Welcome, Bienvenidos!

Peace and Love to All

Forgive me readers - it's been weeks since my last post with all of the recent activity. St. Francis is popular with pet lovers and in this commission he is accompanied by: two Jack Russell Terriers, one lab, one beagle, one bunny, two meadow larks, one roadrunner, and one quail - whew! Plus his usual bird friends.
It took a while with all the detail and dog research but really like the piece. Still need to retouch it (take out the glare), but had to share!

Hawk Dreams


I am reposting some pieces as I take new pictures with a new camera - Nikon CoolPix 8.1 px - WOW!
This is a favorite piece. It is a Red Tailed Hawk with natural agate, amethyst, stained glass, mirror and reverse glass painted hawk portrait.

Heart Break




A new and much improved picture of my Diana Gabaldon piece. It is a quotation from Dragonfly in Amber from the Outlander series. Went to her lecture and she signed this piece! She is pretty cool and a savvy business woman.
Plus a picture of another finished commission of St. Francis and client doggie - Wilson the Westi. 8" x 10" reverse glass painting.

Gila Dreams


New work as the countdown to the show Nov. 13-14 continues. I am trying to squeeze two more pieces into the little time left!!
This piece and the other new pieces are not grouted and have a jewel like glitter.

Dog Star Mosaic



Finished! Stained glass, TG glass, antique bugle beads and reverse glass painting on plate. South west canyons inspired the gold reverse glass painted petroglyph of a dog star with gold bugle beads on a canyon wall. Glittering, cool blue water and green tree leaves complete canyon setting.
Natural stones edging the rim finish the piece.

Dog Star


This is a new piece that is almost finished. Dog star, coyote star, brightest star in the sky. Thought of a design that would be magical, depicting a petroglyph dog reverse glass painting that has been distressed, broken. Gold antique cheque bugle beads inlaid add the magic and sparkle. The colors are inspired by the southwest Canyon de Chey. Rich sepia, ochres, against backdrops of green and water.
Completed picture coming soon!

Heart Song








Years ago in high school I remember
a teacher saying "don't die with your music still inside you." Of course we all were like "what is he talking about?" Well years later the phrase stuck with me and often chased away doubts of pursuing art as my day job. Funny but to this day I always associate it with song birds, birds in general.
Like one of those fortune cookie tapes that say something like "sing badly if you must, but SING."
Song birds will feature in some of my new pieces and this is the first. Cabinet door frames and tempered glass put them in my 'recycled green' series.
Working in series helps keep focus on a particular subject matter and is the way my brain seems to flow. I have one more in the Abstract series in progress, with two more designed for a total of five for the five seasons in Tucson - spring, summer, winter, fall, monsoon. Finished spring and fall, summer in progress here. It is called Heart Fire - Summer Passion. Mixed media of reds, oranges, yellows on a recycled cabinet door. It will be rich and passionate with color and movement. Plus it will be more 3-D , a bit sculptural. Can't wait to start!!
The November show will have a lot of new work that I am eager to show because it has been such a fun learning process to do them. Art is the heart that beats inside me.
** On Another Note: This summer has been very challenging for my mom health wise and now she is having surgery for cancer so I will go immediately to be with my family. Did not realize how stressed I have been until today when the veneer cracked as I told someone "my mom has cancer and she is in surgery right now." Suddenly I was trying so hard to keep from having a small meltdown and had a teeny one anyway. I hate it when that happens - how embarrassing!! And I imagined myself to be one of those cool, calm, self composed individuals - Ha! Meanwhile my mom is the one suffering through everything and she is the cool one, so strong - what a champ!
Aaanyway, enough boo - hooing - enjoy my works in progress (WIP's for short).

Spring Dance







Here are the finished pieces as I continue exploring the possibilities with tempered glass. In the new abstract series my work explores the mystery and magic of nature. The literature series is all about my passion for literature. This summer I developed an addiction for audio books. The studio can be isolating and listening to stories is easy. Some of the pieces are influenced by What I am listening to and I remember them by books and the feelings I had while making them.
My parents sent me flowers! They are beautiful and I keep them right where they inspire me at my work table - I am so blessed!

Abtract mosaic




Abstracts and contemporary art has always appealed to me. This year I am pushing that direction more. One of a series of new mixed media pieces.
Playing with combinations of TG, stained glass, stones etc.
And my trusty Risa ready to go to the park - a daily ritual she does Not let me forget.


Here are a couple of mini studies for a body of new work. They are miniatures because I am still in that mode and have found it easier to paint minis. The new work continues the path I am on towards looser more contemporary pieces. Some of the mini studies will be translated to mixed media mosaics or collage as I sort out design and value/hue issues. Green - 2 3/4" x 3 1/2" Amethyst - 4 1/4" x 6" of Allen Hummingbird. Hummingbirds are favorite subject!

Illustrated Children's book




The other day at the library I was researching and came across a little book that I illustrated for the botanical gardens thru a grant about three years ago. It's a bilingual children's book about planting a garden to attract wildlife. Also a coloring book. I thought it had faded after it's first printing. It was such a small project that was not really promoted in the gift shop.
So imagine my surprise when I came across it/ME. I burst out laughing and pulled the copies they had and literally checked myself out - ha, ha. So now I can be found under call number 625.9525