Looking Out the Window

A painting of a dog looking out the window. Oil on 12"h x 9"w stretched linen. Commission.

Venice Canal I

To offset the dimly lit interiors I've been painting lately, I decided to do a series of bright Venice scenes. This is a 9"h x 12"w oil on stretched canvas.

Demel of Vienna III

A lady trying to decide what pastry to buy at Demel candy shop in Vienna, Austria. Oil on 8" x 8" stretched canvas. SOLD.

Cafe Bazar

An oil painting of Cafe Bazar of Salzburg, Austria. Oil on 8" x 8" stretched canvas. SOLD.

Louvre IV

Oil on 8" x 8" stretched canvas. SOLD.

Cafe Schwarzenberg II

A view of some people enjoying dinner at Cafe Schwarzenberg in Vienna. They make a very good pancake soup. Oil on 12"h x 9"w stretched canvas.

The Oval Pub

An afternoon at The Oval Pub in Cork, Ireland. Oil on 16"h x 20"w stretched linen. SOLD.

Lunch at the Pub II

Checking phone messages over a Bulmers during lunch at a pub in Dublin. Oil on 8" x 8" canvas. For sale at Gallery on 43rd Street, Pittsburgh, PA. SOLD.

The Palace Bar

This is another view of the Palace Bar on a crowded afternoon. SOLD.

Lunch at the Pub

Oil on 12"h x 9"w stretched linen. SOLD.

The Palace Bar III

Oil on 16" h x 20"w stretched canvas. For sale at Gallery on 43rd Street, Pittsburgh, PA. SOLD.

The Palace Bar II

A scene of some gentlemen having a drink at the Palace Bar in Dublin, Ireland. This was the very first pub I visited while there. My husband did not sleep on the plane, so he decided to take a short nap to ensure that he could keep up with the rigorous pub schedule I had planned. We only had two days to spend in Dublin and I didn't want to waste any time, so I did something I never thought myself capable of... I visited a pub alone!

At around 3:00 in the afternoon, I walked to the bridge to take photos while the sun shined, as the sun was very unpredictable that day. Clouds eventually replaced the sun, and my list of ten pubs to visit and photograph weighed on me, so I went to the easiest pub to find, which was the Palace Bar. Other than two gentlemen sitting at the front bar, and the few sitting in the back room, the place was not very busy. I sat on the stool at the bar closest to the door so I could make a quick exit if sitting alone felt too weird. I ordered a Guinness, which seemed like a bad idea while operating on only four hours of sleep, but the Guinness was on my bucket list so I took the first opportunity to order one. I sat and wrote in my journal and reviewed my existing photos while planning how to snap a few pictures of the bar without upsetting the regulars. The guys at the bar asked me if I was visiting, which broke the ice, and we had a pleasant conversation. I decided that nobody should be afraid to go to a pub in Ireland alone (everywhere else is a different story.) The guys at the bar even let me photograph them :) I juxtaposed one of them into this painting, he is the man on the far right. SOLD.

Cafe Braunerhof II

Oil on 8" x 8" stretched canvas. For sale at Latrobe Art Cemter, Latrobe, PA. SOLD.

Cafe Hawelka V

A busy morning at Cafe Hawelka of Vienna. Oil on 11" x 14" stretched linen. SOLD.

Cafe Hawelka IV

A scene from one of my favorite cafes, Cafe Hawelka of Vienna. I just Googled "paintings of Cafe Hawelka," and found tons of photos from different angles that I didn't even consider taking when I was there. I'm always under pressure to take photos in an inconspicuous manner to avoid getting kicked out for inappropriate behavior. This means I will have to stay in Vienna for at least a week because I will have to go there twice a day, sitting in a different seat each time in order to get all the photos I want. I may also have to wear disguises so they don't think I'm weird. Oil on 18"h x 24"w. SOLD.

Cafe Hawelka

This is one of the waiters at Cafe Hawelka of Vienna preparing a drink for a customer. Oil on 8" x 8" stretched canvas. SOLD.

Cafe Braunerhof

This is a painting of Cafe Braunerhof of Vienna, Austria. SOLD.

Cat & Lamp

This is my Oliver cat sitting beside a lamp near the window. I generally don't like the cats to sit near the lamps for fear that they will knock the lamps down, but I let him sit here long enough to snap a few photos. Oil on 5"h x 7"w canvas board. SOLD.

Cape May VI

Some of the prominent houses and hotels along the beach in Cape May, NJ. Oil on 8"h x 10" stretched linen. SOLD.

Cape May Beach VII

A painting of some kids playing at Cape May, NJ. Oil on 11"h x 14"w stretched linen. SOLD.

Venetian Canal Study

A small study of a canal in Venice. Oil on 5"h x 7"w canvas board. SOLD.

Cape May V

An afternoon at Cape May, New Jersey. Oil on 6"h x 8"w stretched linen. SOLD.

The Long Hall - Study

This is a quick study of the Long Hall pub in Dublin, Ireland. I am painting a large picture of this and wanted to make sure the composition would work out. Instead of using black and white, as in my other recent studies, I included a bit of color to get a better feel for how the color will impact the large painting. Oil on 7"h x 5"w canvas board. SOLD.

Afternoon at the Pub

A study of a pub on an afternoon in Dublin, Ireland. Oil on 7"h x 5" canvas board. SOLD.

Ross Castle

This is a study of Ross Castle in Killarney National Park, Ireland. Oil on 5"h x 7"w canvas board. SOLD.

Cape May Study II

Oil on 5"h x 7"w canvas board. SOLD.

Boats in Killarney

This is a colorful row of boats (pun intended) in Killarney National Park, Ireland. Oil on 20"h x 16"w stretched linen. SOLD.

Cape May Beach IV

A painting of Cape May beach at mid-day when everyone is out and about. People are pointing at the water; I think there were dolphins that day. Oil on 11"h x 14"w stretched linen.

Cape May Beach III

A view of the beach at Cape May, New Jersey from the ocean. It is late afternoon, and only a few people remain on the beach since the lifeguard has left. Oil on 11" h x 14"w stretched linen. SOLD.

Wexford Boats

A painting of large boats in the early evening in Wexford, Ireland. Oil on 12"h x 18"w stretched linen. SOLD.

Dusk in Dublin

A painting of dusk in Dublin, Ireland. Everyone seems to be on the way to the pubs. Oil on 5"h x 7"w canvas board. SOLD.

Lunch at the Pub - Study

This is a study of a gentleman enjoying lunch at a pub in Dublin. Oil on 7" x 5" canvas panel. SOLD.

Cape May Study I

I've started a series of studies. I literally have hundreds of photos that I want to paint from my travels. I've narrowed it down from thousands of photos. This will satisfy my need to paint them all right now. I plan to do larger, finished, color paintings of the ones I like the best. As an example, I will have the color version of this composition on 11" x 14" stretched linen finished this week.

These studies are on 5"h x 7" canvas panels. I used my black mixture, wiped out the light areas, used white on the brightest areas, transparent red on the intermediate colors and a bit of gray. These are fun to paint and take the worry out of possibly wasting a good canvas on a mediocre painting. After completing one of these, I'll know whether I will like the finished painting. Also, I often like the slightly abstract way a painting looks when I first start it. I'm often tempted to leave them that way, but of course I can't stop painting. This will allow me to experiment more with different styles. SOLD.

Cape May II

All I seem to want to paint right now is beach paintings. This is another scene from Cape May, New Jersey. I painted this from a photo that I took last year.

Standing in front of the easel, looking at beach images and listening to Chopin is almost as good as being there. I spent a summer at the Jersey shore in college and worked at a store on the boardwalk. I was often alone in the store that sold gifts and collectibles between the hours 5 and 6 pm. There weren't many customers during that time because they were usually leaving the beach to prepare for dinner and evening activities. So, I would stand by the counter with my coffee and look out the big window at the ocean while listening to Chopin. That particular music wasn't allowed to be played in the store because we didn't have that CD for sale and the owner wanted me to only play the music that was for sale. It was the only CD that I liked, so I didn't comply. Who knew that listening to Chopin would make someone a rebel? I hope my old boss isn't reading this. Oil on canvas on 6"h x 8"w Ray Mar panel. SOLD.

Pub in Wexford

My husband with a really big beer is the focal point of this painting. This is at a pub in Wexford, Ireland. Oil on 8" x 8" x 1 1/2" stretched canvas. SOLD.

Girl Talk at the Pub

This is a painting of a pub in Dublin during a quiet afternoon. Two girls seem to be sharing stories about their days. Oil on 12"h x 9"w stretched linen canvas. SOLD.

Cape May I

I've started the numbering system over again, since this is my first American beach painting of the year. Oil on 6"h x 8"w linen on 1/8" Ray Mar panel. SOLD.

Reading at the Pub II

A painting of a guy reading in a quiet pub in Wexford, Ireland. Oil on 8" x 8" x 1 1/2" stretched canvas. SOLD.

The Streets of Dublin

This is one of the streets in Dublin, Ireland on a cloudy/sunny day. I've found that all weather can be experienced during the span of a day there, which is fine with me, as I liked the variety in lighting. Oil on 12"h x 9"w stretched linen. SOLD.

Wexford Boats

A painting of some boats in Wexford, Ireland. Oil on 6"h x 8"w linen on panel. SOLD.

Rossbeign Beach II

A painting of Rossbeigh Beach in Ireland on a cold, windy day. Oil on 12"h x 18"w stretched linen. No matter what I do, I can't get a good picture of this painting. My camera was purchased in November, yet somehow I can only get fuzzy, dark pictures, and I have used every possible setting combination. My cameras never last long due to overuse. So this is the best I can get. The waves are much more crisp, and there is a better range of light to dark than what you see here.

Off Duty Fisherman

I'm not sure if the man in the painting is a fisherman or not, but this is how I've always envisioned them, so that's what I'm calling him. He is waiting for a friend to return, probably from the super-crowded restroom (I had to wait in line forever because we thought someone was in there, but it turned out that the door was just stuck.) This was at a pub in Cork, Ireland on a Sunday afternoon. Oil on 8" x 8" x 1 1/2" stretched canvas. SOLD.

Reading at the Pub

We almost didn't find this pub in Cork. I had researched pretty pubs in Ireland before we left, and even mapped out each one so we could find them all in a timely manner. But this one was hidden on an unsuspecting street. There was a curtain in the door which seemed to tell non-regulars to go away and to welcome those to whom the pub is a living room away from home. But my husband and I went in anyway. It was not very busy, yet there were little groups of friends hiding out in the pub's nooks and crannies. More people entered as the evening went on. Some of them looked like they were having bad days, which provided very interesting subject matter. However, my normal cloak of invisibility didn't work, and every person always noticed when I tried to snap a photo of them. Throughout Ireland, most pub goers didn't mind, and even were happy to be in my pictures, but not at this pub. So I sort of felt bad about taking pictures there, like I was invading someone's house. So, I painted a picture that featured my husband catching up on the news because taking the reference photo only made me feel like a tourist, rather than a burglar. And I liked the lighting. Oil on 14"h x 11"w stretched linen. SOLD.

Quiet Day at the Pub

I painted this from a photo I took at a pub in Dublin, Ireland. Oil on 10"h x 8"w stretched linen. SOLD.

Killarney National Park

A small study of a spot in Killarney National Park. I plan to paint a large one as well. The colors are not as gaudy in real life, I just can't get a good photo of the painting. I will try again when I have more time. Oil on 6"h x 8"w stretched linen canvas. SOLD.

Rossbeigh Beach

This is Rossbeigh Beach along the Ring of Kerry. It was very cold and windy when we were there, which produced very moody pictures. I found some interesting seashells there. Oil on 8"h x 10"w stretched linen canvas. SOLD.

Morning in Killarney

Not to be confused with "Christmas in Killarney." With all the pretty sights to be seen, however, it felt like Christmas to me. Oil on linen on 8"h x 6"w Ray Mar panel. SOLD.

Early Lunch

If you want a good table, sometimes it is best to show up early for lunch. I'm not a morning person, so I was just having my morning cappuccino at the bar when I took the reference photo for this painting. Oil on canvas on 12"h x 16"w Ray Mar Panel. SOLD.

Dublin Cafe

This was painted from a photo I took in Dublin. Oil on canvas on Ray Mar panel. 16"h x 12"w. SOLD.

Wexford Boat

My husband and I recently took a whirlwind trip to Ireland. We spent a week visiting Dublin, Killarney, Cork, and Wexford, as well as a few towns in between. It will be difficult deciding which photos to paint first, as Ireland is so varied in its landscapes. It seems that an entire world exists within one country. I plan to have many paintings of pubs, castles, mountains, beaches and boats on the way! Oil on linen on 6"h x 8"w Ray Mar panel. SOLD.