Parts of Art

        Now that my show season is over, it's time for what I lovingly call winter work. Winter work is studio time. It's when I light the fire in the wood stove and sit down at the drawing table and/or easel, both of which are pulled close to the wood stove. It's winter work because when the weather cools off and the leaves fall, the studio is the most inviting place in my life. The warmth of the fire and the smell of the wood and the blank slate on the easel are what inspire and motivate me to work.        At one of my shows I bought this glorious coffee mug from Paige @rockbottomceramics. It sits on top of the woodstove and keeps the coffee warm for hours.  It's a studio staple.     There is purposely a blank canvas on the easel, or in this case, a smooth panel which will eventually be gessoed and painted with an expression of light through leaves. The blank canvas is self care. It's a sign of hope for my future. What will go on ...

 I'm in the woods again. And that's a good thing. My art is all about light through leaves. The path of light. Solace. My aim is to give you that place of solace, so that, like the tallest trees, you can reach up to the heavens. Next up: Art in the Village in Franklin Michigan. Mon, Sept, 2nd. Then it's Penrod Arts Fair, where I'll be in G24. Same spot as last year, but a lot of new art. Sat., Sept 7th.       New this year are my 1/1 monoprints, mounted on 16 x 20. A mono print starts as a linoleum block print but is then embellished with paint, handmade paper, pencils and crayons. Each is one of a kind; hence the 1/1 on the lower left hand corner.  As you know, if you are one of my wonderful clients, you receive 20% off on your purchase of art.  Not able to get to a show but ready to add to your collection? Shoot me an email or message me on Instagram @  parts.of_art  and we'll make it happen. Hope to see you soon!

 Show season is up and running! Next up: One of my favorites, the Crosby Festival of the Arts. It will be held in the beautiful Toledo Botanical Garden June 28-30. I'll be in booth 178 - the Purple Zone- which is where I've been located before.       One thing I love about this event is the location. M y booth is situated close to the herb garden, which is laid out on an inviting pathway, full of life and color. I look forward to taking photos of the gardens, which will eventually find their way into my art. Here's some from last year:      I'm excited to return to the event with my mixed media collage paintings. I've been at work on some new pieces, which will also be available.  Here's a sneak peek at the latest work:        I'm still aiming to capture that path of light through leaves.  I combine paint, papers, ink, wax resist, linocut printing, colored pencils and canvas. My aim is to combine these various ma...

 It's May, and that means one thing. SHOW SEASON!    That's right, it's about to get crazy around here. And I totally mean that in a good way. I've been waiting for show season to start ever since it ended back in November. Even with all the work, all the energy, all the artistic endeavors, all the money and time invested, and all the headaches that come along with it, I am nonetheless excited and ready. So call me crazy, I can take it. And please come see me and hopefully add to your collection of my work. (No pressure) Here's my booth in the process of getting set up. Here is one of the new pieces I'll have there.      My new work is still of the woods, and the luminescence of dappled light coming through leaves. I still aim to give you a place of solace, where, like the tallest trees, you might reach up to the heavenlies. There is more color this time around, more texture and more depth.                ...

    As Spring arrives, so does the 2024 art show season.  I am looking forward to a great new season of showing, telling and selling my art.        First on the docket, Broad Ripple Art Fair in Indianapolis. The dates for this gem of a show are May 18 and 19. I love being a part of this show because it is in a beautiful wooded venue and has a serious following of art-loving patrons. I will once again have my series "Of the Woods", which has expanded and evolved quite a bit since last year. Here are some of what I'll be showing.       The first two pieces are mixed media collage painted on canvas  and embellished with handmade papers, tissue paper and canvas. They are each 30 x 40".  The last piece is a watercolor painting embellished  with wax resist, acrylic paint and handmade papers. It is matted and framed in my signature frame. The size is 24" x 36" under glass. Which one do you like the most?  What would you...

Coming soon  to the Gaslight Art Colony  in Marshall Illinois !       I am so excited to return as the teacher for this fun workshop.  It will be similar to the format of last year's workshop, but the materials, format and the end result will be very different and one of a kind. Here's a little bit of the process we'll be following. We'll start with a blank 12 x 12" canvas. We'll learn about building up an underpainting with sepia tones and lay in the basic design.  Next we'll start building, using a combination of acrylic paint, painted papers, burlap, canvas and yarn. As it evolves, other layers and materials may be added or subtracted.   Glazes will be available to tint or tone the colors until the desired look is achieved.  The last and most important step is that the path of light through leaves will be established and refined.  I would be delighted for you to join us for this all day event.   To register, go to  Gasl...

   It's that one tree again.  It's actually the same tree, but in different prints. That is the beauty of linocut printing. You first carve the plate, then print the plate, then paint, embellish, layer, texture, paper it,  add or subtract to it. So each one is a one of a kind original piece of art.   It's that one tree, where I used to go when I was a child and we lived next to the woods. It was actually just a vacant lot, but to my 8 year old mind it was the vast woods. And in the back of that woods there was that one tree, where I would go to play, pretend, think and pray. I still remember the absolute invincible wonder and peace I felt when I was there.     So now as an adult, when I paint, or carve, or draw, I'm going back to that one tree.  That One Tree is available in my  shop here So what do you think about That One Tree? Do you have a memory of the one tree in your mind? I would love to hear about your one tree.

     I've been talking a lot about the importance of having a muted palette, meaning very little color.  But lately, I've wanted to add color to some of the paintings that I did over the last few years. So that's what I've been doing. I just added color to this piece. It was called The Clearing, and it was a very monotone palette. It was actually one of the favorite paintings at my shows. But you know, it just didn't sell. So I decided to take a breath, (a couple of breaths actually), and re-work this painting, add color, and actually change the path of light in the painting.        So what do you think now? I kind of like it! I like the new light coming through, and I like the blues that are in here now, that didn't used to be, and the light browns and yellows. And I like this little trunk, that gives you a place to sit when you're at the clearing of the woods. A limited edition print of the original Clearing is   available here.  ...

          I’ve always been a lover of paint and paint palettes. I vividly remember the excitement I felt opening that rectangular tin filled with round cakes of watercolor paint in elementary school. I was hooked! From that point on, I have wanted to explore and express within the inviting purity of paint.          In 1988 I had a beach side shop where I hand painted women's clothing. I was using acrylic paint in abundance. One morning I had cleaned my palette off, and had peeled a large colorful piece of variegated and textured acrylic paint from it.  Some friends of mine came into the shop (actually it was my minister and his wife). During our brief conversation, I showed them the peeled up paint and said, “This is too pretty to throw away, but I don’t know what to do with it.” The husband said, “Oh, you should cut it up and make it into jewelry!” We all laughed about it. It was like "Yeah right, I should try ...

    When the three primary colors yellow, red and blue are mixed together, the result is brown. There are infinite varieties of brown, depending on the proportions and intensity of color, but it is always a result of mixing the three primary colors. Add white to the mix and you have delicious beige.        A neutral palette, then, is one where this mix is achieved. The neutral palette is the one preferred by nature.          In January 2002, scientists at John Hopkins University announced that they had discovered the color of all the light in the universe… and it was beige! The color was quickly renamed “cosmic latte” by the team.       In celebration of all things neutral and brown, here are some of my mixed media pieces from the ongoing series "Of the Woods". Ferns of the Woods  20 x 32 Sage Green  20 x 32 Tawny 8 x 10 Patterns  8 x 10 For information or to purchase, visit my shop...