Waiting, again

I've noticed that I'm drawn to scenes of women waiting, like this one called "Reading Room" in the fabulous lobby of the Chateau Montebello in Quebec. Hmm . . .

San Francisco coffee shop

I loved the attitude of these two young people waiting for their order, as well as the pattern of their arms and the poster image. My niece Karen kindly let me snap away to get a reference photo.

California coming up

Another trip to California coming up and a visit to Capitola where my camera and I go crazy with resource material for my art. One glance at this boy in front of the store window and I immediately thought of "The Sirens" of classical myth.

A poem

I agreed to participate in a cooperative project with some local poets and my piece, "Another Day" resulted from it. As my choice of an inspirational poem, I selected a piece about the the poet's elderly father, alone in the kitchen in the morning, carefully preparing his oatmeal. This is what the poem suggested to me.

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".

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.

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".

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".

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.