital letters). A chaotic, exhausting, laugh-about-it-later bonding experience none of us will ever forget.

I'm trying to look at my art like this too. If I only ever do what is safe and easy, not only is it boring, but I never land on anything new. Being adventurous is hard and scary, but I'm trying to embrace it. Saying YES more often. Jumping into the deep end.

I still don’t show you most of the messy results. But what I learn in those risky, “why-am-I-doing-this” moments absolutely feeds the pieces you do eventually see.

So I’m leaning into it more: more yeses, more experiments, more willingness to let things go sideways. Because even when the truck breaks down in the rain… sometimes you still end up with a story worth telling.

(And occasionally, a painting worth keeping.)

Pretty Chill

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil on panel

Often chihuahua's are nervous little nellies, but this one is pretty chill.

I'll be out of town for the next few weeks. More when I return. : )

Cheeky

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x8in. - oil on panel

I've got some older work that's been sitting around, so I've decided to put some things on sale. Check out my "available" page to see if there's anything you might like to have. Thanks!

Sneaky

Click Here to Bid - 6x8in. - oil on panel

I will be teaching a still life workshop this fall (Oct 19-23, 2026) in Nashville, TN.

Registration will open in one week: Monday, Jan 12th at 8am, CST. When the time comes, go here.

Important: You won't be able to register before next Monday. FYI, my last two workshops filled in less than 10 minutes, so be there or be square. : )

It's a 5-day workshop, and the cost is $985.

Just Looking, Thanks

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil on panel

Portrait of a cheetah in the wild. Looking for potential food. Not acting. Yet. Just like when I go into a clothing store. "Just looking, thanks."

And Breakfast

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x8in. - oil on panel

This is another object I borrowed from my friend Patti - the ampersand. It had a lot of neat reflections in it, but also reflected a lot of funny light everywhere. I used my artistic license and left some of it out. My guess is you can't tell?

Feed Me

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x8in. - oil on panel

Thank you all so much! First, to Dan Johnson who graciously allowed me to use his own reference photo for this painting (and paints beautiful animals himself). And to all of you who look at my art, leave supportive comments, take my workshops, and buy from me! Another year is almost done, and I feel immense gratitude that I get to live this beautiful, creative life. Thank you. You feed me.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!