Eggplant and Friends
Oil Pastel
Framed 17.5 x 21
200.
The intent in this work was to speak to the fact that I believe the measure of a man is often determined by the friends he has been lucky enough to find — and keep. We find strength in these friends, and in part, we are what we are because of our connections with them.
As a personal note, I enjoyed every stroke of the medium while doing this oil pastel. Keeping it loose, and savoring the calligraphic mark making, I abandoned a good deal of tightness and local color while working. The result was a piece I often consider a personal favorite.
Lermon Watching
Oil pastel
Framed 17.5 x 21
200.
Live is an adventure in which some of us are doers and some of us feel safer as watchers. But, there is very little interconnection as a watcher. Basically a watcher, I have to tell myself to be like Nike — JUST DO IT.
This piece in the series came directly after Emotion In Equals Emotion Out was completed. I felt the solitary nature of the trowel and the apple should include a third person to add more spice to the tale.
Ruby Reds, Sliced
Giclee of the original oil pastel
Matted to 11×14
Giclee available
The work Uncle Jimmy’s Grapefruit has been digitally separated into two pictures, which allows each of the two pieces to speak to different stories.
This side of the piece, Ruby Reds, Sliced represents a personality with a deep red, glowing center, but is not fully recognized until after it is coaxed out in the open, while the other side of the oil pastel work, Ruby Reds, One Half presents an unreserved personality, willing to accept anything.
Chroma Therapy
Oil pastel
Framed 29 x 24.5
275.
Who KNOWS the origin of CHROMA. I can assure you, in this case, it does not refer to shiny stuff on cars. It deals with saturation of color, and in some cases chroma and the work color are definitely close relatives.
Chroma Therapy is a piece inspired by The Fauvist’ theories of color where local color is abandoned in favor of modeling and structuring an object by using pure abstract color and paying attention to temperate and advancing receding qualities of the color.
After completing a few very tight, draftsmanly pieces — I needed some Chroma Therapy and this work was the result.
The Choice of Lemon or Lime
Oil pastel
Framed 24 x 21
300.
This work was the first oil pastel in the ongoing allegorical still life series. Though seemingly simple, I consider The Choice of Lemon or Lime a pivotal piece in my artistic activity and opened the door through which all the emotion of the allegorical pieces eventually flowed.
In The Choice of Lemon or Lime, I used complementary colors, high value contrast, and unbalanced placement of subject matter to tell a story in oil pastel better then I could express it in words.
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2nd Place, Professional Drawing, Michigan State Fair Fine Art competition
Honorable Mention, Detroit Society Women Painters & Sculptors centennial exhibition
Mango Nose
Oil pastel
Framed 11 x 14
150.
Giclee available
Hey! This guy has a nose… or is he TOTALLY a nose?
I loved doing this colorful piece and laughed a good way through it, thinking of all the noses I have seen that were reminiscent of this mango. The most fun of doing the work was the last few strokes of ‘bright’ on the tip of the nose of my mango of character.
Life is Just a Bowl
Oil pastel
Framed 17.5 x 21
175.
As I was doing this piece, with dark red cherries abounding, I kept it loose and enjoyed the lively stroke making, the colors, and my environment while working on a sunny porch in the Florida Keys. As I continued through the process, I was mindful of the old adage “Life is just a bowl of cherries”. OK, so, maybe some rum while I worked helped add to my positive attitude.
Talking to the Man in the Moon
Oil pastel
Framed 30 x 25
375.
In life, there are special people we dearly want to speak to, but for one reason or another, those people may not be available to us anymore. And, how many times have we spoken a word or two to the moon, in hopes that the message might be bounced off the surface and on, toward a lost loved one?
Because of the difficulty in connecting, as a visual metaphor, the mouthpiece into which we would have spoken our words, is only partially presented … we can, however, evoke fond memories and have wonderful conversations with anyone we choose, through the use of our imagination. This fact is symbolized by showing the full mouthpiece, distinctly in strong shadow near the bottom of the paper. I consider this a focal point of the piece.
— As the story unfolds, the face of the full moon can be seen glowing on the dial.
The Scarab Club Silver Medal Exhibition of 2004 —
The Scarab Club
271 Farnsworth
Detroit, MI
Blue and Berries
Oil pastel
Framed 18 x 21
185.
Giclee available
Sister/brother piece to Life is Just a Bowl, Blue and Berries has always been one of my favorite pieces in the Allegorical Still Life series because of the luscious blue, purple and red color theme. I fell even more deeply in love with using red and purple as I worked.
Interestingly, there is not much of a hidden story involved with this image. I started the work directly after completing Life is Just a Bowl simply wanting a similar image of fruit offset in a nifty white bowl and completed the work in one sitting … finishing off my subject matter before I finished.
I actually do devour my models after I finish a lot of my still life works, in thanks and with intentional completion of the piece, which sort of puts the period at the end of a good sentence. Dessert at the end of a good meal.
Nose to Nose
Oil pastel
Framed 12 x 16
Sold
Giclee available
Simply put: The power of looking deeply into the soul of another.
Because You Like Old Things
Oil pastel
Framed 30 x 25
300.
After completing this work, I wrote these thoughts about the piece, and now I frequently use the statement to describe the entire Allegorical Series.
Elements of the Allegorical Still Life Series
Dramatic stage lighting creates the mood.
The mood is enhanced by asking spot lighting to shine through some of the objects in the story, while reflecting off of others — all the while, illuminating the scene.
The reflections of the strong light and opposing shadows fight for attention,and create exciting conflict.
Contrasting colors add to the conflict …
Active strokes of the medium enliven the activity on stage. And, the strange story unfolds as each playgoer privately interprets what they see.
Ruby Reds, One Half
Giclee of the original oil pastel
matted, 11×14
Giclee available
The work Uncle Jimmy’s Grapefruit has been digitally separated into two pictures, which allows each of the two pieces to speak to different stories
This side of the piece, Ruby Reds, One Half represents an unreserved personality, willing to accept anything, while the other side of the oil pastel work, Ruby Reds, Sliced represents a personality with a deep red glowing center, but is not fully recognized until after it is coaxed out into the open.
Vine Ripe in Blue Light
Oil pastel
Framed 17.5 x 21
Sold, Private Collection
Many of the Allegorical pieces are little clips from stage plays that I create in my head… I light the stage and the players take over… as I worked on this one, it became evident that the actors in this one-act were my colorful little family of a Mom, Dad, and two crazy kids all different but entwined and united under the spot lights.
Emotion In Equals Emotion Out
Oil pastel
Framed 17.5 x 21
200.
Giclee available
This piece is one of the first and one of the strongest images in Allegorical Still Life series thus far.
While I worked on the first pieces in the original series, many stories and emotions were played out on sheets and sheets of black charcoal paper, the substrate used for most of the pieces in the series. I poured emotion IN to each piece, in the hopes that emotion would be felt by the viewer on the way OUT. Emotion In Equals Emotion Out.
The Allegorical Still Life series is on going and personally therapeutic. I have many more stories to tell before the black paper is all used up.
In this piece, the actual apple was the aggressor and in fact plunged itself upon the trowel in order to capture the attention and dominate the trowel, rather than the other way around. — you go, little apple!
Uncle Jimmy's Ruby Reds
Oil pastel
Framed 17.5 x 21
175.
This oil pastel was dedicated to my Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Hattie and their homegrown Ruby Red Florida Grapefruit. They gave me a handful and upon seeing how stunning the inside of the fruit could be with the sunlight illuminating it, I ate only one and turned the rest into an allegorical statement.
Note to self: Take the time to look deeply into a person. Doing so can often be enlightening, surprising and a rewarding experience.
Forbidden
Oil pastel
Framed 15 x 19
175.
Just a little forbidden fruit handed to you on the dish of a trowel.
I was so taken by the movement on the face of this trowel that I used it in a number of pieces, enjoying it in different ways, each time. While using it as subject matter, light and objects never appeared to reflect the same way twice.
Dangling Conversation
Oil pastel
Framed 17.5 x 21
200.
The message of this work expresses the pain of misunderstood communication. — Nuff said.
Real Red
Oil Pastel
Framed 11 x 14
150.
And, oh my, is it ever!
This single flowing red apple center stage represents my admiration for those who teach. Thank you, Mr. Michalik. Thank you, Miss Maneval. Thank you, Mr. Ryan, Mr. Waz, Mr. Dally, Mr. Hartman, Coach Strahm, George, Chrissy, Helene. And, thank you, daughter Brady. Thank you for your lofty goals and your inspiration.
Triumph
Oil pastel
Framed 22 x 17.5
180.
Pride at overcoming an adversary and exerting the power that is deep within all of us.
From Imagination
Oil pastel
Framed 16 x 20
Sold
Giclee Available
Three little cherries in this piece are named for imaginary friends I used to believe I ‘owned’.
Remember Hewie, Lewie and Dewie, Donald Duck’s three nephews? I believed so strongly that they were mine that I threw quite a fuss when I thought my dad had left them all at a gas station. We had to back up and get them. Dad got out, opened the car door and cajolingly let them back in. But, he slammed it pretty hard when I told him they were safe inside. Guess he didn’t have the imagination that I did….
Cast a Giant Shadow
Oil Pastel
Framed 12 16
Sold
Giclee Available
This is the companion piece to Nose to Nose. The most unassuming individuals can often be a prime source of influence and inspiration in our lives … We all agree that these people may be small, but they can cast a giant shadow.
Surrounded
Oil pastel
Framed 17.5 x 22.5
175.
This is another piece that is dedicated to our daughter and all teachers who are often surrounded by their little charges — Some little ones stick closer to their mentor than others do. Some are more attentive and naturally shine brighter. But all are fresh and ready to learn. There the midst of all the hubbub is the devoted teacher, who is most deserving of the spotlight.
Dance of the Chroma Pears
Oil Pastel
Framed 30 x 25
275.
Dance of the Chroma Pears is inspired by the Fauves and their theories of color. The artists who first used these theories were working over 100 years ago. Interest in the Fauvist movement (French for wild beasts) urged me for a time to become fauvish, and to use edgier, abstracted color to model and describe a subject while still being dedicated to strong draftsmanship. Dance of the Chroma Pears is one of the works with a fauvist influence.
Testing a theory:
In theory, if a work has been created using non-local color, and if that painting is then photographed Black and white, a realistic representation SHOULD still appear, if it was done right … we’re close :o)
Sunkist
Oil Pastel
Framed 21 x 17.5
180.
I chose the exact blue complement of the oranges to brighten, intensify, and excite all the colors on the painted surface of Sunkist. My joy in the work was using the play of oranges and blues, in hopes of keeping the subject more vibrant and alive … But in the end, the real fun was that the oranges were sacrificed to the SMOOTHIE gods.
Way Out of Line — Apple, Detail
Oil Pastel
Framed Diptych
My intent in Way Out of Line was to honor a dear friend, who through a grave illness, was recently lost to all of us. How she loved to express herself frequently by saying WAY cool and WAY neat. When she left us, she became Way Out of Line from the rest of us and we will miss her forever.
For each viewer of the Allegorical Still Life series, this diptych could easily present a different story — it could be whimsical or serious. It’s your choice, please.
As with all my pieces in the series, I invite you to enjoy interpreting each of them, using your own imagination and your own situations.
Way Out of Line — Group, Detail
Oil Pastel
Framed Diptych
My intent in Way Out of Line was to honor a dear friend, who through a grave illness, was recently lost to all of us. How she loved to express herself frequently by saying WAY cool, or WAY neat. When she left us, she became Way Out of Line from the rest of us and we will miss her forever.
For each viewer of the Allegorical Still Life series, this diptych could easily present a different story — it could be whimsical or serious. It’s your choice, please.
As with all my pieces in the series, I invite you to enjoy interpreting each of them, using your own imagination and your own situations.
Way Out of Line
Oil Pastel
Framed Diptych 30 x 32
450.
My intent in Way Out of Line was to honor a dear friend, who through a grave illness, was recently lost to all of us. How she loved to express herself frequently by saying WAY cool, or WAY neat. When she left us, she became Way Out of Line from the rest of us and we will miss her forever.
For each viewer of the Allegorical Still Life series, this diptych could easily present a different story — it could be whimsical or serious. It’s your choice, please.
As with all my pieces in the series, I invite you to enjoy interpreting each of them, using your own imagination and your own situations.