Elliott

   Every family has its characters. We have a number in our family and I say that affectionately. My brother Jim is quite a character- he keeps me laughing- so it is only natural that he would also have a pet that's quite a character. Jim's African Grey parrot, Elliott, keeps us laughing as he imitates us and says and does the unexpected. He's actually a great bird but has occasionally bit a person or two when we weren't careful. When we cry out in distress, Jim just congratulates us on our new membership to the "Elliott Club". After one such encounter with Elliott, Elliott looked at me and said in a little sarcastic tone that didn't sound sincere at all, "Are you okaaaaaaay?"

Welcome Home

     Is there anything more welcoming than an open gate of a picket fence? I wanted this painting to have a familiar feeling... to cause a person to wonder, "Have I seen that place? It feels familiar." It was a gift for my sister who lives in Canada. No matter how much time passes between our visits, I always want her to feel welcome when she comes to Pennsylvania.
     I often paint late into the night and I notice that things look very different to me in the morning. Late one night I added the woman picking apples-- I liked what I had already done, but there was a need for a person or two to tell a story of sorts. When I looked at the painting the next morning, I was amazed to see the resemblence to my sister. We are very close, and somehow that came through in the painting, although it was not intended. My hand did the painting, but my heart included my sister in the scene...

In The Park - Clearfield, PA

The Susquehanna River passes through the central Pennsylvania town of Clearfield, a place not far from here. It's really a picture of hometown American with its county fair, parades, festivals, and all. The downtown has a large antique store, a Gardner's Candy Shop, gift stores and a variety of restaurants. It is busy during the day as the people hurry to the courthouse for legal proceedings or local banks to conduct business.
   In the spring the local sporting goods stores host "March Madness" sales and those who love the outdoors come to check out the bargains. In the winter, hunters return to those same stores to get ready for the long-awaited deer season.
   On weekends, people enjoy going to plays at the Clearfield Art Studio Theatre (CAST) where local people perform, and at night, people see the latest movies at the Ritz Theatre. (Outside of town, there is a drive-in, one of the few remaining drive-ins in Pennsylvania.) Along the river is the historic district where large homes have stood for decades. The Shaw Library, located along the river, hosts exhibits of local artists who are members of the Susquehanna River Art Center (SRAC). There are 2 small parks along the river. One is a playground along the river where people take their children to play. In the fall, the children play in leaves, and enjoy the remaining warm days before the cold days of winter come again.

Snow, snow and more snow

Lots of snow here in Central PA- it just keeps coming. We have about 18" right now and it is beautiful. I'm working on a summer painting now-- I come in from the cold and settle in to work on a painting of a country white house with a white picket fence and flowers. As I paint, it draws me into the scene... the scene depicted is totally from my imagination, yet it has that familiar feel of a place you remember...

Day's End

   There is nothing quite like coming in after a cold day outdoors and building a fire in the fireplace. Nothing else warms us like a good fire. It takes off the day's chill and helps us relax as we thaw out.  We  have a fireplace, and one night as my husband Dave was starting the fire, I was struck by the beautiful glow of the firelight on him, the dog, the room. I took his picture and changed the background to that of a rustic cabin. I tried to paint a story of a man with his dog after a day outdoors. A fire in the fireplace, his best friend at his side... the perfect day's end.

Seasons...

   I love living in rural Pennsylvania. It's so beautiful all year round with its change of seasons.  I love the blustery days of winter with its swirls of snow spinning in the fields. It reminds me of of childhood days when my father would take us for a ride to buy apples. We did not live in the country back then, so it was a treat to take a ride to the apple orchard to buy apples, instead of the local grocery store. We loved to look out the car window at the big drifts of snow forming along snow fences.
  When winter has worn out its welcome, I look forward to the the first warm days of spring. The birds return and I can hear them singing outside my window in early March. There is a wonderful place where I walk in the woods. It is like walking through a music box in the spring. So many different kinds of birds are singing in that area-- it is really an amazing place to go.
    In summer, the flowers are in full bloom and we  are fortunate enough to see young fawns with their mothers, and an occasional bear. We sit on our porch swing as day turns into night, listening to the crickets and the occasional call of an owl. We watch the night sky for shooting stars and enjoy the cool breezes that refresh us after a hot humid day.
  Summer passes quickly and soon we begin to see trees tinged with red, yellow and orange. In mid-October, the trees are at their peak of color as the days grow shorter and the nights get colder. I think fall is my favorite season to paint because of its many colors...  
 

Sunrise, Sunset, and the Master Painter

  Every morning, every evening, God paints a beautiful sunrise and sunset. I often think about this. God could have created everything black and white, and we would have never known the difference. He could have made just 1 kind of tree, 1 kind of bird, 1 kind of animal, and we would have never known the difference. I appreciate so much all the variety in creation that God made. He is the Master Creator and the Master Painter. He's given us so much.
   I like to paint morning or evening skies-- there's so much you can do with the colors and it gives the painting a different feel, a different mood.
   When I come home at night, I always like to look up at the stars in the sky. I can't help but be filled with wonder. My God made those stars and put each in its place. And a person has to wonder- if there's this much beauty on this earth, in this life, what will Heaven be like? Imagine the beauty in the life to come, when we reach we reach the other side...

Snowy Morning

  Is there anything more beautiful than the woods after a snowstorm? Trees are heavy-laden with snow... there's a certain hush... you may see a few animal tracks and when you come around a bend, there they stand, looking back at you...

Loons on the Lake

 "Early Morning- Loons on the Lake" was my second acrylic painting. I had promised my brother Jim I would paint a painting for him, and he could pick the subject of the painting . Jim enjoys bird-watching and has always liked loons, so he gave me a book with many photos of loons to use as a reference. I have been fascinated by artists who paint night scenes. I decided my painting would show loons on a lake when the stars were just beginning to fade away as the sun came up. I had no reference for what I painted-- I could just see it in my mind's eye. I wanted the viewer to feel the darkness and dampness of the early morning hours... to almost hear the water lapping at the shore... to see the reflections of the sky's colors on the water... soon it would be light.

Paintings of the Amish

   The Amish people of Pennsylvania have a culture all their own. Their lives seem far simpler in some ways- they aren't caught up in the busy frenzy of life that many of us are. That is not to say their lives are easy. They are very hard workers. They have beautiful farms in Central Pennsylvania. One can visit the Belleville market every Wednesday where they sell fresh vegetables, baked goods, and flowers.
    I do not photograph the Amish. They believe that this is "creating a graven image," something forbidden by God in the 10 Commandments. I respect their beliefs and do not take pictures.
    My paintings are of common sights seen when visiting an area where the Amish live. I then use my imagination to create the scene captured in the painting. I am currently working on a painting of an Amish auction. It was started the day after going to an auction at an Amish farm. As I sat in the barn, watching beautiful quilts being hoisted up for all to see, I took in the sights, trying to impress all the details for an painting of that auction. I will post it here when it is completed.