TA, MY OTHER GRANDMOTHER

12x24 oil on canvas nfs

This was my grandmother, everyone called her Ta which is a nickname for, Letia (pronounced with a strong french accent Lee-Ta). She was a hard worker, loving, but firm...a no nonsense kind of person. I remember the "drop-in" company and how she loved visiting with her rural neighbors. Visiting with her friends and family on a daily basis took on significant importance in her later years. When I think of my summer visits, several things come to mind,  feeding the cows and chickens, picking eggs, and in the late afternoons, before I knew about plein air painting, taking my sketchbook out to draw and paint in the pastures.

ZIBILICH RESIDENCE

11x14 oil on canvas

This landscape is from our July '08 plein air paint-out.

WALDEN

8x10 oil on canvas

This is Walden a beautiful rescued Boxer.

LOLA OF LOUISIANA

8x10 oil on canvas sold

Meet Lola, a chocolate labrador. This was painted from the client's reference photos as a birthday surprise for her brother. I understand Lola has a loving and loyal disposition; with paint and brush I tried to capture her sweet  nature.

IN MY SISTER'S ARMS

11x14 oil on canvas nfs

I am hesitant to post portraits because I am not a portrait artist; however, I do want to learn, so what better way to learn. In My Sister's Arms was painted for our friend, Jay Abney's 50th birthday. Jay has been to Chad, Africa several times to help with an ongoing building project on a church and school. He gave me many reference photos to choose from, but I kept coming back to these two little girls because they were especially meaningful to him. Happy Birthday Jay. 

LABRADOR

12x24 oil on canvas sold

Typically I paint 8x10 pet portraits, but occasionally a larger painting will come along.

CRICKET

12x16 oil on canvas nfs

This was my grandmother; the woman whose face lit up when she spoke about Jesus. I have such beautiful memories of this precious woman and could fill up many pages writing about her. Mom-Mom loved her vegetable garden and you could find her in it from sunup to sundown; she could grow anything in super abundance and always shared her bounty from the garden. My grandparents were quite the gardeners, in addition to the overflowing vegetable garden, there were lemon, pear, fig, tangerine, orange, kumquat trees...and I'm sure many more types that I have forgotten through the years. 

She had a precious servant's heart and lived by example always putting others before herself. In her portrait, I tried so hard to portray the kindness and gentleness she always showed us.  I asked her one time how she came to be called Cricket and she told me that it was a nickname she was given because when she was little she hopped around all the time.  After she told me that, she shrugged her shoulders and said "That was a long time ago, I think that's why they call me Cricket."

I miss her. 

NESTING II

8x8 oil on canvas

Another little nest painting.

MORNING AT LAKE MARTIN

9x12 oil on canvas

From a plein air excursion to Southwest Louisiana last summer at Lake Martin in Breaux Bridge. Lake Martin is the home of one of the most beautiful rookeries with an abundant amount of wildlife. While we were painting, we had to heed the "alligator nesting" signs and ignore their loud noises. Painting there was an incredible experience watching egrets and herons wade through the swamp and nest in the nearby trees.

ROOSTER PROFILE

9x12 oil on canvas

This one seemed like it just painted itself.

2 CHICKS

12X16 oil on canvas

My grandparents had chickens and I loved feeding and watching them. I remember how much they loved pecking at watermelon rinds. I don't remember any of their chickens being quite this colorful.

POND GATHERING

12x24 oil on canvas

A most colorful group of chicks. sold

PATHWAY #2

8x16 oil on canvas board

Here is another vertical composition of a shady pathway. 

MR. LAGNEAUX'S CREEK

8x16 oil on canvas board

Once again another vertical landscape. In an earlier post, I posted a painting I did of an Angus bull from Mr. Lagneaux's cattle farm in Lafayette, LA. We spent a bit of time photographing his beautiful herd of Angus, then set up and did a little plein air painting. As we were leaving his farm, we discovered this beautiful, shady creek alive with all kinds of plants, birds, and toads. Enjoy.

PATHWAY #1

8x16 oil on canvas board 

Last summer I worked on a series of landscape paths, all in a vertical format. Usually a vertical landscape will exhibit a little more energy than a horizontal landscape. So, here is the first one in the pathway series.

WINNIE

8x10 oil on canvas 

Jonathan, the office manager at Kindness Small Animal Hospital, did a huge favor for me; this was my thank you for him. Jonathan and his wife Karen have 5 dogs of various personalities and sizes, it was difficult selecting which pet to paint. With her expressive bulldog eyes and slurpy smile, it had to be Winnie. nfs

CHARLIE

12X12 oil on canvas

This was a commissioned portrait of a beautiful little King Charles Spaniel for the Sloan family. sold

BROWN & WHITE COW

9x12 oil on canvas

Photographed when the oils were still wet, the canvas has a slick look...kind of the same slick look on this old gal's face.

SOFA PUP

12x16 oil on canvas

This is from a photo source I found off the Wet Canvas website; beautiful warm light.

THE SMITH BOYS

Something completely different; another oil on canvas. I did this several years ago for Dad (he's the one holding the baby...Uncle Donald). Because the photo reference was so very small for this painting, it proved to be challenging. This photo was taken probably in the late 30's or early 40's, and is also the only known group photo of dad and his brothers.

SPRING'S BOUNTY

9x12 oil on canvas 

As I painted this, the perfect order and placement of the branches fell into place easily.

BABY JACK

8x10 oil on canvas

Meet Jack, a little pit bull mix. After many years of love and devotion, the Rini family lost their beloved Razor. Jack is the new pup on the block and I am sure he brings much unconditional love, not to mention a burst of constant energy, to his new home. Keeping that new puppy softness was my biggest painting challenge with Baby Jack's portrait. 

FRESH CORN

11x14 oil on canvas Even though the corn was a bit challenging, this was a fun one. sold

BASS TRIO

12x16 oil on canvas

OUR ZOE

8x10 oil on canvas

This is our little Schnauzer, Zoe. She has been with us for 12  years and has been a source of boundless spunk and joy. Zoe still has a lot of energy, but mostly this is how she spends her days, quietly checking things out when she's not napping and snoring softly. Her favorite words are cat and treat!

BEAGLE PUP

8x10 oil on canvas

MASTIFF

8x10 oil on canvas

another small painting in the dog series

BROWN EYES

8x10 oil on canvas

REFLECTIONS OF MT.VERNON

10x20 oil on canvas

Originally painted plein air in Mt.Vernon, TX. Thanks Rex, we had a wonderful weekend painting on your beautiful property and with such fun, not to mention, accomplished artists!

3 IN A ROW

12x24 oil on canvas

Yet another black & white cow in the series. This painting, along with others, is featured for the month of July at Cafe Izmir in Dallas.

3 BLACK SPOTS

18x24 oil on canvas

#5 in the black & white cow series

HIS MAJESTY

8x10 oil on canvas

another in the dog series

3 WHITE SPOTS

14x18 oil on canvas

4th in the black & white cow series. sold

SLOPPY BULLDOG KISSES

8x10 oil on canvas

YOU LOVED ME WELL. LOVE, SADIE

8x10 oil on canvas

Sadie, a yorkshire terrier, loved chasing squirrels. 

sold

SHY ONE BLACK & WHITE COW #1

9X12 oil on canvas

first in a series experimenting with black & white subjects

BLACK ANGUS BULL

8x10 oil on canvas

from Mr. Lagneaux's livestock

GRAND COTEAU LONGHORN

8x10 oil on canvas

COW BIRD

9x12 oil on canvas