A Canal in Bruges

I was inspired to go to Bruges this year because of scenes from the movie, "In Bruges." It is an extremely depressing movie (with humorous parts) and it is not family friendly, in case you were wondering, but I had no idea what the city was all about until I watched it. And as they said often in the movie, and as I've said many times before,"it is like a (bleeping) fairytale." SOLD.

MORNING FOX HUNT

I wish I could get a better picture of this painting. There is so much black and therefore, glare. I painted this from a photo that I took at a fox hunt a couple of weeks ago. My mother and I followed the horses on foot, and successfully evaded encounters with hind legs. We walked and ran about four miles through fields and trails, which was an awesomely great time. Many thanks to our wonderful hosts for bearing with us and for the adventure! At one point we were standing quietly on the trail and something was running at us. I thought it was a wayward hound, but as it approached I saw that it was smaller and fuzzier, and realized that it was the fox! He/she saw us and quickly ran the other way. And don't worry, animal lovers, neither fox, hound, nor horse was harmed during the hunt; they don't actually kill the fox on these hunts. This oil painting is on 24" x 30" stretched canvas. No longer available.

CAFE ON SUNDAY

After dodging speeding bicycles and trolleys on a Sunday morning in Amsterdam, one needs a cup of coffee to recharge for the afternoon shift. This oil painting is on 24" x 18" stretched canvas. SOLD.

AMSTERDAM COFFEE SHOP II

The thing that struck me about coffee in Amsterdam (and also in Bruges) is that it is always an event. You get the cup of coffee on a little plate along with various sugars, cream, and a little packet of cookies or biscuits. It feels like you are at Grandma's house for coffee (except sometimes with a slight scent of marijuana wafting in through the open windows.) This oil on stretched 8" x 10" canvas. SOLD.

CAFE IN AMSTERDAM

This bar was pretty empty for a Sunday in Amsterdam. It is near the Red Light District, maybe a couple of blocks away. That particular Sunday there was a big soccer match and the town was crazy. People were in the streets, at bars, or on their boats in the canals, and all were drinking. We had some relief when we found this place. 14"w x 11" h oil painting on stretched canvas. SOLD.

"COFFEE SHOP"

Ok, so it wasn't a "coffee shop" in Amsterdam, I just thought that would be a cool title for a painting. It was just a regular coffee shop/bar as we know them here in the States. I really didn't go to any of the brown cafes. We tried to enter one for a plain cup of coffee and to take in the atmosphere (and no, not through our lungs, just through our eyes and ears) but as soon as we entered we realized we couldn't withstand the fumes. We're puritans...some artist I am. So this is the closest I got. This painting is 14"h x 11"w. SOLD.

What's for Dinner?

An ever-present question on Oliver's mind... "What's for dinner?" Sorry, Oliver, cat's don't eat corn on the cob, white asparagus or strawberries. This painting is oil on 16" x 8" oil primed linen canvas panel. Click below to purchase from Etsy. SOLD.

Bruges Facades

Bruges is a fascinating city, and the most interesting part is the rooftops and building facades. Like they said in the movie, it is like a fairytale. There were some great places to eat. Our favorite place was Rock Fort, which contains a restaurant and a tapas bar (we went twice so we could eat in each section.) I don't like to visit the same place twice because there are so many out there, but this town feels like home and we will probably be back. Oil on 7"h x 5"w canvas board. SOLD.

Louvre Interior III

I'm obsessed with the Louvre. I went there two days in a row during my spring trip to Paris... thanks to my museum pass. This oil painting is on 10" h x 8" w canvas. SOLD.

Montmartre III

I did a "Little Italy" series in the past few weeks, and decided to switch to Paris shortly thereafter. This is a view of stairs in Montmartre. It is done in a quick manner to capture the essence of my memories of Paris. The painting is on 8" w x 10" h canvas. It is for sale at The Artist's Hand Gallery in Indiana, PA. SOLD.

Phase 4 of the "Little Italy Series". This is 10"h x 8"w, like the others and was done as a quick sketch. This was the breakfast room of the hotel we stayed at in Venice. SOLD.

Phase 3 of my "Little Italy Series". Like the others, this painting is little, on 10"h x 8"w canvas. It was painted quickly to represent the fleeting moment that inspired it. SOLD.

This is phase II of my "Little Italy Series". All of the paintings in this series are little 10"h x 8"w and were painted quickly to represent the fleeting moments they represent. Oil on Canvas. SOLD.

Venice I from my "Little Italy Series"

This is phase I of my "Little Italy Series". I have done four small paintings 10"h x 8" w. They were all quickly done and sketchy to capture the fleeting moments that I encountered. SOLD.

Self Portrait

This is my first attempt at a self portrait in oil. I don't paint portraits too often, mostly people are part of an overall scene but rarely "looking at the camera." It is 30" x 40" x 1 1/2". It's not really for sale because I don't know who would even be interested in buying it... who the heck wants a portrait of me? It was mostly for fun. It looks slightly better if you click on the image to see a close up, otherwise it is grainy due to my dysfunctional camera (not because of my picture taking.) And don't tell me I look angry... I tried to make myself look happier than I normally do in real life, so buzz off. Ok, I guess buzz off is a little harsh, so never mind that part.

THE DRESS SHOP

Which dress will she choose? I kind of like the one on the headless mannequin; it represents the billowy style that seems to be popular right now. I don't know because after the age of 25, my knowledge of fashion trends has waned a little with each passing year. I spotted this scene while walking through little Italy in Manhattan one evening. Again, a through-the-window picture. This oil painting is on 20" x 24" x 1 1/2"canvas. SOLD.

BED, BATH AND THE PAINTING BEYOND

Okay, I'll admit it... When I take walks at night I look in the windows of nicely decorated houses to see how the owners have decorated. I am not any kind of "people watcher", I merely like to appreciate the decor. I do have an interior design degree, after all. When my husband and I were in Charleston last year, we were walking some of the spooky streets at night between restaurant and bar, and I spotted this house that was for sale. This room was softly lighted and this cat sat on a chair that he was probably not supposed to sit on to prepare for bed. When compared the darkness of the streets, this scene provided a feeling of serenity and safety.

To the owner of this house if you are unhappy with me: If you don't want me to paint pictures of your living room, close your curtains at night!

This oil painting is on 10" h x 8" w canvas. SOLD.

A STREET IN BRUGES

This oil painting of a street in Bruges is 18" w x 24" h x 1" d. This will soon be for sale at Philly Street Cafe in Indiana, PA after it opens in a couple of weeks. A family friend is opening the new cafe and it should be pretty awesome. My mother and I will have some of our paintings on display for the next couple of months. SOLD.

LOUVRE INTERIOR II

This oil painting is on 30" x 40" x 2" canvas. This is for sale at Emphasis Interiors in Pittsburgh, PA. SOLD.

Traffic

I love the contrasts of Manhattan...the dark, mysterious street vs. the cheerful building tops against the blue sky. This oil painting is on 24" w x 36" h x 1 1/4" d canvas.

Sitting Room

This oil painting is of the sitting room of our Bruges, Belgium hotel. I came down with a cold during our trip, so on the afternoon when I didn't feel well, I sat in the sitting room to write in my journal with some tea. A dinner of spinach soup, spare ribs and a couple whiskeys at The Hobbit helped me recover by the end of our stay. This painting is 14" w x 18" h. SOLD.

Corner Cafe

This painting is 18"w x 24"h and will be for sale on ArtQuiver.com.SOLD.

Montmartre

It seems that just about every artist who has ever visited Paris has painted this picture, but I had to do it too.

The day I took the reference photo was the most perfect of the days we had in Paris, so good feelings came from this view. We had started the morning at a bakery, where we had baguette sandwiches (morning for us is noon for everyone else) and the perfect cafe au lait with plum macarons. Then we walked to the Musee d'Orsay, where we spent approximately three hours. Afterward, we crossed the bridge, where we had purchased a couple of small watercolors from a local artist and walked up the steep steps and hills to Sacre Coeur. We traversed back down the steps to the nearest metro, then down more steps in the metro and took the train to Bld. Saint-Germain. We ate foie gras and champagne at Cafe de Flore, then wine at Brasserie Lipp. All quite touristy, but necessary. My only regret was not having stopped at more cafes to stop and watch life, but to do that I would have had to wake up earlier. Sleep is your friend when you want to be alert enough to enjoy Paris.

This painting will be added to the ArtQuiver website for sale. It is 18" w x 24" h.SOLD

Green Awning

One of my latest paintings inspired by Bruges, Belgium. I have not posted in a long while, as I have been working on about seven paintings simultaneously, rather than one at a time. There are many more to follow this one in the near future, I just have to tweak them. This oil on canvas is 18" w x 24" h.

City Cow

This urban cow lives on a farm in the heart of Bruges, Belgium. My husband and I took a trip to Paris, Bruges and Amsterdam in April. We landed in Paris just hours before the first ash cloud incident, so we were really lucky to have experienced Europe.

Bruges was awesome, and I have many more paintings to follow this one. This painting is on 8" x 10" canvas. SOLD.

Paris Rooftop

Not many things are more spectacular than an ornate Parisian rooftop. They don't build roofs like this anymore. This oil painting is on 24" h x 30" w canvas.

Louvre Interior

The Louvre is one of my favorite places. There are less people in this picture than I remember in real life...it was very crowded. I'm glad there are so many art lovers out there. This oil painting is on 16" x 20" canvas. SOLD

Metropolitan Museum of Art Interior

This is my favorite museum in this hemisphere. I'm not sure what paintings are in the background, although I should know. 9" x 12".

Vacation Planning

Oliver is sitting next to the globe planning his next big getaway. Just kidding, his biggest excursions are to the back yard on his leash on nice days. This oil painting is 9" w x 12" h.

Another Snowy Saturday

This oil painting is on 12" w x 16" h canvas. SOLD.

Hey, This Isn't Catfood!

Oliver went crazy one day while I prepared this snack for myself. He thought it would be something he could sink his teeth into and was disappointed to find out that cats don't like wine or apples. This painting is on 9" w x 12" h canvas panel.

Snowy Saturday

I have been a huge slacker lately. Something about the lack of daylight makes me tired and unenthusiastic. But, I managed to jot this down one day last week. This oil painting is 9" w x 12" h. Sold.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Every year for Christmas my husband surprises me with a new ornament. This is the newest addition...it kind of reminds me of the "Cat on a Dresser" painting that I recently painted. I just hope my real cat doesn't break it! Have a great Christmas everyone!

Fox Hunt

This was painted from a photo that my mother took at a fox hunt. Don't worry, no animals were harmed during the hunt, it is only for sport. Every time I planned to go with her I had to go somewhere, there was bad weather or it was canceled, so she let me use one of her pictures. This painting is on 24" x 30"canvas.

Cat and Drafting Table

This is my mom's cat, Preston. He is in her art studio by the drafting table that was supposed to be mine that I never took when I moved out. We believe that Preston is my cat's brother. They have the same eyes and noses. This oil on canvas is 8" w x 17" h x 1" d. SOLD.

Cat on a Dresser

When Oliver's scratching at the blankets doesn't wake me up in the morning, he jumps up on the dresser and threatens to knock my valuable perfume and other breakable items on the floor. Then he likes to scratch at his reflection in the mirror, which we refer to as Bizoliver, because it is like a Bizarro World Oliver. The painting is on 9" h x 12" w canvas panel.

Another Oliver Portrait

It is sometimes very difficult to get a picture of Oliver. It is a game for him to evade the camera. I'll point it to take the perfect picture, then at the last minute, he will put his ears back or look away. That is why his ears are back or tilted in most of my paintings of him. He looks a little surly, but that is just a facade, he is really quite friendly. This painting is on 16" w x 20" h canvas.

CAT ON THE COUNTER

Though Oliver is not allowed on the counter he jumps up when we are not looking to either look out the windows or to search for water in the cups and plates that are sometimes in the sink. The painting is 9" w x 12" h. SOLD.

The Hound with Two Hearts

The pattern on this Foxhound looks like a heart. So he has two hearts. The painting is on 9" w x 12" h canvas panel.

Messy Table

One of my favorite aspects of visiting museums is going to the museum cafe. There is nothing more luxurious than indulging one's eyesight in beautiful artwork and then sipping wine or coffee with a snack afterward. This is at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. This painting is on 9" w x 12" h canvas panel. SOLD.

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Cafe Interior

We have three local coffee shops in addition to Starbucks. This is the interior of Cafe Amadeus. It is themed around Mozart and Vienna. The cappuccino, smoothies and Yerba Matte tea are among my favorite drinks there. The north light coming through the window perfectly accentuates the room. I love all three of my local coffee establishments equally, however, and encourage people to utilize all of them. Commonplace coffeehouse has a Clover machine, which seems to make more use of the coffee bean (I don't really know how else to describe it). Krangers has the best danishes this side of the Atlantic (as of 4/10, they have stopped making their danishes due to lack of consumption. It is a true tragedy!). Starbucks is always superb but I don't place it in the same category as our local establishments. I think maybe extraterrestrials had something to do with the divinity of Starbucks. Just kidding, I think. This painting is 9" w x 12" h and is on canvas board. SOLD.

Cat and instruments

It's amazing how cats can walk among the most fragile things and not break them unless they intend to. I often have finished paintings laying all over my studio floor to dry and am nervous that my cat will step on them. I rarely isolate him from my studio while I'm working there because he likes to hang out with me. He has never stepped on one of my paintings yet. He has knocked a digital camera from my dining room table, however, but it must have reminded him of a mouse. this painting is 20" w x 16" h. SOLD.

Charleston Pathway

This is actually a pathway to a graveyard. It is next to a church, but I can't remember it's name. This painting is 18" w x 24" h. This painting will be for sale on ArtQuiver.com on December 24th. SOLD.

Mountain of Cheese

My vision of heaven includes mountains of cheese and rivers of pino noir with lifesavers/rafts of pitted, oil-cured olives (do olives float?). This painting is 16" w x 20" h. This painting will be for sale on ArtQuiver.com on December 24. SOLD.

A Street in Charleston

My husband and I traveled to Asheville, Savannah and Charleston in September. Even heading for fall, the weather was very much like summer. In Pennsylvania, we had not experienced that kind of weather this year on even the most summery day. The palm trees (not exhibited in this painting) and the heat made me feel pleasantly far from home. This painting is 18" w x 24" h. This painting will be for sale on ArtQuiver.com on December 24. SOLD.

DINING ROOM

Another lamp in another window of the same Toronto restaurant that inspired the "Luminary" painting in July. It was the perfect day to finish this piece because it was dreary and rainy outside, and it would have been nice to go lunch in a restaurant like the one in the painting. I can't complain about the weather though, I just escaped the floods in the southeast United States. I just returned from a trip to Asheville, Savannah and Charleston. I was disappointed that the Biltmore Estate prohibits photography, even sketching!!! All I could do was take notes on the color schemes of the rooms that I liked. I wished that the Torchwood contact lenses existed in real life (from this year's five episode season) and that I had a pair. This oil is 16" w x 20" h. This is for sale at Emphasis Interiors in Pittsburgh, PA. SOLD

Ticket Booth

This painting is 20" w x 24" h. It is for sale at the Latrobe Art Center, Latrobe PA. SOLD.

Pennsylvania Barn

I'm getting in touch with my bucolic side. I'm more of a city girl at heart, but I can't deny where I'm from. 24" w x 18" h. No longer available.

What's on the Menu?

This couple is looking for a place to eat on a cold, rainy night. This oil painting is on 8" x 10" canvas panel. SOLD.

Cat on a Sunny Table

When Oliver tires of sitting on the window seat, he moves to the table for a slightly different vantage point. This painting is 8" h x 10" w and is for sale on Ebay. SOLD