Tinned fish reminds me of Lisbon where my husband and I ate lots of it and explored the shops that carried these little lovelies. The Portuguese artists put a lot of time into designing the cans for the fish, whether it's sardines, tuna, mackerel or octopus. In fact, we said that if it comes from the sea, the Portuguese will put it in a can. I used a variety of materials to create these illustrations; a few were done using the Procreate and then the others were hand-painted using watercolor, Posca markers, and ink. Now I need to scan them all, clean them up and send them off to my licensing agent so hopefully they can be licensed for a variety or products. I've been taking a lot of illustration courses and I'm getting so much more experience is using a variety of art supplies. Don't hesitate to to check out my Instagram account for my new illustrations. Thanks for stopping in! 

Abstract landscape paintings are probably my favorite subject to paint and it fits into just about any decorative space - residential, hospitality and healthcare.  Here is a series I just finished - Colorfield 11,12 & 13. These are probably a little lighter than my usual work and I really enjoyed using peach fuzz and pink - shades of coral and teal. These are painted on canvas and framed in medium brown wood floater frames. Once I completed the initial layers and allowed them to dry I went back and added additional layers but I mixed gel medium into the paints which gave the layers a translucent quality.  

Each painting has been added to my Etsy shop and shipping is free as long as it is in the continental US.  Two of the landscape paintings are 12x16 and one is 12x12. 

I decided to do another 100 Day Project. It's a huge commitment but it just seemed like the right time. So this year I chose portrait work in graphite pencil. I haven't done portrait work in years but I love to draw and human rendering has always been what I love creating the most. Most of these are graphite pencil on tan Strathmore paper but some are mixed media watercolor. Honestly the best part was seeing how much the work changed and improved. 

Late last year I took a drawing course from Domestika and the instructor said "draw everyday"...and she was right. It's a muscle and I need to practice! Please do not hesitate to contact me if you are interested in purchasing any of these. Each piece is approx 6x8 inches. Most of them are on my Instagram feed at Tuesdaymoon94553. 

Anyone else planting a lot? I know I am. Plus I see so many posts on Instagram with plants..indoor, outdoor, succulents...tropical etc. It feels like the 70's all over again. 
I've been thinking about sunrooms, green houses & botanical gardens and it inspires me. Which led to start on a lino block of a green house...which then led to a very layered illustration of green things.  It feels a little like a cleanse after such a weird year that I would actually like to forget except it's hard to because the signs are still out there and I just started a painting series of Moods of 2020 and that's going to be the last of any art related to last year. 
The piece on the left was rendered in Procreate with several layers and the background softened to give the feeling of distance. The lino block is a very simple green house. I printed it out and it sold right away on Etsy so that was  nice! The green swirly piece is 36x48. I had a blank canvas and just started going at it. I might keep it - then again I may not. It might become something else over time. 
I hope you are all well and getting outside and enjoying the first full day of summer. I find myself spending a lot of time on TripAdvisor lately - dreaming of my travel future. Chat soon. And plant something. 

I discovered my love of abstract expressionism and it was just accidental. I was wandering through a series of high end consignment shops in Palm Springs and happened upon a group of abstract expressionist works and I just couldn't stop staring. They were so well done and very free. There didn't seem to be conscious design put into it but they worked...in color, composition and the balance of textures, brush width and layers. Each one had a different palette and size-wise they were as small as 8x10 and as large as 36x48. 
I simply wanted to stop and paint right there on the spot. But - being that I was away from home and away from my materials it would have to wait. 

And so I painted. One is a 36x48 piece on wood panel that had another painting on it but I was tired of it and I had a digital file so I was fine with letting it live a second life. 

The next two are 18x24 on paper. I gessoed both sides of the paper to create a strong substrate and then over a period of three or four days I continued to paint and between drying times I moved on to other pieces. 

The works on paper will be floated inside a frame on white backing and framed out in a white wood frame. The large piece on wood will get a silver toned wood floater frame. Once they are photographed they will go on my Etsy shop right here. 
​
Thanks for visiting and come back soon!

It's a simple request. It's a constitutionally protected right. It's our voice. It's our simple act to be involved with our government. I'm a passionate voter. I've never missed an election since I turned 18. My parents made a big deal about it with passionate discussion around the dinner table and today my sisters and I all take part and are equally committed. 
​
That's where the inspiration came for this illustration. And...let me preface by saying I am not an illustrator. I do LOT'S of art but illustration does not come easy. So with my trusty iPad and the ProCreate app I created this. A series of women of all lovely skin shades standing strong with arms raised. The word VOTE is boldly expressed. 

Then I took the illustration into Red Bubble and Zazzle - my third party shops that carry my products and set them up for all sorts of products including masks, posters, pillows, notebooks, t-shirts and pillows etc. 

So..enjoy and maybe pick up a few items and express your right to vote on November 3rd!!! Because remember...if you don't vote, you can't complain. 

Way back in January, which feels like a lifetime ago (am I right?) I submitted designs for a public art project in Danville. It was to be 15 fiberglass hearts that would line Hartz Avenue. They will be installed for all to enjoy and then at a later date to be auctioned off with proceeds going to more art programs at the Danville Village Theatre and Gallery. 
​
So I submitted and the competition was tough with 200+ entries but I was so excited to find out my art was selected. Now to pick that heart up! It's 50 pounds and 50" long and wide...so my friend agreed to use his truck to pick up and then it landed in my garage where I began to paint. Then COVID hit and everything got delayed, but finally in June the hearts came back to the gallery and are now installed in Danville and there are actually 17. Each one is so different, reflecting the talents of the individual artist - so there is something for everyone to enjoy. 

If you can - take a field trip and go visit the hearts...have your photo taken and post it. Community art is good for the soul. It's money well spent because community art is for EVERYONE.  I believe in the democracy of art and public projects like this is what works. 

My heart is in front of J Mclaughlin....and it's a silhouette of Mt. Diablo with golden poppies floating throughout with black and white bursts behind the mountain. I chose a clean graphic design that would catch your eye. 

Enjoy!

What a weird time we are living in. We won't forget this and we will probably talk about it for years. I hope you and your loved ones are safe, that you are healthy and that you are working through it and finding something positive with the shelter in place restriction. 
It's challenging but part of the challenge can be directed towards learning something new or simply getting better at something you already do anyway. For me it is improving my skill level with the ProCreate app. I downloaded this on my iPad and I am learning more each time I use it. I decided to create a series of drawings...nearly every day - of some place I want to be or someplace I have been but wish to return to.  
It started with Lagos, Portugal which was supposed to be a trip last August but then a bike accident happened. Then it was a May trip and COVID-19 happened. It's been rescheduled again. So for now we have drawings as reminders. 
​

From there I moved onto Cape Cod, Monterey, England, France and the Pacific Northwest. 

If you visit my Instagram right here you can see all of the images.  

We will get through this - and it will change us. It will change our culture and the way we travel. It may make us want to change our home decor since we have spent so much time in it...and maybe it will change the way we think about the health of our planet. Today the air quality is 17 - it's usually 30. During the wildfires it was over 300. Maybe Mother Nature was telling us to be kinder. And on that note be kind to yourself, be patient...smile at others because we are all in this together. use this time to create, to read, to grow a garden. 
Chat later...and thanks for reading. 

if you are interested in purchasing any of the travel drawings they are available as mini prints in my Etsy shop here. 
Have a great day! 

So life is going to the dogs! Well actually it’s fifteen dogs that will be installed throughout the town of Danville from May thru September. Fifteen local artists were chosen to design and paint a fiberglass dog for this public art project. I am one of the fifteen and I finished my dog the other day…she’s all painted and ready for display. This project is being organized through the Village Theatre and Art Gallery in Danville.

My latest obsession - tiny art. I mean really tiny. These are 2”x1.5” or 2” x 2”.

I lay out six pieces at a time on one sheet of 9x12 paper and then tape off the openings. I select a palette for each group and then paint earth and sky and sometimes water. Once it’s dry I go over the shapes with graphite pencil and conte crayon which gives the whole piece dimension.

​Check out my Instagram feed for the whole collection and if you are interested in any of the pieces just let me know. Each available for $25.00. Five are sold - 6 still available.