As a learning exercise I tried using ink to do a cross hatching sketch of my husband Gord. I had a photo where he had his glasses off and was leaning forward onto a table. I was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable the process was and the finished likeness with out filling everything in - just using short strokes.  You always hear paint/draw what you love so here he is. If I was to draw it again, I would trim his back down because without the table and his arms leaning on it, it looks like I made him a hunchback (you have to have a good sense of humour to be married to me). This sketch is 7" x 5"

This painting is inspired by the many sunsets that I witnessed on holidays, each one a dance of changing colour. I did not want to blink as the sun was going down behind these rocks and the shadows were swallowing up the beautiful colour.

"Into The Shadows"
Oil on canvas board   8" x 10"   #20019120

I spent this past November and December in Melaque Mexico and loved everything about it except for the initial heat and humidity. In the photo above I am on the left, Elias, then my sister-in-law Marg. As Marg and I are both artists we would bring our sketch book and water colours to the beach and one of our favourite places is Bugambilias restaurant. We would sketch, swim and play in the waves, enjoy cold beer and REPEAT! As we sat sketching at the shaded table; Elias who had served us cold cervesas asked about our art and shly told us he had recently started painting and was very passionate about it. He showed us photos on his phone of acrylic paintings he had completed and that instant an art connection was born. I filled a palette, had an extra brush, mat and water colour and gifted those so he could try them. The painting below is his that he brought to show us. The view is out front of his work. I loved how he captured the colours in the rocks, the pride of adding the Mexico flag and the variety of birds that glide over the water... You can see more of his work on his Instagram account - eliasangel1977. If you are in Melaque, please tell him you saw this post.

I painted this of a woman dancing in a religious street parade in Mexico. The banner carried had "Danza Tonanztzin" with a beautiful sewn painting of the Virgin Mother. "Villa Obregon" was at the bottom of the banner and where this group of dancers were from. They were outfitted in colourful dress from the variety of feathers to the rattling beans around their ankles. The first painting is done as a coloured sketch on computer paper. The second I did on water colour paper hoping to bring out the vibrant colours. They are both 14" x 5" so that they will fit into my Mexico holiday sketch book (hence the fold). #20004120

Happy New Year! I am back from my holiday but still had a couple of paintings to post. The colours for sunrise and sunset are amazing in Melaque, Mexico. It is like a layering and ending of daylight, layering with the evening light as the moon and stars are beginning to shining through. I have had trouble with blending and mixing colours on the gesso'd water colour paper due to the heat and humidity, but as always enjoyed the process. The edges were a little harder than what I was trying to do but am happy with the end result as the colours really were that layered across the fields.

"Daylight's Last Hurrah"
11" x 15" Acrylic on water colour paper    #20001120