Autumn Excursion oil on canvas 11x 14 $150

   This painting, done with palette knife and once again a simplified palette was meant to capture the mood of a mid autumn canoe trip, one last chance to enjoy the outdoors, away from civilization. The predominate colors an autumn gold with that same color 'picked up' in the foreground and midground rocks. The canoe is dwarfed in the scene offering a scale of grandeur.

McGinnis Slough oil on board 8x 10$75

    This scene, from a forest preserve near home, captures the moods and colors of an autumn afternoon. The midwest forest turns rust, the water a deep blue to contrast with the sky and the distant shore. In the foreground the sun bleaches the reeds growing in the marshy area, home to muskrat and beaver-only 25 miles to downtown Chicago. Here I used both brush and palette knife to convey the shapes and characteristics of the scene.

Red Bud oil on board 5x7 $50

  Simple scene. Simplified palette.-yellow, blue, red and of course white. Wanted this to be no special scene. Abstract feel. Lots of light greens, yellow greens-expected for spring-and then areas of bright color-like one might see with red bud abloom.

Mediterranean Harbor-France Oil on Canvas 11x14 SOLD

   This scene from a French Mediterranean Port was done with palette knife. The sparkling blue waters, the bright southern France sky combined with the pastels and warm roof tiles set the stage of a holiday in France. The water is a blend of cobalt, french ultramarine, cerulean and thalo blues with some alizarin crimson and of course white. The shadows include some cerulean blue to add color, depth and soften the harshness.

Marshall Field's oil on canvas 8x10 $150 framed

 
   In Chicago Marshall Field's on State Street is an institution. Despite its purchase by Macy's, to natives it remains Marshall Field's. This clock, one of two on State and the store's typical green awnings is emblematic of Marshall Fields. For national holidays in the summer a row of American flags line up beside the clock and serve as a nice contrast to the blue green patina of the national historic clock. This was done with knife and brush and hope it captures the feeling of a warm summer afternoon at 'Field's'.

St James Park oil on board 8x10 $75 unframed

This is from a photo I took of St James Park in London. Simplified palette of ultramarine blue, light cadmium yellow and cadmium red hue medium (and of course white). The advantage of a simplified palette is that the colors work together. There is a unity to the color scheme-the challenge sometimes, is to find just the right color and hue that one is searching for. I used the knife as well as brush here and believe that it captures the feeling of a tranquil autumn London scene.

Desert Sunset oil on canvas board 8 x10 $75 unframed

  I hope that the heat of the desert is captured here. I had painted the ground with a warm rich red tone to give a sense of the desert heat. I used predominately warm colors as well to give additional feelings to the heat, despite it being the end of the day. But to convey the coming temperature drop I added cooler colors to the sky and the ground-especially in the shadowed areas. I don't often do desert scenes but this was fun to do, especially the rich colors of the sky.

After the Storm- Mountain oil on canvas board 8x10 $125

       In this painting, done only with brush-in contrast to most of my paintings, was done with a simplified palette. I thought that I would go back and use only three colors, french ultramarine (my blue), cadmium red hue (red obviously) and cadmium yellow hue with white. Typically my palette might have 8 or 9 different colors scattered along my edges with various blues, reds, a violet, several hues of yellow/ochre. The simplification of the palette often results in a painting that has a more unified color scheme, but often with the challenge of trying to find the right color that one desires. I think it worked very well here-the haze over the mountain peaks with the brighter blue suggests a better day. The oranges and golds of the fall meadow grab the eye and drive them to the peaks.

Noon at the French Market Oil on Canvas 8 x10 SOLD

  
    This commissioned piece captures the scene from an afternoon market place in southern France. The warm high sun lends itself to shortened cool shadows. Shutters are closed to shield the rooms from the hot sun. Shoppers walk in the shade in an attempt to stay cooler, and our diner in the right midground is enjoying a bite at the outdoor cafe.

On the Shelf Oil on board 8x10 framed $150

   A simple composition with muted colors-except for the gold of the worn well-read book. This was done with brush and palette knife-the knife being used for the background while the brush provided the details for the objects.

Trio Oil on canvas Board 8 x10 $125

       This painting, done with brush as well as palette knife captures the scene with 3 bottles of wine from Italy in the classic straw basket. The background, done impasto with palette knife, is shaded gray with just a hint of color to provide contrast to the green bottles with straw basketry. Finally, the shadowed areas beneath the table provide sharp contrast to the light tablecloth and napkin. One bottle has been at least partially consumed while two others awaiting opening.

Times Square 8 x 10 oil on canvas $250 framed

    This scene attempts to capture some of the bustle and movement within Times Square. This view is from a photo I took looking up 7th Avenue near Broadway and 42nd Street in the later Sunday afternoon. The crowd, always in a hurry, is exiting the theater. This was done with palette knife and is in an impressionistic style.