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DSCN3261The Bean Blossom covered bridge is one of several found in Indiana.  They’re very beautiful structures and are generally in scenic places in woods or farmland. I’ve given the illusion of sunlight and shadow — sunlight has a yellow tint to it while shadow is bluish.  Depth is portrayed by putting things over the top of others, like the plant life over the top of the bridge.

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DSCN2856This is a demo I did for a class I’m teaching.  It gives the feeling of depth because the cars at the left are larger than the ones on the right.  The same is true with the buildings.  When I paint, I’m working more with emotion than trying to create reality.  That can be done with a camera, but my work comes forth like singing from my soul.

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DSCN2092This is Brooke, a model who posed for a portrait class I have been teaching, and what is shown is the demo I did for the class.  The first class sessions dealt strictly with the drawing of the face — placement of the facial features.  Next was the structure of the face  — using a plastic skull to learn the anatomy of the head.  Last, we practiced drawing the specific items, eyes, nose, mouth, etc.  Each class, the students drew each other.

After they  had learned to draw the face correctly with pencil, it was on to the actual oil painting.  With live models, the faces were drawn on the canvas.  Next came the mixing of skin colors.  Lastly, the “tweaking” of the painting to finish it up.

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image (11)This is a portrait of my baby sister, Larraine.  She was such a cute little thing.  I was ten years older than her and she was so much a part of my life.  I actually introduced her to her future husband.  She had three beautiful children.    She was a very creative person — a musician, an artist, and many other things.  She passed away a few weeks ago — I couldn’t believe she was gone.

This portrait shows her personality.  I’ll always miss her.

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The-Shoreline-008

I love the crash of the waves and the call of seagulls. The wet sand creates a mirror if someone is walking across it. Pelicans glide effortlessly through the sky, and I can taste the spray of the water and smell the salty air. I live for that.

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Chamber Musicians 007

I come from a big family full of musicians. I grew up hearing violins, violas and cellos. I even played the violin for a few years, but the rest of the family became professional musicians. I think I like being a professional artist much more, but I still love to hear the music. I wanted to show the grace of the musicians. To hold a violin and bow requires the most uncomfortable positions I’ve felt, and the other things involved are too much for me. I respect musicians a lot, though.

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Surfer-Girl-004

Sarah grew up at the neighborhood swimming pool across the street. She swam on her high school swim team. Her name was on the record board in the pool area. She spent her summers as a lifeguard, also was a swimming instructor. She was on her university’s swim team. The water always has been a part of her life.

Last year, the family had a reunion at a beach condo at Oceanside, California. I stood on the balcony the first night — there she was, the first one out in the water.

The painting gives feelings of evening sun with the yellow shades. The shadows are portrayed by blues and lavendar.

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Mackinac-Night-6-003

This painting was a demo for an art class I am teaching. It is of Mackinac Island, located in Lake Huron, at the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac, between Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas. It can only be reached by boat. There are no cars there, just horses and bicycles. The island is where the movie “Somewhere in Time” was filmed. This painting is of their main street at night from a boat dock. The contrast between the light building and dark sky gives drama to the picture. Also the organic nature of the water versus the geometric shapes of the buildings make the picture interesting.