Interrupting a Conversation

How annoying it must be to be sitting in a luncheonette booth in NY and have me whip out my camera like I did for "Brunch on Columbus".

While the car's moving

"Barnstorming" shows my view along a highway in Pennsylvania.


A farm along Route 17 in NC is shown in "Carolina Countryside".

Yes, I'm sorry to say that I occasionally snap pictures out the window while I'm driving. Sometimes I just like what I see.

Mining the Past

An old photo of my mother from the '30's showed a playful look on her face that I rarely saw. I tried to capture it in "Begin the Beguine", named after a Cole Porter song she liked.


A good friend showed me some photos from the '50's of her husband's bar mitzvah. They were so much fun, I based my "Bunny Hop" on them.

The Kitchen Sink

After a visit to the wonderful "Impressionists' Still Life" show at the Phillips Collection in D.C., I looked at the beans I was preparing for a soup and said, "Now THAT's a still life!". I call my painting of them "The Stars" because the colorful, shiny wet beans had such pizzazz. It looked like they were announcing their leading role in the next meal with a "Ta DAH!!" The title also references the tiny points of light that show through the colander.

A Wedding

The heightened emotions (and champagne consumption) at a wedding make for some interesting body language. the bride and her sister are checking out the arrivals in "Anticipation".


Another bridesmaid and guest celebrate in "Wedding Belles".

Close to Home

The coastline of my home state of Maryland has a special, calm beauty which I tried to capture in "Last Light in Oxford".


A nearby dock is pictured in "Ripples".


The Poolesville farmland I painted in "Far from Tuscany" clearly reminds me of a more exotic place.

Southern Maine

The stunning coastline of southern Maine is a favorite subject for artists, but I love observing the life in the small towns along the water. Here you see some friends in Old Orchard beach taking a "Coke Break".


A man is taking a breather in Boothbay Harbor in "Bowling Alone".

Coast of Cape Cod

I come home from the beautiful coast of Cape Cod with ideas for art works. The path in "Down the Dirt Road" is near a friend's home in Yarmouthport.


A "High Tide" touched the landscape nearby.


I love the reflections in a Hyannisport marina.


Some animated young people caught my attention for "Hyannis Hiatus".

More California art

The pier at Santa Cruz beach was the setting for two other works. The seafood diner that literally sits at the end of the pier is featured in "Santa Cruz Sunset".


Nearby Stagnaro's Restaurant was my inspiration for "Table for Two".


I used a view of San Francisco as the background for my Renaissance-like portrait of my San Jose niece.

More Capitola CA inspirations

These girls were "Wired" in every sense of the word at a local coffee shop.


It was "Neither Rain nor Sleet" for Tina, their local mail carrier.

Places . . .

I'm forever thinking about where I could take my camera to get great shots. That forethought usually doesn't pan out though. It just seems to happen when I'm least expecting it. One of my favorite places is seaside Capitola, California, near my sister's home. Great colors. Lively people. Active street life. Yesterday's painting was a store window there. Today's is my view while having lunch out on the patio at Zelda's. 

How it Begins . . .

The artistic process begins for me when I notice something that moves me with its humor, beauty or sometimes, even quirkiness. If I'm lucky, I have my camera handy and can capture the moment in a photo or two. Then I'm able to create a colored pencil work from it that allows me to continue enjoying it and to share it with others. I try for a strong composition with a simple image and choose bright, bold colors to convey the energy I experienced. Often I am attracted to people in a particular setting that suggests a narrative, but a moody sky or a bowl of beans might also speak to me.