Good Fortune. Year of the Dragon.

 This idea has been in my head for months. Once I realized this year was Year of the Dragon, I got to work.

This is Good Fortune. Year of the Dragon. Gouache on 8x10 canvas board.

The Green Man

 Green is a color I struggle with when it comes to painting. It easily can get murky and not stand out. So of course that means I have to paint an entire 6x8 canvas board in gouache with as many greens as I can get my hands on. This one will be a birthday gift to someone who loves plants. 

Sicilian Citrus

 Something about peering down a narrow Sicilian alleyway under the hot sun and spotting a bowl of citrus fruit invokes a nostalgic feeling within in. For this painting, I used M Graham gouache, which is by far my most favorite medium. This is on a good quality watercolor paper made by Carson. 

Pisces in gouache

 I had a dry spell with my painting urges there for awhile, but today it found me. I have had the idea of painting Koi windsocks for some time now, and found inspiration with blue and coral colors. This one is painted on a 6x6 canvas board in gouache.

Frida Sugar Skull

 Frida Kahlo the Mexican painter often painted self portraits of herself. This is dedicated to her beautiful work meshed with celebrating the Day of the Dead. Gouache on canvas board.

The Glow of Ms. Etna

 Sometimes I'm amazed at some of the stories of my Sicilian family ancestry, how they came to America in the early part of the 20th century, the traditions they still carry on, and the pride of their heritage. The DNA test I took claimed I have 24% Italian in my genes. Whether that's accurate or not, I'm definitely of a Sicilian bloodline, and I think it's pretty cool 😊

What I love about Sicily is the blend of being a desert yet so fertile with citrus fruits, grapes and plumerias. Visiting Hawaii a few years ago, the scent of plumerias were everywhere and it is one of my favorite floral scents. I'm surprised plumerias grow in Sicily because I think of that flower growing in a more lush tropical environment. Blood oranges are also a thing in Sicily, and those are delicious. Sicilians grow the best tasting lemons too. And of course wine is another gift from this volcanic island.

This abundance is due to the rich fertile soil from the volcanos nearby, particularly the active Mt. Etna. In this painting, I refer to her as Ms. Etna, and the glowing flow of her lava and plumes of ash contribute to this soil. I also imagine standing at a market in Catania, indulging in the beautiful colors of this magical place.

Painted on 10x12 canvas board in gouache, fluorescent acrylic and other mixed media.

Calla Luna

 On a 6x8 canvas board, this is a mixed media of gouache, ink and watercolor. The full moon goddess shines her gentle light over the hills of Big Sur California, sprinkling her magic over the delicate Calla Lilies. In the distance, the turquoise ocean reflects her light.

Tiny cat portraits

 I love tiny canvases, and found these at Dick Blick a couple of years ago. They came as a pack of six, and have just been sitting in my art supply stash for quite a while now. Since I enjoy painting animals it seems lately, I thought it would be fun to paint Bean and Jerry-my older kids' cats. Both of my older kids are roommates, and they each have a cat. Bean belongs to my 24 year old daughter, and Jerry belongs to my 21 year old son. These cats each have quite their own personality, but one thing I especially love in cats is their eyes. Bean (my daughter's tabby cat) has glorious green eyes, and Jerry (my son's white cat) has some intense amber eyes. These canvases are just 2"x2", and these head portraits are painted in gouache.

Bean on the left, Jerry on the right

Cactus series - Gouache on paper

 November in the Pacific Northwest means gray skies, golden leaves and mud. After the September wildfires, I'm certainly not complaining! Just a few years ago, the fall was my favorite season. As I've gotten older however, I have a lot more appreciation for the sun-especially after vacationing in Hawai'i twice in one year. 

In 1999, I moved to Phoenix,Arizona with my young daughter to find a new change in scenery. Back then, I had also longed for sunnier winters and that motivated the move. We lasted just over a year as I discovered how much I missed the trees and green in Oregon after visiting Flagstaff in northern Arizona. We came home with one more family member-my 2 month old son!

These cool damp days have me thinking about Arizona lately, so I browsed through some cactus photos to paint. Losing the moment in these paintings as I day dream about the desert was a brief respite from the rain. These are two small painting in gouache on paper.

Sunset Surf in Santa Barbara-in gouache and watercolor

My oldest daughter recently requested a new painting from me, and I was honored with her request. She loves the beach, Hawaii and Santa Barbara are her favorites (she has great taste!), so naturally I was inclined to paint her a beach scene. The idea of surfing and a Willy Jeep Wagon came from an image on a vintage post card from Santa Barbara while searching online. This is a 10x12 gouache and watercolor on treated canvas board, and will soon be hanging in my daughter's apartment.

Gouache still life for life being still

So we are in a pandemic which requires us to stay home in isolation. Perfect timing for a still life set. My kitchen needed some upgrades in wall art, so here are two paintings in gouache of still life in the kitchen. My style is the black and white border around objects of prominence, and slight fauvism to enhance shadows and highlights.

Dala Love

If you shop at IKEA during the holidays, you might see trinkets of a red wooden horse painted with bright colors as a decoration. This horse has become a traditional icon of Sweden, and I painted this in my admiration of the scandinavian culture. Gouache paints on canvas board, and lots of love.

Rosy-Bee in gouache

The final of four in my Flowers and Friends series. Rosy-Bee bumbles around the large pink rose buzzing in bliss. I have at least a half-dozen rose bushes growing in my tiny yard to bring in the sweet honeybees. Painted on canvas board in gouache.

Butter-Lips in gouache

This is the 3rd of my Flowers and Friends series featuring a bright red tulip being kissed by a monarch butterfly. I find monarch butterflys to be one of the most beautiful creatures of our earth, and always feel enchanted when I see one. Gouache on canvas board.

Dragon-Lily in gouache

This is number 2 in my Flowers and Friends series. The purple calla lily is an exquisite flower, and I'm growing it my yard, because why not? The day I saw a dragon fly land on one of the deep purple petals gave me inspiration for this painting. Very pleased with how this came out, and is now framed in my living room. 

Trinacria of Sicily in gouache

This is a painted celebration of my Sicilian ancestry in bold gouache on 8x8 canvas board. I got the idea from the artful tiles made in Sicily, and combining the trinacria symbol from the Sicilian flag. The symbol is Medusa representing the the goddess who fought off evil (not just turning men to stone with her gaze), and stalks of wheat symbolize fertility (as in agriculturally). The three legs represent the basic shape of the island.

In 1913, my great grandmother (just a teen) immigrated to the United States from Palermo Italy. I've held a sense of pride that I have roots from this beautiful and bountiful island. This is my second painting using the black and white outline in gouache that has Sicilian inspirations behind them.

Lady-Sun in gouache

The first in my Flowers and Friends series, this was a very fun painting. I love sunflowers, and usually grow them every year. Painted in gouache on canvas board.

Nesting Dolls Gossiping Over Tea in gouache

I don't own any, but there is something I'm fascinated about nesting dolls. I remember as a little girl playing with a set at a relative's house. I loved the detail yet simple shape, I loved how they stacked inside one another and were all different. This is a painting of two of those dolls telling each other stories while sipping tea. Painted on  11x11 watercolor paper in gouache using the black and white outline method.

Go By Train-PDX train tower

Another symbol of Portland, Oregon is this train tower where the Amtrak pulls into the City of Roses. In this Oregon series, I was using only watercolor, but somehow I forgot about that this time and this turned out to be in gouache. Another fun painting to add to my Oregon landscape series. 

Great Blue Heron in Oregon

This past summer, we took a drive west from our home towards the Oregon Coast. We took the scenic route, and passed by some wetlands. In those wetlands was a Great Blue Heron standing in the water looking for its next meal (I assume), and that gave me the idea for this painting in gouache on canvas board. I'm very pleased with this one and it is now hanging in my living room to remind me of the beautiful birds we have here in Oregon.