JUST TURNING 77 I'M ALL FOR HAVING FUN WITH MY ART. HERE ARE A FEW NEW PIECES. FOR EACH OF THESE I BEGAN BY APPLYING TEXTURE TO ILLUSTRATION BOARD WITH MY PAINTING KNIFE. THEN WHEN THE TEXTURE IS DRY I BEGIN POURING WATERCOLOR FROM SMALL JARS. AT SOME POINT I APPLY OR POUR DILUTED WHITE GESSO. THE FINAL RESULT IS ALWAYS A SURPRISE.

 For a very long time I've had the idea that I could possibly become a much better artist than I had been so far. I find myself envisioning possible paintings that surpass any I've painted up to this time.

What I've learned about myself is that entering competition is the one thing that motivates me to try much harder to do better art. Even so, my "best" is elusive, and I never seem to get there, but I love the challenge of trying!


Traveling the intricacies of the aging facial landscape with my brush and paints is helping me to become a better portrait artist. As you can see below, I do find painting the signs of age to be far more stimulating than producing paintings of faces with smooth, unlined skin. However, I have done a series of paintings of young women in my "Women With Hats" section, under "Watercolors".

In all honesty, the real reason I'm so focused on this endeavor of doing better art has everything to do with "time".  As I'm getting older (as we all are, of course!) I'm finally, finally realizing I simply no longer have "forever" to reach my potential, whatever that may be. Does any artist ever feel they have accomplished this? I don't think so.

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GICLEE PRINTS AVAILABLE!

BASKET WEAVERS IN CONFERENCE

SIX ON A BENCH

MOTHER & CHILD (SET OF 3)

Please check the "Giclée Prints" Section of my site

"Feeling The Magic" won "Best Of Show", LAA Fall Member Show, 2016, and the "Painted Toe Society Award", Rocky Mountain National Watermedia Exhibition, 2015. Merit Award, International Watermedia Exhibition 2017.

"Thinking Man" (My Husband Ivan Was My Model) - This won an award in the Southern Colorado Watercolor Society National Show 2014. But, more important to me, it won the "People's Choice" award! Then in April, 2015 "Thinking Man" won the "Judge's Award" as well as "People's Choice Award" in the Louisville Artists Association Spring Member Show.

Nick (My Sister Jane's Husband) - Won "Juror's Award", LAA Fall Member Show, 2015 as well as sharing the People's Choice Award

"One More Wish" won Best Watercolor Award, LAA Fall Member Show, 2015

"Easy Escape". This watercolor won an award for "Artistic Excellence" in the LAA Fall Member Show, 2017/

This painting of "Elsie" was an award winner in the Rocky Mountain National Watermedia Exhibition 2014. In the late 1030's she and my mom became best friends. 1st PLACE, "INTERNATIONAL WATERMEDIA 2015 (Elsie passed away early November, 2015)

"Missing Her"

"Facing The Challenge" won 3rd Place, Louisville Artists Association National Fine Arts Exhibition, 2011. That same year it was accepted in the Rocky Mountain National Watermedia Exhibition.

"Gladys" won 2nd Place, Colorado Watercolor Society State Show, 2010 ---- Best Of Show and "People's Choice" award, Louisville Artists Association Spring Member Show, 2013. Gladys was a good friend of mine years ago when we lived in Fairplay, CO.

"Remembering" - Accepted in NWS International Exhibition, 2015, San Pedro, CA

"Helen" - Received the "Best Of Show" award, Gilpin County, CO, 2016. I met Helen Atatayak when we lived in Nome during the early 1980's.

"Soliloquy" won a merchandise award 2008 in the 16th Annual Nat'l. Exhibition, Western CO Watercolor Society

"Looking Back" was accepted in the Rocky Mountain National Watermedia Exhibition, 2011. (This is a personal favorite of mine - however, I guess I'd have to say, these are all favorites!)

"Perennial Beauty" - This won 1st Place (2010) Artists Association of Northern Co. National Art Exhibition ($1,500 Cash Award) ----- Colorado Watercolor Society Annual State Show, Honorable Mention and "Peoples Choice" award -----PPWS International Watermedia XVII, Honorable Mention and "People's Choice" Award

"Yesterday's Beauty" in 2007 won 1st Place - Zonta Show (Artful Women) - ( Both my sisters and I agree that if our mom had lived to 100, she would have looked like this. She posed for me at age 90, and I used my "artistic license" to accentuate age, as I wasn't actually intent on painting a portrait of her)

"Interval "- This painting won "Best Of Show" 2008 in the "Zonta Show" (Artful Women) .... "Meininger Award", 2009 17th Annual National Exhibition, Western Co. Watercolor Society --- Honorable Mention 2009, Louisville Art Association National Fine Arts Exhibition. Both figures in this painting were accomplished using photos of my mom.

"Weatherworn And Windblown" won Honorable Mention, Louisville Artists Association National Fine Arts Exhibition.

"The Winter Years" won Best Of Show, 2008, Fremont Center For The Arts, Cañon City, CO - This was based on my mom. (I won this award 4 days after my mom passed away - I was unable to turn to face the audience while receiving my award)

"Resolute"

"Experience Revered" (This painting was accepted In The PPWS INTERNATIONAL 2013 EXHIBITION, held at the Pioneers Museum in Colorado Springs. The painting won an award.)

I painted this from a photo I took of a lady at the Fort Collins Senior Center, CO

"Once Upon A Time". This is a 2nd painting I did of Gladys, who was a good friend of mine.

"Timekeepers" - This painting won a 1st Place award in the LAA 2013 Fall Member Show. It was also accepted in the 2012 Rocky Mountain National Watermedia Exhibition.