Sometimes it's hard for me to be objective about my work, what classification it fits into, especially since I have never taken art theory or any such training.  I paint what I like, what the muse brings . . . that which touches me.  Sometimes I paint a subject to gain the skills it can bring me.  Even so, I put my soul into each work - how could I do otherwise?  I did not become aware of the correct classification of my paintings until a site we linked to listed my works as Expressionistic.  I had to look it up.  Apparently expressionism came into vogue during the early part of the 20th century.  It emphasizes subjective expression of the artist's inner experiences.  This is true for me in my art as well as my writing.

There is a purity in the animal kingdom. In computer terms it's called WYSIWYG - what you see is what you get. It's one of the reasons I love animals. They are who they are. Programmed by genetics and that which is passed down one generation to the next, they are life without malice, without conniving. I also see them as beings with consciousness. While some say it is anthropomorphic to think my cat loves me, I do not. To me they are beings like us, only better. We, humans, like to think we are above the animal kingdom. I disagree. There is much we can learn from them and their acceptance of what is. When I paint animals I try to capture the looks - the consciousness in their eyes. I try to reflect the soul within. I strive to honor and respect them.

Raised in a rural setting I grew up in the trees.  I swam in a salt water slough that ran past my parents' pastureland.  Though my parents didn't have much money, they provided all I needed to develop an appreciation for the natural beauty on this planet.  I am part of the land, the trees and all that is of the earth.  When painting landscapes I endeavor to capture the essence of the natural. I feel the energy.  To me there is no such thing as insignificant being, be it animal, plant, stone, the water we drink or the air that we breathe.

When I was nine-years-old I was asked if I was Native American.  It was the cheekbones that gave me away.  My dad thought we were.  It seemed our grandmother several generations back was named Gooselberry.  While my ancestry is largely northern European, I am a genetic mutt.  The idea of being Native American gave me great pride.  Later we learned that Gooselberry was an aunt by marriage, not a grandmother.  I was very disappointed.

Over the years I began exploring various cultures, including their spirituality.  I learned to value Native American spirituality, specifically the way they honored the land, the animals, all living beings, all things - the spirit world.  Once I came to believe in the possibility of reincarnation I accepted I might have been Native American during other lifetimes.

While learning to paint I became inspired by the images and beings I saw with my mind's eye.  Some of these beings appeared to be Native American.  I began to paint them.  If we are to survive as a species, if all other life is to survive, we must learn to respect all that is within, on and around the earth.  We must step up to the Native American way of honoring All-That-Is.

I am especially drawn to paint portraits - exact likeness.  At present I'm working on developing that skill.  I consider some of my animal paintings portraits as well, though I assign them to the animal category.  When I paint portraits I try to connect with who the individual is.  If that person is deceased, I reach out to their spirit, so I can incorporate that spirit into my painting.  I've painted three portraits in that manner: my friend Tosca, Otto and my sister Anita.  If I knew the person in life, painting their portrait helps me work through the loss.  I talk to them.  I hear their words.  It is an intimate experience.

As we think of our lives, it is often not the events we recall or movies of events, but snapshots burned into our memory, photos that capture the essence of moments in time.  One of the functions of creativity is to show forth the most unusual of these moments, be they tangible or illusive.  The wise ones tell us that we are limited only by our imaginations.  Art accentuates this process.  For me, sometimes images come together to tell an unusual, perhaps intimate story of the world as I see it, or as I fancy it to be.

I grew up on the West Coast of the U.S.  I loved to play at the beach, sculpt sand persons, explore the rocks, wade in tidal pools, feel the waves and sand slip between my toes.  I love the ocean.  My goal when painting it is to capture the beauty, the peace that it brings me, even on a stormy day.  Much of my life has been stormy.  I am now at one with the storm.

There is a debate over whether or not we are spiritual beings having a physical experience or physical beings having a spiritual experience.  I believe in the former.  When we are young we identify with the body.  We look in the mirror and think we see ourselves.  What we see is the house.  The contents are hidden.  That which is hidden is our spirit.  That spirit/soul is the essence of who we are.

From within, from that soul, beauty and creativity are born.  My paintings, my writings originate there.  Sometimes my works are inspired by others.  Sometimes they are inspired by nature.  Most often it comes from my very soul - my spirit - that which I am.  Usually the inspirations are nebulous in origin.  Whatever the source, the creation comes through the spirit.  In essence all the paintings are spiritual.  For a painting to receive a spiritual designation, means it steps into a higher realm.  It touches on All-That-Is.  Some call that God.  Some call it the One.  There are many names for it - but it is one and the same.  It is origin, infinity, Zen.

1-1 & 3-09 Together At Last

I used the #6 bristle brush exclusively these two painting sessions.  Jerry Yarnell is right, sometimes the larger brushes are better.  It does keep a person from piddling, playing and puttering -which can mess things up.  I added additional layers to both Otto's and Mom Elizabeth's shirts to shade and shape them.  I shortened her sleeves and broadened both of their shoulders.  For his shirt I used a combination of burnt sienna, Payne's grey, a touch of alizarin crimson and white gesso.  I lightened her shirt with light blue violet, a touch of white and a very small touch of diox. purple.  After that I added more flesh tones to her face and neck.

12-28 & 29-08 Together At Last

Both days I wrestled with Otto.  I painted in his eyes and wiped them out.  I narrowed his head and widened it again.  I decided to go for the glow and a slight smile.  I had to remember that on the shaded side of the face I should add a little blue to the skin color mix and to highlight it I used a combo of yellow and white.  I used three different brushes, the #3 filbert bristle brush, a #2 round synthetic sable, and a #4 flat synthetic sable.

12-27-08 Together At Last

I began detailing Otto's face.  It was too wide, so I had to wipe some of it out with the sky color.  His ear was too low, so I raised it, but I think it's still too low.  I was trying to make him smile.  In the only photo I have of him, he's very serious looking.  Well, I think in the process I made him scowl.  Even so, I don't seem to be having as much trouble as I did two years ago when I painted him for Mom Elizabeth.  Now that she's passed and they are together, both of them are happy.  So I at least need to be able to make them glow.  Glowing is good.

12-22 & 25-08 Together At Last

I underpainted Otto and Elizabeth.

12-21-08 Together At Last

I drew in Elizabeth and Otto (Phil's mother and her twin flame.)

12-20-08 Together At Last

This session I highlighted the shrubs, deepened shadows and added another layer to the bark on several trees.  It won't be long until I add Otto and Elizabeth in the foreground.

12-15-08 Together At Last

I added a second layer to the bridge and the water.  I also highlighted bark on the trees, three dimensionalizing it.  I also underpainted an evergreen tree.  I played around with the path in the foreground.

12-14-08 Together At Last

I painted in the background trees, creating depth.  My one discovery is that with a yellow sky the foliage needs to have a blue-green hue rather than a yellow-green hue.  The yellow-green blends into the background.  It's harder to establish definition.  For the desired effect, I also need more shadowy areas in the trees.

12-13-08 Together At Last

I drew Otto and Elizabeth together on paper, the size I would want them to be on the canvas.  Then I cut around their images, placed them in the position on the canvas and drew around the cutout.

12-11-08 Together At Last

Today's session I sketched in a rough drawing and underpainted the rest of the painting.  I used a #10 bristle brush.  For the mid and foreground bushes, I used white with a touch of purple and hooker's green, getting gradually darker as I came forward.  The water is a combination of hooker's green, burnt sienna and cad. yellow medium.  The shoreline is diox. purple and burnt sienna.  In underpainting the bridge, I used raw umber and diox. purple and a touch of white.  Although I'm going by a photograph of a botanical garden, I'm also using Jerry Yarnell's painting, The Pathway, to guide me.  It can be found in his book, Painting Basics.  He also has a video of this painting, available through his website.  Using his instructions helps remind me of the steps I need to take.

12-09-08 Together At Last

I decided to do the painting landscape instead of portrait.  So I turned the painting sideways.  I lightened the sky color, and in the area of that sky that was green I added a combination of yellow, white and a touch of Indian yellow.  I then dabbed in the background trees, using a light colored mixture of burnt sienna, diox. purple, ultramarine blue, hookers green and white.

12-04-08 Together At Last

I started by spraying the canvas with water, then I spread white gesso over the canvas using the 2" hake brush and X motions.  To the top, I add a strip of cad. yellow medium and a bit of Indian yellow.  I blended down, adding more yellow as needed.  In places, I blended in a touch of orange and burnt sienna.  At the bottom of the canvas I swiped on hookers green and yellow, and blended up.