Spring 2011

Spring show at the gallery New paintings I have completed  for the show illustrate my varying interests in the world around me. Two of them are revisits to earlier subjects. One is the last of my Italian works, and the fourth was inspired by a visit to the Jacksonville zoo.
The Italian painting is from the garden behind the villa we stayed in during last summer's Tuscany sojourn. I admired the way the pigeons took ownership of the fountain (when the water was off) in the midst of the rosemary plants. Their colors worked so well with the vibrant greens. The title was obvious--Pigeons with Rosemary.
The "Old Fishing Bridge" is based on a bridge that used to connect Little Talbot Island to Fort George Island on the road to Jacksonville. I originally painted this scene several years ago--when the bridge was still in place. It has since been replaced with a more modern structure that doesn't have the same character. Bridge fishing is very popular in the area and I felt I wanted to take another look at this on a larger scale.
"Sailing Home" is a combination of subjects I covered a few years ago after a visit to Martha's Vineyard.
 The lighthouse and the sailboat had been painted separately and I thought I would like to see them together.
I had captured each of them at separate times from the ferry.

Finally, on a warm winter day a few months ago I visited the Jacksonville zoo. When I saw the two endangered Florida panthers napping together in the shade, I knew they would make a good painting. I call this one "Nap time".




There is also one other painting that I recently finished. It was a commissioned portrait for a good repeat patron. I titled it " Russ Rides".