Title: “Adjustable Wrench”
Dimensions: 6″x6″
Medium: Oil

One day I was looking for a hammer and happened across this wrench. It still had it’s shine, but was starting to build some character.

Today’s self challenge: Paint the wrench so it looks heavy, and pay attention to the different surfaces of the metal, some are polished and others show evidence of the casting process.

This item is sold

Title: “Sunrise Foggy Morn, Lake Norman”
Dimensions: 5″x7″
Medium: Oil

I actually completed this painting a little while ago, but never posted it to my blog, so I thought I would share it with you now. I don’t usually paint landscapes, but sunrises over the lake are really incredible, and I will likely do more in the future. This particular painting won an award for “best oil painting” in show and was reproduced as a postcard.

This painting is sold.

Title: “Silver and Gold”
Dimensions: 6″x6″
Medium: Oil

On occasion I sew and had these little props handy. I liked the silver and gold concept plus the contrast of the hard stainless steel with the soft flexible thread.

For me every painting is a challenge. With every blank canvas I face, there is an opportunity to gain knowledge, so I intentionally create obstacles as a learning experience. Sometimes I have an end result in mind, but I have no idea how to tackle it. Eventually I’ll figure it out, and along the way I’ll have picked up some little nuggets of information.

I’ve thought about artists that paint the same type of thing every single day, and asked myself if I would be happy doing that. For me, right now, the answer is no. I get so much more out of accomplishing something I didn’t quite know how to do. Yes, it throws me out of the comfort zone, but that is what’s fun and exciting. I am not one to settle for just being comfortable.

In the long run I trust these self-manifested challenges will make me a better artist day by day.

I hope you enjoy this one – painting very crisp thin lines of a reflective surface.

This painting is sold

Title: “Egg on Cloth”
Dimensions: 6″x6″ 15.2 cm X 15.2 cm)
Medium: Oil

I had fun painting all the folds of the cloth and getting the egg smooth. There is a lot of color in this piece – pinks, light blues and yellows making it a subtle yet colorful composition.

This painting is sold.

Title: “Flower Child”
Dimensions: 6″x6″
Medium: Oil

This little girl was picking out some potted flowers with her mom.

This painting is sold

Title: “Golden Treasure”
Dimensions: 6″x6″
Medium: Oil
If you are interested in this painting please send me an email.

Please send me an email if you are interested in this painting.

Title: “Teaspoon of Salt”
Dimensions: 6″x6″
Medium: Oil

There are a few things in life which are really essential; water which I have an affinity for, and salt to name two of them.

I am reading an incredible book titled “Salt: A World History” by Mark Kurlansky and it inspired me to do this painting. It’s a teaspoon filled with sea salt which has tipped onto it’s side and spilled some of that precious rock onto the table. Salt – sodium chloride (NaCL) is found in many parts of the world in either rock deposits or in the sea. It varies in color from pink, red, brown, black, white and gray, and has a wide range of flavors. Sea salt has a white/light gray hue and usually comes in larger crystals then ordinary table salt.

This painting is sold

Title: “The Right One”
Dimensions: 7″x5″
Medium: Oil

This painting is sold

Title: “Fishing Weights”
Dimensions: 5″x5″
Medium: Oil

An acquaintance once asked “What inspires you?” I had a difficult time answering the question because so many things do. I replied “Everything from a squeeze of toothpaste to watching the sun set.” and then went on to provide a few other examples.

In this case; I liked the mass/weight, shape and soft texture of the lead fishing weights. I played around with them a little bit before settling on this simple composition. I noticed there was a dark point exactly at the intersection of the two weights and thought about this piece as a geometric example.

Please contact me if you are interested.

Title: “Two Will Do”
Dimensions: 5″x5″
Medium: Oil

This was an extremely challenging piece for me as I found the lettering to be a lot of work. You would be surprised how much you learn about a bottle cap after drawing it and painting it with this level of detail.

I loved the contrast of the deep green with the bright red graphic star, and ultimately wanted the finished painting to have a creative feel to it. One beer cap is lying face down and the other is standing inside the first one. They are sitting on a highly reflective surface. I hope you enjoy it!

This painting is not available for sale.

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