Impressionist Coffee

Thank God for coffee!  How I look forward to that first cup of Morning Coffee and the smell and the taste just wakes up all of my senses.

It’s Friday morning and I am ever so grateful for the warm cup of coffee in my hand, and for the warm robe that I am wearing and for my home which I love.  My heart goes out to all of the people in Haiti, knowing that they are sleeping in the streets and in tents and so many without water and food.  They are probably not even thinking about a cup of coffee.

So, today, I salute all of the people who are in Haiti helping out the survivors and making their world better as each day passes.  The United States is a nation of compassion and world support and I am proud to be an American.  We need to support the small businesses here in the United States and to be buying American-made products!

We can all find our joy and happiness in our own lives by appreciating the large gifts of life that we have and even the small ones -- like a cup of coffee!

Please enjoy this impressionistic painting entitled, “Morning Coffee” -- a great way to start the day!

Painting Love

The resiliency of the human spirit truly amazes me -- I heard on the news this morning that they just pulled a seventeen-year old girl out of the wreckage after fifteen days -- fifteen days !!!  -- so as the world went on, this little girl laid there in the rubble surviving  How did you survive???  What were her thoughts  as she spent all that time wondering what was going to happen to her, and how scared she must have been!   And now, to be rescued!  I am sure that the people who found her must be so elated that their efforts saved a life -- a life so precious!

 I am humbled to tears when I think of how fortunate I am to have my home and my studio and that I get to paint for a living!  

We can all learn from her survival -- that our lives are so precious and how the human spirit longs to survive.  

Today, take a few moments and thank all of the people around you that give you love and encouragement and friendship and give you the will to survive.  We all face our own challenges -- and the beauty of our lives is the gifts of love we give to one another and to the world.

This is a painting of the beginning of life -- and the love that a mother feels for her child!

Thank you for being in my life.

Impressionist Moments

When it is cold and rainy and snowing, the memories of our times on the beach can light up our hearts.  That is why so many people collect art -- having beautiful paintings adorn your walls gives your eyes and your heart something to look at every day that makes you smile.

As an artist, I, too, need those smiles -- and that is why I paint -- to bring joy and happiness to the people who see my art.  And, when I walk into the studio and it is raining and cold, I sit and look at my photos and put myself right back on the beach and I am reminded of those moments that I spent on that beach!  I wait until I can feel the beach and the light -- and then I start to paint -- to music, of course!

Andrea Bocelli has been a favorite artist of mine to paint to -- his music is soothing and beautiful and calming -- just like the ocean!

Each painting is a unique reminder of times together that belong in a painting!

Who is your favorite musician?

Impressionist Beaches

The days of the beach and sunshine are memories that we have since childhood --- days of fun and freedom and building castles in the sand.  How I long for these days!

My mother would always pack sandwiches and treats in a picnic basket and she would fill a large thermos (thingy)  with Kool Aid that just seemed to taste better at the beach.  I remember those magical days, I remember the feelings of joy and happiness that I felt all over the minute we got to our “beach”.

I still love the beach and I especially love photographing and being with people while they play on the beach -- you never know what will happen.  As the tide goes in and out and the sun warms us up, it is the cool water that beckons the sunbathers.  What is always so amazing is putting a baby’s foot in the water for the first time and to watch the delight on their faces as they watch the waves touch their little feet.  I entitled this painting "Happy Times" and that tells it all.

And, Oh, how much fun that is to paint!

I love the beach!  What is your favorite beach?

Impressionist Flowers

Sunflowers bring sunshine to everyone that sees them,  and they truly light up my paintings -- they are my favorite flower to paint.  The color yellow is the color of happiness and I use it in every one of my paintings!

Children love flowers too and painting a little girl holding sunflowers -- voila -- magic!  That is why gardens are so important to our well being -- just sitting in a garden and appreciating the splendor of the flowers is so relaxing!  God’s magic is certainly at work there!

Wishing us all days of sunshine and flowers.  Send someone flowers today and watch them smile!

Impressionist Reflections

The beauty of painting is that you can paint anything you want!  There is so much beauty in this world to paint!  When you look at the world with loving eyes, that is exactly what you see and therein lies the beauty!

The colors of the people on the beach are reflected in the wet sand that comes to life with deep colors.  I wait for low tide and as the late afternoon light arrives, it is time to photograph my models.  This is where the inspirations of my paintings starts -- the reflections -- have you seen them?  I am sure that you have -- when a model is wearing red, there is a beautiful deep red in the wet sand below -- white has it’s turn to become blues and yellows -- And I am excited to be capturing these moments of splendor!

Wishing us all moments of splendor!

Impressionist Sunshine

It’s a beautiful day here in Phoenix -- the sun is shining and I am creating a new series of paintings -- 

I wish us all days of sunshine and happiness!  We are all artists -- each in our own special way, and doing what we love to do is the special gift we give back to the universe.

Smile and the world smiles back -- our world can use more smiles!!!