Rainy Night in Manhattan III

An umbrella is needed on this rainy night in Manhattan. Oil on 12" x 12" x 1 1/2" stretched canvas. SOLD.

Paris Cafe III

A cafe in a Parisian park on a sunny day. Oil on 12"h x 9"w stretched linen.

Dinner at the Enoteca

This is a behind the scenes view of a cook working at an enoteca (wine bar) in Florence, Italy. He takes a break from preparing meat and cheese boards to pour a glass of wine for a customer. Oil on 11"h x 14"w x 1 1/2" stretched canvas. SOLD.

Florence

This is a view of Florence, Italy from the rose gardens near Piazza Michelangelo. Oil on 24"h x 30"w x 1 1/2" stretched canvas. SOLD.

Where Are You

A lady sits on the ledge of a bridge in Florence, Italy. She appears to be texting someone she was supposed to meet to find out where they are. Oil on 20" x 20" x 1 1/2" stretched canvas.

Florence Rooftops

A view of some of the rooftops in Florence, Italy, with the mountains in the background. Oil on 20"h x 24"w x 1 1/2" stretched canvas.

View of Florence from Piazza Michelangelo

This is a view of Florence, Italy from Piazza Michelangelo. Oil on 15"h x 30"w x 1 1/2" stretched canvas. SOLD.

View of Rome

We got lost on our way to find the Spanish Steps in Rome, and ended up climbing up a big hill. We were rewarded with this view, which contains Saint Peter's Basilica in the background. Oil on 15"h x 30"w x 1 1 /2" stretched canvas.

View of Rome II

My husband and I recently took a subject matter gathering trip to Italy. We stayed in Florence and took day trips to Rome and some of the smaller towns in Tuscany. This is the first picture I painted from the trip. I snapped the reference photo while walking across one of the bridges to Vatican City, and you can see St. Peter's Basilica in the background. Oil on 15"h x 30"w x 1 1/2" stretched canvas. SOLD.

Sidewalk Cafe in Paris

A waiter seems to be taking a break from a busy day at a sidewalk cafe in Paris. Oil on 14"h x 11"w x 1 1/2" d stretched canvas. SOLD.

A Pub in Cork

A gentleman ponders life over a beer in Cork, Ireland. Oil on 12"h x 16"w stretched linen. SOLD.

The Espresso Bar

This is an espresso bar I found while exploring one morning in Paris. I wished I could move there and make visiting this place my before-work morning routine. Oil on 12"h x 9"w stretched linen. SOLD.

Oliver

This is a life-size acrylic painting of my late cat, Oliver, that I recently completed as part of a mural in our town. He can now continue to watch over the town, which was one of his favorite activities.

Shady Side Doorway

A painting of a Victorian Doorway in the Shady Side neighborhood of Pittsburgh, PA. Oil on 7"h x 5"w stretched canvas. SOLD.

North Side Facades

A painting of some facades in the North Side of Pittsburgh, PA. Oil on 5"h x 7"w stretched canvas. SOLD.

North Side Facades

A painting of some brick facades in the North Side of Pittsburgh. Oil on 14"h x 11"w x 1" stretched linen. SOLD.

Cat and Book

My cats like to prevent me from reading. They have to sit on my books, magazines and laptop at every opportunity. That's okay, I'd rather give the cats attention, anyway. Oil on linen on 6"h x 8"w panel. SOLD.

Just Awakened

A painting of my Stella, who has just awakened from a nap on the dining room table. Oil on 8"h x 6"w linen on panel. SOLD.

Honfleur Marina II

A peaceful morning in Honfleur, France. The boats and buildings reflect in the smooth water.. Oil on 24"h x 30"w x 1 1/2" stretched canvas. SOLD.

Lone Gondolier

A lone gondolier glides down a peaceful canal in Venice. Oil on 11"h x 14"w x 1"d stretched linen.  SOLD.

Venetian Tour III

A fleet of gondolas gets ready to embark on a tour of the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. Oil on 12"h x 24"w x 1 1/2" stretched canvas. SOLD.

Kitten in the Sun

This is the first painting I've done of our new kitten, Alfred. In this painting he is taking a break from antagonizing his sister, Stella, to lounge on a chair in front of a sunny window. The painting is on 5"h x 7"w stretched canvas.

Enjoying a Pint

A enjoys a  pint in an Irish Pub. He seems to be a pub regular. Oil on 12"h x 9"w stretched linen. SOLD.

Busy Cafe

I painted this from a photo I took at Cafe Prueckel in Vienna. It was a lively and warm oasis on a cold, rainy October afternoon. Oil on 12"h x 9"w stretched linen. SOLD.

Docked in Honfleur II Study

A peaceful spring morning in Honfleur, France. Oil on 6"h x 8"w x 1/8" linen on panel. SOLD.

Bird Watching

A calico cat wakes from a peaceful nap to watch some birds. I'm sure after the birds left she promptly went back to sleep. Oil on 8"h x 6"w linen on panel. SOLD.

A Tourist in Venice

I painted this from a photo my mother took of me on our first day in Venice in 2007. I normally paint from my own photos, but occasionally my mom and I share photos, especially if we were travelling together and/or I am running out of subject matter. The photo I painted from was taken on our first morning in Venice. I wanted to capture the canals, the shadows of the alley and the red buildings, but he painting definitely needed a person in the lower left quadrant. I was already in the photo, so I just included myself in the painting. This is how I normally look while travelling... holding a camera, not smiling or taking selfies. I really don't have many pictures of myself on trips unless my mom goes with me. Oil on 11"h x 14"w stretched linen. SOLD.

Coffee Break

Two ladies take a moment to enjoy some coffee at a sidewalk cafe in Paris. Oil on 12"h x 16"w stretched linen. SOLD.

Venetian Courtyard

This courtyard in Venice is quiet and peaceful during the hottest part of the day. Oil on 18"h x 14"w stretched linen. SOLD. 

Venetian Tour II

Several gondoliers navigate through rows of docked gondolas to show visitors Venice's sites. Oil on 24"h x 30"w x 1 1/2" stretched canvas. SOLD.

Venetian Tour

It is rush hour, and the gondolas travel single file in the narrow canals. Even with a lot of other boats in the water, not many things are more romantic than a Venetian canal tour. Oil on 28"h x 22"w x 1 1/2"d stretched canvas. SOLD.

Docked in Honfleur

Docked boats in the marina at Honfleur, France.
Oil on 24"h x 18"w x 1"d. SOLD.

Afternoon at Sandbridge

A few people are still on the beach late in the afternoon at Sandbridge, VA. Oil on 6"h x 8"w linen on panel. SOLD.

Afternoon at Sandbridge II

A lady plays fetch with her dogs at Sandbridge, VA. Oil on 6"h x 8"w linen on panel. SOLD.

Afternoon at Sandbridge III

A mother and her daughter frolic in the waves at Sandbridge beach. Oil on 6"h x 8"w linen on panel. SOLD.

Afternoon at Sandbridge IV

A painting of Sandbridge Beach, VA. Oil on 6"h x 8"w linen on panel. SOLD.

Sunny Street in New York

Oil on 9"h x 12"h canvas on board.

Rainy Night in Manhattan

Rain scatters the light on the streets of Manhattan. Oil on 12" x 12" x 1" stretched linen. SOLD.

Rainy Night in Manhattan II

A light rain scatters the light in Manhattan near Grand Central Station. Oil on 12" x 12" x 1" stretched linen. SOLD.

Outside of Grand Central Station

Outside of Grand Central Station people bustle about, and fortunately there is a hot dog stand for a quick bite before or after hopping on a train. I liked the contrast between the warm lights of the building and the cool buildings in the background. Oil on 12"h x 9"w x 1" stretched canvas. SOLD.

At The Bakery

A painting of the display counter at Demel of Vienna. It is difficult to decide which dessert to try. One needs to stay in Vienna multiple days and just come back every day! Oil on 14"h x 11"w x 1 1/2"d stretched canvas. SOLD.

The Waiter

The waiter at Cafe Braunerhof of Vienna takes a moment to straighten the newspapers after the lunch crowd settles down. One cozy feature of Viennese cafes is that they provide a variety of newspapers for their patrons to read. At least that was the case when I visited in 2011, when tablets were slightly less widespread. SOLD.

Sunset in Sandbridge

This is a painting of kids maximizing their days on the beach by playing in the waves at dusk. I painted this from a photo I took on my first night at Sandbridge Beach. We had been in the car for eight hours, through rain storms, and all I wanted all day was to walk in the waves. So we checked into our house, I threw my stuff in the room, and ran to the beach. I apparently was not the only one with this idea, because even this close to dark, many kids and families were out, playing by the water. You could see the lights of the Virginia Beach boardwalk in the distance. Oil on 6"h x 8"w linen on panel.

Oliver Sketch

I did this sketch of Oliver a few weeks ago, before he became very ill. I was getting ready to go to the beach and thought I'd want to do some painting while there. Then I realized my good intentions to do work on trips never pans out, so instead of taking paint I decided to just take sketching materials and watercolor pencils, as they would take less luggage space. But I hadn't actually used watercolor pencils in a very long time prior to this sketch, and wanted to practice a bit. It was an enjoyable process, mostly due to the inspiration provided by one of my favorite models. I will miss him.

My Oliver

It is with great sadness that we had to put my beautiful Oliver to sleep yesterday. He has been very sick for the past month. 

He has been a great friend and member of the family for almost eight years. When my husband and I purchased our first house together, our first order of business was to get a cat. My mom had an abundance of cats at her house, mostly strays, and Oliver was the one we took. We had a sunny bay window in the dining room, and we determined it was the perfect place for cat naps. Not surprisingly, Oliver spent a lot of time there. My mom, who is also an artist, suggested that I should take pictures of him and paint him. I took her advice, and in addition to being a wonderful companion, he was a natural model, and provided inspiration for many paintings. 

I am grateful to all the people who have purchased paintings of Oliver over the years. I don't know if any future paintings of him will be for sale. If I do happen to sell any of them, I want Oliver to continue to help other animals, and I will donate part or all of those sales to the local Humane Society. 

Oliver in his sunny window.

Oliver also loved sitting on the dining room table because it was in the middle of all the action, and he always hoped people-food would appear. 

Playing with his favorite toy

A bit disappointed that my snack was not cat friendly.

Sitting in my art studio, keeping me company.

A New Seashell

A small girl hands her mother a new seashell for the bucket. I painted this from a photo I snapped at Sandbridge Beach, VA. Oil on 5"h x 7"w stretched canvas. SOLD.