Cafe Hawelka at Night

This was my view of Cafe Hawelka in Vienna, Austria the first of the three times we visited. It was a dark, and I think smoky place. Or  maybe my memories are just smoky because it has been a year since I've visited. Oil on 20 x 16 canvas. SOLD.

Getting Along

These are my babies, Oliver and Stella. Unfortunately, the only time they get along is when they are asleep. Stella is usually the instigator, as Oliver is very peaceful. Even in her sleep, you can see that she appears to be kicking him, trying to take over the ottoman. Oil on 12"h x 24"w canvas.

Red Shoes on a Silver Tray

Oil on Panel, 6"h x 8"w. SOLD.

Drawing Room III

This is another view of  the drawing room that I painted earlier this week. This one is a bit smaller though, it is oil on 10"h x 8"w canvas. SOLD.

Two Beers

This was my seat at Cafe Hawelka in Vienna, Austria when my husband and I visited last year. My "job" that I created for myself was to visit all of the major cafes in Vienna during our five day stay. On our first night, we visited Cafe Landtmann, Cafe Central and Cafe Hawelka, then went back to Hawelka for breakfast the next day. We went to at least three different cafes each day (some, as in the case of  Hawelka and Cafe Central, more than once.) It was the best trip ever. And my mission was accomplished. I haven't painted many paintings from all the subject matter, as life has been a whirlwind since we returned. But, now that it is almost the anniversary of that trip, I feel the need to capture the cafes. 10"h x 8"w x 3/4"d. SOLD.

Breakfast

This was painted from life in my studio. It was really difficult to keep the cats away from the eggs. Oil on canvas board, 12"h x 16"w.

Drawing Room II

There's nothing I like more than an ornate, Victorian drawing room! Oil on canvas 14 x 11 x 1 1/2". SOLD.

Gold and Yellow

Gold cup, yellow sunflower on a gold-rimmed saucer. I basically used the same yellows and oranges to create all of the golds and yellows, but the application sometimes determines what we call it. SOLD.

Lilies

During the past few weeks I've been working on a series of still lifes that I painted from life, rather than from photos.  Oil on canvas panel, 6"h x 8"w. SOLD.

Cigarette Break

A painting of a couple of guys taking a cigarette break in Paris. Even though I don't smoke, I do like the smell of a bit of cigarette smoke. One of the things I first noticed about Paris, which made the personality of the city so distinct, was the smell. It smelled like a combination of old buildings, cologne, wine, food and cigarette smoke, and it seemed as though the smell built upon itself over the years, so now a little of the oldest scent still seems to remain. It is one of my favorite things about the city, and it wouldn't be the same without the tobacco smell.  Oil on Canvas, 16" x 12". SOLD.

Cape May Jetty

Oil on canvas on panel. 6"h x 8"w. SOLD. 

Silhouettes on the Beach

This was painted from a very high contrast photo that I took while on an early evening beach walk in Cape May, NJ. Oil on 6" x 8" linen panel. SOLD.

Beach Gathering

I didn't know what to name this one, so I just called it the obvious thing... it's a beach gathering. SOLD.

Playing by the Shore

In my recent series of beach paintings, I haven't really included many big waves. I liked how this composition captured the ocean and it's interaction with the sand. Oil on 6" x 8" linen panel. SOLD.

Cape May Shore

As in some of my other beach paintings, I obtained this subject matter while taking a beach walk in Cape May, New Jersey. I loved all the flowing umbrellas, and watching all the happy vacationers frolic by the water. Oil on linen panel 6"h x 8"w x 1/8"d. SOLD.

Searching for Seashells

The best part about being at the beach is playing in the water and looking for seashells. Oil on linen panel 6" X 8". SOLD.

Early Evening at the Beach II

This is another painting of seven o'clock pm at Cape May, NJ. Oil on 6" x 8" linen panel. SOLD.

Early Evening at the Beach

I painted this view of the Cape May beach from a photo that I took during an early evening beach walk. It was the time of day when the beach crowd dwindled and people contemplated getting ready for dinner. As I only had two days at the beach, I wanted to spend as much time in the water as possible, even if it was with my camera, taking photos. Oil on 6" x 8" linen panel. SOLD.

Cape May Umbrellas

The thing that stood out to me most at Cape May beach was the presence of umbrellas. The dolphins were also cool. Oil on Ray Mar panel with linen. 6"h x 8"w x 1/8"d. SOLD.

Cape May Shore

During the past week I have been working on a series of small beach paintings, my first ever. My husband and I visited Cape May, NJ for a few days last month, as no summer can be complete without at least a short trip to the beach. I wanted to capture all of the activity and the umbrellas. I don't remember ever seeing a beach with so many umbrellas. This one is 6"h x 8" w on RayMar Belgian Linen Panel. SOLD.

Rainy Day in Prague

Pretty much every painting I do of Prague will have "Rainy Day" in the title. Even in the gloomy rain, one can appreciate the city's jewel tones. Oil on canvas, 36"h x 24"w.

Rainy Day in Prague II

I love the patterns of light and reflections on the rainy Prague streets. The yellow, purple, green and orange facades reflect in the shiny streets. Oil on Canvas, 30"h x 24"w.

Cafe Central

This is the first larger painting in my series of Viennese cafe paintings. This is the interior of my favorite, Cafe Central. This painting doesn't show the domed ceilings or meticulously painted moldings, but those paintings are soon to follow. It does show people relaxing, eating, and one of the well-dressed waiters. What I love about European cafe life is that you need purchase no more than one glass of wine or beer in order to enjoy sitting in the fanciest of places. Oil on 24" x 20" canvas. SOLD.

Catzilla

I decided to name this one Catzilla, because my new kitten, Stella is the destroyer of still life props. The first time I set the sunflowers on the table, she would pick them up in her mouth and run away with them. Eventually, the novelty wore off. Very glad I didn't get roses, as she could have gotten hurt! Oil on Canvas, 7"h x 5"w. SOLD.

Sleeping Kitty

While working on the post below, my cat curled up on an ottomon in front of the window for a nap. He looked so cute that I postponed the sunflowers to work on him. I've been trying to paint from life more lately because I think my cameras distort shapes and distance. I think life paintings also look more fresh and vibrant. You have to work especially fast when you know the cat can move at any second and the flowers start to wilt. When working from a photo, you have all the time in the world to finish, so it is easy to over-work something and paint the life out of it. Oil on canvas, 5"h x 7"w SOLD.

Two Sunflowers

Since I attended a workshop taught by Qiang Huang last month, I've developed a new interest in still lifes. I have plenty of vases and things around my house that I can paint, but thought they could all use some life, so I went to a local flower shop where I found these two sunflowers. I will be taking the following still life paintings to a local event tomorrow, called May Mart, where local farmers sell plants, and other vendors sell items such as oil paintings. If interested in any of these paintings, please write a comment, and I will reply with purchasing instructions. Oil on Canvas, 7"h x 5"w, SOLD.

Sunflowers in Blue Vase

I went a little crazy with the sunflowers last week. I don't normally paint flowers, and thought most of them would pose problems to me with their intricacies. The sunflowers have proven to be a very fun subject, so I included them in four different paintings. Oil on canvas, 12"h x 9"w. SOLD.

Sunflower in Clear, Blue Vase

Oil on Canvas, 7"h x 5"w. SOLD.

Irises in Clear Blue Vase

These are a few of the irises that grow in my backyard. I thought they went perfectly with my favorite clear blue vase from Italy. Oil on canvas, 16"h x 12"w x 1 1/2"d. SOLD.

Birthday Celebration

There's no better way to spend a birthday than with cake, prosecco and flowers. Oil on canvas, 12"h x 16"w. SOLD.

Walking in Bruges

I love the architecture of Bruges, Belgium. Oil on canvas, 16"h x 12"w. 

Walking and Talking

A painting of a girl walking and talking on her cell phone on a bridge in Amsterdam. I guess it would be pretty tough to talk and bike over a bridge. Oil on Canvas, 16"h x 12"w. SOLD.

Late Afternoon in Montmartre

One of the hilly streets in Montmartre, Paris in the late afternoon. Oil on canvas, 14"h x 18"w.

Corner Cafe

I painted this from a photo that I took in Paris, two years ago. The biker in the foreground seemed to have noticed me being a creeper. This painting is 16"h x 12"w and is for sale at Latrobe Art Center, Latrobe, PA

Along a Back Alley

With every turn in Paris, even in what seems to be a back alley, you find something beautiful. Oil on Canvas 28" x 22"w. 

Crosswalk

This is a painting of a crosswalk in Paris. The view is of a sidewalk cafe. 22"h x 28"w. SOLD.

Kitten with Green Feather Toy

This is a painting of Stella, my new, very happy, yet rambunctious kitten. We adopted her a couple of months ago, as she was about to be euthanized, due to an overabundance of cats.

My middle-aged cat, Oliver,was at a stage of boredom in his life. He spent many hours asleep on the window seat or on the sofa in my studio all day while I painted. He wanted to play, but I just couldn't entertain him as much as he needed. So I thought this little kitten would be the perfect companion for him, and that turned out to be the case (except when she beats him up and he won't defend himself because he is a gentleman.) I think things will work out well between them. I know she is very happy to be alive.

My message to people: Please spay or neuter your pets, and quit dropping them off at other people's houses! SOLD.

Busy Cafe

This is one of the many busy street cafes in Paris. My husband and I visited there two years ago. Now, every spring at exactly the same time we were there, I want to paint pictures of Paris in spring. Oil on Canvas, 30"h x 24"w.

View of Ghent

This painting takes place along the river in Ghent, Belgium. Oil on 22" x 28" canvas. Commission.

Playing Fetch

I recently completed this 16"h x 20"w oil painting of a dog playing fetch near a lily filled pond. Commission.

Cafe Chairs

Since the beginning of February, I have been working on about 15 medium to large(ish) paintings, and have not been able to complete any of them. It is probably too many to work on all at once, but I wanted them all to have a similar theme and style. This is a small painting that is indicative of the subject... Paris. This time of year, I always seem to want to go to Paris because it is the perfect place to enjoy a warm spring afternoon at an outdoor cafe with a cup of coffee. This painting is 5"h x 7"w. SOLD. 

Horse Portrait

This is a portrait of a horse from western Pennsylvania. It is 18"h x 24"w. SOLD.

Cafe Bazar

This is a corner table at Cafe Bazar of Salzburg, Austria. It was my first Austrian cafe visit on our trip to the country in October. It was everything I had hoped to experience at an old-world cafe! Oil on canvas, 8" x 8" x 1 1/2". SOLD.

Red House in a Snowy Alley

This red house is in a snowy alley in Indiana, PA. The oil painting is on 16"h x 12"w canvas.SOLD.

Snowy Townscape

Is 'townscape' a word? Spell-check doesn't recognize it, so I guess I just made it up. It isn't a cityscape or a landscape, so I thought that title was appropriate. The big, brick Victorian house on the right is a prominent, though abandoned (hint, hint to the owner) house in Indiana, PA. Seriously, I wish the owner would either sell this house or repair it... quite sad. This painting is 12" h x 16" w. SOLD.

Snow-covered Car

Punxsutawney Phil said there will be six more weeks of winter. So, I'll keep painting snow pictures! Oil on canvas, 10"h x 8" w. SOLD.

Snowy Intersection

So, what do I do on a sunny, 54 degree day in January? Paint pictures of snow, of course. The day after the one snowstorm we had this year, I drove around our town and took pictures of snowy streets. So, despite the springy weather and the presence of Easter candy in grocery stores, I'm still stuck on winter. 

Red Chair

This painting was inspired by one of the rooms of the Albertina Museum in Vienna, Austria. 14"h x 11" w on stretched canvas. SOLD.

Blue Room at the Albertina

My first completed painting of 2012! This painting was inspired by one of the rooms at the Albertina Museum in Vienna, Austria. Every room in the palace was a bit different. From this vantage point, I could see bits of the other-colored rooms. Oil on Canvas, 18"h x 24"w x 1 1/2"d.