Beneath the Cottonwoods

I was so excited to take another class with the very creative Coni Grant at the Art Center of Estes Park. We focused on design and especially doing a notan drawing before starting to paint. I was pleased with the results!

Beneath the Cottonwoods | 9 x 12 | Oil

Artwork on Display in Longmont

I'm pleased to have some of my original pastel paintings on display at the Boulder Medical Center in Longmont for a few months. Thanks to Longmont Artists' Guild for the opportunity!

New Notecard Sets!

Two new notecard sets from Mary Benke Fine Art in time for Mother's Day and Spring! "Forest for the Trees Series" and "Art Nouveau Roses Series." Sets feature 3 different images, blank inside. $9/set +shipping. Message me for more info or pick some up at the Art Center of Estes Park.

"Journeys" Pastel Society of Colorado Show

Signature members of the Pastel Society of Colorado were challenged to create a new body of work about a personal visual journey. The results are exhibited in an intriguing show in the North and Mezzanine Galleries at the Lakewood Cultural Center in Lakewood, CO, through Nov. 22. Here are the images from my "House Portraits" collection and my writeup.

"Hometown Treasure," 6x6, pastel

"Le Maison de Monet," 9x9, pastel

"Springtime in Old Town," 6x6, pastel

From internationally famous to locally known to anonymous, these houses all captured my attention with their fascinating architecture and eyecatching landscaping. But most of all, it was their individual personalities I tried to convey in pastel. Most anyone who is an art lover has seen “The Master’s House,” Claude Monet’s home in Giverny. But not everyone has enjoyed it from this more intimate side view I used in “Le Maison de Monet.” The gardens there are, of course, magnificent, so it was essential for me to emphasize the flowering trees and roses in my painting as part of its character. “Local Treasure,” features a unique home in my hometown, Loveland. The McCreery House was built in the late 1800s and features distinctive architecture. It’s a charming venue for weddings, so I included a bit of “romance” in the painting along with seasonal fall foliage. “Springtime in Old Town” depicts another adorable home, this time in Old Town, Fort Collins. Again, the flowering tree is important to the design of the painting, adding some extra beauty to the gingerbread characteristics of the home. 

Bridge Over the Poudre

Between rain, mosquitos, and wind, this plein air piece was a challenge! Painted on the banks of the Poudre River near Fort Collins, CO, as part of the "Paint the Poudre Plein Air" event that's also a fundraiser, this painting was done with water-soluble oils (who says water and oil don't mix?). In any event, it's always a joy to paint in such a beautiful setting!

Amber Waves

Bold colors and shapes dominate this pastoral oil painting. They say when you put a building (or person or animal) in a painting, that becomes the focal point. By using lost edges in the tree and barn area and directional lines in the foreground, I tried to point the attention to the focal point--the building AND tree. Plus, the foreground was really fun to paint.

Over the Ridge

A bird's-eye view of the glorious rockies receding in the distance. Rusts and reds in the foreground rocks contrast with the teals and blues of the foothills and peaks.