Dinner Bell
10" x 8"
Pastel on Paper
SOLD

A Perfect Pearing
10" x 8"
Pastel on Paper
SOLD

Blue Vases
16" x 24"
Pastel on Paper

Three Amigos
30" x 24" 
Oil on Canvas

Celebrate the season with chocolate!  That's what I often say.  And why not when the chocolate comes in delicate shiny little foil wrappers?  I think it is important to test the chocolate to make sure it is tasty.  Sure, this still life painting could have worked as two pristinely wrapped mint chocolates, but I wanted to make sure that what was inside was as good as I assumed-and I was in the mood for celebrating.  In case you're wondering, it was excellent chocolate.

New York, Old York
11" x 14"
Oil on Panel

The Musical Fruit
28" x 22"
Oil on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

Good Morning
14" x 11"
Pastel on Paper

Sweet Escape
18 X 24
Pastel on board

I didn't count how many pieces of candy were in the dish before I got to them but I'm pretty sure there were at least 5 more pieces when I started.  I've been known to eat my still life arrangements and this one was no exception.  

There is nothing more fun to paint than the challenges posed by glass, metal, or cellophane.  With pastel painting, it's particularly difficult to get small details like those you see on the candy wrappers above.  Patience and a steady hand are helpful but there is something to be said for having  a butterscotch or peppermint candy to keep you going until you get it right.

The Color of Summer
23 X 18
Pastel on board

After spending much of my career painting people and pets with mostly neutral colors such a browns, tans, red-oranges, and everything else that represents skin tones and fur, I welcomed a change of palette colors for The Color of Summer.  Painting a still life of colorful melting popsicles is not only tempting but also challenging!  It's a race against the appetite and the clock.  I think this painting captures that perfect moment from summertime when the popsicles have reached that "just about to drip of the stick" stage, when they are the juiciest and most delicious.  I assure you that is true because I ate the entire still life arrangement!

All that work in color was rewarded with a lovely article in Pastel Journal's "Food for Thought" feature in their February 2013 issue along with another colorful image titled Sweet Escape.  

The Art of Fine Dining
18 X 6
Oil on panel
Sold

As a foodie, I do think there is an art to fine dining.  I appreciate creative plating, the arrangement of colorful edibles, and of course the taste!  Fine dining doesn't have to mean expensive.  It just means fabulous food!  Often, the silverware, plates, or glasses capture my attention and beg to be painted.  Their colorful reflections of the food nearby or the way the light falls on the details are simply too interesting to ignore.  The placement of pea-sized gold pearls on the fork symbolizes the whole experience of enjoying good food and adds another design element to the sharp edges already in the image.