Snow Day Memories

 Snow Day 7 x 10" pastel

I'm currently reading a book titled "The Midnight Train" by Matt Haig. With no spoilers, it is about an old man who dies and boards a train to eternity. During the trip he views the passing of his life outside the train windows. The train stops at pivotal moments during his life where he can examine them more closely. I'm enjoying it very much, but there was one sentence that I appreciated so much, I had to stop and write it down: "Doesn't the mundane starch of reality always turn to sugar with memory." Goodness that struck home! You don't aways comprehend the happiest moments or times of your life until they are reflected upon.

I was on vacation recently with family and was thinking how I couldn't wait to get home to journal about it and review the photos. It's as if, even though I try to "be present" (and I think I do a pretty good job of that), I can't fully process how wonderful it all is until a can take that time to reflect - let it become sugar. 

This piece is from a photo taken more than 20 years ago. It's a beautiful memory that has become more beautiful with time. My kids are grown. We don't get snowfalls like this very often anymore. Life speeds by - like a train. When it is my turn to board that train, I hope it stops here. I will soak up the joy of my babies and throw myself down into the snow and make a snow angel and bask in the blessings that my life has been so full of. How sweet is that?!

Speaking on the piece itself, I haven't done a pastel for a very long time - years actually. But I was just in the mood and pastels are a quick medium. Here are the steps:

I did a small pencil sketch first then switched to Nupastels and pastel pencils on colored pastel paper. 

The last thing I did was tone down the snow a bit. Didn't want it to be quite so brilliant of a blue.

I'm not sure how much time I invested, but each step was less than an hour.

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Swans

Swans - oils 12 x 22"

My most recent piece and some of the steps:

I started on a clayboard surface with a yellow ochre wash. I think it's more difficult to start on white and if you're not too heavy handed with paints (as I tend to be), some of the warmth can shine through.

The neck of the big swan was just a bit too long so I shortened it a bit.

For me, the water was the most challenging part. I think I did a decent job with it.

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Tara

 Tara 11 x 14 oil painting

Goodness, this one was a long time coming. This is my niece who got married last June in Jamaica.

I started this piece on June 17th of 2025 and finally finished it May 14th 2026. I had pieced together a few different photographs, and some of the background I had to just figure out without reference.

I would work on it for a few sessions, get excited about it, hit a snag, put it away for a couple months, and then try again.

I won't share all 16 steps but here are a few:

6-17-25

6-30-25

I wanted more ocean in the background.

7-28-25

This is where I was happy that the portrait part would work out. Like with the bridal portrait of my daughter that I posted in April, that's a pretty tiny face!

1-12-26

I wasn't liking the landscape area on the left so I painted most of it out. Also, started a bit of the greenery on the right.

2-23-26

Then, I went for a more dramatic sky. 

There had been quite a few afternoon storms while we were there, so the choice was valid. haha!

After a few more months and more detail, I finished!

I'm always going to second guess myself on whether or not I should have darkened the sky.

Alas, the problems of being an artist.

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The Gift

 11"x14" oils

This was not an easy reference photo to take. I had to be stealthy. Really stealthy. There were several female cardinals outside the window, but I only got in one photo before they caught my un-stealthy movement and flew away. At least this one photo, I did get, turned out to be pretty cool.

I wish I could have invited her in for a bit. It was just a few days before Christmas and I would have loved sharing some hospitality.

Step 2: getting the layout down.

(Step 1 was starting with a canvas that had been coated in burnt sienna)

Step 3 - started to place the branches and the bird

Step 4 - working across with the leaves and some of the woodwork

Step 5 - Added the brass window latch and more detail in the wood.

The last step, at the top of the page, was more detail and especially more leaves.

I used a palette knife to dab in more texture.

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Thief! But, darn. A cute one.

5"x7" oils

Our grandson, who lives in Las Vegas, refers to our place as the house in the forest.

Nope. We are just a regular residential plot with some trees. Haha! But I love the fact that from his viewpoint, closer to the ground, it appears to be a forest.

We've planted a couple of peach trees which have been kind of hit and miss with their production. In 2022 we left in July for a vacation of 5 days. When we pulled out of the driveway, the peach trees were heavy with fruit. Tons of it! When we returned, the fruit was completely gone. Completely gone. Not even a peach pit. The culprit(s)? I have a guess. But man, what I wouldn't have payed to see those guys in action. They had to have worked their fluffy little tails off to have pulled off the peach harvest heist of the century.

Jump ahead to the summer of 2025. There weren't a whole lotta peaches - just enough for a pie or two. We took our share, and I made sure to leave a few fruits on the branches for the squirrels, because I'm a soft-hearted idiot.  In payment, I got a sweet little photograph to work from, and a few instances of being able to watch them scamper around in glee, chasing each other and collecting some booty. Not a bad trade off.

Here are a few of this piece's steps along the way.

 Step One: Just some base colors (in oils)

Step 2:Basic placement of things.

                                       

Step 3: Stepping up the color and a little bit of detail.

Step 4: Detail day! Getting more detail done.

Step 5: Ditto!

Lastly, pictured at the top of the page, all the detail. 

Sorry for not posting at all in February. I went out to visit my Las Vegas grandson, celebrate my 60th birthday, and see a bit of Route 66 (a bucket list item). I did, however, work quite a bit in my studio in February, and I hope to be able to finish up a few more pieces to post this month. 

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This artist, now in her glorious 60s, appreciates you from the bottom of her heart!

So much to celebrate!

 Champagne glasses - 8" x 10" oils

I've done a calendar for the last 5 years. It gives me focus and a goal of at least 12 new pieces. But, this year there's two big weddings in the family, plus more things to celebrate, so most of my creative energies will be focused on those things. Originally this piece was going to be January 2026, and who knows, maybe it will still end up being January 2027.

Here are the steps:

This is the first layer in acrylics, just getting it laid out.

Second layer done in oils. I love the frosty look!

Third step

Fourth

Fifth

Sixth

Seventh

The results of the seventh and eighth steps are at the top - 

fine tuning the material, and adding the bubbles to the glass on the right.

Cheers!

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Olive - Colored Pencil Portrait

"Olive" colored pencil on toned paper

Some of the steps:

Steps one and two were on the same day.

I was excited after one session so I came back to it a couple hours later.

This was the second day. Same thing - 

I was excited so I went ahead and did the finishing touches (top image).

 Tip:

I drew the image freehand. When it looked like this, I dropped it into Procreate in a layer over the top of the photo. Then, I reduced the opacity until I could see both images at once. I was able to see where I had gotten it wrong. The one you see above is actually after I corrected it. I had drawn the eye on the right side way too low. There were also little adjustments here and there, but I was pretty happy with myself for getting so close. As it's colored pencil, if I get something wrong from the beginning, there's not much I can do about it later. 

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Rainy Day

5"x 7" watercolor on aquaboard

This year I want to practice watercolor. I've done several in the past but have certainly never mastered it.

The look of watercolor as it flows over the paper and does its own thing, all the effects that can be achieved, the energy of it. Yeah. I want to do that!

I've never quite gotten there, but that's what practice is about. One thing that is so so important is the surface you're working on. To do watercolors, surface is everything. This little painting is on aquaboard and it certainly has its benefits. It is very forgiving. The paint will lift off the surface (for the most part) with a wet brush. You can even scratch at it with an exacto knife. That's great. But what I wasn't able to achieve is that beautiful watercolor flow. Of course that could be me and my own inexperience. But I'll try the next watercolor on a different paper. 

Here are my steps:

With this bottom one, I realized I didn't like the eyes. That one on the left is just a bit too far away and higher that the other one. What now? Again, the aquaboard is forgiving, so I did manage to fix it a bit.

the final (at the top of page) is not perfect, but I was content with it.

This one below, I did several months ago in a watercolor sketchbook. The portrait itself isn't great, and his hand is unnaturally huge, but see how the paint does its thing, especially down in his sweatshirt? I like that. That's what I'm trying to do, that I couldn't seem to do on the aquaboard.

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Frozen Waterfall - Hocking Hills

Frozen Waterfall at Old Man's Cave  5"x 7" oils 

This one is little, but turned out so nice! I started on a 5"x7" black canvas board, and (with the exception of the water), a palette knife was the only thing I used for the first step (below). The waterfall is at Old Man's Cave in Hocking Hills and this first step includes the bridge that passes over the top.

The second time I worked on it (below), I used a little artistic license and eliminated the bridge.

I didn't like the way it seemed to cut into the atmosphere. I also started using some small brushes to create a little more form in the rocks and continue adding detail to the water. 

The result of the third session is what you see at the top. I went back to the palette knife and, with patience, kept that nice rocky texture. I also brightened the area where the bridge used to be to give more perspective and atmosphere. I did that by scumbling - applying a thin layer of white oil paint over the top of the dried layer of paint. Then, I went over that with a bit more work with the palette knife.

By the way, the reference photo I used was taken by me during a Valentine's trip to Hocking Hills with two other couples. Though the weather made the trip there treacherous, and the hike was no joke (though we had several laughs as we had to scoot along over the icy trails on our butts in some places), I feel fortunate to have seen this area in its winter glory.

Thanks for stopping by!

And if you're here on the 14th, Happy Valentine's Day!