I'm playing this week with new fresh drawings that are much less literal and more about how they feel. 

For the past six months I've been exploring a more figurative path in my painting. It began abstractly and then moved into a type of realism that is below. ​

Over 30 years ago I made brushes from the hair of my dogs that have wonderful character. 


I used one of my dog's hair to add body so it would hold paint and added hair from my other dog out the outside to give it a curl. As I recall the tricky part was holding all of this in place at the end of a chopstick while I wound dental floss around it to secure it. Lastly, I covered it all with clear nail polish. Over the years I probably used them thousands of times. They have iron oxide stains on them from years of use with decorating work in clay. 

The inspiration for this painting was a photograph that my grandfather took of me years ago. I suppose it would be considered a self portrait. The photograph won an award at Berkeley Camera Club.

I am exploring portraits with my new ideas. I'm finding the human face a compelling subject. The subtle nuances of expression are endless. 

An invitation to exhibit a self portrait in Chicago inspired me to consider something entirely new. In my adult life, I can't recall ever painting a self portrait yet the idea has completely captivated me. I paint primarily abstractly so I thought doing an abstract portrait would be the perfect place to begin. Now I can see that I have been launched in an entirely new direction and I am excited to explore. ​

It was a fun surprise to see that Sergio Gomez used my photo for the logo for the exhibition.

Thanks to Julie MacCray, the owner of SHOH, for her mastery in displaying our art in her gallery.

After seeing Raimomds Staprans exhibition at the Crocker Museum in Sacramento last summer, I wanted to create cityscapes. I loved the slightly elevated view that Staprans was using and wanted to use this perspective myself. 

I created a series of maquettes and took photos so I could find a relationship between the buildings that was not only visually pleasing, but I wanted to convey a feeling of connection and community. 

After they are lightly sanded they are ready for paint. In these photos I am showing both the smooth areas and the the subtle texture. The transitions have been sanded. They can be left unsanded so they will reveal the dark edges more easily for a different look. In some areas the paste is very thin so the wood grain is shows.